; ferred, and by whom the nation must be continued, are surely no ignoble part of the public. They are yet innocent, and it is our province to take care that they may in time be virtuous we ought therefore to remove from before them those examples that infect, and those temptations that corrupt them." Lord HERVEY replied to counter-pleas in a speech full of the most dignified sarcasm. "Whoever shall be so far touched with the interest of the public as to extend his enquiries to the lowest classes of the people, will find some diseased and others vitiated,—he will find some imprisoned by their creditors, and others starving their children,—and if he trace all these calamities and crimes to their original cause, will find them all to proceed from the love of distilled liquor...It is our fortune to be witnesses of a new discovery in politics; we may congratulate ourselves upon being contemporaries with those men who have shown that hangmen and halters are unnecessary in a state, and that ministers may escape the reproach of destroying their enemies, by inciting them to destroy themselves. Almost every Leglislator of the world, my Lords, from whatever original he derived his authority, has exerted it in the prohibition of such foods as tended to injure the health, an destroy the vigour, of the people for whom he designed his institutions...The prohibition of those commodities which are instrumental to vice, is not only dictated by policy but nature; nor does it indeed require much sagacity, when the evil is known, to find the proper remedy; for even the Indians, who have not yet reduced the art of government to a science, nor learned to make long harangues upon the different interests of foreign powers, have yet been able to discover that distilled spirits are pernicious to society; and that the use of them can only be hindered by prohibiting the SALE. For this reason, my lords, they have petitioned that none of this delicious poison should be imported from Britain: they have desired us to confine this fountain of wickedness and misery to our own country, without pouring upon them those inundations of debauchery by which we are ourselves overflowed.* When we may be sent with justice to learn from the rude and ignorant Indians the first elements of civil wisdom, we have not much right to boast of our foresight and knowledge; we must surely confess that we have hitherto valued ourselves on our arts with very little reason, since we have not learned how to preserve either wealth or virtue, either peace or commerce. But not the least emphatic and remarkable of the speeches elicited in this debate, was that of Lord CHESTERFIELD. دو "Luxury, my lords, is to be taxed, but vice prohibited, let the difficulty in the law be what it will. Would you lay a tax upon The same petition has recently been presented by the Hindoos to the English Government and th East India Company, praying for the Prohibition of the ar ack shops, which as they observe, are counteracting the blessings of law and civilization conferred upon them. a breach of the ten commandments? Would not such a tax be wicked and scandalous? Would it not imply an indulgence to all those who could pay the tax? Vice, my lords, is not properly to be taxed, but suppressed; and heavy taxes are sometimes the only meams by which that suppression can be attained. Luxury, or that which is only pernicious by its excess, may very properly be taxed, that such excess, though not unlawful, may be made more difficult. But the use of those things which are simply hurtful in their own nature, and in every degree, is to be prohibited. None, my lords, ever heard, in any nation, of a tax upon theft or adultery, because a tax implies a licence granted for the use of that which is taxed, to all who are willing to pay for it. Drunkenness, my lords, is universally, and in all circumstances, an evil, and therefore ought not to be taxed, but punished. The noble lord has been pleased kindly to inform us that the trade of distilling is very extensive, that it employs great numbers, and that they have arrived at exquisite skill; and therefore the trade of distilling ought not to be discouraged! Once more, my lords, allow me to wonder at the different conceptions of different understandings. It appears to me that since the spirit which the distillers produce is allowed to enfeeble the limbs, vitiate the blood, pervert the heart, and obscure the intellect, that the number of distillers should be no argument in their favor; for I never heard that a law against theft was repealed or delayed because thieves were numerous. It appears to me, my lords, that really, if so formidable a body are confederate against the virtue or the lives of their fellow-citizens, it is time to put an end to the havoc, and to interpose, whilst it is yet in our power, to stop the destruction. So little, my lords, am I affected with the merit of that wonderful skill which distillers are said to have attained, that