WORKING OF PROHIBITORY LIQUOR LAW.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 373, 15 July 1874, Page 3

WORKING OF PROHIBITORY LIQUOR LAW.

The following advertisement, reproduced from the Liverpool Financial Reformer of Ist February, 1874, recently appeared in the ".■NorthernWhig," Belfast:—"AnotherChallenge to the Permissive Billites. — The Prohibitory Liquor Law of Massachusetes. — Mr. Martin Griffin, one of the State Police Commission for the enforcement of this law, and who is eaid to have been most earnest in his efforts to enforce it, has resigned his post, under the conviction that its enforcement ia impossible! In his letter of resignation to the Governor of Massachusetts, he saya he ia fully convinced that the Prohibitory Law, as it now stands on the statutebook, is detrimental to the cause of temperance, and leads to corruption and inefficiency; that it is the business of the brewera which chiefly suffersfroni the law, whilst the sale of spirituous liquors is almost unrestrained ; and thatjthis accounts forthe surprising increase of drunkenness in Boston and other large towns. To the same effect General Bates, chairman of the Police Commission, has published aletter in which he vigorously defends the board, but says it has not power to cope with the violators of the law. The " Boston Advertiser " says that after nearly twenty years' experience of prohibitory law, and seven or eight years' trial of a State Police, both have failed to do their appointed work in the cities ; that there are 'in Boston 3000 places in which liquor is illegally Bold ; that the pubiie and open violation of the law increases every year-; and if the police force were increased tenfold it could' not be prevented. Ihe " Boston Advertiser" describes the law as an anomaly opposed to the seuliment of the community ; says that its daily and hourly violation has taken from it every atom of living force ; and that a strong effort js to be made at the approaching session _of the Massachusetts Legislature to effect' a a ohauge in -the .prohibitory system."

PROVINCIAL BORROWING BILLS.

When Mr. Curtis's Bill, which proposes that Nelson should be allowed to borrow £250,000, has been introduced, the bone of contontLon will have been cast before the Assembly. That the other provinces will follow suit we may rest assured ; but Mr. Curtis having been first in the field, the real fight will take place over the Nelson Loan Bill. We have lias yet had no indication of the attitude which tho Government will assume towards these measures. Mr. Yogel told the Nelson people some months ago that he did not see much difficulty in the way of their getting their loan if none of the other Provinces made similar applications. The Premier of course meant this to be a piece of mild chaff, but it was vociferously applauded nevertheless. What will he say when he finds nine Bills on the Order Paper proposing loans from £50,000 up to half a inilion ? We are inclined to think that he will support them all. He knows that some of the clamourers are terribly in earnest over their claims. Auckland, Wellington, and Westland look to the Assembly for the means whereby they may meet their ordinary current expenditure. Provincial Governments, moreover, are too strongly represented in the House for the Premier to thwart the one great purpose which their representatives hope to accomplish during the session. It may be said, also, that, as the Government supported similar Bills last year, they cannot now, without being inconsistent, refuse to vote for the Loan Bills if the amounts and the securities are the same. We think very little of this point, however. New Zealand Government are thick-skinned, and it does not trouble them \ery much to be told that they have been guilty of inconsistency. If Ministers wanted to take a different line now all they would have to say would be that circumstances had altered since last session, and so on. It has long come to be acknowledged that exediency is too often the principle that guides the policy of our ruleis, and as an" apt illustration of this dictum we have only to call to mind the fact that in the early part of last session Ministers contended that if any Province wanted to borrow, it would Lave to do so like a Municipality, upon the security of rates; but later ou in the session they gave in their adherence to the principle that money might be borrowed upon the security of blocks of land. Any other Ministiy that did not wish to run a chance of being ousted from office would have done the same thing. As we have already said, the Government will, we think give a general support to the Provincial Loan Bills, which, in ail probability will pass the House without having encountered much opposition. It i 3in the Legislative Council that the fute of the Bills will be decided, aud there is no reason at present to suppose that the large majority of that body who opposed the Loan Bills last year have changed their nmids, Whether Mr. Yogel will be heartily sorry if they are thrown out is a question about which there might be a good deal of speculation. — "Daily Times."

