Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-07-03

Hcm tia Ha'iotrsu 0assffs.
The Liquor Law---The Veto
Power

Hom the Ha'io,reu Gasafs.
The Liquor Law---The Veto
Power
MEssss. EDrroRs The ..Act. for. the sup
pssss,sr 81 dr,ukins houses and tippling snoss's
has been of late the subject Of not little dis
cussion and Of animsdversionin the public pa
pers. It is no part Of our present intention to
call in question the. propriety OF to canvass the
merits Of this act That it IL the off -pring Of
a deep and earnest conviction, in the minds OF
a large, highly intelligent and respectable
portion of our cilixens. CT the necessity for the
enforcement of its provisions. there can be no
doubt. rThat;it- meets the views OF another
class, equally intelligent and respectable, equal
ly impressed with the magnitude of the evil to
be met, and no less DESTROYS of correcting it, is
not quite SO certain. %. 90
II has however. become law. and we are,
as good citizens, bound to obey il. We are
not disposed to call in question the correctness
OF action of the friends of the law, the purity
OF motive of the representatives Of the people
in its enactment; on the contrary, We are
bound to believe their action to have been a
true reflection of the wishes and will of their
constituency, -.
1t is not for us to go behind the curtain and
inquire into the secret motives which may
have influenced the vote of any man, or class
Of men, representing the pubic.
Whether fear Of responsibility. or a DISPOSE
ton TO cater for popularity, whether personal
feelings, whether the influence of demacorues
and political gamblers, whether party tactics
have entered into the motives of action. and
produced willingness on the part of some of
the actors to shirk responsibility, and to throw
il where 1t does not belong is not for us to de-
eide These are questions which every man
must answer to his own conscience.
Ii may. however be asked. the question has
been widely ayitated, why did not the Gore, nor
veto bill obnoxious to the objections of nu-
mcrous and respectable norton of our citizens
of doubtful constitutionalty The fact that
the law is of doubtful cons,itutionalitv. NAV an
swer the question in part.
Had it been clearly Unconstitutional il
would 10 doubt have been vetoed. Our Judi
cial tribunals have however, been far from de-
Gliding against the PRINCIPLES involved in this
law, and most of its Questionable points have
been the subject of adjudication. A cas-. nm
der law o: Massachusetts involving one of its
most doubtful fa,,ures has baan bsfora the
Tpit.d St.,,s Conr, ,nd ,,,s d.c;asd Nv a A.
yided opinion of that tribunal and il is now
extremely problematical what might be the
opinion of our judiciary upon any point of
eouivocal construction involved in this law
should The executive Then foe, himself an-
thorized 10 assume iudyment 70 dictate. when
,he tribunals N whom such oras,;nps prlar
m. constitution are ASSIGNED arc ,bemsslves
involved in doubts
The veto power was never intended as part
of ordinary legislation 1t exists in the Con-
stitulion of the United States, and in those of
part only of the several States. in various de.
srees OF efficiency. Ii is an arbitrary power
reposed in one individual and hence however
discreetly exercised. ALWAYS more or less odious
in its application. II was intended as a check
merely. upon the popular branches of legisla.
lures, and can. in conformity with the theory
of our institutions be applied only in cases Of
hastv, incons:derate, or of unconstitutional
acts The warmest advocates of this mower. in
the Democratic ranks. cr,v their views of lis
nropar ,,,l;c.,;on M frr,hr ,h,, ,b;s p,r
Whio friends in the two las, pr.sidr,t;,l cam
vases have appeared disnosed ~ rrrudia,e
the power altogether and il NAV be matter
Of doubt. even. midst party strife and the i'm
puted misapplication of the veto power, which
way the popular sentiment of the Union bears
in relation TO its exercises under any circum :
stances
Whatever nav be true in this respect. there
can be no prerence that the law here in cues
ton is of character to warrant executive in
reference. There has been no haste in lis
enaetheh'' ana IL lnconsiderate, 1t has not