THE EVENING MAIL. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1877.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 243, 1 February 1877, Page 2

THE EVENING MAIL.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1877.

Wontoaro thlngr*. ami a drop of Uilc fuliiiur tvporm thought may pvothiuu that which muJu:s tii>Miwiunl.« ehink."

Ta* action tidten by the Melbourne publicans i» certainty a novel one, or rather the «mt which their united action soefcs to accomplish is somewhat strange, ft is rather a paradoxical argument that by a ngM observance of an enactment a repeal of a measure will follow, but that is •Jtaetly what they argue. By a combination which haa boon entered into by the

tody, each member pledges himself to strictly adhere to the letter of the law in soiling lift tlrink on the Sabbath, and to act as a Vigilance Committee to 3ee that no infringement of the Act takes place. By this means they hope to make the law so obnoxious to the general public that snftietent pressure wilt be brought to bear upon the Legislature to have that portion of thy Act repeated. The supposition is scarcely complimentary t»> the lawmakers, for it implies) that there was no sincerity in the provision, that it was not made to be carried «mt in its integrity, but merely as a s<>rt of a btiwtd'otd t» a certain class. Human nature is cssentistty selfish, and fch-sre is no way of testing a question like bringing the application home to one's self. TUe rich man who can afford to have his cellar full of choice? wines, and ehwso hi* particular tipple, will unhesitatingly voce it a shasne that the Sabbath should be desecrated by the keeping open of hotels, and while sitting back in his arm-chair, sipping his tine old crusty port, will descant ttp<>n the enormity of such ungodly conduct. While he can gratify his every wish, and regale himself upon hotttest stout or genuine cognac, is it likely he will see the necessity of the working man washing down his Sunday's dinner with a glass of ale i Certainty not ; but could the taw be extended so as to reach him, and interfere with his private rights—were it deemed illegal t<> have a stock of ales or spirits in the house for Sunday consumption—he would immediately view the matter through the other end of the telescope, and the poor man's grievance become his own. It is generally believed that taws are framed for the preservation of order, and the general good of the conuunntty, and that once framed, means are adopted to have them earned out or enforced. I»nt wo ask. has this been the ease v.dth Sunday trading I' for it must be admitted that the law in this Colony is administered very much after the manner of that of Victoria. The Act is systematically broken, and it is only when, by tits and starts, the :-:eat of the authorities is worked up by some glaring breach that action is taken. W« are no advocates for etosnig tip the bar on a Sunday, for wo nms'ider that where a publican conduu'3 his business En a respectable

manner, it is a convenience to a great many, and att eyesore to none. As the taw- at pres -ut stands, the publican is obliged to serve travellers, and very often the otdy travelling done by those styling themselves is from hotel to hotel. How is the landlord to judge of the h-.nui jhk* of the traveller ; only on Ids own word, and we aak, is it not farcical to leave it to the bare word of a bibdottsty-utetined individual whether a breach of the Act has been committed or not. The police have it within their power to report any licensed house width is kept in a disorderly manner, no matter whether such disorder occurs on the week <Uy or the Sahbath.and as the doors are closed and the blinds drawn down, there can be no scandal -area to. those: who very property believe in the observance of the sanctity of the ds.y. It is perfectly impossible to make men Uunpcrato by Act of Parliament, and it is rvotorioiN chat in those- places where rave taw is mo..*t stringent against the sate of ili-iuk, the violators are the most freH/aout. The State of Maine was a notable instance of that faet. We will watch with

iutcruafc the outcome- of the tactics «n----nlnytit by the Mi.itbomne frceiisetl vietnal-l-r:!, ami sUoultt they eventuate a.i they th*y* will, in the removal of the restriction, it shw;ttl certainty become a g t >o;t pj t ;a vri„!i ttit- publicans of this Colony for the removal of the cast-iron rficutattotw which arc supposed—and only supposed —to !>•■: in force.