couragement to the use of Spirits ceased-Grocers were again allowed to dispense the fatal drug to women and families and debauchery rioted and reveled as before! WALSHE and WHITELAW, in their History of Dublin,* furnish an appalling picture of Thomas-street, the termination of the great Southern and Western roads in that city: "It contains 190 houses, and of these no less than 52 were licensed to vend spirits; a poison productive of vice, riot, and disease; hostile to all habits of decency, honesty, and industry; and, in short, destructive to the souls and bodies of our fellow-creatures. These houses, open at all hours of the day and night, are scenes of increasing profaneness and intemperance, which even the sanctity of the Sabbath cannot suspend; and it is an undoubted fact, that on that day, sacred amongst Christians to piety and peace, more deeds of profaneness, immorality, and disorder, are perpetrated, in this vicinity, than in the other six. Intemperance, idleness, and irreligion, afford excellent materials for the designing and disaffected to work on, and accordingly here was found the focus of rebellion." After the Act of Union, no further attention appears to have been paid to the 'miseries of Ireland' as they stand connected with the Traffic. The attention of the Imperial Parliament was absorbed by the long and exhausting European war, leaving the enemy at home to destroy at will;-year by year his supplies were augmented and his victims increased, until, in 1826, the consumption of Home-made spirits had risen to the enormous total of 11,775,000 gallons !-while that of beer, notwithstanding the vast increase of population, had diminished to 550,000 barrels in 1823. Shortly after this period, the Rev. Mr CARR, of New Ross, introduced the question of Temperance Societies, based upon abstinence from distilled spirit. In Dublin and Belfast, several influential men and philanthropists embraced the movement, which, if it did not materially arrest the evil, directed distinct attention to it, and, afterwards, as a convert to the more complete and consistent principle of abstinence from alcohol, whether distilled or undistilled, came Father MATHEW, whose influence, for some years, owing to a providential conjuncture of circumstances, became a vast national fact and blessing. Unhappily, however, the seed not being extirpated, the crop of mischief is again growing up, and the distilleries are reviving once more. § 44. During four short years, however, of the first quarter of this century, Ireland was exempted in some degree from the worst evils of the Traffic. We refer to the years 1809-10, and 1812-13, during part of which years the distilleries were stopped, in consequence of scarcity of corn, partly owing to their destructive operation, and partly to deficient harvests. This circumstance affords another conclusive and independent * London, 1818, vol. i. p. 646. By 48 Geo. III. cap. 118, 49 Geo. 111. cap. 7, 52 Geo. III. cap. 47, and 53 Geo. III. cap. 145. proof of our proposition; for while drunkenness and disorder lessened under the prohibition, it again increased so soon as the restriction was removed. In 1811, the following certificate was signed by Nat. Hone, the Lord Mayor, and fourteen other ma gistrates of Dublin, and laid before the public: "We certify that we have observed, that within the last twelve months there has been a deplorable increase of profligacy amongst the lower orders of the people in this metropolis and its neighborhood, and this effect appears to us to have arisen from the very low price of Spirituous Liquors' during the above period; and we are decidedly of opinion, that in propor tion as a facility of intoxication is afforded to the lower order of Society, the industry of that class is relaxed, their health impaired, and their crimes multiplied." § 45. Having shown how the facilities of getting spirits tempt to their use, and displace milder and less noxious beverages, we can now refer to another incidental proof of our proposition. It appears from the Fifth Report on the Revenue (p. 315), that out of 60 excise districts into which England is divided, there were, in 1821-22, not less than 38 in which not a single gallon of English, Irish, or Scotch Spirits had been consumed; and that, in the entire of Wales, where almost every Publican brews his own ale, not a single gallon of British Spirits, and hardly a gallon of Foreign, had been introduced. It is a mistake to suppose that the public will seek their own ruin-they are ruined because the law sets up, or permits to be set up, the temptations and snares into which they fall. § 46. The History of the Liquor Traffic in ENGLAND is not less pregnant with instruction. For many ages, the Traffic was open here, as in Scotland. As early as A.D. 995, however, an attempt was made to restrain by law the evil of drinking. Taverns were introduced in the 13th century: and very speedily manifested their peculiar character. The business of a Taverner seems never to have been held as 'respectable,' a fact which shows that it has been always associated with immoral or low life, and always must be until that which