The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1845-12-16
TEMPERANCE CONVENTION.
MIDDLEBURT. Town Room, }

| ton assembled of these who would have, in
each town, persons licensed to keep houses
| Of public entertainment, and persons to ''sell
wine. rum, brandy oil other s2irituous liquors
| for medicinal. chemical or mechanical purpo-
ses only, The purpose OF The meeting was
TO nominate candidates for County Commits
sioners for the ensuing year.
| Hon. Enoch ID. Woodbridge was chosen
| President, Hon. Davis Rich Vice President,
| and James Meacham Secretary.
The President, on taking the Chair, stated
that the present License Law came under
consideration OF the Legislature at their last
session; that the law was left unaltered be-
cause it threw upon the people-who saw the
miseries and were loaded with the taxes of
! ptemperance-the responsibility of deciding
81 the continuance Of the evil. He farther
stated that, in portions Of this County, viola
tors of the law had not been brought TO JUS
tice, and he urged all lovers of good order to
use all fair means to carry the LDic as IL is iu-
| to execution.
A Committee Of one from each town, was
chosen TO select candidates for Commission
ers. The Committee consisted of the follow
ing persons:
Lemuel B. EIdrige Of New Haven, Joel
Rice Of Bridport, Samuel Morgan Of Vergen-
mes, Noah w. Porter Of Ferrisburgh, James
NJ. Lamb of Shoreham. William Perry Of
Leicester, Washington Cook Of R'ptOn. Reu
ben Allen Of Goshen, Barnes Frisbie OF Bris-
tol Washington Miller OF Salisbury, Thorn
as A. Merrill of Middlebury. William ID. Bell
of Weybridge, Ichabod Sherman Of Monk
ton, Allen Smith Of ddison, and Charles d.
Lamb Of Hancock.
After consultation, DIR. Rice, as Chairman,
,o1 he tta af
Hon. DAVIS RICH of Shorehan,
HEMAN CONVERSE, Esq, Addison.
Col IRA CLIFFORD of New Haven.
This selection was unanimously confirmed
by the Convention, and these men are pre-
scented TO the freemen of Addison County as
candidates for board Of unPledged Commits
sionerS, lcho, in con formify irith The ddth ofof-
flee imposed upon them, and in The exercise Of
sound legal discretion, ,riH erecute THE
WHOLE LAW. os IL stands on the Statute Book.
A Committee of Vigilance for the County
empowered to choose similar Committee
in each town-was appointed, consisting OF
Alexander C. Twining. Philip Battell Rev.
IT. w. Pierson and j. NJ. Slade OF Middlebu-
ry; and Rodman Chapman. Samuel Barker,
and George Throop ofVersennes.
The following resolutions were presented
and passed:
Resolred, That, as the licensing Of persons
to sell Intoxicating liquors TO all who wish to
purchase, has heretofore brought the most
heart -rendng evils on the community, 1t is
the sense Of this meeting that the County
Commissioners. as the Legislature have en-
acted may be done, should grant licenses TO
sell for mechanical, chemical and medicinal
purposes. and not for indiscriminate use.
Resolved, That the diminuiion Of drinking
and drunkenness, resulting from the refusal
To license The indiscIiminate sale Of intoxica-
ling liquors. is an urgent appeal TO all high
minded freemen TO vote for Commissioners,
who will license TO sell for the purposes spec
flied in the law, and who will not give license
to sell to all persons Unfortunately, what
ever be their character or Condition.
ResoIred, That.-since persons in health
have not been overiaken by sickness or any
other evils, because unable TO obtain spiritu-
Gus liquors-we again appeal TO all ireemen
who are governed by their reason, rather
than their appeties or hope Of gain by trai-
fic, to vote for persons who will grant resirIc-
ted licenses only.
Voted, That the proceedings Of this meet
ing be published in the Newspapers in the
County. and in the Temperance Herald, pub
lished at Woodstock.
Attempts are now made to throw the blame
Of a neglected Law upon those TO whom
blame does not especially belong. The
Commissioners and their supporters are Sc
lected for unmeasured and unmirigated CEN
sure. The Commissioners are responsible
for the conduct of those only whom they
have licensed. They are not. above all 9TH
er members Of community, responsible Tor
the violations Of the Law by unlicensed per-
sons. All such violations of The License
Law take the same course as transgressions
Of any other Statute, they come under the
cognizance of County officers and County
Courts. Faithfulness is required Of men IN
other places, as well as at the post OF Cem-
missioners. 1t is therefore most seriously
felt that the experience Of the past year 'p'Peri
ously calls npon erery &c cd citizen. to Prerent
bvhis rote, The exhibition for another year, Of
The den.orali,in spectacle Of at least twenty
five County officers-whose especial duty 1t
is to arraign delinquents-deiiberateiy refu-
sing 10 erecute the penalty OF the law upon
transgressors. and then publicly upbraiding
an unexecuted Law with their own abandon
ment Of duty.
The Representatives Of the people, IN the
last Legislature, had the law under consider
alton, well knowing that seven Counties had
granted general licenses, and se'en' Iestric-
! ted licences for the sale ofspirtuous liquors.
| If they had seen that either side had mislak-
en- the intent Of the law. we have reason 10
suppose they would have altered or defined
it. From their silence we catch CLEAN OF
/ hope that seven Counties Of Vermont may
possibly survive the charge of having execu-
ted only te,c unimportant provisions Of the
Statute. From their silence we derive an
othed argument for the right Of the people TO
take their choice between the two causes
That choice is the issue now before The Peo-
| pie. The law as it was, remains ne td,o as
its. And ,rl,le it remains a ldo Of The State
as good citizens and conscientious roiors, tre
are bound 10 elect Commissioners, icto tc'H
carry IL fairly and fully into effect, Dn'nttuen-
ecd Jy the d'ciation Of ong irresponsible or