Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21st, 1876.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 3199, 21 October 1876, Page 2

Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21st, 1876.

At the late meeting of the Wellington Diocesan Synod, in the course of a discussion which ensued on a motion of the Rev. Mr Harvey anent the desirability of establishing a Church of England Temperance Society, HisLordship the Bishop of Wellington, and the jßev. Mr Towgood, of Marton, declared in most definite and unmistakeable terms their determined antagonism to any and every organization having for its object the decrease of drunkenness, the reclamation of the drunkard, and the spread of temperance principles. If the prelate's utterances have been accurately reported, he

"considers a drunkard a beast, and scorns a man who so degrades himself below the level of humanity" ; but he contends that " drunkenness is not the only vice the Church has to contend with, nor is it a more prominent vice than other rices in colonists." " Perhaps," he continues, "it prevails to an alarming extent amongst the miserable loafers, the refuse of the streets of the worst parts of England, who are landed on our shores, and corrupted on the public works by being paid wages they do not want, and do not know how to use : but the people brought up in the colony are not drunkards ; they reject the dirty liquor — they do not care about it." j The bishop's opposition to the motion was further based on the assumption that it implied " that drunkenness was the besetting sin of the members of the Church of England," which he believed was contrary to fact. "He should never agree to the Church of England as a corporate body sanctioning the inauguration of any system or organisation to deal specially with one sin." Such schemes he could only regard as empirical, and resembling the efforts of an ignorant physician, who, instead of attempting to restore the whole system of a patient, resorted to a plaster here and a salve there, to cure what were really only the symptoms of a general disorder. He considered smoking, extravagance in dress, and theatre-going quite as pernicious as excessive drinking ; and thought that " the church had no right, because fools abused the gifts of G-od, to even attempt to impose upon others abstinence from using those gifts." His lordship said "he spoke under considerable difficulty, because, as he had been misunderstood and misrepresented in the past, it was but reasonable to expect that he should be misunderstood and misrepresented in the future." There is a sense in which we cannot pretend to understand the position taken up by his lordship in reference to the great temperance movement: but we trust that in our endeavour to condense into a few sentences the £,ist of his utterances we have not misrepresented his meaning. To us, the aims, objects, and beneficial results accruing from the operations of temperance organizations are beyond all question ; and we feel that he who attempts to prove the converse of this proposition has a difficult task to perform. So far as the bishop's laboured endeavour is concerned, he has utterly failed. His facts are mere assumptions; his assumptions are unfounded ; his reasoning is most illogical and inconsequential ; and he himself , judging from the hard and bitter expressions he is reported to have used concerning the victims of this particular human weakness, is incapable of estimating the amount of moral strength which membership with temperance societies imparts unto men who have been the slaves of the drinking habits of society. The bishop evidently imagines that he is taking high ground when he argues that it is no part of the duty of the church to single out and deal with any particular sin. He would appear to have forgotten the grand principle embodied in this declaration of the great Apostle: "I will neither eat flesh nor drink wine, nor anything whereby my brother stumbleth or is offended or is made weak." Surely herein is contained as clear an exposition of moral principle as any man could desire. " All things are lawful, but all things are not expedient." If then, it is apparent that any habit, or practice, or custom of society is fraught with the worst possible consequences to a large section in every community, surely it is the highest p-ivilege of every man who affects to be guided by high moral principles, to refrain from and discountenance the causes of such evils. The bishop is not entirely at variance with us here ; but he endeavours to persuade himself that the sin of drunkenness is not exceptional in its character or degree — that it is neither better nor worse than the many other follies to which colonial life is prone. If this assumption were true, then his lordship might be excused for declining to single it out from amongst the rest for exceptional treatment. But we must be excused for observing that the experience of every day is entirely at variance with the opinion of his lordship on this matter. Gather the evidence from where you will — our gaols, hospitals, lunatic asylums, benevolent societies, courts of justice — all prove beyond dispute that the drinking customs of society have more to answer for than all the other evil habits put together. To compare smoking with dricking, as the bishop was pleased to do, is to descend to childish drivelling in place of substantial argument. We have no more sympathy for inveterate smoking than has his lordship ; but we are not prepared to enter any very serious protest against it, for the simple reason that, so far as we know, it is not chargeable with the wholesale vice, crime, ruin, and general demoralization which invariably results from the special facilities which are afforded for promoting the habits of drinking and drunkenness. It is a strange and a sad reflection, but it is none the less true, that the church is largely responsible for the evils which follow from drinking. By the example of a large proportion of her ministers, her officers, and members, she throws the mantle of her countenance aud protection over an evil which would otherwise lose in respectability, and consequently in power, If the church were to rise as.

