:' I' l

,,,/i ..,. I.' '.',, . ,"Storle*..R'ita., the Str961igi5gs1il, By'Very'{iev. r P;'A, She€ha,n, 8.P,, D.D'Alide. By Kathleeu'O'Meaia: .r 'on th; Broad 'nqad. ,' By, Aliqd:Dea8e, iL' ,j', The Downward.Fath,,by,ts.rPentriu; 4ud 4 littlo tr'adoil nowor,,by I{lly do Cnuroy.'Bridget nyan's traith'ancl'Trust. By Mary Mahor,Wrect

I I'i i-Catholic Truth Society of lreland.Episcopal Approhation.'[-_ \ 1-_',I lr.;i ,.ixri.'I i! I j,1.i i 'i i 'o1--1;-.'li..-.1 .[. ,iTN the Pastolrl l-cttcr of IIis Eminence Cardinai LogueI io. 1-.,,1, rr7oz, we tincl tiie fptrlowing : " A great work+ is bcing ,lrilrc I,y tlrc (-utholic Truth Society of lrelan,ltu f

Tur DnrxN QursrtoN.nIts Relation to Church and State. Daties o/Both iru Regard to it.Histsrieal Aspeet of the Question.IwrBupBnaNcB is not a modern vice. The Prophetsof the Old Law denounced it. It existed in the time ofour Blessed Lord and the Apostles. The homilies ofSaints Augustine, Chrysostom, and other Fathers bearwitness to its prevalence in the early centuries ofChristianity.It has been observed that Northern nations have beenat all times more prone to this vice than others. It waslittle known in Italy in past or recent times.'Englanrl anil Irclantl.I have seen it stated that England, as a nation, wasremarkable for its sobriety until the time of pueenElizabeth, when, it is said, the English soldiery contractedhabits of intemperance in Ireland and Holland, andreturning to their native land, corrupted the whole nationto such an extent that it became as notorious dor.intemperanceas it had been for sobriety. The truth is,England had been at all times, and under all races,notorious for its drinking propensities.The Britons, according to St. Gildas, the Teutons and*A Paper read at the Meeting of the Maynooth Uniop, June,1902.

fHE DRINK QUESTIoI{.??r."., accordi!.g_. to Qt-.- Boniface, were all mightydrinkers ; and William of Malmesbury attributes the"easvconquest of Iingland by the Normans to the prevailin"ghabits of intemperance.John of Salisbury, towards the end of the twelfthlgntury, !ays, " that habits of drinking have made theEnglish famous among all foreign Xations.,, Thisna ional failirrg must have been weil known to Innocentin rzo6, when the case of the exemption of the{{I,Abbey. of Evesham, from the Bishop oi Worcester*?q bgitg -arggedbeforehim. The Bishop,s advocate,.i3id " Holy Father, we have learnt in the'schools, andthrs ls the opinion of our masters, that there is noprescription.against the rights of Bishops.,, The FoperepJied : " Certainly, birth you and vour maste.-rshad drunk too much English beer when voir ]earnt this.,,. Not ,qnly.beer, but_ aI kinds of d.rink", rvere welcometo the Enghsh, according to an old poet :_'Ihe Russ drinks quass. Dutch Lubeck beer,And that is strong and mighty;ilhe Breton, he Metheglin quafis,'I'he Irish aqua vita.The Frcnch affect the Orleans grapc,'l'he Spaniard tastes his sherry, -The Engtish, none of these can ,scape,But he with all makes merry.A-s regards lreland, on the other hand, there is noevidence to show that -upto- a comparatively recent time,as aaatio4, it was addiited to the vice of irrt"mp"r.rri".On this point I will read for you the verd.ict of a ivrjtei oidee,p research, clear m'nd, calm and impartial iudcmeni.1nd, q thorough Fnglishman m rreover-1"^m.ly, iire-i"te.ri ather t3fldgett, one of thc brieht liehis of thel^tedemptorist Order. In his admiralble trEatise, ,,TheDiscipline of Drink," speaking of pngland, hesays : ., Noirs drunkenness a vice of modern England merelv.Though it has enormously increasel in'the l;;i--i#;centuries with the increale of population, and fromother caus,es, 5zet there has been a tendency, at leaiiamongst the inhabitants of Britain, to th6'abuse oiTHE DRINK QUESTION.intoxicating drinks in each successive age, with rvhichwe are acqualnt( inted, and which each successive racehas strenethened.strengthened."Speaking of lreland, after weighing all the availableevidence before him, he uses these words : " On thewhole the evidence would seem to prove that drunkenness,as a national vice in lreland, is of a very moderndate." So much in the interests of historical truth.Increase ol Intemperance after the Reformation.In connection rvith this aspect of the case, it may notbe out of place to observe that when the bonds of moralitywere loosened by the introduction of the tenets of theso-called Reformation into Engiand, the vice of intemperancespread with alarming rapidity. Up to thatperiod one power alone had grappled with the evil,and that was the spiritual po'rver of the CathoUc Church.That it did so not without success is evident from thefact that when that power was practically destroyedin England and Scotland, the ravages of drunkennessbecame so widespread and enormous, that the civilpower had to come forrvard, and by legislation, try tocheck it. The first Act of Parliament dealing with thedrink question was passed in the reign of Fdward VI.We are told by a Protestant writer that one hundredyears after the time of Elizabeth, when the power of theCatholic Church was completely crippled, and civillegislation had tried to arrest the progress of the evil, theorgans were in London transferred from the churches tothe taverns to accompany the bestial bacchanalias of menand women.State of the Question at Present.But whilst these few remarks on the historical aspectof the question may be ol some interest, they are introducedmerely as a kind of preface to the main object ofthis paper, which is altogether of a more practical kind.For, whatever inay be said abbut intemperance in theseislands in the past, there can be no doubt. that at the'"

6 tr{E DRINK ouESrIoN.'present momcnt it is the greatest, the most crying evil,not only in Great Britain, but also in Ireland. It is agigantic evil, stalking through the land, affecting youngand old, rich and poor, mele and female, filling ourprisons, workhouses, and asylums with its victims,ind driving thousands into 6arly graves and eternalperdition. - Think of it. Thirteen millions of poundsipent in drinl

