THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 1879.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1663, 19 June 1879, Page 2

THE GLOBE. THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 1879.

At tho present time, when tho Licensing question is occupying so much of public attention, it will be interesting to observe what are tho views held on the subject in England and elsewhere. A special committee of the House of Lords has lately sont in its roport on tho whole question of intemperance, and tho result of the committee's labors cannot but be interesting to thoso who aro endeavoring to lessen tho evils connected with tho abase of strong drink. The conclusion that the committee have arrived at will no doubt, to a considerable extent, surprise

Option movement. The ground on which the Local Option or the Permissive systems are objected to is not that they are vicious or incompetent to fulfil their object, but that those systems allow ono section of the public to coerco another. Tho committee say that a given majority, however great, should not have the power to say to a minority that it shall not have public houses, merely because a number of misguided persons choose to abuso the facilities these houses afford for intemperance. Tho whole of this view of the case of courso hinges entirely on tho question whothor alcohol, pure and simple, is injurious when taken in ordinary quantities. The committee hold that it is only right to catalogue it with other substances that are useful when taken in moderation but fatal when taken in excess. They probably hold that as many men eat themselves to death as drink themselves to death, land think that, if once the liberty of the subject is entrenched on, there is no knowing whore tho thing will stop. From their own point of view, the position of tho committeo is unassailable. If alcohol is harmless per se, and in cases oven beneficial, theoretically the majority can have no inherent right to prevent the minority from obtaining it. But theory and practice are vastly different things. " Tho Loi-ds," sitting aloft in an atmosphere of refined club life, and viewing tho question under the beniern influence

of dry sherry and the verdict of their class which taboes drunkenness as bad taste, are perhaps debarred from taking a very practical view of tho question. Still the House of Lords fully recognises tho terrible evils that intemperance leads to, and they aro entirely of opinion that legislative enactments are required to eheek the plague. The remedy they put forward is tho Gothenburg system, a system which tho mombor for Birmingham in the House of Commons has proposed to tho Town Council, that it should take steps to adopt. By this system, as the publican is in no way interested in the sale of drink, his principal motive for supplying more than enough to any individual is removed, and indeed ho would bo bound under pains and penalties to abstain from giving any when he finds that the boundary line of temperance is in danger of being overstepped by the drinker. Another advantago was also pointed out by the committeo, namely, that the powerful organisation in the publican interest which does so much to hamper the efforts of those who have the best interests of the masses at heart, would bo broken up if once the Gothenburg system were brought into force. This system possesses, no doubt, many features which should recommend it to thinkers. The idea has not been taken up with any amount of zeal in these colonies, partly no doubt because the amount of money required to start the experiment would evidently be largo, and partly because tho most earnest advocates of temperance belong to a section who doclaro against the liquor traffic in any shape or form. A Good Templar would have almost as many objections to urge against tho Gothenburg system as against

the want of system that at present prevails. Ho would point out that it would be impossible for any ordinary man to watch his customers so closely that ho would be able to toll when they had drunk enough, and that the temptation to those who are unable to resist the sight of the open doors of a public house would still remain. Ho would also show that the economic point of view would remain the same as it is now. The Good Templar lays much stress on the fact that largo sums are wasted in the purchase of alcoholic drinks, and that the nation would not only bo more moral, but richer, if its individual members became more temperate. Arguments on the temperance question are, indeed, so nicely balanced, that the views a mau may hold depend almost entirely on the circumstances in which he finds himself placed. Tho present state of affairs is systomless, and the Grst party that will make any successful effort to mould the chaos will not necessarily be the party which is supplied with the best arguments, but the party which is most energetic in following out its theories.

Many a letter if left unanswered will answer itself, and many an apparent problem, if left alone, will solve itself. Who knows whether the harbour-defence problem is not in a fair way of elucidation p Although the guns are lying idle in Lyttolton, and are apparently only to bo dragged out and placed in position when an enemy sails into port, and are only to bo fired several days after he disappears, we are luckily not altogether dofencoless. The hopper barge, Sumner, is evidently an offensive ram of no moan capacity. Three days ago it ran into the good ship Rialto, and drilled a hole in its sido in the most approved fashion, thus proving its fitness for the ordinary requirements of modorn warfare. Wo are informed that the bow of the hopper is admirably shaped for attacking purposes, and has, possibly, boon modelled on the latest Monitor lines. Evidently all that remains is to put her at once into commission and her crow into a suitablo uniform. Captain Wood, R.N., might then be safely entrusted with tho duty of seeing to the safety of our port and shipping, and foreign Powers, on being acquainted with the fact that " H.M.S. Sumner" was on the look out, would hardly tempt Providenco by venturing into waters whore her great powers might be brought into play. Perhaps " H.M.S. Sumnor" might bo slightly wanting in spoed, but that would, of course, bo made up by tho woirdness of her appearance. Foreign vossols, onco catching sight of her, and being already acquainted with her reputation, would incontinently ileo into space.