of which some lords express, and I believe with
sincerity, such dreadful apprehensions, is not in reality to be feared
from this bill; that it will probably promote the purpose for which it
is declared to be calculated, and that it will by no means produce
that havock in the human species which seems to be suspected, or
diffuse that corruption through the people which has been confidently
foretold.

The present state of this vice, my lords, has been fully explained, as
well by those who oppose the bill as by those who defend it. The use
of distilled liquors is now prohibited by a penal law, but the
execution of this law, as of all others of the same kind, necessarily
supposes a regular information of the breach of it to be laid before
the magistrate. The people consider this law, however just or
necessary, as an act of the most tyrannical cruelty, which ought to be
opposed with the utmost steadiness and vigour, as an insupportable
hardship from which they ought at any rate to set themselves free.

They have determined, therefore, not to be governed by this law, and
have, consequently, endeavoured to hinder its execution; and so
vigorous have been their efforts, that they have at last prevailed. At
first they only opposed it by their perseverance and obstinacy, they
resolved to persist in the practice of retailing liquors without
regard to the penalties which they might incur by it; and, therefore,
as one was put to prison, his place was immediately supplied by
another; and so frequent were the informations and so fruitless the
penalties, that the chief magistrate of the metropolis lamented
publickly in the other house, the unpleasing necessity to which he was
subjected by that law, of fining and imprisoning without end, and
without hopes of procuring the reformation that was intended. Thus
they proceeded for some time, and appeared to hope that the
magistrates would after a while connive at a practice, which they
should find no degree of severity sufficient to suppress; that they
would sink under the fatigue of punishing to no purpose, that they
would by degrees relax their vigilance, and leave the people in quiet
possession of that felicity which they appeared to rate at so high a
price.

At length, my lords, instead of wearying the magistrates, they grew
weary themselves, and determined no longer to bear persecution for
their enjoyments, but to resist that law which they could not evade,
and to which they would n