§ Refreshment Houses and Wine Licences Bill.
§ "DISSENTIENT:
- "1. Because the Refreshment Houses and Wine Licences Bill of 1860 is dishonoured by its Connection with the Eating Houses.
- "2. Because this Bill will tend to convert Eating Houses, which are innocent Places of Recreation and Refreshment, into Resorts of Vice like the Beerhouses.
- "3. Because the Measure is opposed to the Wishes of the Labouring Classes, who are in favour of a prohibitory permissive Bill, enabling the Ratepayers to decide in their Localities for or against the Sale of Strong Liquors in Public Houses.
- "4. Because the Licensed Drinking House System has been denounced by the House of Lords in 1713 as to Gin, and in 1850 as to Beer, and by
224 the House of Commons in 1834 as to Spirits, Wine, and Beer. - "5. Because it is criminal to sanction a Traffic that leads the Labouring Man into Temptation, that poisons his Brain with Alcohol, that injures his Health, beggars his Family, lessens his productive Power, and diminishes the Nation's Wealth.
- "6. Because the drinking Habits of the People are rated by the Judges as the great Source of Crime.
- "7. Because the People of England, Ireland, and Scotland, and chiefly the Working Classes, tax themselves 57 Millions yearly for Beer, Wine, Spirits, and Tobacco; the latter Two contain no Nourishment, and they are all the fertile Source of Disease, Vice, and Crime.
- "8. Because all Experience proves that the greater the Number of Public Houses, where strong Liquors are sold, the greater the Drunkenness and Crimes.
- "9. Because in 1743 the Bishops denounced the Gin Bill with matchless Eloquence, but this social and immoral Wine Bill was not debated by the Bishops, who were absent, or passive at their Posts.
§ "HARRINGTON.
§ "For 4th and 6th Reasons. DENMAN."
§ "DISSENTIENT:
- "1. Because it is inexpedient to pass a Bill which can only be temporary, whilst a new and general Regulation is rendered by it more than ever necessary for all Houses, whether licensed by the Magistrates or the Excise, for the Sale of Wine and Spirits, and Beer, or of Beer only.
- "2. Because the Veto pointed out by this Bill is difficult to be carried out, and has no Reference to the Opinions of a neighbourhood as to the necessity for the Number of Refreshment Houses required therein; whilst it takes away from the Magistrates the Power which they at present (in part) possess of controlling the Sale of Foreign Wines.
- "3. Because the Notice of Application for Licences for Refreshment Houses being placed on Church Doors is a Reference to a Subject entirely different from that of Religion.
- "4. Because while this Bill defines "Refreshment Houses" as Houses open between Nine at Night and Five in the Morning, it requires every Vendor of Eatables who may close his House as early as Eleven at Night to take out a "Refreshment House" Licence, and to be subject to domiciliary Visits from the Police (without any Complaint from any Informer or from the Neighbours), until Five o'clock in the Morning.
- "5. Because the retailing of Wine of all Descriptions, Spanish, Portuguese, French or German, in any Description of Shop, without any limit as to Number, will interfere with ordinary Branches of Trade, and cause great Interruptions in the ordinary Course of Business, and a great Waste of Time, whilst those who have a Character for importing pure Wines will find it very difficult to maintain their Ground against unlimited Competition.
§ "DENMAN.
§ "DUNGANNON."
§ House adjourned at a Quarter before Seven o'clock, till To-morrow, Half-past Ten o'clock.