pollutes is removed. In the reign of Edward I. (1285) complaints were frequent; and it was enacted that Taverns should not be open for the sale of wine and beer after the tolling of the curfew. It is a pity so excellent a law should have fallen into desuetude : it is much wiser than our late Sunday Bill. In the reign of Edward III. only three Taverns were allowed in the metropolis. By the reign of Edward the VI. they had greatly increased. But the Taverns were exclusive of Alehouses, and indeed were designed partly to prevent the rapid growth of these, which had become, under free trade, nests of * Ale-conners (kenners, knowers, or tasters) were officers appointed in those days, to see that the Ale (deemed a necessary of life with bread) was of due quality not adulterated, weakened, or spoilt. They could also fix the price. They had to present all defaults of Brewers to the next Court Leet. The Brewsters' Sessions seems an outgrowth or development of this proceeding. mischief to the common people,' somewhat like our Beerhouses. Strange! after the lapse of 350 years, 'Statesmen' should revive and license that which, of old, had given rise to the evils which compelled legal interference and surveillance. In the 11th Henry VII. (1496) an act was passed "against vacabonds and beggars,” which contains a clause that empowers two Justices of the Peace "to rejecte and put away comen ale-selling in townes "and places where they shall think convenyent, and to take "suertie of the Keepers of ale-houses of their gode behavyng, by the "discrecion of the seid justices, and in the same to be avysed "and aggreed at the tyme of their sessions." 66 66 By § 47. In the reign of Edward VI. Taverns were denounced by Act of Parliament, as the resort of evil-disposed persons, and the cause of "muche evill rule." The preamble of the Act states that they were "newly sett uppe in very great noumbre, in back lanes, corners, and suspicious places withyn the cytie of London, and in divers other tounes and villages withyn this realme." the 6th Edward vi. (1552) we learn that "Intolerable hurts and "troubles to the commonwealth, doth daily grow and increase through such abuses and disorders, as are had and used in common Ale-houses, and other houses called Tippling-houses;" and in the Act of which this is the recital, penalties were levelled against those permitting tippling in their houses. In the following year there was passed "An Act to avoyd excess in Wynes," and which limited Taverns to towns and cities; allowing 40 for London; to Westminster 3; York, 8; Bristol, 6; but to every other town only 2. The next important Act of restraint, fiftyfour years later, was pointed against those indulging in the vice. James 11., on his accession, virtually fostered this vice, by passing laws which encouraged the increase of Drinking-houses ;t so that he had shortly to pass enactments for the punishment of drunkenness! The 2nd James I. (1604) has an admirable preamble, showing what the ancient Parliaments deemed the true use of a PUBLIC-HOUSE, and of what we now paradoxically call their conductors-" Licensed Victuallers." It says:-"The ancient *About this period, Lydgate, 'Priest and Rhymer,' wrote his London Lyckpenny, wherein a youth is made to hit off the character of the Publican in the following lines: "The Taverner took me by the sleeve, Sir, saith he, will you our wine assay? I answered-That cannot muche me grieve, + Also by his example. On the visit of the bibulous King of Denmark to his sister Anne, the wife of James I., Sir JOHN HARRINGTON testifies that "the conduits in the streets ran with wine. The Ladies abandon their sobriety, and are seen to roll about in intoxication....The gunpowder fright is got out of all our heads, and we are going on hereabouts, as if the Devil were contriving every man should blow up himself by wild riot, excess, and devastation of wine and intemperance." (Nugae Antiquae.) In truth, what was an accident (wine, etc.) has become the essential; and as "true, and principal use of ale-houses was, for the lodging of "wayfaring people, and for the supply of the wants of such as 86 were not able, by greater quantities, to make their provisions of victuals, and not for entertainment and harboring of lewd "and idle people, to spend their money and their time in a lewd "and drunken manner. And we may add, not surely as Traps for ensnaring the young, the sober, or the simple-which they now demonstrably are. The 4th James I. furnishes as clear evidence of the ineffectual character of the Licensing system as the last Blue Book of Parliament. It shows the evil to have become prevalent, and unabated, at least materially, by simple restrictions; declaring that "the odious and loathsome sin of drunkenness is of late grown "into common use, being the root and foundation of many other enormous sins, as bloodshed, stabbing, murder, swearing, fornica tion, adultery, and such like, to the great dishonor of God and of 66 our nation, the overthrow of many good arts and manual trades, "the disabling of divers workmen, and the general impoverishing of many good subjects, abusively wasting the good creatures