The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 10.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 302, 10 June 1879, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 10.

As we have before remarked, one of the most necessary measures which must engage the -attention of the Assembly during the ensuing Session, is a Licensing Law. The question is one admittedly of considerable difficulty, but we fire disposed to think that the difficulties attending its solution are unnecessarily augmented by the extreme measures advocated by a- section of what is known as the Temperance party on the one hand, and also by the intense jealousy of any interference whatever with what they choose to consider their vested rights, manifested by the Licensed Victuallers and their allies. The former, taking as their text the undoubted fact that drinking habits are productive of great injury to society are too much inclined to the publican as an outlaw, and to consider all means justifiable in putting a stop to his traffic ; while the latter seem to claim a right to push the sale of intoxicating liquor by all means in their power, irrespective of the injury that may thereby be indicted on the community. Let us see if there is not a middle course which all moderate men, whether abstainers or not, 'could join in, and which would go far to mitigate the evils complained of, without unduly interfering with the liberty or convenience of those who enjoy their glass of beer or other stimulant. Without going into tiny of the abstruse arguments as to the merits and demerits of total abstinence, we may safely assume it as a fact that, in the present state of public opinion, a considerable portion of our population are in the luibit of making use of alcoholic stimulants. While this is the case, two things are evident —one is that it would be impossible to pass a law rendering the indulgence in such liquors criminal, and another that, even if such an enactment were possible, it would be a great evil ; &r we hold it proved that in a free community any law which is not in conformity with enI lightened public opinion cannot be enforced, and the existence of a written, law which is systematically ignored, is productive of great evil, as tending to bring all law into contempt and to blunt the moral sense regarding the infraction of just enactments. On the other hand, we may safely assume that the trade in liquor is of such a peculiar nature that it is right and proper that it should be the subject of legislative control and executive supervision. This is practically admitted when a Licensing law or any supposed amendments thereon are discussed. It becomes unnecessary, therefore, to seek to establish the point as against those who would maintain that the trade liquor should be as free as that in groceries. The ground being thus cleared, we come to the question of what a licensing law should attempt to do, and what it should leave unatieuipted. First, we think there should be one uniform law for the Colony at large, of course with provisions by which licenses of various descriptions should be capable of being issued to meet different requirements. The constitution of the Licensing Courts is another importent consideration. There are not wanting thoee who urge that the Courts should be elective, and at first sight there is a great appearance of fairness in the proposition. Local self-government is doubtless a grand thing, and if drainage, waterworks, roadmaking, and numerous other matters are placed under the control of elective bodies, it certainly would seem that a body dealing with the important question of the liquor traffic might also be elected j by the residents of a given district. But, j on consideration, we think it will be seen that such a provision would entail very serious evils, and achieve a very doubtful good. To judge by experience ol somewhat similar contests, it would probably prove to be the case that such elections would be conducted with extreme virulence on both sides ; that the contest would be between men of extreme opinions on each side, and the issue would be the wholesale closing of licensed houses on the one hand without cause shown, or, on the other, the indiscriminate licensing of as many shanties as the brewers and spirit merchants chose to erect.

On the whole,-therefore, we consider nominated courts the most likely to give general satisfaction, provided care be taken in the selection of, their members, and none but men thoroughly indepen- ' dent of undue 1 influence by any of the ramifications of the liquor trade are selected. , With regard to the penal provisions of any licensing law, these, will need very careful revision. We cannot here go into the details as to what restraints are necessary regarding' Sunday trading, selling over hours, gambling, &c. But the principle we have already laid clown should be carefully kept in view—they should be in accord with the opinions of the respectable portion of society, and, being enacted, they should be strictly enforced. It is worse than a farce to have laws on the Statute-book winch are systematically set at defiance by those to whom they apply. Against Uvo offences we should like to see very stringent provisions made, provisions which should be no dead letter, but should be easy to enforce and sufficiently severe to be a terror to evil-doers. We refer to I selling adulterated liquors, and supplying drink to drunken men. We must reserve for another occasion the consideration of various questions connected with this subject, via., the best means to be adopted for raising the tone of licensed houses generally, and as to how far the prinripb of the Permissive Bill, as it is called, may be applied with expediency.