28 MAY 1927, Page 14

[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]

Stn,--With reference to Mr. John H. Wainwright's continents on the Oxford Bill, i quite agree with his concluding words, " after all, personal liberty is the most precious heritage of the British people." Btit it is well to remember that the very existence of law is a proof of restriction of individual liberty for public ends.

To quote John Stuart Mill, Whenever, in short, there is a definite damage, or a definite risk of damage, either to an individual or to the public, the case is taken out of the province of liberty, and placed in that of morality or law," and alas ! " intolerable hurts and troubles to the commonwealth " still follow the traffic -in intoxicants.--I am, Sir, &c.,