THE PERMISSIVE BILL.

Press, Volume IX, Issue 1095, 12 May 1866, Page 2

THE PERMISSIVE BILL.

TO TUB IDIXOB OP THE " PBESS," SrE, —Allow mc to thank you for saying what you have on my behalf, in your issue of this morning. It ie trae you " doubt" whether I could remedy the evife against which I wish to direct my efforts, and this, I admit, is a point on -which it is not surprising that a difference of opinion should be found, seeing how little my character, aims, and ability are known as yet; but you do mc the justice, which no political newspaper in this colony has yet done, of asking that I may be " tried as an experiment.' . Surely thia is a fair and reasonable request, and it w all I atk. It is strange justice that condemns without a

lien™*, and equally etran E0 IoITT ' nouncvs a movement a "failS ,lat not been tri,d. I l, lvo 111 * *lucl, h a , r*ther a conspicuous p.irt in .', , to h <*T Canterbury offote. V t , P f ic o mi my favor, and done nil tl.oy 00 ?,, " J 'M elu.m, upon the p,,!,!,,. 'i u'.,k their praiseworthy effort* of tl, em fo ' solu-it ti continuance of i!, t .j r f r i P ,? Bt ' ft n<l »t.n.., s t to Blu, W myself W ort],Tor n |l • ,,0,,, v HUnyofthn people o f Omferhurv .„ nauu-e. .\e.v el)ill) , M - Hmo r,'' ™* i.*rd contemporary, the " Lvttleton T 7 ?» T thunder away against me' as tl,ou c hT the greyest enemy to tho pubHr» \ WPre ever courted public favor tI ° g °? d ,h « nounoo my friends aa a "etunil- de " «Sbted," unrt '< narrow-minded" set of filf but I do think that a regard Jo eU ° W, ' justice and common usage oturht T^™ 1011 restrained the tongue and the p en ttfl a ?'" trial had been accorded to mc. fwr I hope I ehall not exceed the K.« a modesty, and laj myself open to >L )' of egotism, by saymg a 1 ]>aye already acliieved. I solicited iwr America some years ago. The Stnt« »r i^ , . w Minnesota, Massachusetts, Ye fr' gan, with others, acceded to CI Chl " I think I can «ay in truth, the hffff » «»* successful. I hare satisfied the"SP I ?'* , of my friends, and falsified the pSSST", my enemies. Blessings have bfen ho We ° upon mc from all quarters, mingled itiiT* wilh a few curses; but they came^Vn" , from brewers and publicans, who buy t i j ruined their trade ! r did not, of couL pect universal approval all at once • Ih obtained an introduction into several not » Canada, where my principles are UkCl root, and effecting a great change for,? better m the general habits of the peonl. ? have also been established, thoujh nnrf another name, for years in a number of parishes of Great Britaw and I venturo to nay those parieha .Jn contrast favorably for sobriety, order tod general prosperity and comfort'™?, any parish where I am not known. Indeed, sir, my name is now mentioned with respect, and my proposals received with faror , by a large number of people in almost erer'v free country in the world. It is generally admitted that all the Bills hitherto paesed to remedy the public ovil of intemperanoe have failed. A purely prohibitive mensure, enforced throughout tho whole country at once, maoy think would be a very unjust and tyrannical Act; and hence the people are boginninftto express a preference for mc, because I coiuult their wants and wishes, and propose to invert them with the power of deciding whether the traffic in intoxicating liquors ohall beabolidied or continued.

In conclusion, I hope, sir, your suggestion to give mc a trial will be taken up wid acted upon, in this province at least. Some people will be read/ to accuse mc of vanity m (peaking so largely and confidently of myeelf v I havo. I can only say, in reply, that lam not conscious of being in any degree under the influence of that feeling. My sole deeirt and aim ia to rid society of a great curie } my scheme for doing this has been deliberately prepared, and prepared too with a etrict regard to the constitution of the country, ami the rights and interests of the people; and moreover, the experience I have already had, tod the success I have attained, embolden mc to speak the more confidently of enccees beW At all events, as you justly remark, » trial of mc " would do no harm," and it might do good. ■■•■■■> Yours respectfully, Fjsbmissitb Bui* Chrietchurch, May 10, 1866.