Irll(.8 THE DRINK QUESTIoN.Intemperance is not only a social evil, it is also a mostdegrading crime, excluding from the kingdom of God.Hence the Church of God has at all. times, and in allplaces, fought against it. For over a thousand years,single-handed, she grappled with it in these islands,and with success, as we have seen.During the past three centureies her power has been,to a great extent, paralyzed. Besides this, many othereauses have led to the enormous increase of intemperance,such as the brrstle of modern life, the concentrationof people in large cities, and consequentdifficulties of pastoral supervision and the influence oIpublic opinion, the enormous increase both of lvealthand poverty, the unsanitar5z housing of the poor, theabsence of innocent and health{ul amusements, badlaws-or Iaws badly administered-and the poisonousadulteration of liquor; and last, though not least,the introduction of a new agency, and a most powerfulone, namely, alcohol in its-undiluted strength, which,in the words of Cardinal Manning, " has added a newmadness to tfu evils of intemper#ce."Direot anil Inalirect.Now, in considering the duties of the Church towardsthis vice, we must bear in mind that over these causesthe Church has, at least, no direct control. Hence, ofherself, short of an abi&ing miracle, she cannot gain acomplete victory over the vice of intemperance. Hence,too, she not only does noc refuse, but she invokes andwelcomes the co-operation of the secular arm in herconflict with it. The duties of the Church are, thereforeof a two-fold kind, direct anC indirect. Direct, whichconsists jn the. use of her own spiritual weapons , andindirect, in the exercise of her civil and social influence,such as it may be, on the causes which are combiningto create. and spread the evil. We, priests, are. theprincipal standaid-bearers, ttre warriors of the Church,in this struggle of tremendous import for time andeternity in this country. Let us ask ourselYes rvhat ar6the duties, and how are we to discharge them rTHE DRINK QUEStTON.Two Pitfalls to be Guarilerl Against.. gBefore considering them in detail, we must guard ourselvesagainst two pitfalls-one a snare to faith, the otherto morals. From the earliest ages of Christianity therewere heresies regarding the use of fermented liquors.The Gnostics and Manicheans taught that the use ofthem was sinful, because they regarded them as thecreation of an evil principle.The heresy was condemned and refuted by the Fathersof the Church of that time, and by none more powerfullythan by Origen. The Albigensians repeated the errorin the beginning of the twelfth century, and werevigorously opposed and denounced by St. Bernard." These men " said he, " are mere rustics, and utterlycontemptible, yet they must not be neglected, for theirwords spread like a canker. They abstain from foodthat God made to be received with thanksgiving ;and are heretics not because they abstain, but becausethey abstain hereticall5z. "And lest anybody may think he was opposed to theChristian practice of self.denial, he added : " ff thdg&eguided by spiritual physicians and ascetic disciplidE, Iapprove their virtue in taming the flesh and bridlingits lusts." But they were not. They made distinctionsof food, and said the use of some of them, and amongstthese fermented liquors, was unlawful ; hence the greatSt. Bernard said they abstained heretically. Somemodern ardent advoiates of temperance, 'especiallyamongst the separated sects, propound doctrines4angerously akin to .these heresies. Cardinal Manninghad them before his mind when he delivered a memorableaddress to the Holy Family at St. Mary's, CommercialRoad, London, in 1875 " Now, mv friends," he said," listen I will go to my grave without tasting intoxicatingliquors, but I repeat distinctly, that any man who shouldsay that the use of wine, or any other like thing is sinful,when it does not lead to drunkenness, that man is aheretic, condemned by the Catholic Church. With thatman I will never work."The second snare is one to morals. In our zeal in the

IOTHE DRrNK gUtsSTroN.cause of temperance we are invited, and naturally led,to stand on a common platform with all advocates of thatcause. In doing so lve must guard ours.elves against errorand exaggeration. Many non-Catholics regardtemperance as a kind of a God, and raise the promotionand practice of it to the dignity of a natural religion.In doing this they may be acting in conformity withtheir own tenets, but for us to imitate them would be afatal error, To them temperance stands alone and byitself as a natural virtue ; but to us Catholics it is a partand parcel of our Catholic system, requiring God'sgrace, the help of the Sacraments, and other aid"s for itspractice, and ought not, moreover, be separated frorn theCatholic view of its being an exercise of penance andexpiation.Weapons of the Churoh.What weapons, then, does Holy Church place in ourhands to combat this dread monster, and how do we usethem ? Some of these weapons are as ancient as theChurch herself. Some are new, and accommodated to thealtered circumstances of the fight ; for, whilst the soulof the Church is ever the same, she varies her forrns andher discipline in accordance with the requirements oftime and place.Anelent Weapons.She puts in our hands the same weapons that ourBlessed Lord placed in those of the Apostles when hesent them " praeilicare reg'nxtrn, Dei," " to preach theKingdom of God "-sfus gives us the sword of the" Word of God, which is living and effectual."At our ordination she warns us, " Sacerd,otem oportet,praedicare "-" 11 is the duty of a priest to preach."Do we wield this sword in season and out of season ?I)o we preach from the housetops against this vice ?It is a noon-day evil staring us in the face. Are we forever raising the cry of alarm against it, or do we notfrequently pass it by unheeded, either because it is so.orimo.r,"oi because we are too faint-hearted to attack#,,|til.i,{TIIE DRTNK 9UESTION.it ? " Ve rnihi si non praedicauero," says St. Paul. " Forwoe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel."The second weapon is the Sacrament of Penance. Thepriest sows the seed in the pulpit, and reaps the harvestin the confessional. Do we use to the fullest extent theopportunities offered in this sacred tribunal to promotetotal abstinence or temperance, accordrng to the requirementsof each individual penitent ? Do we warnlicense-holders of the dangers of their trade and theobligations by which they are bound? De we ever try todissuade our people from rushing recklessly into abusiness fraught rvith such terrible temptations andconsequences ? Do we, as often as 1ve may, imposeabstinence, either total or partial, as a sacramentalpenance ? These and such questions should form thesubject of our examination of conscience from tjme tdtine.New l[eapons. The Pledge in General.Amongst the new weapons which Holy Church placesin our hands, the pledge takes the first place. In thesense in which it is now generally accepted, as the bindingby a solemn prcmise of an individual, or a number o{individuals in a society, to promote sobriety, the pledgeis new, and little knoivn to^history. Froni the diys 6fFather Mathew to the present time the temperancepledge has been the means of saving many from the evilsof intemperance. But, like most good things, it is liableto be abused, and hence it devolves on us to point out tothe people the motives for taking it-which are, eitheras an ac1 act of oI mortification. mortification, mortlflcatlon, or for Ior tne the DurDose purpose of oI edifvins edifyi eollylngand encouraging others-or through necessity, and forself-nreservation: self-preservation ; that a ple-dgg oledse of ol itself does doe.s not worka sudden moral or physical change-that it is not asacrarqent, nor, apart from the Sacrament of Penance,does it confer sacramental grace ; that it does not at onceeradicate the bad habit nor dispense from the ordinaryprecautions against temptations to relapse: that apledge, as now sanctioned by the Church, is not an oath,nor a vow, but at most a solemn resolution or a promisemadg to man ; ando t4oregyef that thsse who caunet,IT

