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HASZARD’S GAZETTE. APRIL 20.

TH! UAINE LIQUOR LAW. ( From Willmer E Smith's European Times.)

It is very interesting to us who sit in old Euro , following old methods of government as a ins tor of course, to age whatcan be attempted and desebya“ ‘ rcsfi bad ipsdletsl

vsrnin e cbubt and dmpprovs of sonic things done by our Iiepublican brethren

not like this, or that, or the other liability or custom theirs; but it is to be hoped, that we can. ll and honour cerhinoc- casional achievements of theirs, which are quite be ond anything we can eflect or dream 0 ‘ eflgcting We really hardly know anythin more strikin than the history of the rapi . abolition of t e vice of drunkenness in several of theshtss of thehmerican Union; anditis with feelings of the dee st respect, that we desire to dirocttlic attention of our countrymen to the action of the State of Maine with re rd to that vice. That curse, which is f'nhl- w ever it a rs, need to be more deadly in the smts of inc than in man other places. Bordering on our colonies, and thickly wooded, and in art scantily settled, it has retained a ssiui- rous character, in some rospec , to this do At some seasons, the streets of the townsswsrm with a wild addition to the ordinary populstion—with lumbcrers from c woods,

riah immigrants, and Indian wanderers. Till last oar, these visihtions werea subject of dread’ to the sober inhabitants. By day, the streets were hardly safe among so many reeling

r rdn: and at ni ht the reeling drunkards murdered sleep. last y, when the towns were filled with these stran rs, all was safe and or- derly. The Houseso Correction were nearly empty throughout 1852. There were very few psupers; an such was the state of social peace, that the lawyers had little to do in criminal cases. Such were the immediate results of the Maine Liquor Law. What was that law itself the result of ! This is the question that interests us, for there can be few or none who would dispute the consequences of an abolition of intemperance. The doubt is, about the possi- bilig of such abolition at all, or otherwise than b e sacrifice of something more important

ii the benefit to be ined. The Maine Liquor w was obtained b the simple determination of the majority ton lish intemperance in the form of drink. They did it through the ballot-boxes-—by electing temper- ance men fo the Legislature. For many years valuable experience had been accruing. The ordinary Temperance movements had been tried there, as elsewhere in the Union; and with the same partial success. The success can never be more than rtial where temptation and conflict remain. s long as rum and gin shops stand open, and the smell of s irits is in the air, the weak and wavering will’ suffer under conflict with temptatiou,and often fall; ph ' '

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sicians will tell in rivate of the increase of so itary drink- ing— e worst of all; and the “ pledge" will be in a lower state than ever—having added perjury to their first weakness. It ii pears,

rom experience, that it is a terrible mistake to expect so serious and diflicult a process as self- control from such a stimulus as association in a temperance society, and thus it turned out in Maine, as elsewhere. So the Legislature was ooked to, not to limit and regulate the sale of intoxicating liquors ; not to institute a stringent licensing system, but to prohibit utterly the sale of intoxicating liquors for drink within the bounds of the State. Such a law was seed in I846, by lar majorities in both houses. But it failed. he great majority of the citizens who had procured the law remained in favour of it; and amo the rest, the weak drunkards who desired to aided in saving themselves, and in securing their children from the vice. It is o rved in our large towns, in Liverpool among others, that the strongest eagerness to petition Parliament for a public-house reform is shown by the labouring class ; and the intensest of all by the drunkards among them. and a very touching spectacle it is, to see them thronging to si a petition like that just got up at Liver l. 0 the ten thousand signers, nearly allwaore working men; and, if ey the franchise and the ballot, like the men of Maine, they would, like the men of‘ Maine, doubtless do

something more than pestfitiion. E ' was a ilure. The

The Maine law of

rum-sellers went on selling-—secretly if they could, and openly rather than not at all— - ing the peua ties, and going on again. Wgiliie the rum was there, it was sold; and individuals who bestirred themselves to t the law enforced subred from the malice o the rum-interest. Some citizens‘ dwellings were marked ; some were even burned ; and the magistrates and witnesses were assaulted. Still there was good enough obtained to induce the citizens to go forwards and not slide backwards. It was very hard work; for all the strength of the spirituous party was put forth in a last desperate efoi-t in the elections of 1849. Afiera ion and arduous stru lo, the sober rty triuinp d; and the resu t wits the cele rated Maine Li uor law which passed on the 2nd ofolune, 1 51, b a majority of 86 to 40 in the one house, and 1 to 10 in the other. Some may ask here, as many

