Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-03-17
M.o,,ng ON Wednesday night

Believing thai the Hastings Court of our CITY,
| IN granting licenses Ia sell alcoholic and Yinous
| liquors. bad previously acted either IRON ms
taken construction of the laws laid down Tor their
guidance in the premises, or from n want OF Que
consideration Of their import. very large mum
her of our citizens presented 10 the last May
term If that Court highly respectful memorial
praYnp that body ITO grant mo- license 10 keep
hotel or arinary unless they had before them the
most nmple and nnquestlonahle evidence That sucH
nm establishment was required by the wants OF
the communicates the house and equipments
of the applicant were such n would meet those
wants. and especially that the said applicant
world act in rood faith under that license, and
keen really. and in truth. house where food,
f,deinO and all the n .unl comforts and accommo-
dations of a hotel or ordinary could at all times
be obtained when properly applied ", and that
lac would not use such license rs disguise for
keeping n mere tipping house" The memorial
aisfs further prayed the Court, ITO grant no IL
eense to retail ardent or vinous liquors 10 any ap-
plicant, whose character and standing in the com
mnpty we're not of themselves a sufficient as
snrancc that the terms of the license would not
he exceeded the laws would suffer neither
violation nor evasion at his hands, In the hon
est opinion Of the signers, the prayer of that me
mortal was reasonable and just one for 1t
sought nothing more than the full measure OF
protection. which the laws having reference to its
But the Hastings Court thought differently, and
the action of the MAY term resulted IN again
dottng our city from one extremity 10 the other
with numerous esfabl shments, having authority
10 sell wines and ardent spirits; several of which,
although wearing the legal garb ofhotels Or ordl-
naries possess scarcey solitary characteristic
emitting them To such n classification, save the
ability to furnish at all times any amount of al
coholic aud yinous drinks, much TO the detrment
of the good order and good morals of the city.
We do not for moment question the integrity
of the Court, to its past action upon tins sub
ject. On the contrary it affords US the utmost
plea To declare, that we believe they were
prompted 10 that action, as they would be III all
Other things, solely by conviction that they
were dsehareing their duty. But holding as we
do, upon this icct n construction FLAW at va
rance with that of the Court, and believing that
we have n perfect right to claim the full benefit
of all the prot acton which. the laws guarantee
To us in the premises and that from the past ac-
ton of the Court, ns now constituted, we cannot
expect the amount of legal protection which we
believe ourselves entitled to at their hands, and
further believing that the right to elect our pub
lie servants necessarily involves the right to
elect such ants as, in our honest opinion, will
best promote the public good, and especially when
we take survey of the moral blight that wells
our city, the habits of intcmperance which
peryadc large portion of our populations from
youth through every stage of manhood to de-
crepid age. of the hearts and hearths made desc
late, of the swelling records of disorder and
crime-of our slave population, either diseased
and destroyed, or rendered corrupt and rebel
lious, or otherwise yalueless and useess--nnd
al-all resulting from the broad freedom which
prevails, ny to the privilege of selling Intoxicating
drinks--wo feel that it is time To pause and
ponder we'll upon II course of action, so pregnant
with peril to our social and moral well being, and
that it is solemn duty to make an effort to
elect II Court who will, we believe they have "A
right to do, exercise more limited discretion in
administering the license laws of the State.
We however deem it due to ourselves to de-
clare, that do not and never have intended to
eNact of any person, that may be put in nomina-
ton by Us for the offices in question, any pledge
whatever as to his future notions, and that we in
tend, in making such selections, to he guided
lely-ether by the well known opinions, or the
antecedent practices OF the individual selected,
and that should he be elected, he will enter upon
the discharge of his official duties, as free from
ali such trammels us il he had secured his nomi-
nation at the hands OF those who are opposed to
this action on pnrt-and we further declare
that we shall not in any way hold him bound to
conform To our peculiar views of construction as
10 tho license or any other law and far are
concerned his only chart of duty will be his Off
cial obligations and the laws of the land-There-
nate to be voted for at tho next city election. n
board of Aldermen who believe will exer-
else more limited discreet IN than has heretofore
| prevailed in our city in granting licenses to sell
wine aud ardent spirts--if they can do SO con
sistently with their official obligations and the
| right of the applicants for such licensees
! On motion, the preamble and resolution were
unanimously adopted.
| Mr.. VIM. =. Sisson moved that Il committee OF
II be appointed for the purpose of recommending
candidates in each ward for the Hastings Court,
which motion was carried. The chairman find
ing some difficulty in selecting that number OF
| persons to act upon said committee,
Mr.. Sisson withdrew his motion.
Mr.. Geo Pcreival, Sr. then moved that a
committee of be appointed instead of ID Car
ried
The chairman appointed the following commit
tee.
UPPER WARD.
Jacob IL. Robinson, Geo. Hail. VIM. b. Brown,
| VIM. p. Sisson.
LOWER WARD.
Col. Jas. NJ. Langhorne Geo. Diuguid, DR.
Gilmer.
During the retirement of the committee, Mr.
VIM. Nj. Davis read paper to the meeting, ex-
planatory of the answer he gave MIR. kirkpat
rick Mt the previous meeting as to "the proba-
BILE future action of what is termed the Anti-Li-
cense party" He soemnly averred that he inten-
ded his answer to convey none other than his
own individual views-which,as he had consult
ed with no one-were all he had right to ex-
press.
The committee then reported the following
nominations.
UPPER WARD.
VIM. A. Read, Saml. W. Shelton, David w.
Burton, VIM. L. Anderson, VIM. l.. Saunders,