DRUNKENNESS AND CRIME IN SCOTLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 919, 10 July 1869, Page 9

DRUNKENNESS AND CRIME IN SCOTLAND.

(Pall Matt Gazette.)

Mr John Welsh, the Superintendent of Police, Perth, has published a careful pamphlet, .full of • statistics, on' the inadequacy of existing Acts of Parliament against drunkenness in Scotland—" the' national sin,?' or, as he also figuratively calls it, " the moral marsh," north of the Tweed. Some, of the results of Mr Welsh's statistical tables are very striking. The average daily number of prisoners through Scotland was, in 1868, 1,538 males and 1,019 females— total, 2,557 ; against a total of 1,940 (males, 1,264 ; females, 676) in- 1841. The total number of prisoners under 21 years of age through Scotland in 1868 was 4,017, maleß, 1,761 females— total, 6,778 ; being about a fifth of the whole number of prisoners in the year, which is 26,843. It is astonishing to learn that of this last whole number of prisoners, 5,639 (3,288 males and 2,251 females) could not read, and 14,187 more (8,047 males and 6,140 females) could only read with difficulty J while as to writing, 11,914 (6,354 males and 5,660 females) could not write, 602 more (606 males and 96 females) could only sign their names, and 12,352 (7,909 males and ,4,443 females) could only write with difficulty. There remain among 26,843 prisoners in Scotland, 7,117 who could read well, and 1,975 who could write well. The Perth superintendent of police, who should be a good judge, attributes most of this crime and ignorance to the public-houses, and he urges further legislation— l, to prohibit publicans from selling drink to be consumed on the premises to persons under twenty-one years of age ; 2, to deny to grocers licensed to sell drink the power of selling a leas quantity than a quart ; 3, to prevent the granting of lioensea to men engaged as workmen, who entice fellow workm? men to their houses, and cannot propeily look after them; 4, to deny licenses to females ; and 5, to increase the severity of the law against unlicensed houses, or (as they are called) "shebeens," making owners as well as occupants liable to penalties. The reasons for these recommendatioi ■ are given at length in the pamphlet, whkh. deserves attention. A table giving the strength of the police force and the number of vacancies in each of the eight principal towns of Scotland during the six years 1863-68, shows that inducements to the police to remain are wanting — a necessary cause of inefficiency; the force is, on an average, swept out every four years ; and Mr Welsh says that the smaller towns are not in a better position. In 3838, th» total police force of Glhskow, Ed n -urgh, Dundee, Aberdeen, Paisley, Gr«.enock, Leith, and Perth, was 1593, and th number of vacancies and changes 314 ; in 1867, the corresponding numbers weie 1538 and 396.

Mr Joseph Aarons, tho well-known trade assignee of Melbourne, has been at pointed a commissioner of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, for taking bail, affidavits, tco.

The reduction iv tho telegraphic chvgo throughout Tasmania to one uniform rato of Is. for ton words, has been attended with success. The business at tho tolegrapholfioo has materially increased, and tho treasurer's oheßt. as well as the state, will be materially benetitod.

A letter has been Addressed to the General Ooveramont by tho Committee of tho »ooicty recently formed ia London for tho promotion of omgration to the colonio*. Tr>e letter (whioh is signed by the Lord Mayor, Sir Gcorgo Grey, and two other gentlomon) indio&tes tho objoot of tho dooiety, viz., tho assisting "deserving un. omployod workmon nud thoir families in their desire to emigrate," and asks for tho co-operation of thoGovornmontof this Colony, '• Should your Government," say tho writora, " aid us in oar undertaking, wo promiao that your wishoa in rvapflot to tho person* velcotod for ossistanoo ahull hay* our earnest connitration, and that tho emigrants aidotl from our fund shall h%vo tho approval of your *o> oreditod emigration agent horo. or any your Government may appoint, before thoir embarkation. Wo thill oooxtrenit'ly ulndof any information from you upon tho important quciitioa of how far our surplus 'abonr may bo Hindered availablo fa your country, and what facilities you aan afford in aottlmg any emigrant* womaysondyou " MrStuffOrd. in reply* soknowlodßM rwipfc of tho l«tt*r. and states that it wtU b« prosontwd, by His Kx<H«ll<tnov'» oommand, to both Houim of the Assembly or thoir consideration.