The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, JULY 18, 1881.

Kumara Times, Issue 1499, 18 July 1881, Page 2

The Kumara Times. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, JULY 18, 1881.

It is now tolerably certain that the Licensing Bill now undergoing manipulation in the House of Representatives will never become law. In its original form it presented the appearance of a very useful measure, subject of course to certain amendments of a trifiin" hature 5 but it has been so amended and mauled about generally that it retains scarcely one of its former features. Probably there is hardly a member of the House who has not proposed some alteration in tho hill, until it is now a thing of mere shreds and patches. It is quite evident that the Government, in their desire to place upon the statute book something to supersede the existing laws relating to licensing, have been too yielding throughout, and have accepted amendment after amendment from all sides of the House, from friends and foes alike, when they should have made something like a stand against the wholesale alterations which have been effected. A close examination of the pages of Hansard, reveals the remarkable fact that the advocates of what are called temperance principles, have been mainly instrumental in pioducing the result wo now see, while Sir William Fox, who eight or nine years ago caused the present confusion in the licensing laws, has repented his old tactics, and done his level best to make the hill utterly unworkable. At one of the sittings last week, a number of members who had previously supported the bill, announced their intention of voting against it on the third reading, and an attempt was made to shelve the measure by moving “ that the Chairman of Committees do leave the chair.” On

this the Premier lost his temper, and in doing so caused other members to lose theirs. The great apostle of temperance more than insinuated that honorahle members were drunk, and had been in that condition for several nights in succession, winding up with a renewal of his former suggestion to abolish Bellamy’s, and thus force members to be as sober as he was himself. Now it so happens that the representatives of the people do not exactly appreciate the honor of being talked to in such a style, although the intemperate speaker may bo one of the bright and shining lights of the advanced temperance party, and one, moreover, whom the Queen delighted to honor by putting a handle to his name. General recrimination at once became the order of the day, and, during the disorderly proceedings which ensued, the bill was condemned to an extent sufficient to warrant the conclusion that sentence of deatli has already been passed upon it. That such a decision should be arrived at is greatly to be deplored. All are agreed as to the necessity of amending the present inefficient licensing laws. They are alike unfair to the publican and to the public. They are specially adapted to foster sly-grog selling, and while being unduly oppressive in many directions, give satisfaction to none. The present session of Parliament commenced with an exhibition on the part of the members to settle down to their work at once, and it was at first believed that the real transaction of business would, for once, supersede the drivel which has not unfrequently formed the prominent feature at the commencement of a session. Alas for the vanity of human hopes and wishes, the great promises held out a few weeks since, have become “ like the baseless fabric of a vision, leaving not a wrack behind.”