t2THE DRrNI( QUES'rrON.or will not, bind. themselves by the more perfect totalabstinence pledge, may usefully do so by a partial one.Total Abstinenee and the Clergy., As regards the total abstinence pledege amongst theclergy themselves, it is to be observed, irr the lirst place,that, whilst the Church imposes on her ministers the moresevere and difficult discipline of celibacy, she does notbind them to total abstinence from intoxicating liquors.She charges them to be sober, warns them against dahger,prohibits what is unbecoming, often undcr paiir o{canonical censure, but she leaves it to their own discretionwhether they are to be total abstiners or not.But whilst all this is true, there can be little doubt thatthe ecclesiastic who is a total abstainer has generallymore freedom of actjon in the cause of temperance thanthe one who is not. Hence it is that we all look {orwardwith high hopes to the successful promotion of temperancein our own and future times, knou,ing that, vear a{teryear, young priests are leaving this world-renownedcollege-the nursery o{ the priesthood of Ireland--filled not only with priestly zeal, but most o{ them totalabstainers. To them I would say, vast is the field oflabour be{ore them, and great will be their success ifthey persevere in keeping their pledges, and preachtemperance, not only by word, but likewise by the nobleexample of their own lives. But whilst practisingcorporal abstinence from drink, they should guard'themselvesagainst ajnore insidious enemy, namely, spiritualintoxication. For there is a tendency amongst sometotal abstainers to look on themselves as " not Uke therest of men." They should bear in rnind that, for themajority of priests, total abstinence is a counsel of perfection,and that there are many among them, temperance-reformers,admirers o{ total abstainers, who are notprepared to follow that counsel . " Non ornnes cafiurttaerbwrn istuil," " not all receive that word." Theyshould bear in mind, too, that many of the clergy, whohave nolv passed the meridian of life, began their priestlycareers in a different order of things and adapted them-*1rI tilTt$t,$il{tiTHE DRrNK QUESTION. 13selves to their environments : now that their habits oflife are formed, total abstainers must not grow impatientwith them, if they are not all prepared to adopt themore perfect course. Let the total abstainers try toconvert the moderate drinkers to total abstinence.If they succeed they will have done a good work ;if their efforts are not always crowned with success, letthem not judge us too harshly, nor reject us as incapableof doing anything in the cause oI temperance : let thembe patient and tolerant towards us, use us for all we areworth, iccording to our lights and means, and allowus to die out quietly.Temperanoe Assoeiatlons.Te mperance associations form another of the modernrveapons which have the sanction of Holy Church.Temporal affairs are lareely carried on in these timesby guilds, companies, and associations. The Churchadapts herself to the times. The principle underlyingthis economy is the old one; union is strength. Inall these societies. whether under the banner of totalabstinence or temperance in a wider sense, they havethe same object in view, to cure the same evil, the vice ofintemperance.In alluding to them a word of warning may be useful ;Let us avoid jealousies. Total abstainers should notdepreciate the efforts of partial abstainers. nor shoulclthese minimise the noble services and examples of those.St. Bernard, speaking of the jealousies which existedin his time between the Cistercians and Cluniacs, says :" What security, what quiet sballwe find in the Churchif every man, when he was chosen one state of life,despises those who live differently, or thinks himselfdespised by them ? When Christ ascended to His Father,He Ieft to His Spouse, the Church, His seamless tunic,woven from the top throughout; but the tunic, thoughseamless, because of the charity which binds it inindissoluble unity, is many-coloured, because, oI thediversity of graces and gifts. . . . " He continues :" I-et every man abide in the same calling in which he

14 THE DRrNK QUESTTON.was called (r Cor. x. zz.) Different remedies 'befitdifferent diseases. You may often safely recommendto another what you may abstain from yourself. .I praise, then, every order in the Churcli in which menlive justly and piously. I belong to one by my mode oflife, life. but Dur to ro all bv by Dy mv my charitv." charity." cnarlty.In the address already alluded to, Cardinul Manninguses the following language on this point : " Now. Now,desire to promote total abstinence jn in everv every wav way thai that Ican; I will encourage all societies of total abstainers.But the moment I see men not charitable, att&nptingto trample down those who do not belong to the totalabstainers, frorn that moment I will not work with thosemen. I would have two kinds oi pledge-one for themortified, who never taste drink; and the other for thetemperate, who never abuse it. If I can make thesetwo classes work tbgether, I will work in the midst ofthem. If I cannot get them to work together, I willwork with both of them separately." These wise wordsof the great Cardinal should be ever present to the mindsof the many earnest temperance advocates of our time,whether amongst the total or partial abstainers.Every association that has for its object the remqvalof any of the many causes of intemperance deserves thegood will and blessing bf every true temperance reformer.We all know how much our social customs havb had todo with the spread of intemperance in this country, andwhat havoc has been wrought by them owing to theblindly generous nature of our people. Baptisms,marriages, wakes, and funerals have been often turnedinto occasions of intemperance.Any law, diocesan, provincial or national. which aimsat putting an end to such un-Christian customs will beheartily welcomed by all, both clergy and laity, whohave the welfare of Ireland at heart. We know; too,how ruinously the custom of treating in public houses orplaces',vhere drink is sold, so prevalent amongst our poorpeople (especially in the country) has operated againstthe cause of temperance. This system, which has becomesuch a curse to the country, and such a friend to theBritish revenue, is not the outcome of generosity, but o{meanness and vanity, It is propped up by two classes off,.1i*rt:tIrE bRrNk OUEStTON.persons-those who are known by the unsavoury namesof loafers and spongers-and those silly, vain personswho wish to pose as decent and open-heartcd, accordingto the public-house code. The custorn is an outrageon common sense, and is at this nroruent nothing shortof a national evil. Any association, therefore, that aimsat breaking it down deserves well of the country.Anti-Treating League.Hence the Anti-Treating League, so successfullylaunched in two dioceses in Ireland, rnerits the seriousattention of the bishops and clergy, both collectivelyand individually. I say of the bishops, because urilessthe League is taken up, not only with the perrnission,but with the blessing and direct personal encouragementof each bishop in his own diocese, it is either doomedto failure, or its success will be, at most, limited andshort-Iived. .Each member binds himself not to take a treat frornanother, nor to give one himself in any place wheredrink is sold. He promises, moreover, not to be guiltyof the sin of intemperance himself. and to prevent, as faras possible, drunkenness in others. These rules leavea r6asonabie margin for the use of one's liberty in theuse of stimulants, whilst they are well adapted to copewith this evil custom of treating, which. at the presentmoment, seems to be peculiar to our country and ourrace.From the very nature of this League it requires to bestarted simultaneously either throughout a dioceseor, at 'least, in large sections of it, comprising severaladjacent parishes.As regards the rising generations, nothing need besaid, as the rule adopted, as far as I know, by all thebishops of Ireland of administering to the children atConfirmation a total abstinence pledge up to the age oftwenty-one, must be productive of most salutary resultsso far as they are concerned.r5