. Fike and Brimstone Conversion. — The Bald Mountain, familiarly known to the country people of North Carolina as "Old Baldy," continues to alarm the region round about by incessant roaring and quaking. The " New York Herald," which has sent a special reporter down to the district to observe the phenomena, announces that " Old Baldy" has just frightened religion into 40 sinners." A peculiarly severe shock caused immense excitement among the people, and ou the following Sunday, despite cold and wet, 44 candidates for immersion presented themselves, and joined the Baptist Church. The reporter continues :—": — " Prayer meetings prevail, in which all take an active part, from the worst sinners to the best and purest Christians. I attended one of these meetings, and feel safe in saying that it was the first religious assembly I ever witnessed where every one was deeply interested in the salvation of the soul. If this noise is not followed by no destructive erruption, it will be a good thing for these people in a religious point of view. If these volcanic symptoms continue much longer," it is added, " every dweller in the vicinity will become a Christian, for every shock produces prayer and penitence " The Wellington correspondent of the " Daily Times " telegraphs on Wednesday as follows :—": — " In the Council, Mr. Waterhouse asked the Colonial Secretary whether he had any objection on the part of the Government to laying upon tbe table of the House copies of all correspondence and telegrams which have passed between the Government and His Honour Judge Ward, in reference to His Honor Judge Chapman. The affair involved a great judicial slander, and had attained great notoriety ; it was, therfore, desirable that correct information regarding it should be afforded. The Colonial Secretary said if the hon. member gave notice of motion, and obtained an order for the production of the correspondence, all that was of an official character would be laid on the table. Mr. Waterhouse at once gave notice of motion. In the House Mr. J. L. Gillies asked the Government whether they had taken any, and what, steps to investigate the charges made against Judge Chapman contained in certain telegrams published in the ".Otago Daily Times " of the 22nd May last, and purporting to be copies of telegrams sent by Judge Ward to the Premier. Secondly, whether the Government have any objection to lay upon the table of the House copies of all correspondence, telegraphic or otherwise, if any, in relation to the subject of the foregoing question. The Premier, in reply,- said the C4overnrnent had not taken any steps to investigate the charges referred to. As to how the telegrams found there way to the papers, he could not say. It was a mystery, like the authorship of the ' Junius ' letters, or the identity of the ' Man with the Iron Mask.' Perhaps, time might unravel the matter. He had received the assurance of Judges Ward and Chapman that they had not supplied them . He had not done so, and he did not think that anyone in the .Telegraph Office had. The telegrams as published were nob quite correct, but they were sufficiently so tp show that the person by whom they were supplied had a very large knowledge of the contents of the originals. The Government would not of their own motion lay the papers on the table, Mit they recognised that the House had a right to demand their production, and if any honorable member made a motion to that effect, the Government would offer no objection. The whole affair is anything but creditable to the parties concerned."

A Husband's Liability. — According to an English paper (the Globe), a county court judge has decided that a baker who supplies a family with bread cannot recover the amount of hia bill if the husband has given hia wife private instructions not to run into debt ; .and furnished her with money to pay the household expenses. No question was raised as to the amount of money allowed the wife, but upon the ground that the baker ought to have given the husband notice of the wife's debts, it was decided that he could not recovor. Hitherto the law hes considered the wife the agent of the husband for household necessaries, and even for whatever might be essential to her position and that of her husband. It i 3 quite new to learn that he may give her private instructions which will bind a tradesman in such an article aa bread . In future, husbands may •expect among their ordinary correspondence poat-cards from tradesmen, stating that their "wives have ordered goods supposed to be "Inconsistent with their means opposition. They may even be deprived <"f fish at dinner through neglect to conferm-the orders £iyen by'theiv wivofc.