Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-01-28

| surveyor
yond the limits OF the county.
On motion of Mr. BRowN, Of Cumberland, bills their
hrsi reading taken up and series of them having
been read the House adjourned motion Of Mr.
| Malue Law In England.
| from London
In country where everything finds its level there
not projects that be pronounced utterly i'm.
practicable. There is nothing politically impossible in
arbitration clause nothing physically in railway
Calcutta nor far know, in electric cable from,
| Galway to New York. But there lies before us
the account of a scheme which does wholly beyond
the range Of British possibilities. Il ia tho "First Re-
port OF the Executive Committee Of the United Kingdom
Alliance To procure the total and Immediate legisa-
tive Suppression Of the Traffic in all Intoxicating Lii
'quor Beverages" Our readers will excuse the quo
tation OF lengthy title II necessary truth in
this instance certain wordness the uniform char.
acerisic Of these moral extravagances The drunkard
has his draw the puritan his whine and the teetoaler
and others of his class have their long stream of watey
prose- tricklig tediousy that you know when
yon have got the last drop. We have perused the
whole report and really should be loss to give
count OF ia contents, except that the bulk is
sderably swollen by the titles Of the sister or at
hliated movements. There is the "Ant Liquor Traffic
Enactment in the province of New Brunswick there is
The Canadian Prohbitory Liquor Law League" there is
Te Maine Liquor Law League Of Scotland" besides the
old Temperance Societies all of them rejoicing sesqups-
daian titles These older societies with pledg
es and moral agencies. They confess however, have
Jailed In Ireland for example, there is DR. mixing
thAn ever and the dsteries cannot supply the thirsty
population. So, the gentlemen whose name ,ifi ed
to the report before us have combined to pre- Par
amen the total aud immediate closing Of all houses
gnshops and beershops and prohibition of the traffic
altogether except for what they pleased call "medi
cna purposes" As beverage, the smallest to be
utterly interdicted The harvestman the navy" no,
to be permitted ask for his ale his pot OF porter
unless he armed with n certificate from an auho.
rzed hyscisn that his health is OF peculiar nature
as TO require that degree of artificial stimulus Nay more
the nunuer of officers charged with the distribution of
the medicine is be but smal--only one or two in a
town. and they be closely watched less they should
dose their patients too largely Policemen and detectives
| are to guard the approach TO the spirit malt
liquor dispensary, see that the unhappy sufferers
duly restricted to their pint draughs of brown
stout their dessert spoouuls Of brandy 1t is
plated that the English peopc-tha example, the two
millions of people in this metropolswi quietly submit
TO this phamacopoes and draw their porter in phals
across the counter OF druggists shop after proper
hbition of permits by the constituted authorities
We ought know something about the Brit sh public
but know nothing about them il they will consent
to such antiquor traffic enactment, obey IT, If pas
sed. They will stand the hypocrisy of the medical
certificate the distinction between intoxicating liquor
medicine aud beverage. Half the ladies in this king.
dom taking porter pale ale 10y medical advice; and
half the doctors in the kingdom advise porter and pale
ale it is quite easy get advice this effect az not
IL all depends your choice Of adviser We certain.
y should very much like to the question discussed ra.
her fully, carefully and dspassionately than has
hitherto been DONE for hardly believe that young
lady, assumed to he Of delicate health and liable de-
preston and weakness can take pint of strong ale and
two three glasses Of wine day without effect on
ever, il is to be matter OF advice, beg suggest
very uniform rule for all patients whether they be labou
ers, paupers or nvaidish Young ladies. But how such
rule "a TO be enforced in the face of money and all kinds
Of persuasion, at loss to understand
Their, what is TO be- done with genteman's wine.
cellar! He wants little wine for mia stom-
Ach's sake and TO assist also the dgestion
and the spirits Of his friends so he sends his
usual order ito his wne,mercbant, sufficient perhaps
for whole yeara iesivities geala scale Must the
order be pi,std 10y medical ocer0 Must the applicant.
N mil afinn haEnr
board and must his friends also present themselves at his
mouse with white gloves and licenses to drink the pre-
misses? We cannot see how the prohibition il to work
without The alternative OF placing every gentemans cell
lar aGd dining under the surveillance of the police
or allowing to the luxurious and wealthy most unfair adj
vantage over the industrious poor Tie report does not
tell US how the Maine Liquor Law works ia Maine itself
upon tho weathier classes II only tells Of the immense
decrease Of "crmc that Of robberies and other out
ra5es What We want to know IT, the effect of shut
ting up grogshops aud tipping houses but the working
OF the prohibition upon gentlemen and ladies' with plenty
OF money in their pockets, commodious cellars and kind
hearted family physicians themselves fond of good living
~ 100, as we have observed the report had gone little
into the physical bearings Of the question, instead
OF dwelling on the progress Of the cause oil over
the world, we should have been q little more aided
towards our own practice, at least After ALL the
authorities triumphany paraded for guidance are
neither very winning nor very oyerpowering Passing
over Maine, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont In
diana Michigan and Wisconsin, we'll provinces
OF British America, cannot think the very much
aided by the fact that at Buenos Ayros iduor-so w
are asslredcsn be sod In public that in the Sandwich
Islands prohbitory Liquor Law part of the permanent
constitution Of society; that in Madagascar Mainc Law
is engsited the Constitution, and b. edct rom the
Throne the Of Intoxicating wine is even forbidden In
the Sacrament and that even the much magned King of
Dahomey in Western Africa steadily refuses to sanction
Irahc In strong drink His Msesiys revenues IL seems
chiefly derived ffom the traffic in human bepps and
with the cautious spirit OF the BREEDER he disposed
70 allow his people To be degraded and DESTROYED Inv
strong drink. This understand but we don't see
how the example Of the Royal slave breeder applies TO the
free people OF this country.
The report appeals to the failure Of all attempts to reg
ulae the sale Of drinks, and to the comparatively small
Of voluntary asBociaaons to prove the nereas
" Cfegsatoo. But what II legislation should be a.
tempted and fail What tremendous reaction wonId
ensue from unsuccessful attempt 10 DENY boer snri
and wne not merely to the ipper and the sol bu, In
gentlemen, lad.es, and hnrdwofkng nen Stolen wa
ters are sweet and how much sweeier will those frtvs
aalshls DC when they are vnous sprituous, strong
o. the malt Aera Short and not very effectual pro
hbltion With what Increased zcst will thirsty souls rnsh
70 the bar and swallow the dram that will then burn v,h
egay and quaR the stout that will then be the sron
or for having been once forbidden The Law once Oh
tanned, NO tTemole for the inevitable repeal But such
law s utterly impossible In this land Of liberty IL Ia
the lnalienable brlhIght Of every Bhton TO make
TOOL or a beast OF himself much az he pleaaes
30 long az II does not directly interfere With the
safety, comfort, and morals OF others. To be sure
one vice, or one evil, now md then puts a check
on another. Our quarresome temper and thirst Of do
ninon have entaed load OF debt So TO pay that
and Keep ourselves still In fighting TRIM must tar alt
nluor spirits, and vine. This tan has prohbItory
orce so We are drinking less aud have been drink.
ever since the war; than should have done 9th
er.e' " sort ofpenance, and To chastse our proud
spne 70 greater sobeTness and patience This Ia very
sort OF check drinking propensites lk.
os indeed felt by the drunkad, Who having spent all
MS money AZ the tap drink no more till he has roturn
his work and replcnished his purse but an act Of
aament to prohibit tho ofa strong drink whatov.
er, except under medical advice from constituted
alnorlues, q chimmra which we can only
suppose neso gentlemen take for the very reason that