it is, in my opinion, no faculty of great use to mankind to prepare palatable poison; nor shall I ever contribute my interest for the reprieve of a murderer because he has, by long practice, obtained great dexterity in his trade. If their liquors are so delicious that the people are tempted to their own destruction, let us at least, my lords, secure them from their fatal draught, by bursting the vials that contain them. Let us crush at once these artists in human slaughter, who have reconciled their countrymen to sickness and ruin, and spread over the pitfalls of debauchery such a bait as cannot be resisted!" The Bill passed, however, by a vote of 82 against 55-the Bishops of Canterbury, Asaph, London, Norwich, Gloucester, Oxford, Exon, Bristol, and Salisbury, and Lords Stanhope, Aylesford, Beaufort, and Gower, ranking amongst the dissentients. A Protest, containing the following passage, was signed by Lords Sandwich, Chesterfield, Talbot, Bristol, Halifax, Haversham, Aylesbury, Bedford, Oxford, and Ward: "We apprehend, that if an act designed to remedy such indisputable mischiefs, was not found adequate, the wisdom of the legislature ought to have supplied its defects, and not have rescinded it by a law authorizing the manifold calamities it was calculated to prevent." § 53. Did the relaxation of the law improve the condition of things? Let us see. In 1750, the House of Commons was inundated with petitions, representing the consequences of the people being tempted to the use of spirits. The petitions of the Lord Mayor and Corporation of LONDON, states, "that the common and habitual use of spirituous liquors by the lower ranks of people, prevails to such a degree, that it destroys the health, strength, and industry of the poor of both sexes and all ages, inflames them with rage and barbarity, and occasions frequent robberies and murders in the streets of the Metropolis." The petition from the Minister and Churchwardens of St Martin's, WESTMINSTER, recites that in consequence of the low price of spirits, their use has become excessive"the substance of the people is wasted-idleness and disorder have taken the place of industry-and robberies and murders are committed under their influence." The petition from BRISTOL States, "that the bad effects of spirituous liquors have become apparent in the destruction of the habits of the people-corrupting their morals, and rendering them incapable of manly employments "-reducing them to poverty, and hardening them to the commisson of crimes of the utmost enormity. That of the Merchants, adds-"commerce was injured." These crowds of petitions almost universally affirm that the great increase in the number of Gin-shops, and the low price of the article, were the causes of its excessive use amongst the lower orders. Mea On these representations, the House again resolved "That it was necessary to REGULATE the sale of spirits by retail." sures were adopted for the suppression of smuggling, and the celebrated Tippling Act was passed. Smuggling was very effectually checked, partly by being made less profitable, and partly by the activity of the Revenue Service. To understand the operation of this Act (24th George п. cap. 40), let us examine the Excise returns illustrative of the effects of the previous legislation of fifty years.t The quantity of 'low Wines' (as spirits are technically called) distilled from malted corn, had increased in the following manner :— In 1694...1,885,752 gallons. In 1734... 8,244,982 gallons. 1704...2,017,200 1724...4,708,867 By Section 12 of the Tippling Act, no persons can recover for the price of spirits sold in less quantities than 20s. at one time. It contains, also, a very significant provision, that Brewers and *Eng. Com. Journal, xxvi. pp. 55, 84. + Vide the Report of the Commissioners of Excise on Corn Distillation. 13th January, 1784. Distillers shall not interfere with licences, nor act as Justices in the granting thereof. In 1751 the Excise returns exhibit the pleasing fact of a reduction in 'low Wines' distilled, to 7,022,000 gallons. § 54. The Act just noticed, by rendering spirits less accessible, did arrest the fatal 'Ginfluenza' which was spreading like an epidemic pestilence amongst the people of the large towns and cities of the empire, and diverted the depraved appetite towards the less pernicious article of Beer. Ale, the consumption of which had actually decreased since 1693, now rapidly rose, until it has become at last a more predominant instrument of mischief (though perhaps less injurious in itself) than the Spirits which it had displaced. The cure thus wrought was only partial and comparative, not radical-and therefore not satisfactory. This is confessed by an Act of Parliament two years later-the 26th George II. (1753), which brings us nearer to the present system. This Act, after declaring former laws to be defective and insufficient, required the justices, upon granting licences, to take the recognizances of the persons