THE PERMISSIVE BILL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3150, 17 March 1871, Page 3

THE PERMISSIVE BILL.

4> [From the Hawkb's Bay Hebald.] The Permissive Bill, passed last month by the Provincial Council of Auckland, is a measure very ably conceived in the interests both of temperance and justice. As to the first, it throws a great additional weight into its scale beyond what is thrown into it by the Permissive Bills introduced in other colonial legislatures, by granting the right of voting on the subject to the women, as well as to the men of the community. Their vote will, in general, be given almost unanimously against the granting of the license. As to the second, it allows a considerable amount of discrimination to be used by the inhabitants of the district as to the extent to which they shall apply their power of veto. Other Permissive Bills provide that the liquor traffic shall be altogether prohibited in any district where twothirds of the inhabitants desire that it should be prohibited; the Auckland Bill provides that, in each particular case, the question shall be put to the inhabitants whether they will grant the license or not. This strikes us 'as a very great improvement on the other bills, as it will have the effect of preventing the establishment of disreputable houses even in districts where a majority of the inhabitants cannot be found who would be ready to vote for ths entire prohibition of the traffic. Permissive Bills are among the things which, like republican government, like compulsory education, or like alliances between kindred nationalities, we may regard as needing time only to bring into universal use. In England, twenty years ago, they were the hobby of a small and decided section of the community ; of late, men of the very highest standing, and of the greatest weight in the country, — such as Mr Francis Newman, Dr Temple, the Bishop of Exeter and others, — have given their active suppoit to the agitation in their favor. The fact is, that tlie change of opinion in reference to Permissive Bills is only one symptom of the general change that is coming over the mrad of the public in the direction of republicanism, as opposed to democracy, using the words in their Yankee signification. The democratic idea is that Government should content itself with providing for the security of life and property, and refrain from further intermeddling with the affairs of the people. Protection to native industries is against their principles, as is compulsory education, the purchase of railways and telegraphs by the State, the establishment of government insurance offices, savings banks, &c. This laisser faire movement received an impetus from the extremely foolish use which

the English Government made of thei: powers ; up to within the last thirty o: forty years they restricted the importa tiou of corn into a country where then were millions who had not enough t( \ eat ; they passed usury laws, the onl^i \ effect of which was to raise the rat( of interest by adding to the risk o lending, and they perpetrated man] more absurdities of the kind. This naturally produced a reaction againsi all Government interference- It is now beginning to be discovered that it \i quite possible for a Government tc make a use of their powers which is ; not injurious, but very much the reverse. The German, it is clear, could neithei have been drilled nor educated on a lamer faire system. The saving both to the Government and the public thai can be effected by placing the railways, telegraphs, insurance offices, etc , in the hands of the State, is found to be enormous. With regard to the good effects of Permissive Bills, which are similar in principle to all these measures, we shall soon have an opportunity of judging : but we .are justified, from their results in America, in entertaining the mosi sanguine anticipations with regard tc them here.