of God." Intoxication was then made punishable by a fine of 5s., or confinement in the stocks for six hours; and the first offence of "remaining drinking and tippling" in a person's own neighborhood, by a fine of 3s. 4d., or confinement in the stocks,-the fine being increased to 10s. for the second offence, and to find recognizances for future good behavior. These Acts being hitherto temporary, were made perpetual in 1625, by another which extended them to persons not then inhabiting to 'tipple,' who had previously been omitted from them. Nevertheless, these statutes failed in their ostensible object. The licensed Sowers spread broad-cast their seed, and the rank weeds of drunkenness and debauchery of course sprang up. Fresh laws were enacted, giving the Justices increased power(People yet believe in Justices !)—Excise-officers and other machinery were brought into play-and a disability to sell beer for three years was imposed upon offenders against the laws, the following will show, the Victualling has become an accident-and a difficulty! "6 WHAT ARE PUBLIC-HOUSES FOR? "Sir,-A few days ago I received at the hands of Yorkshiremen (I am ashamed to tell it), treatment which made me seriously ponder the above question, and caused me to ask 'Where are our Inns?' "After a hard day's travel I came to two small villages close together, between Helmsley and Kirby Moorside, called Nawton and Beadlam, and being worn out, I went to one of the public-houses in the places mentioned, and after having something to drink, ordered supper and a bed. To my surprise, after they had taken the money for my glass of gin, I was coolly and quietly informed that I could not have supper and bed. I of course made my exit. I then went to the other two houses in the two villages. One of them took my money for my liquor, and treated me in the same style. The other were not gone to bed, but would not open their doors. It wanted then fifteen minutes to ten o'clock, and I was more than thirteen miles from home, and on foot, and a moor road. A TRAVELLER." Easingwold Chronicle, September 1855.] which seems to have been about as effectual as our modern sham of suspending the licence' ! § 48. During the reign of Charles I., the complaints against Ale-houses were loud and frequent. In 1623, the Lord Keeper COVENTRY, in his charge to the Circuit Judges, says* "I account Ale-houses and Tippling-houses the greatest pests in the kingdom. I give it you in charge to take a course that none be permitted unless they are licensed, and for the licensed alehouses, let them be but a few and in fit places....If they be in private corners and ill-places, they become the den of thieves-they are the public stages of drunkenness and disorder. Let care be taken in the choice of Ale-house Keepers, that it be not appointed to be the livelihood of a large family...In many places they swarm by default of the Justices of the Peace, that set up too many: but if the Justices will not obey your choice herein, certify their default and names, and, I assure you, they shall be discharged. I once did discharge two Justices for setting up one Ale-house, and shall be glad to do the like again upon the same occasion." If we must have Justices, pity we have not a Lord-keeper to look after them! All attempts to check drunkenness in this reign by merely regulating its causes, naturally ended in disappointment. Intemperance was a prevailing vice during the Commonwealth era, and had earned for England the title of "The Land of Drunkards." The evil grew rampant, even amidst much sterling piety, and notwithstanding faithful denunciation from the pulpit, showing that the best intended endeavors must be frustrated, if they are not based upon a correct concep tion of the evil and its causes. At the London sessions, how ever, in 1654, an effort was put forth in the right direction, for it was ordered that " no new licences shall be granted for two years." One wonders that the thought should not have arisen, Why revive the old licences, if the new ones are to be smothered in the shell? A cockatrice in ovo is not worse than one fully hatched. § 49. Bad, however, was destined to become worse, when the restraining influences of the Commonwealth were withdrawn, and a corrupted court and gentry, who had become intemperate on French Wines, set, as DE FOE says, the example of caressing the beastly vice. "After the restoration, when the King's health became the distinction between a 'Cavalier' and a 'Roundhead, drunkenness began its reign, and it has reigned almost forty years.' There was, as is usual now, Parliamentary talk in abundance, but only the absurdest remedies. Complaints were made that the vast consumption of French Brandy interfered with Home distillation (as if that were a blessing!); whereupon, Charles gave permission to a Company to distil Brandy from wine and malt. Here was deposited the germ which, ultimately, had well-nigh wrecked England upon the rock where Sweden now is She was started upon a sea of disaster, which, as we have seen, ended so fatally for the interests of Ireland where the same policy دو * Howell's State Trials, vol. iii. p. 835, |