6 THE DRINK OUESTION. THE DRINK OUESTION. t7Duties of the Clergy regarding Social euestions ingeneral anil Temperance in palticular.But we, clergy, must not confine our zeal and activitvi" .th.gcause of -te_mperanceto the use of the spirituJtand disciplinary he_lpi, with which our Mother, thebhurchsupplies us. We must likewise direct our attentionto the removing or remedying the socia.l cause of intgmperance.-Itis the wish of dur Holy Father the pope,that, whilst the Catholic clergy the i,orld over strorltcidischarge their priestly dutiestith all possible zeal andd.evotedness,- they should likewise talie their part ascitizens in those social questions which arb boirnd upimmediately and-. dirccfly. with the temporal, bu'tmediately and indirectly ivittr the spiritual'welfare ofthe people...In.the eighties, when the country was passing throughthe throesof a great social revoluti6n, the Cathdtic clerEvstood on-the political platform as guides and counsello"r"sof their flocks, and, as a bodv, we--ll and wiselv directedthem, and saved the nationifrom a cataclysir, which,without their moderating influence, \ /as ineriitatjle. . 'The people arc now beiter trained in political methods.and do not require the interference of'the clergy to'thrjsame extent in that arena. It would seem as if"ihe timehas now come wheil our counsel, co-operation, andinfluence, should be directed to the iolutidn of the'ereatsocial problems with which we are confronted. In"thiscountry the question which towers above all others inimportance, both for the corporal and spiritual, thetemporal and eternal interesti of our people id ttreDrink question. Everything, therefore, that hai a bearinson the solution of that great problem must be a SubjecTof deep interest to us.Eousing of the poor.As bad housing and unsanitary conditions of life arefrequently the result, and o{ten th6 cause of intemperance,it is our duty to take our part in, aye, to promot'e movementsfor the removal nf -this causl.Amusements.As " ail things have their season, and there is a time toweep, and a time to laugh," so the people must havetheir amusements. The cause of temperance is notnecessarily connected with gloom and sadness; on thecontrary, innocent, heaithful amusements and recreationsconduce much to sober habits of life. Henceall prudent directors of temperance associations studyto suppiy this need to their members. But there existin this country, unfortunately, amusements calculatedto promote not the cause of temperance, but ofintemperance. I allude to the public hurlingand football tournaments on Sundays and holidays,got up principally, if not exclusively, ,by publicans,beside villages and licensed houses in country districts.Apart from the gradual blunting of the religious feelingsof reverence for the Lord's Day, which such publicboisterous sports naturally generate, they are, as a rule,associated with much intemperahce. Whilst, therefore,giving encouragement in every way in our power, tohealthful, innocent amusements, indoors and out ofdoors, on Sundays and week-days, in town, village, andcountry, it is our duty tb discourage and prevent, as faras possible, those which are carried on in dangerousproximity to public houses, which generally lead tointemperance and other sinful or unseemly excesses.Suggestions regarding our Future Actibn.Before'I conclude this already too lengthy paper,I will take the liberty of submitting to your considerationand discussion a few points regarding our future action.The evil which we wish to eradicate is not the drunkennessof individuals, numerous thoragh they be, but thegeneral and habitual abuse of intoxicating drinks.It is not National drunkenness, but National intemperai'lce.What is the cure for this evil ? Is it teetotalism ortemperance ?Theoretically either would remedy it ; but a totalrlill,ll:[.

I8THE DRINK OUESTION.abstaining lreland- seems to me an Utopian idea--a temperate Ireland a rational and feasible bne. Whatwe have to aim at, in my opinion, is natiopal temperance.In order to bring this-abbut, we must operate on themind and will of the people. For we must not losesight of the fact that laivs-the administration of laws*flye,. the .fate of the law makers themselves, dependio the ultimate analysis on the popular will.If Parliaments aie unwilline oi unable to oass anvradical and comprehensive laivs to stem thd tide

