The Barrow Herald and Furness Advertiser. — 1880-03-09 (Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England)

LOCAL OPTION.  In the House of Commons, on Friday night, Sir W. Lawson, on the motion to go into Committee of Supply, moved that inasmuch as the ancient and avowed object of licensing the sale of intoxicating liquors was to supply a supposed public want, without detriment to the public welfare, the house was of opinion that a legal power of restraining the issue or renewal of licenses sh-uld be placed in the hands of the persons most deeply interested and affected, viz., the inhabitants themselves, who were entitled to protection from the injurious consequences of tho present system by some efficient measure of local option. The hen. ge..tleman began by reading his motion, which he did in subdued tone of voice. It was some time before lie warmed to his subject. In fact, it was not untii the House interjected a disapproving commentary ueon his statement that the House would agret with him that grocers' licenses had been the cause of much crime and immorality, that the hon. baronet shot out his quills, so to speak. He retorted adroitly by saying that at all events that was the opinion of one class of persons—the publi cans, to wit. The laugh was turned against the House, and Sir Wilfrid, [miffing the air, with merry twinkle in his eye, proceeded in better form. He hit the Chancellor of the Exchequer rather neatly by quoting and applying to his own purpose the very eloquent and beautiful peroration against drunkenness by which the right hen gentleman concluded his celebrated speech at the feast of the licensed victuallers at Exeter. It is Sir Wiltrid's practice to spend the intervals betwe,n his annual moti,ms in collecting all the pleasant and amiable thins which right hon. gentlemen are in the habit of saying in unconscious moments. These he invokes and parades before their startled sight much as the witches paraded before the eyes of Macbeth, the shadowy forms of those whom he had murdered. No one is better qualified to fight his enemies with their own weapons than Sir Will id Lawson. He chaffed the Home Secretary very prettly about the Royal Commission of the House of Lords on intemperance. Thq Commission, said Sir Wilfrid, had been a godsend to the Home Secretary, enabling him for four years to find an excuse for doing nothing to put down this curse of intemperance. The speech was neat, full of good things and pretty little jokes, and it was loudly applauded upon its merits by both sidei of the House. Mr. Burt, in an admirably conceived speech, seconded the motion. Mr. Gladstone then delivered one of the most ingenious speeches he has ever spoken. He admitted the importance of the issue,- and felt that drunkenness was a gigantic evil which must be grappled %ith, but contended that a diminution of public-houses would not effect that object. Nor did he think it would be fair to destroy vaited interests like those of the'publicans without making compensation for the injury done —a confession which evidently delighted Boniface in the distinguished strangers' gallery; nor did he think that the Government could abstain from taking action upon the report of the Lords' Cornmittee-a contention that evidently went to the heat t of the temperance gentlemen in the Speaker's Gallery. In fact, Mr. Gladstone endeavoured to steer between the Scylla of" the trade" and the Charybdis of Good Templarism. For some hours after Mr. Gladstone sat down the debate was dull. Mr. Wheelhouse moved an atnendent condemning the principle of losal option, and the debate was continual by Mr. Leatham, Mr. Rodwell, Mr. Mark Stewart, Mr. Coleman, Mr. Bulwer. Mr. Muntz, and Mr. Bright- -who while objecting to the Permissive Rill, supported the resolution, and declared that public opinion was advancing every ; year to the point at which the House would be I compelled to deal with the question—and Mr. Clarke. Lord Hartington declared that the motion was so vague that he could not support it. Upon a division 134 voted for Sir W. Lawson's resolution, ana 248 against, so that it was lost by a majority of 114.