American Intemperance

Tbc Englisli editor of the leisure llour has made a tour of tho United States, and records his observations of the drinkinjar prácticos of the Amerieans : Yory little wine is used at table, even in private houses, though always at hand for hospitality's sake to a strangor, Lager beer is tlio only ehenp bevurage, retinled :tt tho Haloons for five oents a glass. Tho consuiiiptiun is immense luuoug the Germana. In tho week the news arrived of the capture of the Eniperor Napoleon at Sedan, the inland revouue issucd 200,000 quarter-cask stamps beyond the average! Tho Irish got thoir own whisky, dear as imported, but often produced in private distilleries. When I was in New York a raid by the custom-house officers and ])olice was mado upon the whiskystills in Brooklyn, and largo seizures were effeeted. The nativo whisky, Monongahela or othor, is a hard, fioi-y spirit. Drinking is very much conflned to the bars and saloons. The number of drunkards is largo, perUu 1 is as large as in England ; but thore is a limador Üne of demarkation botweon the températe and iritemperate. The iiumber of total abstainers far exeeeds wluit it is with us, and tho soaking, boo.mg habits of Dritish workmen aro rare in America. In overy class, tho progress of temporalice is marked and ccjuspicuous. The he;id-mastcr of a collego, a Scotchnuin, told me he sometimos ïongod for a glass of Scotch aio ; but if it was known that lm ordered suoh a thing, his intluonci1 would bo at an end, as tho majority of the students wex'e pledged toototulors, Anothor Scotchnian, an official in a Bimis Club, told me that when he first carne to Ainciica, twenty yeare ago, " the nicht wi' Burus" was a night of whisky and revolry. Now, the Burns Club meetings are often held in tho samo locality. with nothing on the tablo but fruits and ioed water. It may Dot be so in Xew Tork and. olsowhere ; but the fact is worth reeording; as iiidioating a oliaago of mannors. As far as I saw, intemperance in drink is not a national vico in America, altliough intemperante in eating is still notioi'iiblc by n slr;iuror. I have seon Ajnerioans ordar s dozen didiesfroin the tliniier bill of faro, and vet drink nothing but iöed water. I