ere—What more could be done by law

ask than prohibiting the sale? The one thing more it

that was wanted was the destruction of the liquor ; and that is the most striking feature of the new law. The intoxicatin liquor, wherever found under circumstances which indicate sale, is impounded, till the matter is tried; and on the conviction of the seller, the liquor is poured out upon the ground. Every city and town is required or permit to appoint annually, through its municipal officers, an e nt, who is licensed for the year, under res nsi ility to the ma ' tracy, to sell spirits for purpose of the mac ic arts and medicine ; and, up to this time, it appears. that s suficient supply is obhined for all such purposes b this provision. And -in s other way, the law ap work, as we] as a ohlbifory law ever J3. , and certainly to the slit of society within that state. A drain shop may be c re there, just outside of the boun ry line of the shb; and a citizen here and there may import a cask of spirits, and dgive away the contents among those who will a him some favour in return; but these are small matters. There is a general purification-tbs smell is not in the n.lr~—-the dram shopsare not 0 fore the the tem tadou does not 15:: the will»- stru oes not perplsx and weary the brain an conscience. be social resulb are so clear that the exam le has been followed. Rhoda ' wake of Maine, and Massachusetts, with the exce ' n of Boston, where the mumci l authorities, strong 1; id out. The doubt w so s ' nt could shad--wbethertlis second ymr w mt undo the work of the flrst. Ita rsnot. Espe- risnosd American citissns that it would new be impossible

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E.

to getthslaw repealed. ‘Dsbst ssufimuit oflnglishmsri at bearing ahb shryssastehsamasnentthat citlsens wllstibittesueha yfasl tht there ld bsdaaqsr

sr

row. No doubt; but this is because we do not, as a people, desire it. If the Americans were

not sclf- verned, they would rebel, sooner than. ad‘ifi_iit o legislation so strin nt. But they ass a -

verned, and therein lies the chief int? of whole matter. Tbpy dccudfir t m- selvasdlrst, the ll'l£VOlIli ucation o icb dis- thcm wi drunkenness, a w

tfiiiim to save the next generation from it; and they next the clclbdsi of inlet ‘they oo crap II ,mos-a,s soc poson. It he been tbieaotas of a spirited man who, while‘ disposed to resent dictatidn as to his pemnal ltifibits, imposes a law on hiiiaself, orig so its ustos disci line which e won s rn if it came upon in inan other way. (Jiilr fellow-citizens cannot but wazih with deep interest the development of this_ very pl‘;-p_ng transttlaiitic experiment. ‘

iiovss or Assiiusnv, Ir. Iacaiilsy's Elective Legals‘ tive Oouncillill.

(Def... continimd can Hassaid’s Gasetis, No. xi.) Mr. Czaxx. He was opposed to the Bill ; and he would briefly state his reasons for being so. In prcposin that the Le 'slative Council should be made ective, the Bill, at the same time, ted the election of the Council by ii class of electors of property qualifications, higher than those of the electors o the House of ssembly. From this provision, should it come law, it would, he apprehended, follow, as an almost necessary consequence, that the two legislative bodies, so chosen, would represent interests, in some to ts dilerent, if not alto- gethcr distinct and contrary ; and, as the Coun- cil would, in such case, directly represent the interests of the more wealthy, but smaller por- tion of the community, it might, very naturally, be ex cted that, on many im rtant questions, dgrehqt y involving the ifnttlgrests sl.nd yivell-bciqg ot tiua'ri o e e,te wou be opifisetd toytihetyviews om Asseihbly, as harmonizing with those of the people at large ; and would, in fact, prove nothing but ob.vtrm‘- rinse in the way of popular legislation. In the Sqsition at present occupied bwlfi Legislative uncil, all vacancies in their y were filled up, if not by e ' ct recommendation of the majority in the Assembly, yet certainly with due regard to the a probation of that majority ; and the responsibi ity arising out of such ap pointmeuts rested upon them. For if the Exe- cutive made im re r appointments to the Le- gislative Council, it was in the ‘power of the majority in the Assembly to cal the Govern- ment to account for their disregard of the po u- lar will, as expressed by the majority of the . s- sembly: and, if the majority of that body them- selves, by sanctioning such improper appoint- ments, betrayed the trust rcposed in them by the people, they would, at the next nenal election, be condemned, and disgraccfu l set aside b the constituencies whose con euce they abused. Thus, although direct respon- sibility to the people did not attach to the Le- 'slative Council; yet, under the Responsible System, its indirect applicability to the compo- sition o t at body was such as to aflbrd the people satisfactory assurance, that, even with them, ular o nion would, in the end, allow us consideration and weight. It was, and with reason too, he a itted, objec to the composition of the Legislative Council, as now existin , that local interests were not re- resented t erein; but it on t to be remem- bored that, such interests being fully and di- rectl represented in the Assembly, it mi ht welliie questioned whether it was not well at they were not so fully and directly re sentod in the Upper House, and whether the a sence of local prejudices in that body did not commonly tend to secure in it a more fair and irnparti consideration of questions affecting local inter- ests, than could, otherwise, be obtained there. And, even although the legislative Council, as constituted independently of the direct voice of the people, mi ht occasionally manifest an in- dependence 0 public opinion, not altogether agreeable, either to the sentatives in the Assemb y,yet it did not fc o_w that there was any just cause to appre at they would, on any occasion, long continue op- to what should be steadily demanded, by the people, through their reprosenmtives, for the pub ic good; and, p:rhaps, their reluctance to comply with popu r demands might, at times be productive of no little good, by redu- cing to moderation, claims which might not ori- ginally have been quite free from extrava nee or injustice. If, however, it should be he d to be sitively desirable that local interests, shou d be represented in the Legislative Coun- cil, it would certainly be necessary to pay the members thereof, equally with those of the As- sembly; for, otherwise, it would scarcely be found possible to up vacancies, as they might occur in that body, with any but gentle- men, resident either in Charlottetown, or its immediate nei hbourhood. As to the princi- ples of the Bill fore the House, he could not approve of them ; and he would, therefore, vote _sgainst the House's going into Committee upon

