[To Sir George Clerk, and the other members of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the working of the Forbes McKenzie Act].

  • Scottish Temperance League.
Date:
[1858?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: [To Sir George Clerk, and the other members of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the working of the Forbes McKenzie Act]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    Scotland, by the temperance reformers embraced in the Sco tisb Temperance League, is computed to exceed Twenty Thoi sand Pounds; and the greater part of this is contributed b the industrial classes. We regarded the MTvenzie Act as a legislative exper ment, and watched its effects with an interested but iinparth eye. In the light of well-authenticated practical proof of its salutary' effects to the precise extent in which it ha been enforced, we unhesitatingly express our cordial approva of the provisions of the Act; any improvement we have b suggest being in the direction of increased stringency rathe than of relaxation. Having made these preliminary remarks, we would respect fully submit the following suggestions :— 1. That no grocer should be allowed to hold a license t< retail intoxicating diinks. We object to this as being detri mental to the morals of the community. The temptations thus presented to tradesmen’s wives, female servants, and others, who have frequent occasion to visit grocers’ shops to buy provisions, are perilous in the extreme. If, however, any class of grocers be allowed to retain their licenses, we would suggest that they should be prohibited from opening before public-houses, and from selling liquor in other than in sealed bottles, and in quantities less than tli€ sixth of a gallon. 2. That the hour of opening for houses, of every description, for the sale of excisable liquors, should not be earlier than eight o’clock a.m. The power which the Act gives to the authorities to fix the hours of opening earlier than eight, we think should be withdrawn. We think it would be beneficial that the authorities should have power to fix any hour loi closing from eight to eleven o’clock, P.M., according to the cir-