ABSTRACT
STATISTICS OF DRONKENNEss.-A return, which was moved for by Mr. Henley last session, has been issued, showing the population and number of persons taken into custody for drunkenness and disorderly conduct in each city and town in the United Kingdom for the years 1851, 186], J871, and 1876. The number of arrests in each of the three countries shows a steady increase in the years named. In Eugland, in the year 1851, 70,097 persons were taken into custody, of whom 44,520 were males and 25,5~7 females; and each successive period showed a marked increase, until in 1876 the totril. was 104,174, 67,294 males and 36,.880 females. In Ireland the number increased during the 25 years from 3,046 to
8,781. Of the former number only 732, but of the latter 3,391, were females. In the case of Scotland the classification of the sexes was not complete in 1851, but the total was 27,643. In 1876 it was 58,630, of whom 18,452 were females. The largest contribution to the English total was made by the Metropolitan Police District, in which 29,490 arrests were made in 1851, 13,755 being females. Iu 1876, the ,tota.l was 32,328, of whom 15,558 were females. The City of London total was but small, being 280 in 18.51, and 433 in 1876. This is probably a.ttributable to the way in which cases of drunkenness are dealt with at the City police stations, but no explanation is given in the return. Next to London, Liverpool is the largest English contributor to the return, the totals being in 185118,522, and in 187620,55, 61,728 of the former and 8,0]0 of the latter being females. When, however, the population is considered-that of London amounting to over four millions, whilst that of Liverpool is but little in excess of half a million, it is at once apparent that the great Lancashire seaport has much more drunkenness than the metropolis, or probably any town in England. Manchester exhibited a remarkable increase, there being only 787 arrests in 1851, whilst in 1876 the number had increased to 9,702, about 26 per cent. being arrests of fema.les. Birmingham showed an increase from 867 to 2,850, of whom 753 were females. In Newcastle-on-Tyne the number of arrests was almost identical with those of Birmingham; but in no other English town did the total in 1876 reach ~,OOO. Throughout these statistics, it will be observed, that the proportion of women arrested for drunkenness is often only half, sometimes only a third of the number of men arrested. To this rule Liverpool forms an exception owing, we are informed, to the custom of classifying other offences of disorderly conduct in women under the head of drunkenness. The returns for Ireland are chiefly remarkable as showing in t.he larger towns almost equal proportions of men and women an·ested. The number in Belfast increased from 346 in 1851 to 2,818 in 1876; and Cork from 63!) to 1,214. In Dublin no return was made for 1851, but the total in 1876 was 2,427, of whom 1,301-the larger proportion-were women. Limerick
130 Reco'ra 0/ Events. [ Eng11Ibwoman'l Review, March Utb, 16711. Londonderry, and Clonmel each show a decrease in the number of arrests in 1876 as compared with 1851, amounting in the first-named city to nearly 20 per cent. Scotland has the unenvjable reputation of being, in proportion to its population, the most drunken country, and Glasgow the most drunken city, in the United Kingdom. The Scotch total in 1876 was 58,630, of whom 18,452 were women. Of' this number Glasgow contributed 36,682 (having increased from 14,870 in 1851), of whom 10,967 were women. No return was made from Leith. Edinburgh had 7,114 cases; Dundee,. 4,253; Greenock, 3,698; and Paisley, 1,973; but in none of the other cities and boroughs of Scotland did the total reach 1,000.
