Mercury (Fitzroy, Vic. : 1875 - 1877), Saturday 24 April 1875, page 2


SATURDAY, APRIL 24, ?756. THE LAW EVADED. WE' have rgo00o authority 'for ,statingý that t;mlicih of theo beer sold' ihifilow public.houses, and at provincial shanties, is nothing more than a poisonous concoction, being composed of malt; hops, leghorn juice, molasses, grains of paradise, and capsicum: while the law in. England will riot allow any chemist! to\ soil the latter drugs to brewers, under a penalty of £500. In this colony, a Mr. W. MonnRCE has written a treatise upon the subject, and he says that the following materials are generally used in making eighty-nine barrels of thirtysix gallons cach:--mnalt, 26 quarters; hops, 2 owt. 2 qrs,; coculus indlius, 6lbs,; leghorn juice, 30lbs; porter extract, 4lbs. We venture to submit that no liquor can be wholesomoe or nutritious, when compounded of such Ingrodionts, and the verdict of a coroner's jury at the inquest upon the body of MARY HARTLrY, lwho died' suddenly in a miserable stato In Wellington street, confirms that opinion.

One of our ?oulirAdramatists puts this ,apostrophe into the mouth of Arii, in Act ii cene : of ",As you S"Ii7my youth I never did apply Hot and rebellio liquors to my blood: -An,'did not, with bashful fcrohead woo 'The means of weaknei anil debility; Theref re ngy age is ? a lustr, winter, . tD'rob 7 but likndly I * r* After that we would ask.. is it psiblietp infitil cbmmbn sense into the .minds of.those peo'sons *ho spend so u`" hr wages min purchasing hotel beer? Many, a'w`f6o) and mother doul sppply, society ;w mith ela lholyevd~ d p poqr t4 at, pointy4 Homes; which once were happy, and domestic tssociations .thjt' fformer~ly? WeT1'-Uniuffled, haveebeen ruined and desolated .by this abmiiiable agency, and yet our teriftoria1ngs?triatfes and justiceh of the~.peace, pefsist ngiving. licenses, while thg, Victorian treasury 'has to suppor t@ bieglected'children of destitute :dr nk4riil! It i" luseless. to keep hiarpintupo, suh ihsuhjects, so. long as 'the re. oists' . disosriFon to ignore the ayinks afrtl p ic press. The brain, workA1in-; sLnipathy with -the hoeart 'hen it~ ing elaborate and truthf ul articles upon the sooial depravities of the inims;: but of, what avail is all this idtellectuail?labor, 'if the Legislantiiie .contipues passive, and the Government remain callous? We have lut' one alternative, to do, our. duty towards OD, towards Society, and towards urBelves; and now,; temporarily puttig i, g ,HEi,.H woPRTH DIXON and the We"` oe thliquor law aside, u,, u?,o Fe, from one of the speeches of;Liwa CHOTHAMa as:.appli-c. able:~ti ?ithiitii' hs :to individuals; 'lToie wro t h,!iwgo,.hafter having seen ;tihe~i6'?iiequi'esof a thousand. errors, ~o1tintues 1r,~ll t to, blunder;, and whose ageo.has only. added obstinacy to stupjidity;' Becoiis not solely an object of abhorrenceiand. cotntempt, but' deserves dot that"'hisIgrey hairs should secure Ijim from insuilt"