The Opposition have not made much of their attempt to
retain part of the licensing clauses in the County Government Bill. They tried their strength twice on Thursday, but twice failed. Sir W. Harcourt, who has suddenly discovered that 'Temperance men have many votes, moved that Clause 9, which gives the County Councils power to shut public-houses on Sunday, should be retained, but found that Mr. Caine and Sir W. Lawson, the two mouthpieces of teetotalism, were both against him, and was defeated by 275 to 213. This defeat dis- couraged the party, and on the retention of the fax more important tenth clause, which transfers the control of licences • from the Magistrates to the Councils, there was hardly any -debate. Mr. Gladstone supported the retention, but it was rejected by 252 to 175. The effect of these votes is to suspend all further action on the Temperance question until Parliament has decided upon the policy it wishes to see adopted. At present Members are all abroad. They are very much afraid -of the Temperance men, who often hold the balance of power, very much afraid of the publicans, who are useful at election time, and very uncertain as to the real wish of the mass of the electors, who have never yet been left without liquor, and do not know what it would mean.
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