t,li.THE DRINKQUESTION.THE DRINK QUESTION.2TAPPENDIX.The administration of the existing laws falls ou threebodies :-The Excise, Police, and Licensing Authorities:Exeise Authority.-The duties of the Excise authoritv are moreof a mechanical kind, ancl have lit[le bearingquestion.. But it may be asked whether it would not be anrmplovemen-t if license dutl were based, not on thevaluation of the house, as is now the law. but on thequantity of spirits sold, of which an account is at presentkept by the Excise for income-tax purposes.Duties of potice Authorities.or lesson theThe drrties of the police authorities have a moreimportant and practicil bearing on the subject- Foiit is theirs. not only to arrest and prosecute drunkards,but likewise to --superviselicensed houses, to detectand prosecute offences against the licensing laws, andr-eport same to the licensing justices. Experidnce teichesthat, wlere there is an aclive and efficielnt po'lice officeror ,headconstable, -intemperance noticeabfy decreases,and there are fewer breaches of the law. Wil must, not,however, lose.sight of the difficulties in their way.Some members of the {orce have not. perhais. hishideals on this question, and are disposld ,"'tiiei ?oconnive at than detect breaches of the law. Thenthey. have sometimes to face an apathetic, if not hos[lerpagistlacy, whq either refuse to convic[ on sufficientevidence, or to inflict a punishment commensuratewith the gravity o{ the offence.Occasionally, too. there are temptations thrown in theirway-free drinks, perquisites, prospective testimonialsfrom the publicans, all which it is not easy to resist, andare not, it is to be feared, always resisted-to thedetriment of public morality and the cause of temperance.It is said that the public houses, which the LicensingJustice have multiplied with reprehensible indiscretionin purely country districts, are, in many places, centresof dissipation and drunkenness on Sundays. Are thePolice Authorities exercising due supervision over these,and if not, why not ? Why is it that, making allallowances for the difficulties in their way, the Sundayclosing la,,v is violated so frequently with impunity ?Again, to allow drunkenness on the premises is one ofthe greatest offences a publican can be guilty of. Yet,what do we find ? The offence is practically left unpunishedin this country.Many persons are arrested and punished for drunkennqss-howrarely are the publicans, in whose houses thisdrunkeness was permitted, prosecuted and punished ?Why is this ?Is it a defect in the law; or in the administration of thelaw ? Tlre practice, I understand, is to shift the onusprobandi on the prosecutor. Now, if a drunken personis found on or leaving the premises of a publican, is not thepresumption against the publican and would it nottherefore, sqem more rehsonable to throw on him.theburden of proving his innocence ?Lioensing Authority-Nature of its Functions.But, so far as the civii power is concerned, the bodythat has most to do for good or evil with the drinkquestion is the Licensing Authority. In the first place,it may be asked, what is the nature of the functions ofthe Licensing Arrthority ? Are its functions purelyjudicial, or are they administrative ?Up to quite a recent period the idea prevailed inpngland, arrd, I believe, it largely prevails to the prqsertt

22 TrrE DRrNK 9UESTION.moment in lreland, that its duties are purely iudicial.The decision of the House of Lords, witniri fhe lastfew-years, in the case of Boulter u. Kent, has definitelysettled that point, not only for England, but, to mymind, also for Irelind. Foi, whilst ii seems to me thaltler-eTly be accide-ntal differences regarding the powersof the licensing bodies in both countries, there G nonein their essential elements.It would be an anomaly if, under the same legislatureancl {or the application of a law that has t[e sameobject in view in both countries, the executive bodyitr one country should be administrative, and in the otherpurely judicial, that is bound to act on the evidenceofficially brought before it.It is not probable that such was the intention oIParliarnent, and consequently, I believe, that theLicensing Authority is an-administrative body in Irelandas, well as in England, like the Board of Griardians, orother such public bodies.But some persons may say, if the functions of theLicensing Auihoritl are-not-purely judicial, why takeevidencJon oath ? -My reply is', tha[ aI evide:irce ii tuk"r,on oath before the Liceniiirg justices in England, too,yet -there is no longer any doubt that the LicensingAuthority in that country is administrative and notpurely judicial.Lieensing Authorlty.-An. Ailmlnistrative Borly.The fact is, the Licensing Justices, as an administrativebody, ca! examine into cases and judge for themselvr swithout he_aring evidence at all; but-, if they acceptevidence, the law requires that it be sworn, 6ut th6yare not bounnd to act bn that evidence. This is a poinlof far-reaching importance, and at the very root oT thebetter admjnistration of the licensing laws. 'In ge_neral - it may be taid down that it is the dutyof the Licensing Authority to grant as many licenseia.q are_required for the needs of each locality, and to seethat licence-holders be persons who, by character,training, and the circqm.stanqes of their -position, areTr{E DRrNK 9UESTTON. 23suited to carry on the trade and unlikely to resort toillegal or disreputable practices.Such being the duties of the Licensing Authority, suchthe nature of its functions, it follows, that on it dependsto a considerable.extent, the solution of the questionof temperance reform in this country, so far as the Civilpower is concerned.Grantlng New Licences.And, in the first place, let us consider the question oJgranting new licences. The mrrltiplication of licencesfor the sale of intoxicating drink in this country, inthese latter years, has been nothing short oi national,scand,al,. It is acknowledged by all. An unanimousvoice from North, South, East and West, from pulpit,platform and press has been raised to protest against it.Every new licence is a new temptation to drink, and themultiplication of temptations to drink means anincrease of the victims of drink, and the consequentspread of intemperance. So great has the abuse becomethat Parliament has been called on to interfere andpass a law restricting the power of the magistrates inthis respect.Whilst we welcome this law, it cannot be regarded qsother than a discredit to the justices themselves, for itmeans that their administration has been so unsatisfactory,aye, so mischievous that a special law has to bepassed to deprive them of some of their power. Evenif this law should pass, an interval will elapse before itis put into operation.Resolutlon of Llcenslng Justices in Limeriak.Will the Licensing Justices, in the meantime,perpetuate this scandal and giant more new licenses ?Let us hope not-rather let us hope that they willimitate the example of Judge Adams and the Justices inLimerick, who have pledged themselves to grant nomore new licences in purely country districts.

