JB/116/282/001

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N.S. Wales II. Examples of Ordinances having for their object the
prevention of Drunkenness.

18 July 1802

Conduct
IV. Assumption samples
Drunkenness

13 10
Importance of
legislating against
drunkenness their
life depended upon
it.

Improvidence—indolence—helplessness—all extensive universal as well as intense to a degree scarce
conceivable in this country, were the prominent features
of the improved Colony at the time down to the time when its historiographer
took his leave of it. To prove this by quotations
would be to copy a great part of the book. But
of all these principles of of imbecillity
of all these weaknesses
of all these weaknesses drunkenness was the principal and ground and
source perennial source. To prove this by quotations would be to copy
a great part of the book.+ To which the view would
accordingly be an object or not as important
an object as it was a natural one, to a Governor legislating government in
that spot. But important is not sufficiently expressive strong enough:
In this country Here well-being only; in that, even being was attached
to it. Upon sobriety depended labour—upon labour
the means of immediate subsistence. In that state of things, it was as
necessary to legislate drunkenness was as necessary to legislate
against famine. The means chosen might be
more or less apposite: the result more or less successful.
But the endeavour was as necessary as life is necessary:
and for this endeavour, as for all others, no
sufficient legal means was obtained from Parli the authority obtained
from Parliament was as deficient
insufficient as for all the others.

+ In regar speaking
of this vice On this head I have
already begged your
Lordship's notice for two
contrasted impossibilities:
in the discarded Panopticon
at home, the
existence of any such
vice: in the
improved Colony the
prevention of it.
Prevention being out of
the question, to
switch from this vice what could be
from it if
its would be

Here as in the case of famine, the same unnatural
and deplorable repugnance incompatibility established between what
the expedient and the lawful: the same to the Governor,
the same distressing option between legal duty,
supposing him to have known the difference.

Among the ordinances actually issued by him on this ground,
it will be only by accident, if any one be found that was
not necessary, or at least conducive to the end expedient: it will only
by accident, if any
one can be found, that
was not illegal. As
to the test of illegality
it is already given.
To apply it to the several
ordinances, articles by
article, would to lawyers
be unnecessary to
non-lawyers tedious
beyond endurance.

Identifier: | JB/116/282/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 116.
Date_1	1802-07-18	Marginal Summary Numbering	10
Box	116	Main Headings	panopticon versus new south wales
Folio number	282	Info in main headings field	n. s. wales
Image	001	Titles	ii examples of ordinances having for their object the prevention of drunkenness
Category	text sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering	d6 / f58
Penner	jeremy bentham	Watermarks	[[watermarks::[monogram] 1800]]
Marginals	jeremy bentham	Paper Producer
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1800
Notes public		ID Number	37815
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