THE ENGLISH LICENSING BILL.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1685, 15 June 1904, Page 21

THE ENGLISH LICENSING BILL.

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. LONDON, June 7. The House of Commons is considering the Licensing Bill in committee. Mr A. J. Balfour, Prime Minister, strenuously resisted an amendment in favour of the time limit for compensation. He said the introduction of the limit would reduce the compensation fund. Moreover, only those living from hand to mouth without any sense of responsibility would be disposed to take a publichouse towards the end of the limit.

The interests of temperance would, said Mr Balfour, be best served by maintaining the Bill unaltered. He admired the clergy’s ardour in the cause of temperance, but he was unable to admit that their training entitled them to have a special voice in the purely secular methods Parliament would be obliged to employ in dealing with a question affecting the public at large and involving complicated interests. LONDON. June 8.

In the House of Commons the amendment to the Licensing Bill favouring the time limit for compensation was rejected by a majority of 98 votes.