within the river, although sometimes they are exposed to very coarse weather down below, so much so, that they cannot even enter the harbour of Margate, and are obliged to go round to Ramsgate to land the passengers. Thinks many accidents might be prevented from steam-boats coming in contact, if there were an understanding that when approaching unexpectedly both were to put their helms a-starboard, or a-port; whereas, the practice is for one to put the helm a-starboard and the other a-port, by which means they actually come into collision. Would also recommend, that every boat going with the tide should keep in the strength of the tide, as boats going against the tide always hug the shore to keep in the eddy. The two last suggested improvements should be adopted by the proprietors of steam-boats themselves, and not matter of legislative interference.

(To be continued.)

SKATING PARACHUTE FOR LADIES.

The

Sir,-The skating season being now approaching, I am anxious to inform the ladies, that they may learn to skate, without the possibility of falling, by the assistance of a little invention of mine of a very simple and cheap construction. I do not know that I can call it an 66 invention,' it is merely the application to a new purpose of a wicker go-cart without wheels. This contrivance, which we may aptly call a skating-parachute, is of wickerwork, in the shape of a bell; of about 5 feet diameter at the bore, and only 12, 14, or 15 inches at the top, according to the size of the lady, who will have to get her shoulders, &c., through it. length of this wicker cone must be proportioned to the stature of the wearer; that is, it must be equal to the measure from under the arms to the ancles. The superior rim is well wadded with horsehair covered with cloth. Being passed over the lady's head, it is suspended by traces over the shoulders. The legs and arms being perfectly free, the fair learner 10 skate may trip and slip, but she cannot fall, being supported under the arms at every inclination of the body by the parachute. After a little progress has been made in the art, a shorter parachute may be used, which will only touch the ice to arrest a fall. There are many private pieces of water in parks, &c. &c., where ladies may avail themselves of my suggestion.

Yours, &c.

FRANCIS MACERONE.

TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES.

Remarks by the Editor on T. M. B.'s answer to Junius Redivivus.

The Editor of the Mechanics" Magazine is not blind to the sentiment of personal regard which has withheld his esteemed friend T. M. B. from taking him to task, equally with his correspondent, Junius Redivivus, for the opinions he has expressed in regard to Temperance Societies; but though grateful for the motive which seems to have dictated this forbearance, he must respectfully decline the shelter which it would throw over him. The Mechanics' Magazine stood alone, it is believed, in its attempt to exhibit the scheme of these associations in its true colours, when the redoubtable Junius, indignant that living men should be so backward to support the side of truth and reason, was tempted to revisit the realms of light to lend us a helping hand; and such being the case, we should count ourselves for false knights, were we, under favour of any personal consideration, to shrink in the hour of encounter from the side of so gallant a spirit and ally; or to hesitate to declare openly that we hold the attack made on our correspondent to be equally directed against ourselves, and one which, if need be, we are equally bound to repel.

No fears have we, however, that Junius will not prove single-handed a match for T. M. B., or any one else, who may choose to enter the lists against him; neither have we now any other intention than to leave T. M. B. entirely to his disposal (but that we are of "the opposite faction," we would add a prayer for his safe deliverance). We desire merely to take the opportunity, of subjoining to this our declaration of making common cause with Jucius on the present question, a few general remarks, partly explanatory, and partly confirmatory, of those views, which have obtained for us the honour of his approbation and support.

We think, with Junius, that the causes of intemperance lie much deeper than the Temperance Society advocates are willing to allow, and quite beyond the reach, in a general way, of any remedy which they have proposed. The notion that the English are from pure choice a harddrinking people, and by choice alone to be reclaimed, appears to us to be one of the most unphilosophical that ever was broached. We would ascribe a little of this hard drinking to climate-though less, perhaps, than is commonly done; more to the English being a harder work

Intended to have been inserted p. 134.

ing and harder worked race of people, than any other on the face of the earthexcessive toil leading invariably to excessive indulgence; and, still more, to bad laws, and bad usages, which have entirely cut off the bulk of the people from a great many sources of innocent and healthful pleasure, that ought to have been left open to them, and restrained them in the enjoyment of others to a degree amounting nearly to absolute prohibition. John Bull has been hitherto considered by his law makers, and law administrators, too exclusively in the light of a mere working and producing animal. Every thing that could operate as a drawback on his productiveness --or to speak more in accordance with that ignorance of the true science of wealth which our statute book exhibits, which could diminish his hours of hard labourhas been carefully guarded against; while not one measure has been adopted for a century past, which can be said to have had for its single object to encrease, to purify, or to heighten his pleasures. The enclosure acts, which have swallowed up so many of the commons or playgrounds, and put an end to so many of those rural sports which, in times of yore, acquired for the country the name of

merry England"-the exclusion acts, which, under the various names of game laws, trespass laws, and laws of regu. lation-have combined with the enclosure of the commons, to make all save the highway and the ale-house skittleground, forbidden to the multitude-the abrogration of all fair days and holidays not protected by strict letter of law-the fiscal exactions and regulations which have nearly abolished the home-brewing of pure and wholesome malt liquors, and generated a taste for ardent spirits the taxes and monopolies which impede the acquisition of every sort of knowledge, and the exercise of every sort of liberal attainment:-These are but a few of the many public measures which might be referred to, as having contributed to make Englishmen place their chief pleasure in drinking, as effectually as if each and every one of them had pointed directly to the gin shop.

