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THE
UNITED KINGDOM ALLIANCE. 251
the only difEculb ie to avoid buying them, eo nnmeroas ere
the ehope at which they sre pressed upon the onstomer. It ir
worthy of consideration whether there ought not to be BLL
inf3exible rule established that, where any kind of intoxiating
liquor ia sold, no other commodity shall be sold for oonmmp
tion off the premises. I am inclined to think that the trade
ahould be restricted to two classes of dealers-first, Licensed
victuallers and innkeepers selling mainly, if not exclueively,
for consumption on the premises, and selling nothing else
except the ordinary victuals for guests; and secondly, beer,
wine, and spirit merchants, allowed to sell liquors in any
quantity for consumption off the premises.
I may also suggest that tho time has probably arrived
when n further addition may safely be mado to tho duty on
spirits. Tho last change was mado in 1860, when tho duty on
British spirits and on rum mas raised from 88. to 10s. per
pllon, and that on brandy mas reduced from 1.58. to 10s. 5d.
per gdlon. We should remember that siuca 1860 prices in
general have been rising much, the woalth of tho purchasore
has been considerably increased, as indeed is sufficiently shown
by tho augmented consumption. With the increased e5ciency
and number of the police forco thoro can bo no fear of any
serious increase of smuggling or illicit distilling. An addition
of 2s. per gallon to the duty on spirits would produce a handsome
sum for tho Chancellor of the Exchequer, and would at
tho same time aid in repressing the worst form of drinking.
The proposals of tho Licenso Amendment League of Msncheater
for tho regulation of tho traffic also deserve the most
careful consideration.
I mention these measures merely to show bow many comparatively
easy steps could be taken if the weight of temperance
reformers were united to support them, instead of being
wasted on the Permissive Bill. No doubt it will be plausibly
anewered that if free trade in liquors leads to drunkenness the
proper step is to prohibit the ale of liquor, and it, is inconaistent
to advocate a regulated traffic instead. But the retort
ie -BY, that the United Kingdom Alliance do not venture to
be consistent and thorough-going. On their own principles