The New York herald., 1851-09-25
Our Portland Correspondence.
PORTLAND, Sept. 20, 1851.
TIE Maine L.t0uor Latc.

EokILAND, oePt. 20, looi'
The Maine Liquor Lac.
The State of Maine has taken precedence of all
the other members Of the Union, in the strngency,
not to say violence, of its ensctment for suppress
ing the sale of spirituoas liquors.
At the session of the Legislature which ad-
journed in May last, law was passed providing
that one person in every town or city in the State,
should be appointed to sell liquors for medicinal
and mechanical purposes, and no other for which
service such compensation shall be paid him as
shall be prescribed by the Mayor and Aldermen
or select men, from whom he receives his appoint
ment lie is required to give bond in the sum
Of six hundred dollars conditioned that he SHALL in
all respects, conform to the provisions of tho law
relating to the business for which he is appointed
and is subject to removal at any tune.
Any person not thus authorix d. who shall sell any
spirituous liquors, is liable for the first offence to
fine of ten dollars and the costs OF prosecution;
the second conviction to a fine of tventy dollars
and the costs Of prosecution; and the third, to
fine oftwenty dollars and costs OF prosecution aud
Imprisonment in the common ial not less than three
months nor more than months.
The law also prov ides Tor the search Of buildings
and even Of dwelling houses, on sufficient evidence
that Liquors are kept in the same for sale, aHd the
seizure of liquors found in them; and that the
shall be known to the officer seizng the same sh all
be summoned forthwith before the justice or dge
by whose warrant the liquors we're seized, and if he
fails to appear, or unless he san show by positive
proof that said liquors are of foreign production,
that they have been imported under the laws of the
United States, and in accordance therewth-thl At
they are contained in the original packages ia
which they were imported. and in quantities not
less than the laws Of the nted states prescribe,
they shall be declared forfeited, and shall be de
stIoyed by authority Of the written order to that
effect, of said justice or judge, and in his presence,
or in the presence oil some person appointed by lin
to witness the de,tructon thereoi-all forfeitures
and penalties arising under the act to be sppro-
priated to the benefit of the poor.
lou Will readily perceive that this law is ex-
tremely severe in provIiing not only pecuniary
ulcts, but for tho actual Imprisonment of offenders
and the plan Of destroying the liqaor fcuad in
pected places is, believe, new feature in TEN.
perance legislation.
The number Of greg shops in this city at the
time Of the enactment of this law was very
large; by some st ,ted at two hundred and fifty,
and by others at five hundred, in O city Of
twenty.iv thousand inhabitants These have
been almost entirely suppr ssed There are recy
few, any, opsn snd pubic saesof liquor at retail.
Still, presume that travellers, who will take the
trouble to ask for it, will find difficulty in OBJ
tanrg sufficient Of the " Ere water here to grati-
fy moderate appetites and / have heard no lit
tie popping OF champagne bottles since came to
the city.
saw an old gentleman here from New York, q
water upon his systsm, saying that lie always took
brandy or wine with il at home but here, suppos-
ing the case hopeless, he had not even called for
it. He was then on his way to apothec iry's in
search Of lauianum! lie locked like rather too
old member Of the bar to suppose that law aud
fact always coincide.
The number of pr secutions In this city for viois
tion Of the liquor Law, has been very small; but
twenty Eve or thirty warrants TO search for liquor
have been issued In one instance, about ten bar
els was destroyed. ! believe that as yet there
has been no case Of third conviction, though Sc
veral persons have been committed TO jail for the
non p-S ment Of fines and eoe,s FOX the first and
second con c.ions
Different opinions are entertained a TO tho prac-
tioablity of keeping this la~ permanently upon
the statute book; but the general expectation
seems to be- thai IL will b. continued and enforced:
that, at most, nothing more than slight modiGca-
uons OF some of its provisions can be obtained,
While its main features viii net bs repealed.
large temperance meeting was recently holden
in the Unitarian church in this city Among the
speakers was the Rev. Dr. Cox, Of your city, who
told many apt anecdotes, and created deal Of mcr-
riment and laughter. He was loudly applauded. B.