LEGISLATIVE ASPECT OF THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION.

Evening Star, Issue 3694, 24 December 1874, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE ASPECT OF THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION.

The Hon. W. Fo>; lectured on the above question at the Temperance I-fgll last evening, in the presence of about 200 persons—an attendance much smaller than we expected to The chair was occupied by Mr A. Rennie, and among those on the platform were the Revs. Dr Stuart and Dr Roseby, Messrs Joyce, Macassey, Jago, C. De L. Graham, &c. The lecturer, after referring at very great length to the aim and scope of permissive legislation, and to the results of its working"’ in America, touched upon what had been done in this country in reference to legislation on the liquor traffic, what remained to be done, and ■'vhat he hoped many among them would be 'Vijling,workers to compel their legislators to do. The power lay with the people themselves, and it rested wjth them to carry out to the fullest extent the lyjorpis they had initiated. All licensing legislation far 1,1,1 e last four years had been about tbe Permissiyc Bill, which was simply this; it did not interfere with any man’s right to drink ; it simply interfered Iq extent—that as the law had now taken the traffic under its charge and regulated it by a power placed in the hands, formerly of two or three Magistrates, and now of a Licensing Board consisting of two or three Magistrates, it proposed to place in the hands of the people themselves the power of saying whether or not the Magistrates or the Licensing Board shall be allowed to establish public-houses. The Permissive Bill that was attempted to be passed in England and the Australian Colonies was move stringent ith«i it was here, because there the question was whether .there should be any liquor traffic at all, while hvVt- it was sought to give the public the power of ‘prohibiting the issue of any particular license when applied for, and by a process of exhaustion they might prohibit the liquor traffic The Bill he caiped in 1873, mutilated though it was, was a great step gained, as by it the Legislature practically recognised the right of the people to deal with the liquor traffic! Neither in England noi the Australasian Colonies had they gained so fat as to get such an acknowledgment by legislation. They might ask, why is not the law in force ? The answer was simply because the Opposition had succeeded in Striking out all the voting machinery necessary to bring the principle into operation, and in lien of official Government voting machinery, enabling votes to he taken by voting papers which would allow the Act to work hy itself ■simply and easily, had {compelled the substitution of a memorial to ho signed by the voluntary action of two-thirds of the population. action was a very uncertain and difficult thing to bring into operation, so that it was rendered almost certain that only in a very few cases indeed would the Act be put into force. But there was a greater defect than this to render it certain that tire Act would almost never he put into force. The Opposition had forced them into this corner—that the declaration df ihe limits of the districts within which the Licensing Board was to act was. left to the Resident Magistrates of tlm .country, and the Resident Magistrates in their dis- 1 cretion thought proper in most cases to make, the districts so large that it was utterly impossible to work the Act by the voluntary machinery attached to it. What they had to do in the Legislature was this—they had to rest perfectly satisfied as far as it went with tile ciimiuilition and recognition of the principle that the people, both men and wopien, ju every distiict, should have a vote upon the introduction of a public-house. They would have tc, watch that principle very carefully because, hj e ws*aoyry to say, that last; session the Government, by a most insidious device, which was worthy of no better or more, reputable name than that of a “dodge, ’ tried to repeal that principle. But they ’proved themselves too much for the Government, and. with the cordial support of two Otago members, ho succeiled in defeating tire clauses intioduced by the Government. Now, they would have to impress upon their representatives to be most watchful in future, lest any such tricks should be played again. In any future elections thJy should, make »t a point blank bKpu-

lation with their representatives that they •lionld not allow, by any means, fair or foul, the people’s-right to he taken away. Let them -o a step further, ami have introduced in'o the Act some machinery by means of which the taking of votes would be simplified. He hoped when he returned here he would find that they had been active in the cause, and had advanced it many strides, thus bringing their adopted country much nearer that great goal of distinction to which he was convinced this Colony would some day attain. —(Loud and continued applause.)

The Rev. Dr Stuart proposed, and Mr Jago seconded a hearty vote of thanks to the lecturer for his able address, the vote being carried by acclamation.