TEMPERANCE ALLIANCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3438, 18 April 1879, Page 3

TEMPERANCE ALLIANCE.

A meeting was held at 8 o'clock last evening, in the Provincial Council Chamber, the use of which had been kindly granted for the occasion, for the purpose of formally inaugurating the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Temperance Alliance. The purposes of this Alliance have beon already set forth, in our columns in connection with the explanatory address recently gircn by the Hon W. Fox in St John's schoolroom. The attendance was exceedingly limited, a very scanty notice of the meeting having been given.

The chair was taken by His Lordship the Primate, and the Hon Secretary, the Rev H. C. M. Watson, explained the objects of tho meeting, referring to the preliminary meeting which had been held in St John's schoolroom, when some 25 gentlemen joined the Alliance by signature, and resolved that a further and more public meeting should be held.

A letter of apology from the Mayor of Sydenham was read.

The Primate referred to the great abu3e in tho use of alcoholic drinks, an abuse which was everywhere apparent. It was this abuse which ho desired to see corrected, for an intemperate man must bo regarded as having forfeited his manly character — in some measure forfeited the characteristic dignity of the human character. To limit as far as possible the temptations offered, by which people were led away, and by which such miseries were created, was the object which tho Alliance had in view ; and it was for this reason ho desired heartily to co-operate with tho movement. His Lordship then referred to some of the evils attendant upon intemperance, showing that in many ways the drunkard was a positive injury to the community in which he was living, not contributing that sharo of his time and talents for the general good which he was morally bound to do. In point of fact, a drunkard was a thoroughly selfish man, looking only to his own indulgence, utterly regardless of the harm ho was doing. On these grounds his Lordship was heartily glad to lend his aid in bringing pressure to bear on the Government in the direction indicated, and for the reasons he had alleged he had at once consented to take the chair that evening. (Cheers.)

The Hon W. Fox expressed his concurrence and Bjinpathy with the idea of the Chairman, tho placing of temptation in men's way. He hold tho great source of temptation was tho public-house of the period, that ninetenths of tho excessive drinking could be traced right to tho door of tho public-hou?e. Tho drunkards, as a rule, were not made at home, but ot the licensed houses ; and from the samo source the gaols, industrial schools and similar institutions were filled. So dangerous had tho traffic become that the law had nmde it an exception, dealing with it specially in reference to its public sale, thus recognising that as the dangerous aspect. The speaker proonndod to sketch tho manner in which licenses were granted, under certain ■ restrictions and after certain forms had been complied with. In referring to the licensing courts, he expressed his hope that the sessions would again be made yearly only, and he then showed how small was the degree in which it was proposed to interfere with the mode of applying for a license. It had. to be decided, first, whether a man was qualified to bo a publican —to sell intoxicating drinks. It really required a higher character for a man to be a licensed victualler than to bo a member of Parliament, for he must not havo been convicted of felony. Further, the man was bound to be able to ascertain at a glance just how much liquor a man could carry without being intoxicated ; in other words, ho had to fix upon each customer a sort of Plimsoll water-line. The second point which the Licensing Bench had to ascertain was whether tho house for which the licenee was sought was adapted for the purpose, and provided with certain accommodation. The third point, and the special one now in view, was whether in each particular case the house was necessary for the district. Theoretically, tho law had already interfered on this point, and the members of tho Allianeo wanted a further interference, for they held that the Licensing Bench were not qualified to decide such a question. For 40 years and upwards in this Colony, public-housc3 had been scattered broadcast, in the proportion of three to one more than was necessary ; and in some districts the superabundant proportion was ten to one. Thus, the gentlemen who had been granting the licenses, had been all along proving their own incompetency. The men who were resident in a given district, were just the men who were capablo of saying whether a public house should be planted amongst them or not, and the power of enabling tho residents to decide this matter for themselves, was what in common parlance waa known aa local option. Was there any. tiling unconstitutional in this? (Applause). What was the sacrednes3 of the liquor trade, that it must not be touehei, and where was tho interference with private liberty that was talked about ? Private liberty to b. 11 intoxicatirg drinks was already removed by the laws of tho country, and the permission to sell when it was given, was a public one. More thun this, even when men had liberty to Bell, it applied only to covttiiu hours. It was all nonsense to talk about private liberty. Why, even private individuals could not go home as drunk as they pleased without being interfered with by the law. What was sought was that a liberty which hud been takon away from the people, to say whether a certain thing was necessary for them, should bo restored. Mr Fox then explained the working of the law of 1871, and tho power of the Government to declare what a licensing district should be, defining its area. The mistake they had made was in creating the districts of such magnitude that they could not possibly be worked by volunteer enterprise. Another great mistake waa the substitution of a private memorial, to which signatures had to be obtained by private individuals, instead of having the opinion of tho inhabitants ascertained by a public officer specially appointed. The speaker here gavo instancos of tho ridiculously large dimensions of licensing districts, and of the difficulties which hud been experienced by volunteers who had nobly endeavoured to secure the proportion of signatures, the twothirds required by the Act. Had the districts been made reasonably small, there were many places from which the public-houses would have been swept clean away. Parliament had, it would bo seen, recognised the right of tho people in this matter, and no alteration of the principlo was asked for. "What was now sought, wqb tho favour to practice the right accorded. Those present could, by joining tho Alliance, help the matter on. They could do it by the influenco of their voting power, by letting Government see how numerous they were, and they could exercise an influence upon their local members before — not after — they were sent to Parliament. When they wore once snugly there, an appeal for their support might even irritate them. At the time they were asking for votes, and kissing tho babies, was just the time to ask their opinion on the local option question, and depond upon it there would not then be any talk about interference with the liberty of the subject, or of being hampered with restrictions. The hon gentleman concluded by moving the following resolution : — "That this meeting desires to express its satisfaction that the right of the popular control of the liquor traffic has been recogniacd by our Legislature, and embodied in the

existing licensing law; but it is of opinion that further legislation is necessary for making that acknowledged and admitted right effective."

