THE LORD CHANCELLOR ON INTEMPERANCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 97, 23 April 1880, Page 4

THE LORD CHANCELLOR ON INTEMPERANCE.

(Times, 12th February.) The ninth coffee palace established ia the metropolis by lhe London nnd Provftiofai Coffee Palace Coaipany was opened on llth Febuary in the presence of a large -assemblage by the Lord Chßnoellor. In the course of his address to the meeting, the Lord Chancellor said he rejoiced (hat there had lately been manifested throughout the country an earnest desire to grapple -With the great demon of drunkenness, one of the greatest evils that afflicted this Oountry. With lees drunkenness there would be less crime and less patipferism i our hospitals, our gaols, our workhouses, and our asylums would be less "fall than they were at present ; r QUr.thomea; would be much happier, and the prosperity of all classes, but especially .of 'the: workiog class, would bo yfcfy much heightened. A calculation had been made by those who had looked into tbe statistics of this question, and he had neyer seen the statement contradicted, that some years ago the to'tal^- aunT of money expended in intoxicating - drink in the IJiaitedj Kingdom was very nearly doublethe whoie revenue of the country,, or upwards of £140,000,000 per annum. Such a statement appeared incredible,, but if it were a fact, it would be very lamentable. At that rate the expenditure in drink would in ;B few years be sufficient to pay the whole of the National Debt ot the country, and though it would be exaggeration to say the whole of that money was Bpent. in drunkenness, there could be little doubt tbat a great part of it was Bpent in that way, and with very deplorable cod sequences,. In considering the remedy tor this evil, it was not 'necessary that they should trouble themselves with tbe burning question as to how far legislation could interfere in the matter. What tbey had to do was lo put themselves in the position of the working man and endeavor to find out what he Wanted. It seemed to him that what a hard working man required most at the end of his day's toil, wbb reel, refreshment, ease, comfort, and a little recreation, and these he was hitherto accustomed to lock for in the public-house ; but now he could find them all in the coffee-palace, without the. accompaniment of intoxicating drink, which undermined his health and ruined his character.