TEETOTAL TEA MEETING.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume XI, Issue 525, 27 March 1852, Page 20

TEETOTAL TEA MEETING.

On Tuesday evening, the 23d instant, the members and friends of the Total Abstinence Society held a Tea Meeting in the Bridge-street School-room, when upwards of one hundred persons sat down to a very comfortable tea, provided by Mr. Ross in bis usual style. The j chair was taken by D. Frazer, Esq., and the meeting was repeatedly enlivened by- hearing a number of the old teetotal songs from some of our best vocalists. The Chairman 6aid, that having been called upon to preside, he would do so with pleasure. He was not a teetotaller, but was prepared to give hia best- attention to the argumeuts he might hear from the speakers that were to address the meeting. Mr. Crisp said he was always ready to come forward in a cause which he knew, and which be felt, to be so good. He would not say he disliked tho taste of intoxicating drinks, but be shewed them as unsafe to himself and unsafe for the community at large. Persons said it was very well for the drunkards. True. He did not wish any one to wait until they did get drunk : but even if all would come and sign after the first offence, the society would increase very rapidly — in fact, he had no objection to make that bargain with them all. Mr. Outridge contrasted the state of tho teetotaller's home with that of the drunkard's. Intoxicating drinks were evil, and evil only — on every occasion, under any circumstances, at every time, and in any quantity : the evil they did was just in proportion to the quantity used. Mr. Gardener said he had, till very lately, thought but too lightly of teetotalism: his observations convinced him that it was no trifling matter. The Chairman had said he wouid attend to the speakers. The speakers might say very little to the purpose. He would advise him rather to listen very attentively to that little monitor within his own breast, and act strictly by its directions. Mr. I. M. Hill said be regretted that youthful drunkenness, and drunkenness in general, had.lately increasedjn Nelson. Three times the quantity of intoxicating drinks were now.used that were used a few years back. The teetotallers ought to be stirring. Mr. A. Saunders said that one-seventh of those who made use of intoxicating drinks at all, became sooner or later confirmed drunkards. ■ Mr. Burns said that much money was spent even by the moderate drinkers, which might be more profitably applied in educating their children. i Mr. Lucas said he was more than a stone heavier than when he used to drink : he was much more cheerful : and the coat that used to dangle on his back was now kept in the box, because he could not get it on. The Chairman said he 6aw no room for two opinions about teetotalism being good, but he thought it a practice that required much moral courage. He related a very interesting case which had particularly come under his observation, of a young man who was once known in Nelson only as a sot, but who was reclaimed by this society, and was now a highly respectable, and certainly oae of the most amiable young men he had ever met with. "Grog" never .did any good. He had seen some service, but never kng^any of his men to get into any 6crape but whaWas occasioned by " KrOK-K rO K-" — Communicated.