Washington sentinel., 1898-06-18
BsrImer NsnesEe MaeAyichten.

- ~'@~ NNAAs AHN DLNf AAOhCNEI. udTe LOuC0
1t. England can only need an alliance
to suit particular purpose and in par.
ticular circumstances. Any permanent
treaty between these Anglo-Saxou
nations is, therefore, out ofthe question.
Does England seek an alliance in order
to tight Russian 1t would be contrary
to all traditions OF American politics to
oppose Russia, England can never be
sure Of Canada till she has an alianc
with the United States. This is an i'm
pOrtant consideration. But the over.
lures of England have been coldly met
in America there are as yet no indica-
tions that anything more than yaB-
PT0chemeHt between the two countries
Is seriously thought of,
SHALL THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HAVE
INTOXICATING LIQUoRs1
SaHSayd--London, May 2S.
Yesterday, at Bow street, Mr.. Steph.
ems, barrister, applied for and obtained
a summons against an attendant in one
Of the House of Commons refreshment
rooms, for supplying Intoxicating liquors
to "a member Of the public"
Sir Wilfrid Lawson and his friends. we
know, have been a good deal shocked
by the consumption OF unlicensed whis.
key and soda within the walls Of ParlIa
ment, and they might be willing to incur
some inconvenience Though not, we
trust the risks of an action for "main-
tenance'' ) to put an end to the practice.
But the proceedings at Bow street, if
such is their origin, do not strike us as
particularly dignified or fair. That the
Sale of intoxicants in the House is, at
least, irregular" has been admitted by
the Attorney General and it will be
remembered that last session Lord
Stanley, the Chairman Of the Kitchen
Committee, brought in a bill to legalize
it. But this scandalized the Total Alb
stinence champions so much that they
persistently blocked the measure, so
that it had to be dropped, and has not
been reintroduced. The House ofCom.
mons has been denied the opportunity
OF setting itself right with the law; and
1t seems unsportsmanlike, even for per.
sons OF such aggressive virtue as Sir
Wilfrid Lawson's faction, to find their
victim in such very humble minister
to the evils of drink" as the object Of
the present prosecution. To attack a
waiter for serving a member OF the
general public" is rather a shabby pro.
ceeding, If the issue is to be tested
fairly, let a summons be taken out
against the manager of the refreshment
department at St. Stephens for selling
liquor to a Member of Parliament. Then,
If conviction is obtained, two advan.
tages will be gained. In the first place,
the teetotallers will have triumphantly
vindicated the unlawful character and
conduct Of those who prefer to moisten
their legislative labors with liquids more
potent than tea. Secondly, the House
Of Commons will be obliged either to
abolish its bars altogether, or to regu.
larize them by special legislation,
Dafly Meas London, May %.
Mr.. LuShlngton granted summons
against a barkeePer in Westminster
Hall for supplying drink to the public.
We pre- sumo that Mr., Lushington knows
what he is about, and that he has not
encouraged or permitted the commence
ment Of a necessarily futile process.
Westminster Hall IS part of the Palace
OF Westminster, and it has been hitherto
assumed, perhaps enormously, that q
Royal Palace was beyond the Jurisdiction
of the magistrates. But we
should have thought that the privileges
of Royal Palace, if there are any, were
geographical, and covered the whole
area without respect of persons. =
But the idea Of enforcing total absti-
nence upon the House of Commons is
chimerical. II the law interfered with
the bar, or with the arrangements OF the
dining room and the cellar, the law
would speedily be altered. II the prin.
cipal Of local option were applied by
taking vote of the House, Sir Wilfrid
would hnd himself in a small minority.
There are men in the House, as else
where, who drink to excess. Blu. it is
not to be supposed that their habits
would be altered by sending them to
their other clubs, and the bulk Of mem.
bers, like the bulk of ordinary folk, are
what Sir Wilirid calls moderate drunk
ards. A local optionist should not
endeavor to force abstention upon an
unwilling assembly.
Daiy Gyabhie-L ondon, May IS.
When Sir WIlirid Lawson first awoke
to the awful fact that the Mother Of
Parliaments was selling excisable liquors
without a licence it seemed possible that
the public might be treated to the spec
| tacle OF the Speaker appearing to a
summons for keeping a shebeen. Com
mon sense seems, howSver, to have so
far asserted its sway that the summons
applied for at Bow street dealt only with
the offence Of supplying liquor to a
member OF the general public. The
right Of the elect of the people to fortily
himself for his legislative labors and
flights OF eloquence by whatever par.
ticular vanity" he may happen to affect
remains unchallenged. We are far
enough from the time when Pitt and
DttnHaa rauna doryr - c. Ck.-k..s. =.