The measures of the Temperance Societies touch none of these things. They choose to regard intemperance in the abstract only, and refuse to look beyond the cause that immediately produces it. That cause they find to be the presence of alcohol, and nothing less will content them in the way of remedy, than that every person should bind himself by a solemn vow to abstain entirely from all drinks which contain that dangerous in

203

gredient. Nothing will they exemptnot even the smallest small beer. Fermented and distilled liquors of all sorts are to be absolutely prohibited; and pure water to be henceforth the only lawful beverage.

Perceiving well, that so sweeping a scheme of proscription could not hope for success, from any of the ordinary motives by which men are actuated-that to unassisted reason, it must appear excessively unreasonable, to abstain from an innocent use of any thing, because that innocent use may degenerate into vicious excess-they have attempted to prove from scriptures, that it has the sanction of divine authority. We have shown, however, that it has no such sanction (page 50-55); and that it must stand or fall like any other human invention by its own merits.

We might have gone farther, and shown that not only is the forswearing scheme of the Temperance Societies without any warranty from Scripture, but at variance with that freedom of the will, which is the foundation of all moral worth and responsibility; but to have done that would have carried us deeper into the philosophy of ethics, than would have been suitable either to the character of our pages or to the necessity of the case.

It seemed quite sufficient that we were left at liberty to try the scheme by the test of common sense; for it was but to apply a grain or two of that famous solvent, and the whole scheme was seen to vanish in a cloud of smoke.

Shortly after the appearance of our refutation of the scriptural pretensions of these associations, the committee of the one which has been established in London under the title of "the British and Foreign Temperance Society," sent us a copy of a speech delivered at one of their public meetings by Mr. Crampton, the Irish Solicitor General, accompanied with a recommendation to our particular attention of " page 11." We turned to that page, and soon perceived why it had been thus pointed out to our notice. It contains an address to the "Ministers of the Press," in which they are first told to "beware" how they use the

mighty power" they possess, in regard to these Temperance Societies, then implored to lend them their support, and finally given to understand that if they don't, it is no matter. "We are invincible," says Mr. Crampton, "even without your aid. Truth must, in the end, prevail."-If the committee of the "British and Foreign Temperance Society" think to get over the serious objections

which we have stated to their scheme, by a reference to such frothy declamation as this, we beg respectfully to hint that they may probably find themselves mistaken We know, as well as Mr. Crampton, that "truth must in the end prevail: and it is because we know this, that we think it right, the fallacies which the advocates of these societies are endeavouring to pass off for truth should be exposed. We say, there is no truth in the assumption, that it is to vicious inclination alone, the prevalence of habits of intemperance is owing-no truth in the pretext that the entire disuse of alcoholic liquors is enjoined by Scripture-no truth in the allegation that such an entire disuse is necessary to win the people to habits of temperance; and that as all this want of truth must "in the end" become manifest to every one- the sooner it is proclaimed, and the cause of temperance placed on its right footing and promoted by right means the better. When the Irish Solicitor-General and his colleagues have shown that we wrong in these positions, we shall give them leave to proclaim to all the corners of the earth how "invincible" they are, and how powerless we; but while they have yet this to do, we think nothing can become them less, than a song of triumph or a flourish of trumpets. ED. M. M.

are

Reply of Junius Redivivus to T. M. B.*

Sir,-Were it a matter of literary legality, to suppose that initial letters had any corporeal substance attached to them, I should conjure up a figure with a great length of face, and upturned vision, attired in a sober suit of leaden black, with a strong spice of " sour sectarianism," for your friend T. M. B. He begins by gratuitously stating, that he has no vested interest in Temperance Societies. What if he had? His arguments, for or against them, are all that is required; whether he belongs to them or not, will not alter facts; and as for the personal assertion of a man in a mask, it is just worth nothing at all. It would be much better to let it at once be taken for granted, and use his weapon manfully; nay more, if he is sincere in his belief, he ought to belong to the society, and does mischief to his own cause by abstaining from belonging to it.

"Out

We regret that Junius should have thought it necessary to mix up so much personal asperity with the vindication of a mere difference of opinion; but it must be confessed, T. M. B. has not been sparing in the way of provocation,-EDIT,

כי

I

upon such half-faced fellowship." But who is he, that he thinks it necessary to make such a preamble like a country member? "I have no intention of saying, but this I will say.' He is just like myself, vox, et præterea nihil. wish he were not also, mere brutum fulmen. As I take him to be a not regularly inducted preacher, he may perhaps not understand the Latin; but as the Scotchman says, "Let that flie stick i'

the wa!"

