the close of the debates the following resolution was carried by a vast majority, only a few bands being held up against it:

"That the necessities of the country call loudly upon the Legislature to pass a general measure to amend the laws regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors; this section would therefore respectfully request the General Council of the association to consider the propriety of memorializing Government to amend the license laws, and to insert clauses in any measure enabling the inhabitants of townships and parishes to entirely prohibit the granting or renewing of licenses whenever a large majority so desire."

At the congress held in Leeds, October, 1871, an equally emphatic resolution, in support of the principle of permissive prohibition, was unanimously affirmed.

CONVOCATION REPORT.—A committee of Convocation of the province of Canterbury, consisting of some of the most influential dignitaries of the church, issued in 1869 an able and elaborate report on 66 Intemperance and its Remedies." Amongst its recommendations was the following:

"Your committee, in conclusion, are of opinion that as the ancient and avowed object of licensing the sale of intoxicating liquors is to supply a supposed public want without detriment to the public welfare, a legal power of restraining the issue or renewal of licenses should be placed in the hands of persons most deeply interested and affected-namely, the inhabitants themselves-who are entitled to protection from the injurious consequences of the present system. Such a power would, in effect, secure to districts willing to exercise it the advantages now enjoyed by the numerous parishes in the province of Canterbury where, according to reports furnished your committee, owing to the influence of the land-owners, no sale of intoxicating liquors is licensed.

"Few, it may be believed, are cognizant of the fact-which has been elicited by the present enquiry-that there are at this time within the province of Canterbury upwards of one thousand parishes in which there is neither public-house nor beer-shop, and where, in consequence of the absence of these inducements to crime and pauperism, according to the evidence before the committee, the intelligence, morality, and comfort of the people are such as the friends of temperance would have anticipated."

By a friendly arrangement with Convocation, through the chairman of the committee, the venerable Archdeacon Sandford, B.D., the Executive Council of the Alliance has been permitted to publish a people's edition of this invaluable report, with its appendix, price 1s.

ALLIANCE TEST FOR CANDIDATES.-At most contested elections the candidates are waited upon by deputations, and informed that very many of the electors take a deep interest in this question of the suppression of the liquor-traffic. The following question, or one to the same effect, is usually submitted:

"Will you support a proposition to give to towns or parishes power to prevent the granting or renewing of licenses for the sale of intoxicating liquors, when the owners and occupiers of property within the district vote by a majority of two to one to that effect?"

Many elections are thus made to turn, more or less, on this issue; and now the newly-enfranchised householders are able to vote, it is confidently anticipated that still more electoral pressure will be brought to bear upon candidates who wish to be elected and sent to Parliament.

THE ALLIANCE TACTICS.-The Alliance opposes all extensions of facilities for the sale of intoxicating liquors, whilst it welcomes and aids every measure for limitation or reform of the licensing system. The Permissive Bill is perfectly consistent with all schemes and efforts to amend the license laws, and is indeed the just and needful complement of measures falling short of its grand aim. In 1860 the Alliance led the opposition to Mr. Gladstone's Wine License Bill; and every measure that has been before Parliament for the limitation of the traffic has had the earnest and consistent support of the association, both in and out of Parliament.

ALLIANCE FUNDS.-The Alliance is sustained by voluntary annual subscription from its members, who now number upwards of ninety thousand. The first year's subscription list amounted to £1,310, whilst the list for 1873 exhibited nearly £20,000. A guarantee fund of £100,000, to enable the executive to carry forward the movement daring five years, was resolved on at the Council meeting in October, 1871, and upwards of £90,000 were promised during the first year.

GENERAL COUNCIL.-The General Council of the Alliance consists, at the present time, of upwards of six hundred gentlemen in various parts of the country, who meet once a year, in October, to receive the report of the executive, discuss the policy of the movement, give a general direction as to its operations, appoint an executive council to act during the year, and to aid the executive in raising funds to sustain the agitation.

