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To the JSditor of the Australian.
Sin, — In the course of a stroll round
tho different polling places on Tuesday,
Nov. 1, I was much struck with tho orderly
behaviour of the crowd, am«ng whom I nnr ^
ceiveu no tcnaency to not or drunkenness.
A surprising change in this reipect
has taken . pluco within a com 3 inuively
short space of timo. In ono or t V ?- Wurds
where nothing but disorder was anticipated
tho utmost regularity prevailed.- '
Formerly- it was scarcely possible to
walk the streets without boing disgusted by
the improper language and indecent con
duct of tho drunkard. : ;
I do not say that on a memorable oc
casion like this, a few individual cases of in
toxication or disturbance might not occur
but! know these were only solitary-instances,'
and not affecting the , character of the mass'.
Impressed by thoso facts, I was induced
to onquiro to what this change was attri
butablb.' That a visible improvement had
taken plnco, was allowed by all with whom
I happened to con verso ; but no particular
reason was assigned, and it was only a day
or two after that I accidentally found the '
truo causo, in tho existence- of- a society,
which, _ I believe, is gradually -meliorating
the condition of tho class in whoso hands is
now placed tho .important privilege of
choosing' their own representatives in tho
Municipal Government ofSydnojv v ;: ?
It may raise tho smile of contempt in
some, or of incredulity in others, when I
mention tho fact' that there 'aro now in
Sydney and its vicinity, no less than six
thousand members .of a society' who hate '
bound themselves by voluntary consent to
abstain from intoxicating liquors.'
? This association is doing more to olevato
tho moral character, 'and consequently to
improve.jthe condition of. the people, than
anyother single cause in operation at tho
present d^J&r'.' ;
iBut^rilperceive with regret, that a sys
tem, containing in itself tho highest principle
of solf denial and virtuo is not without many
and powerful opponents. : ' .s
When the subject is introduced, it is
frequently mot 'with - observations :like the
following:- ' . ' '' '
' Oh, I knew of su -h nn one who joined,' but
he soon hc.tmme. tired of It, and turned out tea
times U'orsn than bnlori.' * ' *
. Admitting this to;be true -in' nine .casos,
and in tho tenth an individual becomes por
manently roclaimod, the desired object {is
gainod. ;Tho -reformation . of- a .single
drunkard is an. argument .Btronger; than
volumes in favour of the total abstinence
principlo ; and it gavo me heartfelt pleasure
to find, on enquiry, that thero are numerous
instances of this. ?? ' ? ? -:?? ? ; r
I will. not dilate farther on a subject of
which I hope I have said sufficient to show
the importance,, and which,, only , requires
the advocacy of influential ! members pf the
community to increase, and causo its effect
to bo more widely diffused; then, instead
of a drunken constituency whoso. reason has
no part in thoir election, the vox populi
will in truth bo the vox dei.
I am Sir,
.Yours, &c,
PENTHEUS.
Sydney, Novembor-3, 1842.
$