t-24 THE DRINK 9UESTION. TIIE DRINK QUESTION.25I have beard it stated that such a pledge was bothillogical and illegal, as everv new ap-plicition shouldbe tried and decided on its meiits. Thii view arises fromthe erro_neous idea regarding the purely judicial Iunctionsof the Licensing Authority. As far-as I can see theiraction was both logical and legal. From their personalknowledge they- were well awaie that all the reisonablerequlrements oi every country district, in their juris_diction,. not -only.for ihe present,. but even for coininggenerations, had been amply provided for. and that anifurthe_r multiplication of-lice-nsed houses would meari,'not a boon, but a curse. As wise administrators of thelaw, using the discretion with which, in the very natureof things, they were invested, they bound th6mselvesindividually -andcollectively to grant no more licensesrn such -purely country districts. For the same reason,seeing that the number of licensed houses in towns andvillages was out of all proportion to the wants. of theseplaces, and required iather to be decreased thanincreased,. they bound themselves not to give in futureany new llcences, nor to extend Beer and Spirit Ljcencesuntil three existing licences had lapsed.Such a proceediig. seems wantin'g neither in logic norcommon sense, and it is hard to see where the ilEgattycomes in. West Limerick was in no worse conditioirthan other parts of Ireland, as far as I can know. Whatthe County Court Judge and IVlagistrates have donethere nr.ay,- perhaps, be clone usefully elsewhere.Let us hope__that, as a result - of the meeting o{magistrates held recently in Dublin, some such aciionwill be taken immediately iu every part of lreland.Duty of Magistrates to Reduee Licenees.But should. we be content with this, and ask no more-from the Licensing Authority ? Certainlv not. Weshould ask the l\{agistrates to-begin to use t"o the fullestextent wi99ly and independently their adrninistrativepowers. Not only should they abstain as a rule fromgranting new licences, but th-ey should begin at onceto lessen the number of existine ones.The Licensing scanclal has been allowed to exist toolong, with the.result-that through the whole.countrythe number of licensed houses is at present far rn excessof the needs of the community.The present Magistrates are very much, though notaltogether, to blame for this. They found things bad,and, instead of mending them, made them worse,It is their duty now to begin to undo the evil they havedone, and reduce, as quickly as possible, the numberof licensed houses. How can this-be done ?How This May be Done-The adoption of a resolution similar to No. z, justmentioned, of the Newcastle West Magistrates, by theLicensing bodies elsewhere, would help, though slowly,to attain that object.Take again the very common cases of renewals andtransfers of Licences. Cannot the Magistrates, as anadministrative body, inspect the locality, and see forthemselves whether the licence is required at all, whetherthe house is a suitable one, why the transferrer is leavingit, what are the qualifications of the would-be transferee,and grant or refuse the transfer accordingly. Anexemption may be made when the licence holder wishesto transfer the licence to a member of his own family,as was recommended by the Royal Commission onLiquor licensing. By adopting this course, in the cityof Bradford, the Justices have reduced the numberof " off licences " by zS4 since the year 1882, and inLiverpool, from 1889 to 1896, the number of " onlicences " was reduced by r44.Clearly the Licensing Authorities in those cities havehad a different idea of tlieir powers and responsibilitieslom lhgt whicfr generally obtains in this country.They did not allow their intelligence and activity to befettered by the "purely judicial " nature of theirfunction.Passing through Dublin yesterday, I got access to therecord of the case oI Sharp u. Wakefleld, tried before theHouse of tords in r89r.II

26 THE DRINK euESTroN.The question at issue was, whether in the case of anapplication for a renewal of a licence, the LicensingAuthority has the same discretionary power as in thecase of a new licence, namely : Can the justices take intoaccount the character and the necessities of the locality,the ratnotcruss or otherwise from police supervision,and grant or refuse the renewal, the same as in thefirst instance. The unanimous decision of the fiveLords of Appeal was that the Licensing Authorityhas the same discretionary power in the case of a renewalas in that of a first application. The decision, to be sure,was for England, but the reasons for the decision applywith equal force to Ireland. In giving his decisibn,the Lord Chancellor (Lord Halsbury) uses these strikingr6r61d5-('If in the original grant the magistrates havea discretionary power, and it is their duty to considerthe wants of the neighbourhood with reference both toits population, means of inspection by proper authoritiesand so forth, what sense or reason could there be inmaking these things irrelevant in any future grant."These words seem to me to apply with equal force toIreland as to England. In Ireland the justices have adiscretionary power to consider all these circumstancesin the first application for a license-why not then inthe renewal ? I have seen it stated'that there is somelegal decision to the contrary. I have not seen thatdecision, but, if it exists, it seems to me to be basedon a false interpretation of the law, and would bereversed by the House of Lords, if a test case werereferred to it.Tied Eouse System.Then there is the " tied " house system.Tied houses are the channels for the trade of publicbreweries and distilleries, whether belonging to individualsor cornpanies. The conditions of the tievary. Sometimes the brewer holds a mortgage on thepremises-sometimes he is the owner an{. appointsa yearly tenant or a manager. Sometimes the tie is forthe sale of beer only ; sometimes for beer and maltliquors, and sometimes for every article that can betHE DRINK 9UEStIONsold in the public-house. The occupier of 3 tied houseonce said, whetr asked what he wai tied for, " I amtied for everything but sawdust."Whatever"tnay-Ue said of t}re system in..theory, inpractice it worki out injuriously to th-e public interest,'and blocks the way to temperCnce reforms' .For velJoften pubiic breweis, and, more frequently still, publicbrewins and distillins companies, which like other.oroo.ite bodies haveito conlcience, and seek only forprofits and dividendp,.cale. little:s to the P"lhod:tmoloved to secure their obiect. They are not always..,ri"rif .orri"rit with the profits orofits of- their wholesale whdlesale trade, butwish also to partalie of the retail profits, and so chargethe tied cusfomer more than the- free. The result ofthis is that the tied customer, between pressure fromrvifhin within and comnetif.ion competitjon from without. without, is tempted toltrve have rec,ourse recourse to.iJlegal_methods illeeal to meet. hiscngagePen!;,He finds himself ii thls dilemma, if he does not pushthe trade ot his master, he will be sent about his business;if he is over active in pushing it, he is likely to be caughtin the meshes of thd law, and then, too, exposed todismissal. Hence, one finds that there are far morecases of transfers in tiecl houses than in free ones. Manyhonest, thrifty people, who look on a public house as akind of El" Dor?rdo, have invested their savingsin these houses, and after a few years' experience havediscovered theii mlstake. Now it is evident that theLicensing Justices,2l{rom the very nature- of their-office,have poivlr to save license Liolders frorn conditionsof tenlncv. which necessarily expose them either tofailure of business or violatioh of the law. Except inIarse cities the tied house system does not exist to anyaoireciable extent in Ireland ; but it is likely to increase,.ont"qoentlv the evils arising from it should be"irh known and guarded against in time.Lloence Holilers Shoulrt Be Speoially Selectoil Persons.It is the duty of the Licensing Authority to see thatlicence holders- be specially seletted persons, qualifiedfor the spirit trade -by training, character, and socialantecedents.l

