The Ohio organ, of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, [Ohio]) 1853-1854, 1853-04-22

I ~ " @-t,f.' ~ "-e-N-t - IN
remove out Of the way totally the
cause a The evil. Il was FIRST re-
ducedto practical application by the
United States in their enactments reg
ulating the trade with the Indian
tribes. BY these enactments, the
Uhited States officers are directed and
commanded to seize all intoxicating
liquors introduced for sale into the
Indian territories, and without judgs
or Jury, Immediately to destroy them;
and your committee are not aware
that the right to enact and enforce
such laws has ever been called in
question by any body. This course
we found perfectly effective in the ac-
complishment Of its object. But the
idea was too valuable to be confined
to such limited application. Its intro
duction into Legislation Of States upon
this subject, is an era from which will
be dated a revolution in the history
Of the human race.
Without further preface the COM
mittee will proceed to indicate the OBJ
jects they have had in view, in pre-
pairing the bill herewith submitted.
It is not at all matter of surprise,
that first effort in legislation upon
so momentous subject, affecting such
a variety Of interests, and upon a
principle SO novel in its use and apph-
cation, should be found to be defec-
tive. On the contrary, your commit
tee are ready to declare that with
them the surprise is rather that there
should be found SO little that needs
amendment. The object Of the COM
mittee has been to maintain, in the
fullest degree, the integrity of the
principle Of the original law; that is,
the destruction Of the liquors, and the
certainty Of the penalties, and to re-
move so far as practicable, all causes
of doubt and uncertainty in the ap-
plication of these principles in the law
in question. They do not propose to
add intensity to the enactments, being
fully satisfied that if the enactments Of
the original law can be honestly and
EEfally carried out, they are all lhatis
or can be required on this subject. Ia
accomplishing that object they have
not found it necessary to make any
change in the first ten sections of the
original act, except a repeal of SO
much of the sixth section as requires
the appellate court to inAict a double
penalty upon appellant on final con.
viction. The, FIVE succeeding sec-
tions they recommend should be re-
/ pealed, and in the bill herewith sub.
mitted they have embodied every
\ principal feature of these sections,
\ with such additions and notifications
as in their opinion will render their
H application certain, plain and direct,
and remove all reasonable objections
H TO their enforcement. They have
also endeavored to guard against any
abuse or i'll practices of agents ap-
Il pointed to sell under said act, and to
h provide remedy for the very gener-
/ al and common abuse of the sanctity
of the dwelling house in making it
the store-house and place Of deposit
Of liquors intended for illegal sale.
Your committee do not believe that to
search the dwellings into which rum
has retreated, relying upon the Sa-
credness Of the domestic hearth for
its protection from the grasp of the
law, will be, if made under due
safeguards, any Infringement Of the
right Of citizens to be protected in
their houses from unreasonable search.
If rum to avoid the strong arm Of
the law creeps into a dwelling house,
let it be seized and dragged out as
thief would be. In the bill here
with submitted, it is provided, that be-
fore a warrant shall be issued to search