A RAID UPON "QUIET DRUNKARDS " IN BIRMINGHAM.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 10, 11 January 1877, Page 4

A RAID UPON "QUIET DRUNKARDS " IN BIRMINGH AM.

Some excittnent has been cauediu Biraiibghara by the publication of a by -> Major.: Bond, 1 the recently-appointed chief superiotendent , of police id that town,' to Mr Spark, a member, ol the Town Council of L.eda; , and the matter was to be brought; bej fore the fl'Owu Council. "Thejtetter is op .the subject of the prosecbtioh of aVu_k*rda and licebeed victuallers j and „;jp^i|-_|tt**jbjr Boiid^aays: —?' l, having DO pity in my constitution for what I -'"* cari^b->r br utes,' have, under the power of the. Act^ organised a System whereby the quiet drunkard shall be punished drunk, although 1 he may [be . r^|^6t^r^eSideß' ali.^* t.hpse 'w^^ are -disj-b-deriy as w_ll as drn_k, ; and whp fail Xg jitt,to;}he hanja 0 f ; ihe. .ordinary police). If But as such police are unable to leave Y*;f heist beats io- find out '■ where the quiet drunkard is rolling himself to, I havedewho iollowhioi home, and'then _ :! r: iqn_c_ion 'him beiore the magistr ates-for JmiCW-i, >-X : X : ->-X- :-• „ : '-<Vr»^--'*^ : -■'■ '■■-■■'• '- ' simply being druuk. Ihe consequence is, this movement has, disclosed an jm;giense amouut of hitherto passed over f and ; within the past fortnight no fewer than forty persona have jbeen'Suhimoned.'' On Tuesday about -aiKey.ipersons weresummooed at thej_ir,'''aaiogham Police Courts for Drunkenness; in the streets. ,.- One defendant . pleaded that she talked lame on account .ft'jafc .heumauaui, ani was not drunk, but x^he%as fined 5. and cofrfcs, "■'•- Auoiher defenaant, who,vyas discharge J, pleadtd jo-CQfnß..as,a liuipiog gait which a poiicembn bad- taken ton drunkenness A defeodaut, who .said he had taken a ■ of;br_ndy to allay fittio, was fthejd Ss whereupon he e_pl^ unei, passionately "I; was no. drunk. I shall be a Torjy oow, t shall change my colors. Yeb, : if Vifiese^afe i"LiuiJrai laws, I will be |a Tory." ' At a. meeting ot tbe Binning-, ham Town Council, attention was called to the raids, and general regret was Vspreeaed at the new system which itoAlderman Brinsley characterised as ."diabolical." Alderman Chamberlain, X y li;^, considered that Mejbr Bond hid j ''»'j^ip^'i^iiefp^y\'.^^ before ranking j 'the raids should bave consulted tho Watch Committee. He ( Alder __n ■*' Would never give his conSQnt to such a policy as that introduced. ' Order should be maintained, but; to go , "further than tbis and track men houae. wbo had happened to have had a glass goo -ouch was going too (ar— (applause) — -and ibb ad vantage' ttiat coulit result from such a ecu tae wool ibe outweighed by the disadvantage.. (Cheers.) . ide ( =COuld .not help looking . upon such a -.-'* coarse a? Mr-Bond proposed oe repug- ~ peat to i-nglisti teeliug. ( liear, hear,) .' ?^Hi» did' not think' 'they' would sioj. _ of jiessen jt -by any such j ; !' atringept laws .#» were proposed, j 7 (Qheers.) 0' /.-A ' ■-' - -X ' - ' i