The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-11-13

: n-pThe bill relating to the sale of ardent spirit
il will be observed, was negatved in the House by
n considerable majority. The committee were not
osreed in opinion upon the subject, aud the report
presented was from the minority. Before the de.
feat of the Bill in the House it underwent so many
mutualions and amendments, that the Chairman of
the Committee abandoned il MS having been robbed
OF It's essential attributes. The whole number of
petitioners we are informed was Of legal voters
597S-of females, 2457-from 100 towns. The
following is the Report ofthe Commiuee:
To The House Of Representatives. noao IN session:
Your select committee to whom was referred tho
memorials Of sundry inhabitants of the state in re.
aton TO the traffic in ardent spirits, and also res
oIuton ms the expediency of repeating the exist
ing license laws, respectfully report, that they have
attended to the duties assigned them-theY have
carefully considered the prayer OF the petitioners
have listened with much interest 10 the very able
arguments of gentlemen who have appeared before
them advocates of the measure prayed for, and
have availed themselves Of their experience
and observation for the purpose Of arriving some
satisfactory conclusion us 10 The best and most prop
er measure 10 recommend for the action of this Leg
islaure.
Your committee entertain doubt of the cor
RICHNESS of the principles set forth by the memoir
alists. 1t is with us an axiom that to the sale and
of ardent spirits IS to be attributed vast pro-
portion, approxmating to the entire amount, Of lit
igaton, and crime and pauperism, together with
,heil concomitant tariff of taxes and and suf
| fering existing in the community.
| The m0raL character of the traffic is developed
by the fact that its legitimate and certain oonse-
quences are the increase of vice and immortality.
| That the Legislature possess the constitutional
right to prohibit the traffic. your committee enter
| tain the remotest doubt The constitution pro-
vides that "the people of this Stale by their legal
representatives shall have the inherent and exclu-
sive right of governing and regulating the interna!
police Of the same" That claws for the encour-
! agement of virtue and the prevention of vice and
immortality ought TO be constantly KEPT niorce and
duly executed" In accordance with these provis-
ions of thC constitution, laws oil prohiDorY char
ac,er have been enacted and enforced in relation 10
practices and pursuits of almost every description,
whereby the safety, the IN erests or the morals of
the community endangered-not excepting
even the traffic in ardent spirits, inasmuch as the
laws licensing the traffic in part Of the commu-
nifty, prohibit 1T as respects all others.
The cOnStitutiOnnlity ofthese prohbiory statutes
have been called in question, and your
mitlee unable 30 why statute interdicting
the traffic in ardent spirits entirely, should be
gaded differing IN its relation 20 the constitution
from equally prohlbitory, hut partial IN its OPP
eraton-or from the existing prohbitory laws for
protecting the morals and securing the peace Of the
community.
| To enlarge upon this point, would be but to re-
peat arguments well understood by this Legislature,
and acknowledged as correct by every individual
W no regards his reputation for candor and sound
sense.
These considerations, together with the fact that
thousands OF most respectable and intelligent
citizens, arriving nt the same conclusions,
pressing upon the Legislature the importance of
some action by which the tide of moral and phys
cal evil shall be checked, would be conclusive in
inducing your committee TO recommend tho passing
of an Introductory law could they persuade them
selves that the evidence is sufficiently clear and
decisive to warrant the belief that the public voice,
would at this time sanction and sustain such law.
= To ensure the observance, or the continuance.
even of any law in republican government, il IS
indispensable that the provisions of the law be la
accordance with the wishes of majority Of the
people. However salutary may be its provisions,
yet if through misrepresentation or the m'srcpresen-
ations fits enemies, the la be obnoxious the
preiudices of a majority of the people, if in their
view 1t is preudcia TO their rights i'll adaptcd
to the circumstances Of the community. lis provs.
ems cannot be enforced, and It's speedy repeal is
rendered certain
Your committee would not be understood as as
seriing or expressing the belief that such would
he the popular expression in relation to law for
introducing the uatiic in ardent spirits That the
public mind 10 a very considerable extent, rs pre-
pared Cor such n measure, il shown by the numer-
ous array of names appended 10 the memorials pre-
scented 10 he Legislature and the fact is Corrubo-
rated by the observation of every at R!l ac-
quainted with he state the community.
- Hut your committee are of "pInion, as before ex-
pressed, that the evidence upon this subject is mol
sufficiently clear and decisive 20 afford assurance
that majority of the people are prepared TO su7.
lain the measure.
| While. therefore, YOUR committee deem it mex
pedeni at this time to pass law of this character,
they are deeply i'm pressed with the importance of
Legislative action tending to this result They,
however, have found il no easy task TO arrive at
any decision which is entirely satisfactory. They
concur unanimously in the views herein before set
forth, but fully aware that amidst the great va
riety of opinions this subject, no measure they
can propose will be entirely free from objections
| and alter the most careful deheraton majority
of the committee unite IN the opinion that no leg
isa,ion is this time expedient while a minority
of the committee beg leave TO report for me con-
sideration Of the House the accompanying bill
| L. FAIRBANKS, for Committee.
(For the provisions of the Bill, legislative
proceedngs)
1J7A catalogue of the Officers and Students OF