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Lyttelton Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2022, 14 June 1867, Page 2

gladly given the Canter-bury-Alliance -thebenefit of whatever publicity a, notice in our columns may afford. TKat the the pror posed scheme-for. the.suppression of the liquor traffic are- possessed a sincere arid ardent desire' for the good 61 theirifellow-creatures we are 4 quite certain, but we have as little doubt that, like many other equally philanthropic and.,praiseworthy! projects, theirs, is eminently impracticable and unwise. | Th'echief objection ,we have to the proposal is, that it, could only be corapjassM;'by!;"aO not at all in accordance with the spirit of the age or of the constitution. The tendency ; of ;: ;modern■ legislation is! to r ;rssent ! , ; all legal intriisipri! demanded, and toiproinotetmpralireform by.acognisince of immorality only When it runs to crime against the community, Well knowing that to" law-making oh first and philosophical - principles, there would; ; b^>i;no ; end. But the.aimpler and. more.evident qb» jection lies in'the fact, that, were such an""'Act"~as" the proposes, to become law, its practical effecfrxn--drunkenness'-would" be~butr small.'.; Public i opinion, in /the > shape' of sbciai^ahctiftri 1 $ a power wmple in its aliti(]n, : dfealiri'g' ,i ! more' -ce'rtainly and effectually With thr^ahd' : tfye T most complex and rigorous measure" that can be devised! ] ft is" easy indeed to drive a coach-and-'four through an Aofc'bf iPdrliahtemt *3f tHis aort/- =Tik¥ ! foVinst'W«ic^6fg« dj>ne its,-best by means of i repressive mactmpntsi ang > byipjacing gambling "dbbts beyond its pafe. {os result ? Is this royal;.road to ruin .ota p ml IoQaM smdotblyHfla'eYer, towards AverauSjiwitihi this diffeifencej: b l the same / ,fppting''as J: 'rliii !; o'ther ! c u rei' 'd torli,^ 1 'tililor 1 must now wait—the 'deßPofJonour uM HFO nrif ,: i The'mcwhpeTency of th"e law tii deal merely moral'brtencis's/contrasted jwith their amenity to the social code, iis! tHet rntiriß" we'Consider 'the r - [ dbriipdraliVe ;TOlihe f of jthe'sel/two 'the most fepefut feature* of,, thiaVcenrgaming, legislated Upon to excess, has icertainly 1 Abated, but not nearly so imuch-'as "draikenW^^whieh,''Wmplr rlaw V and_ the reason of this" is, that" Ipplic "opinion liears so f much more jhprdlyupononeviMthanuppnthepther. And, let us add,;.oiiir Estimate'of the 'time and of thigjjprpvj&ce. it not so ,'meanthat we fear to trust this matter ij the hanaVbf> Mb' social 'influence „which J n ( o i one, who compares, the pre, iis; 1 -'ttfo' time' ithough perhaps 'too' -.Slowly, approaching 'all classes 6f'society th'ii dru^afd'Will ;be visited yvJib>;)(undiflg.uikedipfty and the Vice of drunkenness will become 'comparatively rare. | Nor do we ; think the Canterbury Alliance- has-happily selected for introduction here an > act which gairied npmore than forty supporters in a very'fulLHouse-o'fa'lateHession'ofthe 'British':'Parl)a , ra^iifc; , ; J ;''Preyiourf : ||iiji. carr iri 'bbt owa. knrl, pjiher Sta.i«s make it certain', that,, this.is .pot a to ( -fa jiealt ; ,with naatijy,, jf it is, 'which we doubt, one for .legislation at f\. We are inform M.by 'the prospectus of, the Alliance that a sub.'

scription of fifty thousand pounds has been collected in England to further and bring before Parliament'* scheme identical with its ow/. We that in this oosourei matter we iwpuldi prefer to see the ImsriaJ,Goverij}iienfc' go first,,judging hereafter! whether ii ;Wbuldb;|vriße,f6r dui-selves'to follow, rathel than take a Heap ia the; dark,! 'whibtt vrould more'probably, be of warning than of service to us or others. la conclusion, we would offer the Canterbury Alliance one of those maxims of marvellous truth that, with, .all liifi extravagance, are more in Burke thatt'iri'any'm&derrr political writer. "It is "-he says-"no "inconsiderable part of wisdom to f' luibw how much of an evil ought to "be tolerated, lest by attempting a f* degree of purity impracticable, in:|,steadiof cutting\offi the subsistingill " practices, new corruptions might be [' introduced for the concealment and *'security of. the .old."