licensed in £10, and two sureties of £5 for GOOD CONDUCT, but restricted the licences to those who produced a CERTIFICATE OF CHARACTER from the churchwardens and overseers, or three or four substantial inhabitants, and to a period of one year from September, and provided for notices of the licensing days. § 55. The extended history of this Licence system precludes us from following it further in its details, and subsequent slight modifications. The duties on spirits were often altered during the next century, as they have been within a few months. With what effect, a page from the history of a middle period must suffice to tell. to The Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the Police of London, ordered to be printed the 11th July, 1828, states (p.7), that extended populations it has been suggested should be added, the extremely low price at which (since the reduction of duties) Spirituous Liquors are now sold, and a [consequent] general want of employment and neglect of children. "The lamentable effects of the first are too apparent to require much detail of evidence or lengthened argument to support; but the justness of the hypothesis will be upheld by reference to the evidence of a remarkably intelligent officer, whose duty requires a constant and accurate observation of what passes in the streets. [viz.] "What effect has the reduced price of Gin had in your district?—I think there is a great deal more drunkenness-I think it one of the worst things ever done in the world. "Do you find there is a great deal more drunkenness among people who are not thieves?-Most certain. The first days in the week you will always find somebody drunk; because there are few tailors and shoemakers that will work on the first days of the week." And Sir RICHARD BIRNIE, the chief Magistrate of Police, in his evidence, states that "Simple larcenies, felonies, and common assaults have increased to a very great degree; burglaries have also increased. I attribute this to increased population, want of employment, and, though last not least, cheap Spirits. I am afraid that depraved characters create the greater number of crimes more than mere want of employment. A great deal is owing to the drunkenness that every human being must observe in the streets since Gin is so cheap. In the next Licensing Bill I hope it will be looked to."—pp. 34, 38. At the Middlesex Sessions, held on Thursday, 21st January, 1830, "Mr SERJEANT BELL alluded to the increase of the consumption of Gin as a dreadful and horrible evil. A year ago there were 825 inmates in the Middlesex Pauper Hospital, but now the number was between 11 and 1200, the increase being mainly attributable to the practice of Gin drinking. Sir GEORGE HAMPSON said that the Gin shops were now decorated and fitted up with small private doors, through which, women of the middle, and even above the middle classes of society, were not ashamed to enter, and take their dram, when they found they could do so unobserved. Sir RICHARD BIRNIE bore testimony to the dreadful prevalence of drunkenness in the Metropolis: there were 72 cases brought to Bow Street on the Monday previous, for absolute and beastly drunkenness, and what was worse, mostly women, who had been picked up in the streets, where they had fallen dead drunk : but while he deplored the enormity of the evil, he declared that it was difficult to find any remedy for it."* All this is within the recollection of the writer, who, though yet young, witnessed the effect of that unfortunate measure, and has cut out these facts from the fugitive literature of the day. The same accounts poured in from the most distant parts of the kingdom. The rapid increase of Spirit-shops in DUBLIN induced the inhabitants of St Mary's parish to meet, in their vestry room, on the 30th December, 1829, and to enter into resolutions for the correction of the growing evil.† Accounts from EDINBURGH state, that "the consumption of Ardent Spirits has increased to an alarming excess, as is manifest from the brutal spectacles of intoxication which are daily seen in the streets of the city."‡ And this striking aggravation of an old evil resulting from the addition of the facility of cheapness to the facility already presented in the number and vicinage of the dram-shops. § 56. In 1828 a general act to regulate the granting of Alehouse licences was passed (9th George IV.), which repealed all former statutes on this subject. The following are the chief provisions of it :— 1. "Licences to be granted only from year to year, at a Special Session of Magistrates; with power of applicant to appeal to the Quarter Sessions in case of refusal of licence: and the refusing Justices not to vote there. 2. " Applicants for licence to affix notice of their intention of applying, on the door of the house, and of the church of the parish in which it is *From the Times of January 25, 1830. + Morning Post, January 5, 1830. + Edinburgh Evening Courant, January 28, 1830. |