beverages, with all its burdens, and perils, and woes, would be most wonderful and inexplicable, did we not know the power of education. We are educated to witness all this, in patience; and we are educated to it by Government itself. Civil Government is mighty to educate the people, upward or downward, either in a right or wrong direction. So long, as it licenses or protects the dramshop, so long it is a mighty influence to reconcile the people to the dramshop. The people will follow Government, even in its grossest inconsistencies. Government may declare horses, that are brought out for racing, to be forfeited. Government may declare the gambling apparatus, that is brought into public places, to be without the protection of law; and in all this the people will acquiesce, as they acquiesce in the gross inconsistency with all this of extending the shield of Government over the dramshop. Gross inconsistency, indeed !—for the evils of horseracing and gambling are not to be compared with the evils of dramshops. Another inconsistency, of which Government is guilty in this case, is that, in frowning upon horse-racing and gambling, it but seeks to protect the people from demoralization—a work, which, to say the least, is, when in its hands, of very doubtful legitimacy. But when Government lets the dramshop stand, it neglects to protect person and property, at a point, where they are far more fearfully exposed than at any other point: and, in neglecting such protection,

it neglects what all admit to be the chief duty in the province of Government; and what many, beside myself, believe to constitute the sole province of Government.

Time forbids, that I should extend my argument, any further. Would that Congress might pass such a bill, as I have now called for; and as the people of this city did themselves virtually call for, a year ago, by a vote of two to one! For Government to break

up

the sale of intoxicating drinks is, as I trust, I have conclusively shown, no stretching of its functions. I again admit, that the sole legitimate work of Government is to minister protection to person and property. But, if to abate a nuisance, which yields no possible good, and which, more than all things else, perils and destroys both person and property, is not a part of that work, pray what is ? I again admit, that for Government to protect person and property from the dramshops of this city, as it could do, only by shutting them up, would be to render an immense service to the cause of temperance in this city, in this nation, in this world. I admit, too, that I cannot, consistently, make a direct claim for this service, at its hands. Nevertheless, I can claim at its hands, the protection of person and property: and, happily, the service in question is necessarily incidental to such protection. The service cannot fail to follow the protection. And who is there, that should not rejoice, that so great a direct good and

so great an incidental good are brought together, and are inseparable ?

The city of Washington is, in sacred language, "beautiful for situation.” Than that it wears, there is no greater human name. It is, too, the capital of a great nation ;—so great, as to need only to be as good, as it is great. Its population is increasing rapidly; and buildings are going up in, and art is embellishing, every part of its broad and beautiful amphitheatre. Fifty years hence, if our children shall be so wise and virtuous, as to constitute one nation, here will be two hundred thousand people; and here will then be a city unsurpassed in intelligence, and in all the refinements and elegancies, which adorn the highest style of social life. Upon all this beauty-upon all this glory -shall the blot of the dramshop remain ? Nay, will it be possible to attain to this beauty and glory, if this broad and deep blot is suffered to remain ?

Why, then, should we not, in the clearest terms, authorize the suppression of the sale of intoxicating drinks, in this city? Who would be harmed by the suppression? What mother, what wife, would shed one tear the more, because of it? What sister would heave one sigh the more, because of it? And who of us would be the worse for it? Nay, who of us would be the worse for never again using any alcoholic liquors for a drink? And who of our successors, on coming to this city, would suffer any injury by not meeting the

temptation of the dramshop? I have spoken of our successors in these seats. But for the egotism of it, I would add, much in the language of Paul before king Agrippa: “I would to God, that not only they, (our successors,) but also all that hear me, this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am,” in respect to intoxicating liquors !—for it is more than a quarter of a century, since I drank any of them; and, as to my children and children's children, they are ignorant of the taste of them. Happy ignorance !—may it last as long, as they shall last! Happy ignorance !-may it become universal !

Let, then, this city be purged of liquor-selling! And when that is done, it will be, not only “beautiful for situation ;” but, in further sacred language, it will be “the joy of the whole earth.” The good of every land will rejoice in the sight; and the evil of every land will be profitably impressed by it. Moreover, to the Government of every land this authorized and indispensable exercise of governmental powers will be an influential and blessed example.

THE Bill, making appropriations for the naval seryice being under consideration, Mr. SMITH said:

I move to amend the bill by adding, after the following paragraph:

“For provisions for commission, warrant, and petty officers and seamen, including engineers and marines attached to vessels for sea-service, $686,200,"

these words:

“But no intoxicating liquors shall be provided for a beverage."

I hope, sir, that the committee will bear with me in