THE QUEEN AND THE TEETOTALLERS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XVI, Issue 2278, 26 November 1875, Page 2

THE QUEEN AND THE TEETOTALLERS.

It seems that the/Queen, althongh a sincere well-wisher- to the cause of temperance, is by no means in favor of .the Perrniisive Bill principle.' rHer Majesty was recently invited by, the Execntive Committee of the Church of England Temperance Society to become tne patron of that association, which numbers two archbishops omong its members. In the reply, trasnmitted through her private secetary, the Queen signinea.tq the memorialists that she " has already expressed her opinion in favour of the objects which the society desires to promote, and contetits to become a patron to it, organised, as it appears to be, on a basis which includes all who advocate temperance without insisting necessarily on total abstinence. The Queen trusts that education and the enlightenment of the people, together with the improvement of their moral and physical condition, will gradually do much to induce temperance, and to diminish the evils complained of;" Her Majesty, it will be observed, is careful to show that she has no sympathy with the fanaticism of the movement, or with the "imposition of restraints which always break down sooner or later, because they are harsh, oppressive, and unnatural; while she points out that the true remedy for intemperance is not to be found in repressive enactments, but in the employment of those social and educational agencies which will improve the mental and material condition of the people, supply them with other sources of recreation and excitement, and so .counteract the attractions of drink; ;We do not know whether the particular society referred to has been- instituted for use or for ornament; but, judging from the following paragraph which appears in the Pall Mall Gazette, its office-bearers are not likely to undergo martyrdom for the sake of their principles :■■— v ; r< . '•The Rector of Wigan, the Hon. and Rev. G. J. Orlando Bridgeman, applied to the local bench on Wednesday, Aug. 25, for a provisional order for a licence ta sell spirits for an hotel which he proposes to build on land adjoining the new Market Hall. Mr Bridgeman (whbis bro.ther to the Earl of Bradford) is President of the Wigan branch of the Ghwch bf'Eng. land Temperance Society. The rev. gentleman's application wa_3" refused." .' The same paper mentions that at the Ruabon licensing session held during the same week, Sir Watkin W. Wynn commented on the great amount-of drunkenness which atteuded tha repent, vigic of Mr Moody, the revivalist, to Wrexham ; whereupon Mr Lewis, the clerky remarked that he had never seen such a scene except at the races. Two orthree of , the publicans had been cleared out of their stock.