Referring to this reflection on the Licensed Victuallers, Sir
Wilfrid Lawson, who spoke late in the debate, said, with happy irony, in allusion to the present licensing law, that he, on the contrary, considered the Licensed Victuallers "the picked men of the country, who had been selected by the magistrates for their- many excellent and moral qualities," and that for his own part, though he was never asked, if invited he should go with pleasure- to one of their banquets. He insisted that the present law- was a permissive law, as it gave the magistrates complete power, which is in rare cases used, to prohibit all public-houses in a parish, and his only object was to transfer the discretion thus exercised from the magistrates to the ratepayers. He maintained that the effect of giving the ratepayers power to abolish public- houses would be to make those who kept them far more careful not to offend public opinion than they now are. At present there were many representatives who, if they really represented the character of the places for which they were returned, might honestly say, like the American deputy upbraided with drunkenness, "The fact is I am never too drunk to represent my constituents." He gave an amusing account of his visit to Sandwich, where apparently he found Mr. Knatchbull-FIugessen's constituents not unwilling to duck him in the canal and very un- willing to hear his arguments,—for, said one of the most drunken, pointing to a wealthy brewer who was present, "what," if Sir 1Vilfrid's Bill was to pass, "is to become of this gentleman?" But Sir Wilfrid did not do much towards convincing the House. He obtained eleven more votes than last year, but the party against him was greater than last year's,—greater by 70 votes. He was beaten by a majority of 285 (371 to 86).
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