one man, and set Us face against this great and growing evil, it would accomplish much more than legislative action will ever be able to do. A uniform tariff in the premium rates is the consummation sought to be attained by the convocation of the representatives of the several Insurance Companies which have agencies in Wanganui. It would appear that the first meeting lapsed, so to speak, owing to the fact that one or two of the companies were unrepresented ; Irat the agents will be asked to reassemble in due course to consider the question in all its bearings. It is not at all improbable but that a uniform tariff will be agreed to ; but the question which naturally arises is, whether or not the rate unanimously agreed upon will be less than or in excess of the scale at present in vogue. On previous occasions we have represented that two good and sufficient reasons why a reduction in the rate of premiums for fire risks accepted within the limits bounding the principal blocks in town should be granted, are that we have an efficient Fire Brigade, and an abundant water supply. Unfortunately for the validity of these premises, there are the unpleasant facts, that the hose of the Brigade is out of order, and that the supply of water is liable to interruptions. Now, previous to expecting a reduction in the rates charged for fire insurauce premiums, we ought to be in a position to say: The plant belonging to our Brigade is in full working order, and is equal to any emergency, and our water supply is ready at all times, and both as regards abundance of flow and pressure, is all that could be desired. With these two indispensable features in a satisfactory condition, then might our property holders approach the Insurauce Agents with confidence, and demand as a rational and consistent concession that their premiums should be reduced. It is gratifying to learn that the Eire Brigade is taking time by the forelock, and have decided to send to Melbourne immediately for an adequate supply of hose, to be selected under competent supervision, and to be forwarded without delay. The Borough Council will also, it is presumed, adopt such steps as shall prevent a recurrence of the causes which led to the assumed unaccountable and hitherto unexplained suspension of communication as affecting the water supply. With these two essentials up to the mark, we have every reason to believe that a reduced tariff will be conceded immediately upon representation to that effect, should the Agents be assured that the interests of their principals were not being jeopardised through an insufficient guarantee, for the bona fide nature. of which no reasonable test should be demurred to, that in the event of a conflagration occurring amply sufficient means are at hand to effect its being speedily extinguished. <» It is to be regretted, from more than one consideration, that litigation looms in the immediate distance concerning the right of the Borough of Wanganui to use the water from the Virginia Laks, except at an almost prohibitive cost, as represented by claims for damages sustained, and for trespass. The Borough Council have received formal intimation from the solicitor for the reputed proprietress of this water privilege, that legal proceedings are to be forthwith instituted with a view to recover a certain nominal sum, equivalent to the amount expected to be assessed for damages and trespass, and thus establish a right to dictate terms for the future utilization oil this splendid natural reservoir. Many were under the impression that all claims had been gracefully waived, and that a free gift of the lake to the town of Wanganui would in time be formally presented. But such is not to be. Although every reasonable facility has been offered to allow or an amicable and equitable arrangement, which should be mutually advantageous, the machinery of the law is to be set in motion, and the Corporation of Wanganui is to be forced into court, in order to compel its representatives to pay through the nose for its water supply. Here is a bitter awakening to former reassuring dreams of pacific settlement of differences, of anticipations of a liberal donation of auy legal rights possessed for the benefit of the community, of grateful acknowledgment on the part of the citizens to the generous benefactress, and of a reciprocity of kindly feeling entertained generally. The ball is about to be opened, and in due course we shall see what we shall see.