26 JUNE 1880, Page 3

Sir Wilfrid. Lawson carried his resolution in favour of "local

option,"—i.e., granting to municipal and rural districts power to control in some way the number of licences for the sale of alcoholic liquors within that district,—yesterday week, by a majority of 26 (229 against 203). Mr. Gladstone was not unfavourable to the principle, but as he saw at present no way of so carrying it into practice as to provide the proper com- pensation for the licensed victuallers whose licences might be forfeited under a popular vote, he was not prepared to support it. He objected to committing the House to abstract resolu- tions, except when action could at once be taken on them, as in the case of his Irish Church resolutions in 1868, which he at once followed up by a suspensory Bill.