28 tHE DRrlvk ouEstroN.Do the Licensing Justices in Ireland attend to thismost important branch of their duties ? I{ow oftendo we find licences to carry on this dangerous tradegir,en to persons utterly unfit for it ?Combination ol Trades ln a Licenseil House' Promotos Intemperance..Is it to the public advantage to have a combinatronof trades in a public house ? In England . no othergoods except eatables are allowed to be sold in thesame premises with intoxicants. In lreland, on thecontrary, it is not uncomrqon to find for sale, underthe samE roof with intoxicants, groceries of all kinds,hardware,_ soft goods. Thil system multiplies temptations,mrkes supervision difficult, and gives a clbakto drinking amDng women, who are sometimes suppliedwith drink under the title of groceries. On the whole,tle system militates against the cause of temperance.Have not the Licensing Justices, as an administrativebody, the power of taking some united uniform actionto save the country from this danger, without inflictingan injustice on the existing license holders ? Thediscontinuance of the system would quickly lead to adiminution of the number of public houses. Would'it not be well, too, if licences were altogether refusedto houses under a certain valuation, as at presentlicences are attached to some houses utterly unfit forthe business.Sunilay Closing.Consider the closing regulations. These have a mostimportant bearing on temperance reform. Take theSunday Closing Law. Tlrat this law has been, on thewho1e, a great boon to Ireland there can be no doubt;and few, if any, amongst the publicans themselves would,I venture to think. now ask for its repeal. Wherever thelaw is strictly enforced the results are excellent. Butis it strictly enforced ? I fear not, partly owing to theremissness of the police authorities and partly to theTHE DRINK oUESTrON. 29apathy and laxity oI the magistrates in punishingviolations of it. If No. 3 of the West Limerick resolutionswas universally adopted and acted on, andif a few vrotorious viola.tors of this law, in every townand village, were deprived of their licences, it wouldhave a most saiutary effect.Early Closing on Saturalay Night.Experience teaches that arrests {or drunkenness aremore numerous on Saturday nights than at any othertimes, and that the heaviest drinking takes place betweenro and rr o'clock.In Scotland the Licensing Authority has a discretionarypower since 1887 of early closing, except inseven large towns. They put it into effect, with suchbeneficial results, that the excluded torvns are agitatingto be included.The Licensing Authority in Ireland has not this discretionarypower; but if it had the power, say to makean order for early closing by any time up to two hours,to be renewed every year, and exercised it properly, itwould be productive of much good.Clubs anil Soltliers' Canteens.Two other sources of intenrperance in this country areclubs and soldiers' canteens. A well-regulated club,with its library, reading room, debates, and variousopportunities of intellectual improvement and innccentamusements, is a public boon. But a social club,with a drinking bar, is often a greater danger than anordinary public house. For the club is not under thesalne legal supervision and restrictive regulations,and hence it has all the temptations with fewer of thesafeguards. The consequence is that many personshave contracted habits of intemperance in these clubs,who would have escaped the ordinary snare of the publichouse. The evil of the drinking club is on the increasein Ireland, and is to be m:t with, it is to be feared,

l!tr--- ryr***-*-;H,--33otHp nnrrqk eubstroii.not only in the workingmen's clubs, but in ones withmore pretensions, whether County, Comtnercial orNational.It is in the interests of the members themselves ofthese clubs to see to the danger in time-to have themproperly conducted-and that none- but members besupplied with drink, and even these within the limitsgf moderation. Otherwise, public opinion will haveto be created against them, arid the legislature invokedto regulate them. I have been informed that it is not anuncommon thing to have civilians supplied with drinkfor payment on Sundays in soldieiri' canteens inGarrison towns. This is an abuse to which the attentionof the militaiy authorities should be directed.Question of Compensation.If the Licensing Authority in tiris country have thecourage to make a fol'ward move to reduce the numberof public houses, then the question oI compensationhas to be considered. This is a thorny question, onwhich I will merely touch.Since the case o-f Sharpe u. Wakefield, decided in r89z,it seems beyond bevond doubt, doubt. that there is. no stricf strict Ipoel l.egal cleinr claimto compensation for the ioss of a public house licence.The licence is granted for one year, and no longer.Furthermore, it is given to a particular' person {or aparticular house; but the Iaw recognises no l)ropertyin the licence, except during its annua"l currency. H'encri,when a licence holder is dying he cannot bequeath it,neither does it become an asset of his legal representative,who has to make a formal appJication for itf transfer.Again, r,vhatever vievrs individual justices may haveon this point, when there is a question of the refusalof a transfer or renewal in the ordinary way, they neednot be deterred {rom doing theii duiy, through fearof inflicting injury or ruin on the licence hoider:. Forthere are licence Insurance Companies which, for smallpremiums, will insure the holders against loss of licence,whether through misconduct, or for any other cause.Then the brewers themselves have combined to establishTHE DRINK QUESTION.Mutual Insurance Companies for the same purpose.p9 tha! every prudent licence holder can easily securehimself against the loss of his licence in one of thesecompanies.But if the Licensing Authority undertake to reduceon a large scale the number of public houses, on theground of their not being,necessary, then the questionof compensation would arise from another point of view.By the suppression of some the surviving ones wouldderive very substantial benefits on account of diminishedcompetition, and thus an inequality would be created.It would seem only fair, in such cases, that the owners ofthe suppressed- licences should get, at least, a moneycompensation from the houses that remain; whether iiraddition they should not get security of tenure for a certainnumber of years before srrppression, from the LicensingAuthority, is a matter of detail into which we need no1enter.Existing Licensing Authority not to bo Ended, butMethods Moniled.-As regards the I-icensing Authority itself in this country. whilst its record on the whole has been one of mal--a-dqrnistration, I s.hould be sorry to see any radicalchairge in its constitution, or to have the po#er takenfrom the Justices, and given over to the Cbunty CourtJudges, as was suggested some time ago. I hm notso desporrdent as that of the administrative capacityof my fellorv-coutrymen. Moreo.,ver, among the Licinsin!Justices there are men of ability, expeiience, and inldependent char-acter, heedless of -the bieath of passingpopularity, and beyoud _yielding to the tempiationland pressure of local influences. We cannoi affordto lose the services of such men, as without them anvgeneral and permanent reform of the Licensine Authoritvwould scarcely be possible at present. It itrikes ond,howeve_l, that the present I icefising Authority is ratheiunwieldly for effectual working puiposes.Would it not be competenC for the Justices in eachlicensing district, to- appioint out of thLir own f"ay icommittee of capablef independent men for a cer6in3I

