Perhaps the most instructive aspect under which the public-house system can be viewed is—

IV.-ITS SOCIAL EFFECTS.

These are exhibited primarily in the enormous amount of drunkenness sustained from day to day, and year to year, with such painful and saddening regularity. A population that consumes, according to the best authority, upwards of one million gallons of whiskey alone, every year, or about two and a half gallons to every man, woman, and child, need not wonder if its drunken statistics exhibit a lamentable view of the extent of this vice.

Number of cases brought before the magistrates :

10,759 6,625 7,818 6,594

Drunk, disorderly, and incapable...10,258 And, in connection with these figures, it is worthy of note that the total police offences, in addition to the above, did not in each year average more than the half of these. In other words, two out of every three cases dealt with by the magistrates arose from drink. But even these do not represent nearly all the cases, as many were regularly discharged for various reasons before the court sat. Captain Smart states that, in 1860-61, 43,745 individuals received shelter, and their unfortunate condition was brought about entirely from their own vices and misconduct. The total cost to the city of the criminal department is at present upwards of £50,000, and for the maintenance of the poor £80,000 per annum. When we consider what a large proportion, even at the lowest estimate, of these sums are directly and indirectly the results of the public-house system, we find a strong and sufficient argument for those who control the affairs of the city giving the matter their most thorough consideration. The able superintendent of police has given it as his opinion that if the city were rid of one or two thousand inveterate drinkers, who are a sore plague to the officers, there would be inaugurated a more peaceful era in the history of the police courts. But it seems to be forgotten that, although such a clearance were somehow or other made, there is no guarantee against the growth of an equally numerous class, as troublesome as the former, seeing that the machinery that serves to seduce and besot the miserable victims is upheld in all its extent and efficiency.

The public-house has a close ally in the pawn-shop. The great facilities the latter affords for the encouragement of improvident and intemperate habits, cause it to be looked upon by the industrial population with no favourable eye. Indeed, it has been seriously considered whether the benefits it yields, in the shape of timely relief to poor but respectable families, sufficiently justify its existence among us, seeing that such cases are as but a drop in the bucket to the enormous number of transactions in which the dram-shop is directly interested. Our city missionaries and district visitors have often a sad, unvarnished tale to tell of homes-once the abode of comfort and peace-now stripped of every article of furniture that could be given in exchange for the most trifling sum, and all that the drunken father or mother may consume it upon their lust for drink.

To our mind the two systems-the licensing and the pawnbroking-will stand or fall together.

66

In conclusion, what is our duty in reference to the public-house system? We must sustain with all the efficiency in our power the Total Abstinence work now going on among the masses. In Glasgow there are about twenty societies all exerting a beneficial influence, with greater or less success, in their respective spheres, and the number annually enrolled must, in the aggregate, amount to several thousands. But the struggle is a very unequal one. The noble band of workers have too often the owre true tale" reaching their ear of broken pledges and blasted hopes, and they are apt to get discouraged. But believing firmly in the truth of their principles and cause, and in their ultimate triumph over the tyranny of habit, custom, and fashion, and believing, too, that ere that triumph shall be finally completed the whole fabric of the public-house shall give way before the enlightened demand of the people for protection, they gird themselves up for present work and duty. By disseminating correct views on the nature of intoxicating drinks they strengthen the bulwarks of the Abstinence cause, and by a faithful representation of the essentially mischievous nature of the Traffic the public mind is prepared for a united, earnest demand to the Legislature for power to protect themselves from this great social curse.

The Progress of Temperance amongst the Soldiers and Artillery stationed at Plymouth, Stonehouse, and Devonport-viz., the 5th Brigade Royal Artillery, 73rd, 75th, and 32nd Regiments, and Royal Marine L.I. By JOSEPH C. WREN, Plymouth.

[N the citadel, where the 5th brigade R.A. and 73rd Regiment are

the men.

In the Raglan Barracks there is now in the course of erection a reading room and library for the use of the soldiers stationed there. The 32nd and 75th Regiments are now occupying the barracks.

The Royal Marines, stationed at the Stonehouse Barracks, are also well cared for, having a good library, and reading and coffee rooms. There are also billiard and draught boards, with other amusing games to keep the men from the public-house.

Each of the above regiments has also a Temperance Society, and Temperance meetings are held in the various barracks every alternate week, addressed by the agents of the Devon Temperance League, the missionary of the three towns' Temperance Societies, and various local speakers.

The commissioned and non-commissioned officers of the regiments take part in these meetings, and use other means for the welfare of the men under their charge.

Temperance journals and tracts have been distributed, and great good has been done, numbers having signed the pledge; but the temptations without are so great, and so many means are used to entice the poor fellows in, that large numbers fall back into the drinking school. This cry may be heard from them: "Oh! that the Drink-Traffic was banished from the land."

In February last a Temperance tea meeting was held in the citadel, when Colonel Maberley, R.A., presented to his men a handsome Temperance pledge book, as did also the Rev. Mr. Sykes, the chaplain to the forces, to the men of the 32nd Regiment.

The subjoined statistics show the number of officers and men in each regiment now in the Plymouth, Stonehouse, and Devonport Barracks, together with the number of pledges taken and broken; also the number of public-houses and beer-shops, and the population of the three towns, as taken at the last census of 1861:

In addition to the above number of Teetotalers, there are many who are not pledged members. The number is uncertain.