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Mr. Wioirrius. ‘The only means to sfl'eci a representation of the people and of their local in- ierests in the Legislative Council, would be to appoint gentleman, from dilerem sections of the Island, to seats therein; but that means could not be had resource to, by the Government, so long as no provision should made for sying the members of the Council for their leg live ser-

' The sitem ts which had been made, in Nova Scotis, New runswick, and is Canada, to make Ike Le islsiive Councils of those Provinces elective, b all fsi ; sad the attempt of the hon. member for Georgetown (Mr. Mscsulsy), by means of the Eli than before the House, to accom- plish that object in Prince Edward Island, would also, be believed, prove a failure. Whatever im- pedimcnts had, formerly, been thrown, in the we of popular legislation, by the Legislative Councif, it could not, however, be denied that, of laie-—-es- Escially since the introduction of Responsible

everssient—ibsre had been manifested, by that body, in general, a decided dis 'ties to soquiesce in, and assist in the carrying out of all measures, proceeding from the Assembly, for the ameliora- tions of the gsnsrsl condition of the people and the advancement of the public welfare; an-l, as respected a system the adoption of which ad bee dsisenilstl by the people, sad the working of which had, as si, been productive of nothing but what was svorsbls to the pablic interests, he was of o iaien, that it would be nothing butfsirtoslowitte con and tosee and hear, after a full trial it, whether sayfsult could justly be found with its principles operation. be fsslt which aiuld, he thssgbt. be fairly and with the Legislative Cgufl was, that the niajssity-—nssrly the whole ' .91 is more were residents ofChsrkit-

isdssd i latuwl and said“ be easily rsmsiod. no reason _ I r, pswvidsd II In OMIIII the taliss of isisusn is that body.

toosr law‘

«-

lspfithslt Qllsflsttvssis Ibshssfl

‘F

e, or their re re- .

in iinguigtgvisiniiy; bstihsidofest [f 00 $0

bly to make arirovision for paying the members of the Cifllltil for-the-ir legislative services .=.pisl|\' gut. ihegpelvgg. As to tbs leuersl principles of the Bill be was opposed to them, and he would, therefore. oppose the further progress of the Hill.

II. B. lnviwa, Repesfl.

SATUIDAY, April 16. .—0loee of the Isssion. His Excellency having summoned the House, h theU ofthellac llod,tofiieBarofths .ouncil C number. the House went u according- ly ; and Ills Excellency was pit-Vllfletiplu give his assent to the following Bil : An Act for further improving the administra- tion of Criminal Justice Act relating to certain Lease and Mone- Ury igatrcns on e passin of the Currency Act. An ct to, amend the law of Evidence. An ct to extend the Elective Franchise. An Act refstinjvo the s polntment or Con- stables and Fence iewers or Queen's County.

Li ht Company.

ii Act to incor rate the Newfoundland and Prince Edward sland Electric Telegraph Company.

An Act to regulate the mode of summoning Grand and Petit Jurors, and to provide remu- nerafion for Pctit Jurors.

Act to enable the Government of this island to take possession of Land when required to erect Light Houses, and for other purposes connected with Lights and Beacons, and to pay compensation to the owners or occupiers thereof.

