FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464   465   >>  
the ardour with which the noble lord appears to resent the indignity offered to the bill, shows only that he himself approves it, but not that it deserves the approbation of the house. I think it of use, notwithstanding the plausible pleas of decency or politeness, that every thing should in this house be called by its right name, that we may not dispute for one thing, and vote for another; and since the bill will certainly destroy multitudes, if it promotes the sale of distilled spirits, and it has been proved that it will promote it, I know not by what appellation to denominate its effects, if that be denied me, which has been already used. [The speaker then put the question in form, "Is it your lordships' pleasure, that the third reading of the bill be put off for five days?" It was resolved in the negative by 52 to 29. It was then ordered, that the bill should be read the third time on the day following, and that the lords should be summoned to attend. On the next day, the house, according to the order, met, and another debate ensued, which was begun by lord HERVEY, who spoke in substance as follows:] My lords, the tendency of the bill, which we are now to approve or reject, is so apparently destructive to the ends of government, so apparently dangerous to publick happiness, and so contrary to the institutions of the most celebrated lawgivers, and the policy of the most flourishing nations, that I still continue to think it my duty to struggle against it. Almost every legislator of the world, my lords, from whatever original he derived his authority, has exerted it in the prohibition of such foods as tended to injure the health, and destroy the vigour of the people for whom he designed his institutions. The great instructor of the jews, who delivered his laws by divine authority, prohibited the use of swine's flesh, for no other cause, so far as human reason is able to discover, than that it corrupted the blood, and produced loathsome diseases and maladies which descended to posterity; and, therefore, in prohibiting, after this example, the use of liquors which produce the same effects, we shall follow the authority of the great governour of the universe. The author of another religion, a religion founded, indeed, on superstition and credulity, but which prevails over a very great part of the earth, has laid his followers under restraints still more severe; he has forbidden them to dispel their ca
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   443   444   445   446   447   448   449   450   451   452   453   454   455   456   457   458   459   460   461   462   463   464   465   >>  



Top keywords:

authority

 

effects

 

destroy

 
religion
 

institutions

 
apparently
 

designed

 
prohibited
 

delivered

 
divine

people

 
instructor
 
derived
 
Almost
 

legislator

 
struggle
 

flourishing

 

nations

 

continue

 
tended

injure

 

health

 
prohibition
 

original

 

exerted

 

vigour

 

descended

 

prevails

 

credulity

 

superstition


governour

 

universe

 

author

 
founded
 

dispel

 

forbidden

 
severe
 

followers

 
restraints
 

follow


discover

 
corrupted
 

produced

 
reason
 

loathsome

 

diseases

 
liquors
 

produce

 

prohibiting

 

maladies