Mr. Bernal Osborne made a very amusing speech to his
con- stituents at Nottingham last week in favour of the licensed vic- tuallers, and against the Permissive Bill,—two lines of thought not necessarily identical, but probably combined in Mr. Osborne's case by the humiliating necessity for combination between all foes of a powerful innovation. Mr. Osborne discovered one very in- genious reason-for praising the licensed victuallers,—that they had adopted Mr. Mill's principle of allowing women to votes It appears that any female licensed victualler may vote through a male relative on all questions affecting the association. Mr. Osborne also quoted Dr. Johnson's saying, that "there is no private house in which people can enjoy themselves as well as in a good tavern ;"—but was that a panegyric on licensed victuallers, or only on their subordinates ? Licensed victuallers have a policy and an "organ "—the Morning Advertiser,—and a Calvinistico- spirituous faith. Dr. Johnson would never have stomached that.
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