The Very Rev the Dean seconded the resolution, and in doing bo referred to the fact that he did so as a non-abstainer. He did nofc for one moment desire to sail under false colours, and was bound to confess that he occasionally took his glass of brandy and water. Often his feelings had urged him to become a total abstainer, but his judgment had invariably led him to conclude that an example of strict moderation would be best on his part. This Alliance had such a broad basis, however, that all men might join it, as he was happy to do. The speaker then urged upon his hearers the importance of helping in the creation of counteracting influences, as they might so easily do just now by taking shares in the Temperance Hotel Company, and the rev gentleman finally disposed of the objections which had been urged against the Alliance. He believed that a3 a primary effect the worst publichouses would be weeded out by the agency of the Alliance, but he did not believe — nor did he think it desirable— that all the publichouses would he closed. In temperance matters above all things, temperance of speech and action was desirable. The cause was that of moderation and of reason, and with its principle no fault could be found. It was absurd to suppose that in imposing a tax the voice of the people should be required, and that in a matter of such vital importance as the liquor traffic that voice should not be heard. The principle of local option had happily been already fully acknowledged, and it should be allowed free play. He had great pleasure in seconding the resolution. The Chairman then put the resolution to the meeting, and it was carried unanimously. The Ven Archdeacon Dudley moved the following resolution — " That in tho opinion of this meeting the licensing districts as at prosent described aro unworkably large, and that they should be reduced, so that each district should include but one centre of population, and be thus brought within a workable area." The speaker said that, contrary to the Very Rev the Dean, he was a thorough advocate of total abstinence. At his great age he stood there to say that he was a total abstainer ; that he felt greatly belter in health by reason of his abstinence, and that he firmly believed the Dean would soon become an abstainer too. His firm conviction was that in this country they were destroying by drink a greater number of people than they brought in immigrants. Mr Reston, the former gaoler at Lyttelton, and Mr Phillips, the present one, had both told him that nine-tenths of the prisoners were there through drink. Statistics of gaols and lunatic asylums, the testimony of friends, and his own personal observations furnished overwhelming evidence of the need there was for earnest work. The Very Rev gentleman's speech, which was characterised by much quiet humour, was productive of very hearty applauae.

The Rev C. Fraser seconded tho resolution, at the same time expressing his conviction that the Alliance would in all probability be a bond of union between the total abstainers and the non-abstainers. He regarded the intention of the Alliance as a grand movement in the direction of the political education of the people, and as an effectual way of dealing with a great moral pestilence. He would refer briefly to one fact, that when men were induced to lay over a large amount of money in a certain direction, under a bargain with the Government, that man had made an engagement which on both sides was entitled to respect. In other words, if that man fulfilled the conditions of his bargain, he would be entitled to compensation if the agreement was destroyed. If, however, any of tho conditions were violated by the publican, then he should not be entitled to such consideration. The rev gentleman spoke forcibly as to the enormous amount expended yearly in strong drink in Now Zealand, and showed how much good could be accomplished.

The resolution was carried, by acclamation. Mr Phillips (Lyttelton) moved the following resolution : — "That the following gentleuion be an interim Committee to co-operate with tho interim Committee of Dunedin and others, His Lordship the Primate, tho Very Eev. the Dean of Christchurch, the Ven. Archdeacon Dudley, Eevs. C 3?raser, W. H. Kcast, J". W. Stack, Mcoars Bauuetb, M'Gregor, Clophane, Qeo. Booth, Hoskius, Mills, Gray, Blakiston, Parker, Henry Thomson, Dr Patrick, and the Honorary Secretary, with power to add to their number." Mr Phillips stated that he was an abstainer of 22 or 23 years' standing, and ho briefly alluded to the necessity which, in his opinion, existed for restricting the drink traffic.

Tho resolution was seconded by Mi 1 J. T. Smith, and agreed to. The Hon. W. Fox requested to be allowed to state that ho fully concurred with the Rev. C. Fraser, in granting compensation to publicans, upon one condition. He would be most happy to grant tho retiring publican the full amount for the goodwill of his business, and the amount of the prospective profit of his business for ten years, if the publican would pay for all the mischief, he had done during the past ten years. (Laughter). He would not now enter upon any controversy ; it would be unbecoming for him to do so. He had much pleasure in proposing a hearty vote of thanks to His Lordship the Primate, for his kindness in taking the chair.

The resolution wus carried by acclamation, and a vote of thanks was accorded to Mr Murahman, for his kindness in granting the use of the room,

At the eloße of the proceedings, a number of names were added to the roll of members.