ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. De Re Publica. To the Editor of the New Zealander.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 629, 24 April 1852, Page 3

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. De Re Publica. To the Editor of the New Zealander.

Sin, — The proper mode of Licensing public-houses appears to be the modern nddle of the Suhvnx. Every one has las peculiar solution of it. Unlimited competition, limited auction, sirict monopoly, &.c , aie all vaunted and dept edited in their turn It may not be amiss to take a low of the pitucipal classes of opinions, and — sti ippint? them of the vague generalities with which those wlio abuse t'n> present system oftun invest their substitutes —estimate then* true worth. I first take the class winch advocate fioe-tiade in public-houses, and merely look at the license fee as so much i even ue to be accumulated iv as great a degiee as possible. Peisons of these opinions of course argue that no number of public-houses increases drunkenness, or temptation theielo, and laugh at those who, undtr a conscientious opinion to tho contiary, incur the odium of liinitinif their increase. Now it is very (Highlinl, in one sense, to go upon Mi.it free-trade pnnciple. A gieat deal of trouble and immediate responsibility is avoided, — expectant publicans sin le on you — '•piiit meuh.ints become »ffable — a large levenue is hecun d, — and if a. lew clergymen or Methodists lo«"k glum, what does that matter to a man of the world? The point at issue is — Does a greater number of public houses increase drunkenness ? If the affirmative of this is pioved, there aie none who could conscientiously daie to advocate a coui&e which leads to all the evil, ciune, and miseiy which drunkenness entails. Now the best way of arriving at this question is tj a k whether the vicinity of a public-house is a temptation to drink; and whether th t temptation leads to drunkenness ?_ Take tho traveller, for instance. Are not the cioaking' sign, the red-curtained window, the gleaming pewter, the neat bar, and oil its appurtenances, a temptation lo the way-worn and dusty pedosuian. Does not one glass lead to another, and another ad wjinitnm ? Ask the Southern Cioss, who can give you some information on this point, regarding- public-bouses at the Pensioner Villages and Sunday paiades. Ask the historians of New South Wales, who will toll you that, between Paramatta and Sydney, many an uulustiiou*, honest man, laden with the fruits of his industry, has met with crime, besrgary, and death, liom temptation un this score. Well, then, has the vicinity of a publichouse no temptation to a resident? Does not the echo of a cheeiful song, the thought of a pack of cards, and the dreaded tedium of along evening at homo, en er keep a man, evening after evening, night after night, in the handy pot-hou-a at tho coiner of the street, till wife, children, property, chaiacter, all are irretrievably ruined. I speak not of temptation to those who will drink at whatever cost, but to those who halt between two opinions, in whom the spirit of sobriety is willing but the flesh is weak. Has temptation no effect on them 1 Is the vicinity of a public-house thrust upon them no temptation ? Persons may argue not, but they are caieful not to act upon that argument in thenworldly business. Servants of equivocal sobtiety, or half-reformed diunkards, me not sent on confidential or lmpoit.mt missions to public-houses. Fiddles, pots of porter, and nobblers of ardent spirits-, next door, are not considered the best stimulants to a continued course of sobriety. So much for unlimited license of publ chouses. Ui anting some limitation is necessary, the next question is its best mode and means. The proposed limited auction o'" licenses is peifectly impidCticabl>>. The houses themselves could not be licensed by auction, as the admission of the tenant is of course at the option of the landlord. If the " licen&e to sell" was put up by auction you never could secuie a regular distribution of publicans, as the successful ones nught all be congregated in one spot; — and besides, as eveiy year their localities would be changing, there would be no such things as old established houses, Moreover, a most injurious spnit of gambling spe( illation in bidding for licenses would be cieated. Re\olve tho question as you like, the contusion must ooiue, that public ins* licenses must be limited and sanctioned by some one or other. The Magistr tes, perhaps, are not the best hody to do so. Bnt,aigue as you like, you must empower some one to create what 3 - ou call invidious distiuc'ions, or else you will rush headlong into tho far greater evils of nregularity, disoider, and increasing dt unkenness. Whatever odium Magistrates may incur by exeicising the discretion which law has invested in them beie, as in most civilised countries, in issuing license-! to publicans, they have at least tins consolation, that if they puisued the other course proposed (and the only oilier open to them) of unlimited issue, they would incur the graver responsibility of placing a premium on drunkenness, and be altogether evading the duty which, as Al.igisti.ites, they are bound to perfoim. I remain, Sir, Your obedient Servant, Civis. April 2:J, 1832.