The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-02-06

Mr. EDIToR:-The friends of the Temperance
Reform have been surprised, and grieved, at the
manner in which their petitions for Introduction
Of the traffic in ardent spirit disposed of, by
the House of Representatives, in their late session.
If am correctly informed, (and if am not you
will put me right) the facts these-The honora-
BILE Senate, the result of their action the petit
tons, passed very important BILL which, though
it did not fulfil tho request of the petitioners, was
hailed by them, measure calculated greatly to
diminish the enormous evil of which they com
planned; and the best feature of which was, that it
put an end to the action of raising from
traffic which the petitioners considered to be m
moral, while it put it in the power Of town author
tiles to exclude the traffic, should they deem such
a measure to be required by the public good. This
bill was reported by the committee of the House, to
whom the petitions had been REFERRED with strong
recommendation that it should be passed without
amendment, and become u law of the State. This
report of the Committee, embracing a subject Of
moro importance than almost any that had come be-
fore the House during the session, suffered to
sleep on the table, till the very last day of the ses
sion, when it was called up, and sans ceremonie
LAID over to the next session. Had this been the
end OF the chapter, the petitioners, though dsap-
pointed, would probably have patiently waited the
return OF another session, with the hope that at the
least the relief contemplated by the bill in question
would then be granted They would, in that case,
have hoped tho time was near, when the object of
their petitions and of their strong desires would
be fully obtained. But what was their astonishment
when 1t was announced, that the House, on the
last evening of the session, had passed resolution
declaring that they had no constitutional right to
nterdict the traffic in ardent spirit! 1t has been
SAID that this resolution cannot be regarded as ex-
pressing the sense of majority of the house; and
that probably but a few of the members ofthe very
thn house which were together the time voted at
all 1t has also been ntmated that the resolution
was voted by way of atonement for ungen,leman
~ treatment OF an aged member A poor apology
Tor bad legislation Still the resolution stands be-
lore the public as the resolution of the House of
representatives.. il will also be remembered that
thus resolution was advocated by gentleman who
ought to be well acquainted with the principles of
government, and very particularly with the Const-
tuition OF Vermont; and who should thoroughly I'M
| derstand the restraints which that Constitution and
the Constitution of the United States impose on
legislation, he is the head of the College alias
University at Norwich.
Now, Mr. Editor, if the doctrine of this resolu-
ton be correct, what monsrous system of oppres-
sion has been practised upon the good people OF
Vermont by unconstitutional legislation, for half a
century. You and I, Sit, and the whole population
of the Sate, with the exception of very few indi
viduals, not half score to town, on an average
have been prohibited from selling ardent spirits, al
least by small measure, under heavy penalties Pro
hibited, Sir, by laws, which our legislative Assem-
blies have enacted from time to time and which they
and not they only, but ourselves, also land the whole
community, have foolishy supposed we were bound
to obey. Laws, Sir, which, according to the gen
teman from Norwich, and the resolution of the
House, are just obligatory on us, as the Ukase.
of Nicholas, the bulls of the Pope. Strange
Mr. Editor, and passing STRANGE! that tho Green
Mountain boys, the most free people on the globe