AUCKLAND LEAGUE OF TEMPERANCE.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIII, Issue 899, 8 February 1856, Page 3

AUCKLAND LEAGUE OF TEMPERANCE.

The animal meeting of the Members of the League, was held on Tuesday Evening, in the Mechanics' Institute : Arch. Clark Esq., in the chair. The following Report was read by the Hon. Secretary and adopted . In presenting their first annual report, the Council of the Auckland League of Temperance need scarcely remind the members of the many unforeseen events thathaveccurroed dvi ing the past year to hinder the work we have taken in hand. It is unnecessary to enter into details with reference to them ; suffice it to say that partly from the unsettled state of the political atmos • phere, and partly from private circumstances, active operations have been suspended during a considerable portion of the fifteen months that have passed away since the foundation of the League. The social evil, meanwhile, is steadily on the increase, and as month after month lolls on, fresh victims are continually falling into the destroyer's power. However great may have been the necessity for energetic and self denying efforts a year ago it is greater now. For although v»e cannot but rejoice in the good that has been done amongst many of the more thoughtful members of the community, there is we fear no room to doubt that amongst both the European and Native population intempeiance has spread to a greater extent than at any previous time. The high wages that have been commonly paid and the increased number of places where intoxicating liquois may be obtained have been the chief causes that have led to this unhappy result. Temptation has thus assailed many, who at one time were comparatively out of its reach, and at the same moment those who had alieady acquired an appetite for intoxicating drinks have been able to gratify that appetite with greater facility than ever. It admits of proof amounting to demonstration that when facilities for obtaining such drinks are increased, intemperance is correspondingly increased, and when anch facilities are removed, intemperance is correspondingly diminished. It is clear therefore that our mam object as Leaguers must be to endea\ our by every means in our power to lessen these fatal facilities ; and though we are fully aware that it is not in the power of man entirely to put an end to this or any other prevailing vice, yet we are encouraged to go on by the fact that the experience of other communities has shewn that by vigorous and united efforts, much good may be accomplished in the way of lessening the evils we cannot wholly remove. The Petitions that have alieady been signed will be presented at the first fitting opportunity, and it is proposed to submit for your approval this evening a petition to be brought before the notice of, if possiple, every elector in the Province during the current year. A book has been prepared for the purpose of registering the results of this canvass and recording the opinions ot the Electors, with the view to ascertnin^the real feeling of the electoral body upon the great question before us. Profiting by the costly expeiicnce oi the past yeai

it is recommended that no paid officers be appointed ; but relying on the co-operation of the members generally, the Council believe that the work connected with (his petition can bo d me without much expense by two Honorary Secretaries, as'.i^ted by those members who may from tune to time be willing to aid in submitting copies of the petition to the electors residing in their respective localities. The Council cannot conclude this Report without congratulating the members on the fact that the laige deficit in our funds which was found to exist when active operations were suspended, ha^ been in a great measure paid off by special subscriptions to the amount of upwards of £80. The bal .nee sheet made up to the end of last month shew^. a deficit of only £3 6s. (Signed) A. (i Purchas, Hon. Secretery. sth Feb., 18oG.

It was then resolved on tho motion of D. Rough, E>»q. seconded by |ihs Vcn Auhd'-aeon Abraham, That v hile this meeting is dcsiiousthat the grand principle of the League as set forth in the Declaration, ot Membership shonld be maintained, it alsa fully recognizes it to be the business of the League to promote temperance in this Province, by any othor means which may from time to time apppar advisable. The following officers were then appointed : Treasurer, T S. Forsaith, E<q. Hon. Sec, Rev. A. G. Purchas. And the Council as at first chosen were re-appointed with the addition ot the following names in lieu of those who had withdrawn : — Mr 11, OooLAHJvx Mr. T. llenperson Mr. G. Clements Mr. J. Clark. The business w»» cotcluded by the adoption of the following lesolution on the motion of Mr. Rough, seconded by the Rev J. F. Lloyd. That without in the least relinquishing the piimarj' object of the League, which is the prohibition by law of the sale of intoxicating liquors, it is the opinion of this meeting that the petition now to be presented to the Provincial Council should be restricted to general measures for the repression of intemperance