The Liquor Bill in the Council.

Manawatu Herald, 8 October 1896, Page 3

The Liquor Bill in the Council.

A inosfc powerful speech was made by the Hon. C. C. Bo we a. The compromise, he said, arrived at between the two Houses was supposed to satisfy those who were most advanced on this question. The Minister of Education had done no more in moving the second reading of the measure than state his embarrassment in having to do so. We all desired to see a temperate people, bat that could not be managed by getting rid of licenses. Speaking with much fervour, ho said that no morality was ever promoted by tyrannical means. Until lately no Englishman had ever tolerated the desire to crush the individual liberty of a minority, and make them »ubBervient to the will of the majority There was no more grinding tyranny than the indiscriminate control of. a majority. Against Oriental despotism there was one remedy, as the actions of an individual might be checked ; but the country under the tyranny of a majority could be saved only by a revolution. Coercion was the danger that stood in the way of the Temperance reform that was now 80 successfully going on in this country. Why should we not wait and see the effect of the laws which we had passed ? The agitation in Temperance matters was carried on in a way very different irom that in which the great reforms of history had keen guided to success- He did not like this system of coercion, and this style of speaking as if they had ' got for the first time in the world the only truth that was ever known. He thought that people did not realise! how like this Bill in the matter of the coercion of the individual were many other Bills which had come before the Council. Ha concluded with a wish that New Zealand should grow year by year more temperate.— Pott. __ mm ___ m __ amammmtm