Washington sentinel., 1901-06-08
RArEs OF ADvRR rIsINo:
A DRINK PROBLEM
England - Parliament VIII Hold
Drtnker TO Accountability.

England = Parliament will Hold
Drlnker TO Accoun liability.
In his address from the throne
on the occasion of the opening OIL
Parliament few months ago Kline
Edward stated that legislation had
been prepared by the Government,
and would, il possible, be submit
ted to Parliament, on the subject
ofhabitual drunkenness and intox-
ication in public places. The
"drink problem" in England is
one which the statesmen Of that
country are disposed to handle
very gingerly. Enelishmen have
pronounced ideas aboutiadiVidual
freedom and resent any enlarge
ment Of police authority. conse-
quentlv the Governm ent has been
in no hurry TO introduce legislation
on its own account. The Bishop
Of Winchester, however, recently
Introduced in the House of Lords,
on his own initiative, a bill which
seems TO offer the Government
groundw oik Tor legislation on the
lines 1t contemplates. The salient
points Of this bill, as set forth in
the debate in the House of Lords,
are substantially S follows:
When person is convicted OF
an ofiense under conditions in
which the court is of opinion that
an order OF detention could be
made under the Inebriates act Of
1898, notice Of the conviction is to
be sent to the police authority for
the police area in which the court
is situated. II within three years
the convicted person attempts to
purchase any intoxicant he is liable
to fine. If the holder OF any license
for public house kno wingly sells
liquor TO such a person he is liable
to a pecuniary penalty. Habi ual
drunkenness on the part of either
husband or vile is made a ground
for legal separation. The bill
makes it an of1ense for any person
to be intoxicated while in charge
OF a child under seven years Of
age. ANY person who is found
intoxicated in a licensed house or
in public place is liable to arrest.
The owner of licensed premises is
compelled to prove, in the events
OF arrests on his premises, that he
and those in his employment had
taken all reasonable steps to pre-
vent drunkenness. In renewing
the licenses for public houses the
justices are to take into considera-
tion the number ol times in which
violations of the law have been
proved against the holder OF the
license. II the number OF regis
tered convictions relating either to
the owner OF the license or persons
found intoxicated on his premises
exceeds FIVE in FIVE years, "the
licensing justices shall be bound,
should they renew the license, to
record specifically in writing their
reasons for taking that course"
Finally the bill proposes sort OF
"blacklist" Of confirmed drunk
ards-a feature which has, as
might be expected, aroused Wig.
orous and widespread opposition.
The Bishop of Winehester's bill
has been received iavorably in the
House Of Lords, but its fate in the
House OF Commons seems to be
doubtful, to say the least. Lord
Salisbury questions the value of
such legislation and has given it
only half-hearted support in the
House Of Lords. He has taken
occasion to warn the country
against the "illusory and vexatious
policy OF legislative compulsion
as a means OF making England
sober" althoughshe recognizes the
necessity OF enforcing proper
standard OF management in
licensed pub ic places.
Lord Salisbury is one Of the few
Englishmen in public life who
seem to care little for popular APP
proval, and speak their minds
freely without regard to the con-
sequences. To the advocates of
temperance reform he does not
hesitate to say that no man can be
made good by parliamentary stat
utes. He boldly insists that the
sober Englishman should not be