The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-02-14
TEMPERANCE SPEECHES A HUN
,..., DRED YEARS AGO.

tercsting gleanlngs from very earnest ant
able debate in the British House of Lords
which took place century ago, on th
question of repeating certain duties on spir
ituous liquors, and on licenses for rctailin!
the same, and for LAYING other duties" &c
when several admirable speeches wer,
made against the bill. which could hardly b'
improved in these more enlightened days o
temperance reformation. |, is recorded by
Snol!et, 10 the honor of the bishops. tina
the whole bench voted against the bill.
., The celebrated Earl of Chesterfield said
- Luxury, my Lords, is to be taxed, bu
vice prohibited. le, the difficulties in exccu
ting the law be what they will. Would
YOU lay tax upon breach of the Ten
Commandments Wnnld MT such tax
imply an indulgence to all those who could
pay the tax? Is not this rcproarl most
justly thrown by Protcslan,s uponth Church
of Rome! Was it not the chief cause of
the Reformation! And will you follow a
precedent which br"ugh, reproach and ruin
upon those who introduced itl This is the
very case now before us. You are gong to
lay a tax, and consequently th>indu!gc sort
of drunkenness which almost necessarily
produces breach Of every one of the Ten
Commandments.
Therefore. when this project was first form
cd, must suppose that half dozen ministers,
having assembled and lanl their wise heads
together, they have resolved that tho people
Of this nation should he drunk for one twelve.
month at least. not only to raise sum of
money for their dark purposes. but to pre-.
vent the peoples being sensible of their mis-
cry. or of the heavy burdens intended TO be
laid upon them and their postcritv.
But. say the advocates of this bill. since we
cannot put an entire stop to the vice. the
government ought to avail themselves Of it.
What! will The government avail Itself of the
destruction Of the people? The riches sand
honor the government depend upnn,hc ill.,
.dustry and the numbers Of the people. lfh
destroys itself; and can government avail it.
self ofits own destruction? That private ces
are public benefits, is doctrine which re-
member was some years ago advanced n
pernicious Atheistical book called the Fable
ofthe Bees, but little imagined that SI,"ull
ever see such doctrine adopted by this
House, and made the basis of some of our
resolutions. A very
noted gentleman, whom many of your lord
ships may remember, mean the famous
Mr.. Webb. who was believe, The fnnndcr
of our new sect of water drinkers, finding a
friend Of his. dangerously i'll ofa complica-
lion Of distempcrs, he told him, Sir, YOU
'nHst drink no more wine or strong liquors.
Says the other. i have long been arcuslom-
ed to such liquors; j must not leave of al
once. but will trv tn do il hv Degrees
What. SRI replies Mr.. Webb. directly, If
your foot Uas an ne fire, ,could you pull 1t
out by degrees! THIS my Lord. is really
our case. The poor of this nation are in the
fire, and now you talk ofpu!ling them out
by degrees!
=, Lord L,nsdale said:
}. '.lf your lordShps were to sit in some spa
cious plain. and have all the sufferers by this
abominablc vice brought before you, it
would be such shocking sight, that huInani-
~ itself would make you reject bill which
is to give license to vice which makes
such havoc among mankind. To see m"n
enfeeblcd and consumed. or riotng in all
The most horrid sorts of wickcdnesS; 10 see
pinstituted, to see children emacia.
and all by the use of this poisonous liquor
called gin. would surely make you reject
with disdain bill which is to set up by pub.
lie authority SO or 10000 houses in this
kingdom as traps for drawing the unlhinking
ruIgar into excessive use of this liquor"
Lord Car,are, gave in one ofhis speech
IS this anccdotc:
Some people will follow their incnalions
hough they know death to be the certain
have heard of a gentleman s
Who, being dangerously i'll of a dropsy, sen,
or physician. When the physician came, '
ie found The gentleman with pot of liquor
,pnn his table; and asking the gentleman
What it was: A pot of fine ale,' says he,
with toast and hutmeg" The physician I
said. You must not touch it, it t
S certain death to man in your condition." I
Not touch it doctor?" replies the gentleman; &
why ifny grave were on this hand. and b
hat pot of ale on the other. would drink }
were sure of being thrown into my grave f
he next moment" I
Lord Harvey, among other good things, |
aid: c
!"Govcrnment, my Lords, subsists upon a
evercncc; What reverence can be paid to d
he laws by 2 crowd. Of which every one
exalted by The enchantmcnts of those in f
oxicating spirits TO the independence Of a
nonarch, the wisdom of legislator, and the
,.repiday Of hero, when every man thinks {
hose laws oppressive that oppose the exccu- q
ion of his present intentions, and considers a
very magistrate as his prosecutor and enc t
ny1 Laws, my lord suppose reason; for Il
rho eyer attempted TO restrain beasts but h
cn.aa1 AnL ih1.ca IL