MR FOX ON PUBLIC HOUSES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 65, 16 March 1877, Page 4

MR FOX ON PUBLIC HOUSES.

At a temperance meeting held at Marton on the 23rd February, the Hon. Mr Fox made a powerful speech, in the oourae of which be said it was not against the poor publicans — many of whom were poor illiterate" men — they were waging war, but ajjaiosfc tbe educated men, men of untold wealth, those who sold liquor wholesale. To ; them the public-bouses practically be- • pngel; and iliey could do whiu they ; liked with the ppor publicans. Mostoftbe leading inerchantß of Wellington were ebgHge.i in the liquor ir«ffic, and (he ; obly iDiiepeulent man amongst tbora who had take a up the question > manfully was Mr Hunter. Ninejteatha of the public-bouses were ia their hands and oinety-nihe-huadredebs of the crimes which disgrace our communtUes ' was the result. These were all-power-: fui, there being 33,000,000 habitual: drunkards in Europe, while thtra were ouly 3,000,000 total abstainers. So (bey had the odds agaiost them, and he would oak. them to lend a helping haad : to root oai this great evil. There were' j

thj'ee public-hooaea in Marlon. Who put them there? The boa-constrictor of ; the liquor traffic. They all knew that a boa-constrictor was a reptile that charms birds and other small animals into his mouth, by the influence j of ja power which he exercises over i them Magistrates on the licensing j benebjes iwere,tike. ; the? j victims; v of . « boa-cbnWfrictorj 'they sl were -irifatbate'd 1 •*• by tbe influences of the liquor traffic in- j to; granting licesea. Many of them, honorable, men previous to sitting on j the licensing' bencb- coon showed they j did not.posßesß the necessary guaiificatibns for the officei and invariably made mistakes. Three things they were re- j quired to consider before granting'alicense. First, the good character of | tb^e applicant. Second, that the house., was built large enough, and contained tbe requirement? ofia hotel; and third, whether the hotel was at' all wanted in (lie place. He though two-thirds of tbe people ought, to be tjie beat' judges of all these. The name "ptMic-bouaea" snowed, it was a, house for the public, and it was the public ought to have to say whether they wanted it or not. It w;as said to be a house for the poor man. ijhen the poor man should have the, key of his own door. There "were'nowi 30,000 total abataioera in New Zealand and they were gaining in numbers every day, and he hoped the day was not far distant when the question would be more thoroughly considered. In conoiusion, be would put the vbte of thanks to representatives, and. had no doubt it would be carried by aoolamation. (Great applause).