.JtI{r,i lrtilInIi l.llll:!l iriNl],'tl'llil" l,t.v 1.,'j 1..';ll r;i i.irti;| i:"it.tr-:]. iIl, \', iri I ;ril !r'i'rl;;rr,.t:.t,c.,,t]r.,'tiJri i;,,: ail'll.ltfi'{1. *:i11rl:r lrl I'r'l)riri ., ,jir:i]L'ri! Lll.rll",,,jllt rr. rrrllrt r;i il.iJIli':,rl tr.r lltl Sr'ttirt.rl i,' ,i'r' i-i't;:tiiit r.rlr. lil(i 1lr.il\: {ii: i.iic: (-ir.ii I)o1\'1rl' i ,',r r.rlitl--\'l.i: lnst l::-ttr:': r',,1;:iil;-t'i.ittl: 1iii::r"t.l.'.l ittl,rrr ;, rr,r' l,rri!,{'rrt,.ri'iilli' it; I'ilr;l{iiif 11 llrl' ii.'i.;iii.c ;rt}, 1 I ..,' , 1 'lirl.lilr'i1r {-1i ih} j,,,i.lir,,. rli:li!iii'iijil'*iilj, ilir',,r. ,r,r.,.ri)i liri-sl ia.,ni:.'lli" Lir *tr,iit:.1,: .,\.iti !r'-.rlrt ! irlit'.hrir,'r,,- lls :r.t;.,rrlurillisit',lr'ili' lrrtl'i]]{ir'{;ill1. li' Lr-lilii !lt t1.,lillrf: iii.1,\lli r',i,'iir:r,. r'fril|i\';li.r. ;irlri I i ,1-1r:.,irr',ll:rr l: i,,,i1\, i'ti l.i tir.t'q :iil{i 1r':l;illl.lii-lll:i: .rllii I ll,rrtl.' ''r'".,,i,":,ililri,'rr,. , rtirlil .rn,i lI tlri I i'i',\i!'1 i:rritirl iirtl r r.,rir:.t i: 1.;, iri,i,i1;t,:itr',1',t.it, i-iiir'-, r;t lrti r'r . ,tti lr I . 1 ,,,t; t I r. ,,i illi;!i:lr;.iii.il'.ir'liilrllf. ; , iiir,,r li Llirl, l, , ,t il,r rr' ).i lri all. :i.li*1:irrl.li:, ;:. r-'ltli lltri l,r i,| ir::1..,;i,i,rSome of the PENNY PUBI-ICATIONS ofTITE GATHOTIC TR['TI{ SOGIETY OF IRELAI{D.'Devotional and Doctrtnal.I'he Life of OllI Loral. By Rev. l'. E. OJr,oughtin, C.c. '.Devotion to the Sa,cred ll€art. By Rev. R,. Carbery, S.J., IVisits 1o the M,rsl. Lilc"qcd S&rrrrnent for eaelr Dry oi the MoDtb. By St" AlphonsusIiguori. Ildjted by J.lcv. J. Ilrrgnicr, C.SS.B,.fhe Month oI IUa,y. Irrortr the Italian of n'r, Muzzardlli, By Rev. W. Locktiart, C.C.Dlrties 1o oru Derd. and IIow we lrischarge them. By ltight Rev. Ilotrsigtror llauinan,U.L., il,P., V.G,IrrvcrIConfession ! By l\Ionsignor De Sogur.Xloly Cor:munion t':l'Loughts on the \rVords of the llosary, By M. T. Eelly":l'houghts on the lllysteries of the Rasaty By the Same.'J'hc llymn Book of the Catholic Truth Society of lrelanal. In lioarils.llho Imitration of Christ, Nev revised Translaticn by Sir Francis Cruise, trI.D. Iotr'our Pa,rt,s, 1d. each, or one vol. complete, cloth flush, 0d. ; leather gi'lt, U6,f)r:votiorrs in Ilonour of the Sacieit Heart of Jesus.I)evotion to the Slesse{lJirgin in the Early lrish Church, By Cardiral MoraruI'reyer maale Easy" By Rey; ,N. \Th.lsl1, ,p.J,Llturgical Series.L The Cerenoniei of Canillemas and Ash Wednesday"Ll. I'hc Morning Ofrce ot Eoly Week (Palm Sunday, IIoly Tlnrrsilay & Cood f'riday).B, llhe Ofrce and Surial of the Deatl.4. Ilandbooh of ihe [orty Eouls' Aaloratioq,Gaellc.I.-fl6 -g{icl^d1tninrrdeoerdeandi6 : Clonfluf rao oo $Lacarr mal rf cotl\,il. -t(al1al tll1lrargie (Irish Prayer Boole. ID lroards, ld.; ctoth,gd.i moroc'coijilt, ls. 6d.I{lstorlcal Serles.lllrc llonnd.'Iowers and the Eoly Wclls of Ireland. By Most Rov. Dr. Ilcal;r,Arrhbishop of Tuallr.l{ugh .Delg (Illustratetl). By Rev. J. D. IIcKgitIrr, nI.R.I.A.Si,^ ]latrick in the Far West. !y llost ltev, Dr" Eeaty, Arihbishop of Tuam.Ol(l .D[blin Chapels. trntroduction by Most ltov. I)r. Dotrnelly, lllshop of Canos,'l rv,, llr,lai Abbeys oD tlte Wcstern Lrkes. ljy lllost llov. Lrr. lk:a15, -{rr:hb. of furm.il'lrt:\VorkandllomesoltheEarlylriqlrl'ranciscarrs. lryltcv, Ilr,John,O.S.[..C,,]1.A,'l'lvo Irish Parliaments: A CoDtrasb" By Yerpli,ev. Canon Murphy, J),D,, P.1'..:,'BlographlcalSerles"ll'rllr(fr -Nltthew. Ilis''Liie and Work. l3y Srrsan Gavan l)utfy.{l(,rrl(l Griilin as a Christian Brother.l'11,. l)orilitri0. By Yery Rov, P. A. Slteehait, D"D.. P.P.\r.rrr'r:rlrlnotivcrPlunkett,.llarlyrc,l IiishopofArutagl, WithEistoricrlfuhoductiDu.llv lljrlrall T. Duggan.lil,xlsf(l (lrbriel oi Ou l,ady of Sorrows. 3y J. C. P.'l'lrc llt{)ry oI a Chiltt Saint'.Il,rle ul Sl-.1,;hu oI Uud.