The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-06-06
/. The National Temperance League.
~ -7T- = II
BY REV. 7. +. PARKER.

This is British organization, and
was formed in 1886 by the National
Temperance Society and the London
Temperance League. Its object is ''thc
promotion of temperance by the prac-
tice and advocacy of fetal abstinence"
This object it seeks to accomplish by
means of public meetings, lectures, SER
mons, tract distribution, domiciliary
visitation, conference with the clergy,
medical practitioners, schoolmastcrs,
magistrates, and other persons of in
fluence, deputations to teachers and
students, in universities, colleges, train
ing institutions and schools, mission
airy efforts among sailors, soldiers, the
militia, the police and other classes.
In this work it has been very success
full. Numerous select conferences and
drawing room meetings have been held
in London and the larger provincial
towns, special conferences have been
held from year to year with ministers
of religion.
AS the result of this work, the Church
of England Temperance Society has
been re organized on basis admit
ting united action by moderate drink
ers and abstainers, and large additions
have been made to the number of alb
staining clergy. The Wesleyan Con-
ference has officially sanctioned Sunday
School Bands of Hope, and at The re-
cent session of the conference an enthu-
siastic temperance meeting was held.
Temperance associations have been
formed in the Congregational and Bap-
list denominations, and great temper
ancc meetings have been held in st.
Paul's Cathedral, the City Temple, Mr..
Spurgeon's Tabernacle, and Westmin-
ster Abbey. About 5000 ministers
have been identified with the temper
ance movement. nf
In 1869 conference of medical
abstainers was held in London, and a
series of conferences with members of
the British Medical Association have
beer held at Leeds, Newcastle-upon-
Tyne, Plymouth, Birmingham and
Norwich. The Medical journal fur
nishes regularly, once quarter, the
latest and most valuable information
upon the medical and physiological. as
poets of the temperance question.
In 1871 the League did much TO pro-
cure the medical declaration signed by
two hundred and sixty-nine of the most
eminent medical practitioners of the
day, in regard to the non-necessity of
the use of alcohol as medicine.
In 1874 it procured the delivery of
DIR. &. b. Carpenters lectures on
"Alcohol' and numerous meetings
have been held in Exeter Hall, giving
valuable testimony as to the benefits of
total abstinence. The discussion of the
use of alcohol has thus been extended
among the medical practitioners of the
nation, and an association of abstaining
physicians has been formed to investi-
gate the disputed question concerning
alcohol. Chemical and physiological
lectures have been delivered at large
number of collegiate schools and pub
lie institutions, anda missionary gave
in 1851, 547 addresses to schools hav-
ing an aggregate attendance of 42,140
children. Through efforts of the League,
temperance lessons are being in
troduced into the national school
books.
Good work is being done in the
army, and branches of the League
have been formed at Malta, Gibraltar,
China and British North America. In
India garrison societies have been form
ed including 5000 men and HOG
women. In the navy 165 temperance
branches have been formed. Besides
the great meetings held in the great
cities of the Kingdom, grand demon
stration is held once year at the Crys-
tai Palace, which is generally attended
by about $4,000 persons. ''' .''t '.
A large amount of money has been
expended on the pressIn disseminating
information on the moral and political
bearings of the subject This work is
sustained by annual subscriptions and
donations, the average amount received
for ten years being FL 900. In 1858 a
gentleman left a valuable legacy 10
the League, the interest being expend-
ed yearly in advancing the cause. AL
together the National Temperance
League is one of the best agencies for the
promotion of temperance which exist In
Great Britain.-[ Northern Advocate.