25 NOVEMBER 1871, Page 2

Meetings on the Licensing question are becoming more frequent as

it is felt that the political importance of the dispute increases. from day to day. As yet, however, those who attend them seem to shrink from supporting or proposing any definite plan except the Permissive Bill on one hand, or a mere police measure on the other. At the conference of the National Association for the- amendment of the liquor laws on Tuesday, it was admitted that suppressed publicans were entitled to compensation, and proposed to provide it out of a heavy licence-duty, that is, out of liquor. consumers. The _Association proposed also to allow Parish Boards to open refreshment-houses on a plan which "allowed no profit on intoxicating liquor,"—a suggestion we do not pretend to under- stand. Is liquor to be cheaper than ever, or the profit to go to, the parish, or what ? All this, however, merely means that the Association approves the Permissive Bill, which we cannot get through Parliament, and is no help whatever towards the alterna- tive DOW urgently required. if Mr. Bruce cannot get this coach out of the way next Session, we shall see the next election turn on beer or no beer, and half the Liberals in the country turned out by the publicaus. Of course they would in return be crushed, but the fight would be a most discreditable waste of strength. We see the Telegraph, which is fighting the publicans' cause, will con- cede nothing but stricter police supervision.