Were I disposed to make use of the redoubted weapon of my prototype Junius, I could scarcely desire a better "wooden soldan" to exercise it upon; but in truth, T. M. B. appears so little used to sturdy striking in the field of logical induction, that were I to hack him in pieces, I might afterwards be taunted with the phrase, "cutting blocks with razors;" therefore, as he is fond of texts, I will take a new one, "Be merciful."

In my former letter, I gave the Temperance Society "all due credit for their good intentions," and I perfectly agree with T. M. B. that "if they have reclaimed large numbers of drunkards, they deserve the thanks of the whole community." I will go still further: If they have reclaimed only one drunkard, they deserve the thanks of the whole community. So far from meaning any disparagement to their efforts, I only wished to make their efforts more availing, by directing them to cause, instead of to effect; whereupon upstarts T. M. B. with his "dagger of lath," which he fancies is a fiery sword; in the attitude of a man, "who will not serve Providence because he thinks the devil is bidding him."

I profess all due respect for the institutions and practice of religion; but really, if T. M. B. be one of those persons who think that the Bible should be made a text-book for all the ordinary temporalities of the world, it can be of no use to argue with him. Does he forget that Providence is said to work by human means; or would he bring us back to the times of the Puritans, when a casual opening of the Bible was made a rule of action almost for the cooking of a joint of meat? Perhaps it might be an advantage to T. M. B. as being well versed in it, he could fulfil the proverb "those who hide know where to

was

find." Should the people of England be inclined to plead at such a tribunal, they would very soon be in the same degree of slavery under a hierarchy, as they now are under an aristocracy. Is T. M. B. certain of his etymology, in the text, "Be sober?" Does that apply to no other excitement than alcohol? He agrees, that it is proper to "begin at the beginning," and then says, that the beginning is, "Be sober" But for my part, I incline to the "remote causes,' because Noah did indulge in alcohol before the text, 66 Be sober," given forth. T. M. B. rather mistakes me, in speaking of the " good-boy class;" I assert again, that reading people are never, or but rarely, drunkards, except their faculties be over jaded by intense study. Men of genius, for this reason, whether writers, actors, orators, poets, priests, musicians, or romancers, resort to alcohol to keep up their energies, which flag by constant exertion. The Red Indians of America are almost all drunkards, and they are people of high imagination, but cannot read. Here, then, is a case in point. T. M. B. seems to be of opinion, that the "stupid and illiterate portion of mankind is the least intemperate." I perfectly agree with him; though he hints, that my theory ought to bring a different result. If he will turn to my former letter, he will find, "the dullards, the good-boy class, are the only persons who will submit to idleness without drunkenness, or excitement by alcohol." Really, T. M. B. you seem to have a natural faculty for perverting meanings. I

repeat it again, "dull people are not drunkards," and the same remark holds good amongst quadrupeds. The silly sheep will not drink; the pig will get as drunk as a lord, and the pig is a very intelligent animal; much more so than an elephant; though so much belied, because he is dirty in his habits, and has not got a hand at the end of his nose.

Deeper and deeper are you in the mire of your own making, T. M. B.! I quote your words, "How can a government be accountable for the natural disposition of its subjects ?" If they be really subjects, without any voice in the matter, the government could very easily extinguish drunkenness, by making it felony to prepare intoxicating liquors. Why do they not? Because, so doing

205

would lop off several millions from the revenue! Ergo, temperance is a good thing, but revenue is a better. As T. M. B. seems a stickler for passive obedience, let him make the most of this. But I have not yet done. What does he mean by "natural disposition ?" Is he not aware, that there is no such thing. All disposition is educational, not natural. He might as well call it a national disposition. Suppose T. M. B. had been brought up amongst the New Zealanders from his infancy, there is every probability, that in such case, he would have been brought up as a devourer of his fellow creatures, instead of the good Christian he now is. He goes on to talk of "drunkenness being part and parcel of a man, as inseparably as the love of blood is, from the disposition of a tiger." Did he ever happen to see the child of a poor woman make an ugly face, the first time the mother gave it gin to make it sleep, while she went out to work? Did he ever notice the coaxing and sweetening there was, to reconcile the poor thing to it, before habit became second nature? And as for the tiger, has he never heard of" the leopard lying down with the kid ?" Has he never heard that tigers fed from infancy on vegetables, have no especial penchant for blood? And to come nearer home, did he ever cross the bridge, once called of the Strand, and now of Waterloo, to look at the poor man and his large cage, inhabited by the cat and the rat, and the owl and the mouse, and the hawk and the pigeon, and the sparrowhawk and the sparrow, and the dog and the hare, and the rabbit, the jackdaw, linnet, goldfinch, canary, and various others; all living together in good fellowship? Where was the natural disposition for blood? They never had any! Their educational disposition, was attachment to each other. But suppose their government, the man who owned them, had taken it into his head to shut the cage door and keep them without food, what then would have been their history? would have been summed up in-The cat began to eat the rat-the owl began to eat the mouse-the hawk began to eat the pigeon-etc. etc. to the end of the chapter.

It

"Misery does not always lead to drunkenness." No; certainly not! but the exceptions serve to prove the truth of