Public Opinion.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1569, 21 April 1874, Page 192

Public Opinion.

THE NEW CRUSADE. Southern Choss. An anti-liquor movement is being organized in America; and is proceeding apparently with remarkable celerity. It is a woman's movement, and women in America are not slow to act. They are not troubled with scruples about appearing prominently in public ; and they are at least succeeding in creating an excitement in California, Ohio, lowa, New York, and other States of the Union. In many cities of these states, the societies formed first request certain bar-keepers to close their saloons; intimating that in the event of a refusal they will assemble in force and pray and sing in front of the establishment, and. will personally entreat each person intending to enter not to cross the threshold. This has been done in a great many instances, and with considerable effect, for scores of bar-keepers have succumbed to the influence, and some have even emptied the contents of their barrels, and poured the liquors into the gutter. This, perhaps, is too much; and we should imagine that a conversion of this kind having such violent, and sudden results, would scarcely bo lasting. We remember a fine old Irish gentleman who used to enjoy good liquor, without particularly abusing it, being suddenly converted by a teetotal lecturer one evening. Ho signed the pledge, slept over it, and next morning ordered his stores of wine and all other liquors out of his cellar, stove in the casks, cracked the bottles and poured the liquor into the street —just as some of these converted saloon-keepers are reported to have done. It was too violent to last; and it did not last. He regretted the destruction and the waste, and subsequently replenished his too rashly cleaued-otit cellars. However, there is a vitality in this movement, and when a couple of millions of woman cuter heart and soul into each a thing—go about praying and singing aud using personal influence, private and public, with similar associations spread over all the Union —for that is what it is coming to, a great influence whether lasting or not, cannot fail to be exerted. For example a Cincinneti paper says:—'The temperance movement receives fresh impetus from repeated successes. Iu Washington, Ohio, a man named Passmore opened a new saloon last week. Immediately the whole moral and religious power of the town tinned upon him. Ladies prayed before the door all day, and till half-past 10 o'clock at night. Durning the snow-storm yesterday an immense procession marched to Mr Beck, who had enjoined the women from using a tabernacle in front of his place. Those enjoined remained in the church to pray. Beck, on seeing the procession, said he too would close. Only one remains, and he asks till tomorrow to consider. At Blanchester all the saloons are closed." Then observe the rules adopted in a large meeting of ladies, who formed, themselves into one of several Woman's Associations in San Francisco. .These provide. '• That each member of the association shall be required to sign a pledge that she will use every effort and exert her influence in every honorable way upon her husband, brother, son or friends, to induce them to abtain from the use of liquor; and that she will not offer, or place upon her table auy wines or liquors for her family or guests. Also, that she will keep in her house the copy of the pledge, and invite every one visiting the house to sign the same. 2. That the pastors of all churches, without regard to sect, be requested, personally, by a committee to deliver a lecture ou temperance. •Yourcoinmittee submit this report, hoping that it will rm-et with the approval of the meeting." The section prohibiting the use of wine at the table of any member, led to an animated discussion, and was acquiesced in by a large majority of those present. This means something temporary at least, and these are but instances of what in occurring in various parts of the States. Spasmodic or not; the movement is spread ing aud for a time will spread further. It would not be surprising to hear of like associations springing up in the colonies and at home. It; is strange how catching an extreme movement mny become when excitement is once fairly roused to fever pitch. How long will it last? and dots a seeming success in the present augur a lasting victory over a foe who dates at least from Noah to the present day? TREE PLANTATIONS. New Zealand Herald. Our laws are so many and voluminous that not a few which are very good indeed get choked by the rubbish comprised in useless enactments, so that they escape notice and fail to be taken advantage of. Some two years ago an Act was passed in the General Assembly, which provided that for every acre of land planted with young trees double the area of waste land should be granted in fee to the planter, ulways providing that he can show that the laud has been devoted exclusively for two years to the growth of forest trees, and the trees are in a vigorous and healthy condition, and that the land is fenced against sheep aud cattle. The minimum grant is twenty acres, the maximum is two hundred and fifty. Thus not less than ten acres of land may be planted with forest trees, nor more than one hundred and twenty-live, for which double the area of land is to bo given; but this, as we read the Act, does not interfere with the same person planting trees in any other locality of the same district, or in any district of another province. Now there are many acres of cleared land iu this province of many acres which could be cleared at a comparatively trifling cost, on which young timber might be planted, and by which such lileral grants might be obtained, leaving out of the question the value of the timber in years to come. A Southern contemporary writer, dealing with the subject, makes the following very sensible remarks :—" The cultivation of trees is one of the pleasantest and most encouraging of all descriptions of tillage, for its progress is rapid and continuous, and very

perceptible in its effects; it is of immense benefit by equalizing the moisture of the soil, drying up swamps and sedges, and keeping tracts of country fertile, which, if treeless, must be burnt up by the sun and wind ; it beautifies while it improves the value of property, and every settler should deem it his duty to devote part of his land and time to an industry from which he may look for remuneration, not only in the future price of his plantations, but in the immediate reward with the State holds out to every one who, even though for his private ends, does work which is of public benefiit.” POLICE AND THEIR DUTIES. New Zealand Herald. At the Thames Police Court yesterday (April 8), a man named Manning was fined £2OO, with the alternative of three months’ imprisonment, upon a charge, fully proved against him, of omitting to make an entry of quartz brought to the machine for treatment. We draw attention to this because we think the presiding magistrate went very much out of his way in censuring the police, who, he considered, had demeaned themselves by adopting the course of setting a trap for a man, contrary to a spirit of justice, and right and manly feeling. If what the police had done to bring an offender to account for a breach of the law is contrary to the spirit of justice, then, we ask, why was the man adjudged to pay the large sum of £2OO, with the alternative of accepting three months imprisonment with hard labor ? It is well known that many owners of crashing machines have been the means of shareholders in mines being robbed of tens of thousands of pounds, and it was not until the offence became so common, and the consequences so ruinous that the law was invoked, and a special Act passed to protect those who were unable to protect themselves. It appeared in evidence that a man named Cass had been employed by Detective Constable Brennan to take specimens to the man Manning for crushing. Cass declined to give any name, and Manning accepted the stone. Now, as no man who has committed a breach of the law is likely to inform against himself—and it is well known that such breaches are committed —we ask how such offences are to he sheeted home unless through the machinery of the detective department ? It was all very well for the magistrate to obtain an outburst of applause in the Court by denouncing the police ; but we can ask, if what had been done was contrary to the spirit of justice, why did he inflict so heavy a punishment ? We believe the police have taken a course which will probably prevent the repetition of the offence ; and we also believe that the magistrate’s censure was one which he ought to withdraw if the law bearing on the offence is to be made effective.