Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1850-08-29
BY REQUEST.
Minority Report

BY REQUEST.
Minority Report
Or A COMMITTEES OF THE CONNECTICUT LEGIsLA-
TURE ON THE SALE OF Spurious LIQUORS.
The majority of the Committee having reported
that nothing could be done, and that the petition
be returned to the next assembly, the minority
made an able report, and recommended bill
which passed the House. Says the Committee:
AS means of determining the precise effects of
this traffic, prohibition of which is sought, we
have only been able to examine the common sour
ces of evidence which are open to all. From
thence, we are panied to learn that full three
fourhs of all the paupers in our State have been
reduced to their present condition by intemper-
ance. From actual examination of the facts in
the case, it has been ascertained that, in many
towns, almost the entire poor tax is created as
direct result Of this evil which is paid not exclu
sivey by those who have been benefited by the,
sale of strong drinks, but mainly by such as pray
to be relieved from these excessive burdens.
Your Committee have learned, also, that very
large proportion of all the crime which is exposed
and punished in your State, is traceabe directly
to this evil. eeC e.ts. h...s.R. s-.sl 5s-a ss
The Commissioners Of Hartford County, in their
report for lS49, say, "tha of the l27 commitments
to the county prison, 81 were incorporate persons
OF the remaining 80, but few were known to be
strictly temperate"
The late keeper Of the Hartford county prison,
in answer TO the question, :" What portion of com
mitments TO your prison owe their origin directly
or indirectly, to intemperance I" answers, Ninety
per cent, and more than tacO-thirdS directly
There have been toeloe hundred commitments to
this prison in ten years-ten hundred and twenty
of which, by this estimate. have had thier origin
in ntemperance. The costs of the State the last
year, for executing the criminal law in Hartford
county alone, upon those charged with various of
fences, who were more or less addicted to the use
of strong drinks to excess, have been nearly ST.
500; while the cost of trying all other criminal
cases not connected 18th the use of liquors, has
been less than S275. - ..,a4 .srf.
| In New Haven county your Committee have
sought in vain for relief from the terrible facts
brought to their knowledge from other parts ofthe
! State. 3 --as. a---.,a
| In l649, the commitments to the New Haven
county prison were 227; lsl of which had their
origin in the same source. ss
! The Chief of the Police of the City of New Ha-
ven unequivocally afirms that seven-tenths of all
! the vagrancy and crime which comes under his
observation, is the direct fruit of intemperance.
In New London County the increase Of vagran-
cy and crime has been SO great, within few
years past, to make it necessary TO enlarge the
| Jail at Norwich the keeper of which affirms thai
more then three quarters ofsall the persons who
have been committed there for several years pas
have been incorporate.
] The Commissioners Of Windham County say
that of SO commitments to their prison in sin
gle year.G5A had their origin, directly, or lndi
recty, in intemperance r-e rsr--r.
4 Of the 40 commitments to the Litchfeld Coun
ty prison, from May, Is4s. to February, 1s49, 81
were directly occasioned by the use of intoxca.
ting drinks, and the remaining confessed intem-
perance if not the direct, the indirect cause ofthe
commission of the crimes for which they were
committed.
! From June lst, l845, to February lst l848, there
were committed to the Fairfield County prison, at
Danbury, 80 persons. OF this number 3s for of
fences committed while in state of intoxication;
and 20 OIL Inc REMAINDER were HoT6 or less duQlCL-
ed to habits of ntemperance, Chile i6 were in the
constant habit of using strong drinks: leaving l
| only Of the whole number a total abstinence per-
son. and II out Of the 80, who did not owe their
criminal confinement and degradation TO the use
of intoxicating drinks. 80 ufs hs5sI45 seas
i From other counties we have not been furnished
with stati slics. but can see no reason TO expect
any better state things than those already pre-
sented. b esf8.8 .81 H9 sk sas9 $3.50 a8fI sli
/ From thence we turn to the State Prison, and,
if possible, to more appalling development ofthis
evil, than we have found elsewhere. - =
/, On the 18th day Of May, l54s, there. were 100
male conyicts in this prison 105t Of whom con
fessed 10 intempefate habits before commitment
and IS Of them were intoxicated when cocnqN@t|lng
the driines for which theyswere imPr isoned, sas
| On the 23d .ol.April, 1880, there were, IN .he