The Hos. the Speaker, in presenting the Bills of Aid and Supply, spoke as follows :

May it please Your Excellency,

The Revenue of the st year having consider- ably cxccedcd the expenditure, a large rtion of the Public Debt of t is Colony havin en paid

off, and the rsiniiinder being scarce y equal to three-fourths of one car's public income, the various branches of industry and enterprise in which its population are engaged, evincing every symptom of continued activity and pros- perity, the House of Assembly have felt war- ranted in providing not only for the ordinar expenditure, for the repairs of many public works, injured by the storms of the receding season, and for additional provision or Lights and Light Houses, but also in continuing the Bounty for the encouragement of the Fisheries, and in enlarging the Grant for the improvement of our Agriculture. Therefore, in the name and on 'the behalf of Her Ma'csty’s faithful Com- mons of Prince Edward island, I have now to present several Bills of Aid and bin ply voted to Her Majesty during the present . ssion, to which I have liuiubly to request Your Excellen- cy’s Assent.

The following Bills were then presented ; and, to each of them, in the ueen’s name, ' Excellency gave his assent.

An Act to amend the Act relating to the re- covery of Small Debts.

An Act to amend the Free Education Act

seed in the Fifteenth year of the Reign of Her

ajesty Queen Victoria.

An ct relating to the Highwa s in Charlotte- town Common and Royalty, an certain other parts of Queen's County, and to the performance of Statut: Labor, and the expenditure of public money t erein.

An Act relat' to the Packet Service between Bedeque and Sh 'ac.

An Act to amend the Act for regulating, the Public Wharf at Georgetown, and other Wharfs. . . . ‘

An Act for the purchase of lands on behalf of the Government of Prince Edward island, and to regulate the sale and management thereof, and for other urposes therein mentioned.

An Act to a for and add to the Act regulating the retail of Spirituous Liquors.

An Act to establish the Salaries pa ble to the Attorney General, and Solicitor neral, and Clerk of the Crown and Prothonotary of Prince Edward Island, for their public services. An Act relating to the mode of proceeding against lands on the several Townships in Prince Edward Island and the Islands con- Eguoui thereto, for the recovery of arrears of ’ nd Assssment.

An Act for raising a Revenue.

An Act for a propriating certain moneys therein mentioned: for the service of the ear of our Lord One thousand eight hundred and fifty-three.

Bills rejected by the legislative Council.

Bill to amend an Act relating to Wills. Bill to authorize a further Issue of Treasury

Z c

tes. Bill to secure Compensation to ejected Tenants.

Bill regulating the workin of Mills.

The consideration of the ill relating to the Bankrupey and Relief of honest but unfortunate Debtors, has been deferred until next Session. it. B. laviivo, Reporter.

EASZARIPB GAZETTE. April 20, __

The English and Colonial Mails arrived last nights little after Seven o'clock. The pa ‘rs contain some interesting items of news w ich will be found below.

News from Australia is to January 5, brought the Steamer (lreat Britain to the Ca , and from tlienoc by the Calcuthi, which vesse sailed w ' e th rent Britain was taking in coal. The Mails were retained on board the Great Britain.

It is said that the Emperor of Morocco is dyin , and that his death will be a signal for s terri le crisis. '

The Austrian Government has issued an am- nesty as it is well called of the “ Innocents.” Such it is, the Ma or of Milan has made the it, and at sums it has caused much satisfaction. l lvcrniilicnt, however, con- tinuestoex the itica rcfu swith t rigour, an no miii-’c is shownpeto the Iii?- garians. As we anticipated, the Pope hesitates about proceeding to Paris. A delay in virtual refuse .

O‘ ‘<

The news from the Cape of Good Hope ls ofa most satisfactory character, if full credit is to be seed in the declarations now made of peace wi the Kafirs Ssndilli and hfscoino have retired beyond the Kel with the other ref!-acte chiefs: and a proclamation has been issu announcing that Her Majesty's bithful friend Krclli has made peace, and promised to respect the boundaries 0 the Kel and the Indwe as the future limits of his territories. Geri. Cathcert is again making the attein t to re settlers, excluding natives a Ka rs, to locate in the Amstola mountains, with military seals in strong positions, so as to defhrid the fi-on ers. the hands of these settlers are not fled the

K wool

An Act to incorporate the Charlottetown. Gas-

sense of Parliament will probably be taken upon this new experiment, and unless General Cath- cart's scheme is approved at home, the settlers .are to receive compensation with land elsewhere. We shall be very glad if permanent tranquillity is at lej restored D III colony. '

Rangoon has almost hen destroyed by confis- gration. The rebellion in China was becoming "more and more serious.

Coirancuii. rswiwrs are of a cheering cha- racter. At_ the present time business afiiirs are in fully as good a position as they were at the commencement of the present year, and there are indications of continued and increas- ing prospcrity which are for from doubtful.

The Great Britain brifia rich cargo of