DllUNKENNESS. 355 



actually conceive it to be a real, bona Jide dragon, and take measures 

 accordingly. 



But before we show how the select committee propose, in the first 

 place, to knock this dragon drunkenness on the head, and in the next 

 to sow his teeth, in order that effectual remedies may spring out of 

 the earth in defence of the innocent victims of this monster, it may 

 be well to offer a few remarks of our own. 



Strong legislative and restrictive measures are not only not called 

 for, but are impertinent and insulting to a country, when the parti- 

 cular vice which they profess to restrain is known to be on the de- 

 cline. Now, it is perfectly well known to everybody (except the 

 gentlemen on the select committee), that the vice of drunkenness 

 has decreased of late years in a remarkable degree. Now, were it 

 otherwise were the vice one-tenth as destructive as it has been re- 

 presented to be by the select committee (which is admitting a great 

 deal too much, even in favour of an hypothesis), many of the remedies 

 which Mr. Buckingham has been sedulous to popularize, are in the 

 highest degree absurd, mischievous, and tyrannical. Has the moral 

 influence been resorted to in this country, and has it failed ? On the 

 contrary, is it not notorious that temperance societies have been suc- 

 cessfully established in all parts of the country. Let us read, also, 

 what the report tells us of America : 



" 55. That in the metropolis of the United States the highest encourage- 

 ment has been given to the promotion of temperance societies, and from 

 the conjoint efforts of public and private individuals, so great a reforma- 

 tion has been effected, that throughout the Union no less than two thou- 

 sand persons have voluntarily abandoned the distillation of ardent spirits, 

 and vested their capital in other and more wholesome pursuits, and up- 

 wards of six thousand persons have abandoned the sale of ardent spirits, 

 and embraced other and more useful occupations." 



Morals, let us inform Mr. Buckingham, are not to be mended by 

 legislative enactments. By such means you may prevent, but you 

 cannot cure you may create an expedient, but you do not fortify 

 a principle. The truth is, the country is vexed, harassed, and in- 

 sulted by too much legislation. We shall expect shortly to see our 

 coat-skirts regulated by act of parliament, our shoes made to govern- 

 ment measure, in order to prevent the growth of corns, and a select 

 committee on apoplexy, to restrain the injurious and fatal wear of 

 white neckcloths " Whereas, the spread of red faces has become far 

 too common, this is to enact," &c. 



The best method of putting an end to the consumption of bad gin 

 is to supply the community with a better article. We remember an 

 applicable Joe Miller. A certain lady had obtained a very superior 

 barrel of table beer ; and fearful lest her community of domestics 

 should make too free with it, she wished particularly to enforce the 

 restrictive principle. The butler and herself formed themselves into 

 a select committee, with a view to ascertain how this might be best 

 accomplished. " Well, John, and how am I to preserve this barrel 

 of beer for my own use ?" " Why, madam," said the butler, I 

 know no better plan than that of placing a cask of good strong ale 

 by its side." 



Now it may be as well to ask Mr. Buckingham, and the select 



