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MAIVCHESTER STAT. SOC.-ZNA(/(;URAL ADDRESS. 187
fore, ever ready upon the least breeth of adversity to come
upon the public funds. No people can be really well off unless
to their. material prosperity be joined habits of providence and
foresight, which will lead them to fortify themselves in the
position they have once attained.
General education is, doubtless, the measL*.re which most
near]g approaches to a panacea for our present evils. If I do not
say nluch on this subject it is not because I do not feel much,
but because I do not know so much of the details of the
subject as would warrant me in speaking of it to many
lllplnbers mho are already fully and practically acquainted with
it. 1 will only suggest that, as this Society has, from its first
establishment, taken a leading part in those inquiries and discussions
which have led to tho present wholesome state of
public opinion, it might now fitly give attention to the miuutost
- dr!tuils of the Iegislrrtion required. Compulsory attendance at
school me must have, and I wish some of our rnembera would
investigate the most efficient means of carryiug out the future
law.
Another obvious mode of cutting off tl~o springs of
pauperism is to repress drunkenness. Here, again, we meet
a question on wltich public opinion hns prouounced itself in
R general sort of manner, but where the details are still
entirely in doubt. I was very glad that our member, the
Rev. Mr. Steinthel, brought the subject of the licensing laws
before us in a paper which left nothing to be desired aa regards
perfect acquaintance with the details of legislation titla recent
public discussion on the subject. But I am very sorry that I
cannot accept his conclusion that the I’ermissive Bill of tho
United Kingdom Alliance is the best measure to repress
intemperance. It aims at the more or less complete prohibitiou
of a traffic which cannot be entirely destroyed, and, as I
for one think, ought not to be entirely destroyed. It does not
aim, so far as I can see, at exactly the right object; and I
cannot persuade myself that its object could be carried out in
practice. NO one can doubt that so powerful R society does
pat good by drawing attention to the evils which exist; but
I wish that an equal support could be given to the esceedingly