The National tribune., 1883-10-04

but the act failed to pass at the last session of
Parliament, and must await second trial after
the hunting season.
INTEMPERANcE.
The second limitation of the power of the
corporation lies IN the direction of the temper
anee movement. Licenses for public houses
are conferred By the Justices at Brewsters sss-
sions annually, independently of the wishes of
the people and the corporation; and, II BIr-
mingham be a fair specimen of the fruits Of
this method of dealing with the question of
liquor selling, then is this method infinitely
bad. The citizens of Birmingham, however,
unable 10 induce Parliament to best0w local
option upon them, and powerleSs to move tae
justices towards restrictive measures. are
working vigorously upon the theory of suSsti-
tuition. Coffee taverns and coffee houses have
sprung up in all parts of the town, aud the
opening Of the Great Golden Coffee House
the twenty-first house opened under the man
agement OF the Birmingham Coffee House Com
p2ny-was made q sufficiently great occasion
to justify Mr.. John Bright in a speech that
filed the columns of the Manchester GUARDIAN
and provoked discussion Of legislative treat
ment of intemperance throughout the length
and breadth of the Kingdom.
From all this it viii be readily seen that the
life of the workman In Birmingham is very
different experience in many essential respects
from his life a5 Hales0wen, at Cradley or at
Lye-Waste But | do not wish to give an IN
fairly favorable impression Of Birmingham.
No corporation, however wise and good, can
rescue its citizens from the conseqU qUences Of
their industrial circumstances, and in my walks
and drives within the limits of Birmingham,
| have seen poverty terrible to look upon. In
the neighbOrh0od of Aston Hall, as / have
said, ancient leases protect miles Of courts so
grimy, so crowded, SO twisted and knOtted one
within another that it IS impossible that human
L I =
ings. And, indeed, there is no volitiOn in the
matter. There are the works and here must
the workers live within easy reach, while the
evil system OF long leases Tob5 them of hope
OF better homes, as in many cases American
competition robs them of hope of better wages
These are things which the corporation can
| not mend. 1t is the national governments
framing national laws which alone can treat
| these more general evils and the better the
| local administration the more sharply is this
| responsibility of the general government
brought into relief.
MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION.
| Happily for US municipal administration il
at last receiving in America share of thc
| thoughtful consideration which it demands
| We may not, as a nation, be quick 20 recOgniz:
our defects. The faults of our cities, however
| can no longer be ignored, and their gravity is
| perhaps not exaggerated by the recent con
| tributor to Harper's Monthly, who announce
| that the government of our cities is the stun
| bling block of our civilization" Under thes'
/ circumstances, although the description of ;
| well-goyerned city is not so exciting them,
| as the sufferings which I have recently de
| scribed, it is certainly no less suggestive.
The governmental Birmingham is conducted
| by citizens of Birmingham. The theory of tn
government of cities upon the principle of lOca
self-control, subject to certain general restrie
IL
| The difference IN results, so far as | have beel
able TO discover, is the direct outgr0Wth of tn
difference between the people governed. Il
England, the best citizens are proud TO hol
local Offices, and their fellow-men vie wit
each other in doing honor to faithful guardian
of this vital trust. In this statement there j
no exaggeration. Mr.. Chamberlain, now Mem
Der of Parliament and president of the Boar
of Trade, was several times reelected mayor @
Birmingham, and his fell0w-citiZens, proud c
his career and grateful for his local service
have erected a charming shaft in his honor i
the space among the municipal buildings. Nc
many steps removed from this stands the Statu
of Mr.. Joseph Wright, whose sole claim to dis
tinction is his long and faithful service of hi
native Birmingham.
Criticism Of local measures is not wanting
nor is it confined to the local press. Ever
Englishman, rich er poor, wise or dull, know
that the law, once made, viii be enforced
be that law general or local and he wateiIe
the law-maker with careful criticism in eonst
quenee. The position of the mayor and eorpC
ration is no easy one, for the Englishman is
proyerbial grumbler. But faithful work
honored by profound respect promptly e.
pressed in social distinction, followed sooner {
later by long-cherished fame. Under thes
circumstances there is keen stimulus TO publ
spirit and public Service and local self govern
ment develops noble men and admirable citie
| f. K