DISTRICT AGENCIES.-The entire country throughout England and Wales is laid out in districts and placed under the charge of confidential agents of the Alliance, who lecture, organize electoral committees, correspond with the press, promote petitions, and in every legitimate way seek, under the direction of the central executive, to create and extend an enlightened public opinion hostile to the liquor-traffic. Scotland is being worked through the agency of a special organization, called the Scottish Permissive Bill Association, having its headquarters at Glasgow, in close alliance with the executive of the United Kingdom Alliance. In Ireland the work is carried forward by aid of the Irish Temperance League and Permissive Bill Association, having its headquarters at Belfast, and by the co-operation of the, Irish Permissive Bill Association, Dublin.

MEMBERSHIP.—The Alliance has no test of membership bearing upon the personal habits of its members, their religious creed, or political

party. It invites the aid and co-operation of all good citizens, whether abstainers or not. It has but one object-the annihilation of the liquortraffic by a law, enacted by Parliament, and enforced by public opinion, armed with executive power.

Persons may join the United Kingdom Alliance, and receive cards of membership, on subscribing one shilling and upwards. This may be forwarded to any of the agents, or to the Secretary of the Alliance, 44 John Dalton Street, Manchester, from whom documents and tracts explanatory of the movement may be had, gratis, on application.

A copy of the Alliance News is sent gratis to every subscriber of ten shillings and upwards.

A copy of the Permissive Bill may be had, gratis, from the Secretary of the United Kingdom Alliance, 44 John Dalton Street, Manchester.

1

THE NATIONAL TEMPERANCE LEAGUE.

BY ROBERT RAE, ESQ., CORRESPONDING SECRETARY.

ALTHOUGH the National Temperance League has existed only twenty years under its present designation, it is a direct descendant of the earlier temperance organizations, having been constituted in 1856 by an amalgamation of the two chief metropolitan societies then in existence-the National Temperance Society and the London Temperance League.

The object of the League is described in its constitution to be "the promotion of temperance by the practice and advocacy of total abstinence from intoxicating beverages." This object it has sought to accomplish by means of public meetings, lectures, sermons, tract distribution, domiciliary visitation; conferences with the clergy, medical practitioners, schoolmasters, magistrates, and other persons of influence; deputations to teachers and students in universities, colleges, training institutions, and schools; missionary efforts amongst sailors, soldiers, the militia, the police, and other classes; and its efforts have been attended with a gratifying degree of success.

Amongst the special efforts that have been put forth to lead the educated and influential classes to examine the great questions involved in the temperance reformation, none have been attended with more encouraging results than the numerous select conferences and drawing-room meetings which have been held in London and the larger provincial towns; and the special conferences held by the League from year to year with ministers of religion have been the means of bringing about definite action in relation to the temperance question in all the principal denominations. The Church of England Temperance Society has been reorganized on a basis which admits, to a limited extent, of united action by moderate drinkers and abstain

ers, and a large addition has recently been made to the ranks of the abstaining clergy. The Wesleyan Conference has officially sanctioned Sunday-school Bands of Hope, which are being formed in large numbers; and a committee of Conference is to report during the present year as to further measures that may be adopted throughout the connection. Temperance associations, composed of ministers and deacons who are abstainers, have been formed in connection with the Congregational and Baptist denominations, and sermons in behalf of total abstinence are now preached in the largest and most influential ecclesiastic. buildings, including St. Paul's Cathedral, the City Temple, Mr. Spurgeon's Metropolitan Tabernacle, and Westminster Abbey. It is believed that upwards of 5,000 of the clergy and ministers of all denominations have now become formally identified with the English temperance movement.

The means employed by the League to influence the medical profession have not been less successful. In 1869 a conference of medical abstainers was held in London, and in the same year was commenced a series of conferences with members of the British Medical Association, which have been held during the annual meetings of that body at Leeds, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Plymouth, Birmingham, and Norwich. The Medical Temperance Journal, which was first published in the same year, is still continued, and furnishes, once a quarter, the latest and most valuable information upon the medical and physiological aspects of the temperance question. In 1871 the League promoted the celebrated medical declaration respecting alcohol, which was signed by two hundred and sixty-nine of the most eminent physicians and surgeons of the day. In 1874 it initiated arrangements which led to the delivery of the "Cantor Lectures on Alcohol," by Dr. B. W. Richardson, at the Society of Arts; and numerous meetings have also been held in Exeter Hall and in many large towns, at which invaluable testimony to the benefits of total abstinence has been borne by medical practitioners who are total abstainers. One result of these attempts to influence mediral opinion has been to extend the discussion of the