The following are the secretaries of the above regiments' Temperance Societies-Sergeant Moore, 5th battalion Royal Artillery, citadel; Sergeant Darling, 73rd Regiment Light Infantry, citadel; Corporal Allen, 32nd Regiment Light Infantry, Raglan Barracks; Corporal Perriton, Royal Marine Light Infantry, Stonehouse Barracks.

*Since January, 1862. † This regiment has just returned from India.

Some Remarks on Temperance Statistics. By REV. D. BURNS, London.

HERE are some who have a foolish, fetish sort of faith in statistics,

them. Since they are simply facts, or supposed facts, arithmetically expressed, their credibility can neither fall below nor rise above the level of the evidence on which they rest. When statistics are said to prove anything, all that is really proved is the carelessness, or worse, of those who have to do with them. The principal source of confusion, contradiction, and error, exists in the tendency that prevails to draw inferences which the statistical facts do not justify.

By Temperance statistics, we understand numerical statements published in relation to Temperance and intemperance, statements which are very diversified and numerous, and which cannot be subjected to a scrutiny too searching and minute. We propose in this paper to offer some brief observations on certain statistics of this class, not in the way of exhaustive criticism, but to indicate the value or otherwise attachable to them, and to make it more evident to Temperance advocates that great caution is required in the adoption and circulation of what is statistically presented. We shall first of all notice certain statistics which have no inductive basis, and embody palpable fallacies; then refer to some which have insufficient data, and are more or less erroneous; and, lastly, instance those which may be accepted as substantially correct.

I.

1. It is not very creditable that every attempt to obtain a general body of reliable facts in regard to the membership of Temperance Societiesin other words, a Temperance census-has ended in failure. This is astonishing. Yet the following statement was supplied to Mr. Edward Baines, M.P., and by him repeated to the House of Commons:-"There are at least 4,000 Temperance Societies in the United Kingdom, and not less than 3,000,000 Teetotalers, including all ages, three-fourths of whom are not likely to belong to any society." Apart from the wonder how such information could be collected respecting non-associated Abstainers, the triple assumptions that there are 4,000 societies, that these societies contain 750,000 members, and that 2,250,000 other persons practice Total Abstinence from conviction-these assumptions are mere guesses, and no explanation has been offered of the manner in which they have been arrived at. It were just as easy to say that there are one or two millions of Abstainers, and two or three thousand societies. To our thinking, the estimates are egregiously too high. Three millions of Teetotalers, even embracing all from five years old and upwards, would give one Teetotaler to every eight persons above that age throughout the whole of the United Kingdom. The average, we fear, is more likely to be less than one in twenty. As to societies, even counting Bands of Hope, there would be a difficulty, we apprehend, in establishing the probability of 3,000 being in operation at any given time.

2. The number of intemperate persons who die yearly is a point of great interest, and concerning which intelligent speakers still rehearse the traditional tale of 60,000. This numerical column has no English data at all to rest upon, and that it must be a flagrant fallacy is obvious from the following facts:-The number of deaths in 1860, in England, was 422,500, of which about half were those of persons under fifteen years of age. But if 40,000 drunkards, the English proportion, were to be deducted from 210,000 it would follow that about one in every five persons who died in 1860, above fifteen years of age, died a drunkard! The monstrosity of this conclusion is self-evident. If, however, instead of a statement so ridiculous, this harvest of mortality were ascribed to the effects of strong drink, comprehending all the deaths of drunkards, and all the premature deaths caused by the use of strong drink in causing want, neglect, accidents, and suicides, &c., the tremendous charge would not present a self-refuting front. It is not improbable that one in every ten cases of death (including infants) is caused by the direct or indirect agency of drink, and that the absence of this destroyer would diminish the annual death-roll of the United Kingdom by 60,000 lives.

II.

In glancing at statistics which are founded on insufficient data, and are consequently wanting in exactness, a few examples will best explain our meaning.

1. Take a case not hypothetical. It is wished to ascertain the membership and results of the Temperance Societies in a district; circulars are issued to them, say to 100; replies are received from twenty, reporting 4,000 members, including 200 reclaimed drunkards, forty of whom have joined Christian churches. So far, if the answers are carefully given, all is well; but too often the temptation is irresistible of crediting the eighty silent societies with a proportionate number of members and reformed drunkards, thus finding an aggregate of 20,000 members, including 1,000 reclaimed drunkards, of whom 160 had become Church members; whereas, the probability is, not that the other eighty societies equal the twenty, but that they are far inferior to them in members and good fruits.

2. The excellent chamberlain of the city of London (B. Scott, Esq.) read a paper before the Social Science Congress at Dublin, in 1861, on the distress in London during the severe winter of 1860-61. In this paper he states that he had addressed queries to the relieving officers of Poor-law Unions in London, whose replies showed that, as a class, Abstainers from strong drink are abstainers also from resort to parochial relief. But Mr. Scott wished for more positive evidence, and he accordingly issued circulars to the registrars of Temperance Societies, and the returns from thirty-five are tabulated, reporting 10,344 members, of whom 7,947 were connected with the working classes; and the tenor of the testimonies furnished is thus summed up:-" It appears, therefore, that out of 10,344 subscribing adult members of Temperance Societies in the metropolis, 7,947 of whom were artisans or labourers, not more than a score could be identified as having applied for parochial relief." Such a conclusion, however satisfactory to us as Teetotalers, cannot be accepted