CHURCH OF ENGLAND TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10986, 8 June 1901, Page 10

CHURCH OF ENGLAND TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CHIL DREN'S BILL.

The annual meeting of the Church of England Temperance Society, Avhich took place on Tuesday last in the Library cf Lambeth Palace, under the presidency of tlie Archbishop of Canterbury, brought together a larger attendance than usual. Tha annual report describes the past year as one of marked progress in certain directions, notably in the additions, to the . rescue machinery. Ninety-seven missionaries and ten mission women ivere employed in the Police Court and prison-gate mission. One of tha few existing labour yards had had to be closed, though the need of labour yards and homes as an adjunct to the Police Court work was apparent; The London, Croydon, and Portsmouth shelterhomes continued their useful Avork, and a "long home" for male inebriates of the poorer classes had been opened near Battle. A considerable amount of work had been accomplished by tha racecourse and van mission, and numerous agricultural shows had also been visited. The Council regretted the Government's refusal to initiate any Temperance legislation on the lines of the Royal Commission's reports, or to give any facilities for the Bill against serving chif- . dren in public-houses and the Bill for Sunday closing in Monmouthshire. The Society had undertaken the drafting of three Bill, under, direction of a committee of the Upper House of Convocation of Canterbury. Generally speaking, the prospects of legislation in the old Par--1 miner, t had nci_ Ibeen hopeful; but the general election had brought a considerable accession to the temperance ranks, especially on the Government side, and the council looked forward hopefully to some advance in the near future. They now learned with satisfaction that some measure of licensing reform was announced by the Government. Considerable progress had been made by the 'Central Temperance Legislation Board in uniting all sections of the temperance party j on the basis of the minority report. There J was no disposition on tbe part of, the board I to do anything but heartily support any [ efforts to secure legislation on special points in the report, or the various points on which tthe two reports agreed, even though such legislation should fall far short -of the full proposals of Lord Peel's report. Tl;e Prn'mtte, in opeming the proceedings, congratulated the members on the progress nut die in all departments save the important .onp of finance. He hoped that every member would at (least do his best to prevent tho. Legislature from undoing the good which thoy hftd been able to accomplish. Under the"pretext of liberty the law allowed a good deal _ more than was really needed. This was a crime against the attempts U right-m tided p.ople to remove temptation .from the weak. The Society not ijpiannising over others if it tried to per- • BUftde the Legislature not tp give more facilities for the sale of drink than was necessary to satisfy the.needs of sober people. Their main encouragement must be found in the fact that the number of sympathisers • with tha Society did not diminish. The old arguments advanced against them were no "longer used AA-ith such confidsnce.'and ridicule of the cause they had at heart was E tactically non-existent. Delay in legis_ioh only meant greater certainty and security in holding their point when once it was carried. If. people were only let alone it was quite clear which way they would go. This was exemplified by the majority in favour of the Bill against the sale of liquor to children when the Government had taken

a .neutral position. In his opinion legislation was -not so far off as it was last year. Tlie Government had, indeed, promised a Bill 6t their own, and even though it might be a case of "Timeo Danaos et dona fererit.s" they must be thankful even for small conces•ipns. It was not the time to be faint--hearted, but to go steadily on. Th report itself warranted them in forming sanguine expectations. , Mr C. E. Tritton, M.P. (treasurer), said that the position of thp Temperance party in the House of Commons was stronger than ever before. No greater help had been rendered to the cause in the House than by the Association of Unionist members in favour of* Licensing Reform, of which Sir W. -io-ld-worth was ■ -president. - They had how 100 members of Parliament on the roll of the Association. He had been told that theanswer he received to his question on the previous evening was tire funeral of his Bill against selling drink to children, but inquiries in the right quarter had elicited the fact that the answer was intended as a sympathetic one.

The Bishop of London, who was greeted With loud cheering, delivered a characteristic speech. He said that this Avas one of the grandest societies connected - Avith the Church. He had often heard the objection that it was the Church's own work to teach temperance. It was true that the Church. if we only lived up to it, was a great society cayerhig the whole ground; but this Society acted as a kind of incarnate conscience in the Church, "making them live up to their duties as baptised members. He believed this-was the most successful soctety in,the Church of England. He was eertai'n they had with them the great block of the, working men, who complained, not that the Church did too much in this matter, but that it did too little. The Society had also had a great influence with the doctors, ■forte of whom were doing more than any other , class for temperance among their patients. If he qpuid make people see the sights he had seen, and hear the family sec* rets he had heard—among rich as well as poor—no further speeches would be needed to convince them of the need of such a society. The idea that the drunkard could not be, made sober was utterly mistaken, as he could testify. I« illustration of this he mentioned the instance of a publican by whose bed 'he sat in a hospital, and who a* k d <uiter many men who were members ; of ti_o Oxford House. Dr. Digram inquired how the publican came to know them so veil. "Oh," ho rerfied, "tiey used to be r.gular customers of mine." "One must not •hit a" man' when he is down,"" said the Bsliop," so I contented myself with asking him if he was still in th. same house.'" "No," "he replied, "I moved further off." 111*. Ingram thought that a striking testinrnv to the work of the Oxford -louse. IL' believed in giving men and boys places t v mWt in, places to make speeches, in if they wished, even though those speeches advocated the abolition of the House of Lords and tha disestablishment of tbe Church. He

had 'heard them abolish the House of Lords ahi disestablish tho Church many times— (-aughter)—but no one seemed a penny the

worse. He knew a boys' cltfb where the lads contributed £200 a year out of their coppers. Ths Bishop, concluded by setting forth the great results* achieved by the | "cut out" .system —by Ijoys' .abd men's Hubs in competition He 400 or 500 young men, who "had groAvn up sober, s.lf-respectuig. citiians , through the influence of a single boys'' club. A vote of thanks to the Chairman was moved by the Bishop'of Chichester, and, with tlie Archbishops brief acknowledgment, the proceedings ended. 21