Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1871.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 17, Issue 932, 1 February 1871, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. Nullius addictus jurare in verba magistri. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1871.

As our readers are aware, there is one question on which we agree with the Premier of New Zealand, and that is the desirability of getting the sanction pf the legislature to the provisions of the Permissive Bill. The Government pf the Colony are as good as pledged by the utterances of Mr Fox to take this question into its consideration during the next session, and we trust that it will be passed. Now, lest any of our readers may be alarmed at the idea of such a measure becoming the law of the Colony, it is pnly right that we should say a few words in explanation of what the Permissive Bill is and what it is not, especially as much misapprehension exists jn the mind of the public on the sub*

j ect. First, then, >e may say that it is but the true application of the principles of self-government principles that are now universally acknowledged as true, and to which all modern legislation more and more tends every day. Indeed the exact characteristics of this bill are embodied in a multitude of the last and best acts of every intelligent and popular legislature, our own amongst the number. Thus we have permissive laws relating to local road boards, education boards, and what not --the leading feature of them all being that their adoption is left in the hands of the people themselves, to accept or refuse; hence the term " Permissive" is applied to them all, but with regard to the particular one under consideration —from its being of primary importance —by universal consent the definite article is applied to it, and it is known par excellence as " The Permissive Bill."

The passing of the Permissive Bill through the Legislature does nob of necessity imply the stoppage of the drink traffic. Tt is not a measure of prohibition, as some suppose or would have the public believe. The sole effect of it would be to place the question of the sale of liquors in the hands of the peo pie, and permit them to say whether they wished such sale to cease or not. It would, in fact, confer certain additional powers upon the inhabitants of each particular district, and be, as we have said, but a proper extension of tho power of self-government. Most people know that at present the sale of liquors is a licensed trade, the power of granting licences beipg entrusted to the Magistrates. Before a licence is granted by them they have three points to consider, viz. :—lst— whether the apj3licant is a respectable man; 2nd—whether the house is suitable for the purpose ; 3rd (and most important of all) —whether the neighborhood requires a public-house. All that the Permissive Bill will do is to place the decision of the latter question in the power of those best able to decide it—the inhabitants of such district; and even this not in the hands of a bare majority, which would be fair enough, but it provides that to decide the question in the negative at least two-thirds of the votes must be against it—otherwise, the liberty of the Magistrates to decide the question is not affected.

The progress the agitation for this power lias made is something most astounding. Only a few years since its advocates were regarded as fanatics, and the scheme Utopian; while now it has been but barely postponed from being the law of England for another session. The following brief statement will show the progress it has made in the British House of Commons :—ln 1864, when the question was first mooted, it commanded but 40 votes against 7 times that number ; thus it was lost by 7 to 1. In 1869, when it was again brought forward, it commanded 94 against double that number; and was accordingly lost by 2 to 1. While, last jear, 115 voted for it, and but 146 against; so that it was lost by merely the bare majoiity of 31 votes. The agitation in its favor throughout the Australian colonies is great and constantly increasing. Auckland, in our own Colony,' has already passed it as a Provincial measure; and there is reason to hope that the Colonial Legislature will adopt it—perhaps not on its first introduction, but after one or two preliminary contests.