Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1854-03-16
Published by request.]
REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE

OF THE SENATE OF MARYLAND.
Mr. Farnands, from the committee on fl
nance, to which was referred The bill entitled
an act to regulate the sale of distilled spirits
and other intoxicating liquors, submitted the
following report:
That, regarded in relation 10 its effect on
the revenues of the State, in which aspect il
is more peculiarly the province Of this COM
mittee TO examine its tendency, the enact
ment Of the proposed law would be produce
tive of serious loss and unqualified injury.
! The bill provides that no distilled or in
toxicaling liquors shall be sold within the
limits Of the State except for medicinal, me-
Chemical, artistic or sacramental uses, and
only by persons appointed by the judges of
The circuit courts for the several counties
and the city Of B,llmore that there shall
not be more than ten in each county and the
city, each of whom shall pay the sum Of
| fifty dollars on his appointment.
If the whole number &C, and pay the stip-
ulased tax, the aggregate will be eleven
thousand dollars; the revenue derived from
licenses to ordinaries, during the past year
was $3l ,GI3.33, which being reipqushed
would inhlct on the treasury loss Of more
than $4,000.
The traders licenses yielding $4,000
would be seriously effected. The smaller
stores would not be maintained, and the lar
ger, denied the traffic in lucrative article
now permitted, would in justice be entitled
to ra,eable reduction of the tax imposed
on them, for which il was q part of the con-
sidera,on.
A large amour. Of capital employed in the
liquor trade, and invested in establishments
for the manufacture Of distilled and malt Ii
quors, would be diverted 10 less profitable
channels, driven frcm the Stale, or impaired
in extent, and by such diversion or reduction
diminish the resources Of the treasury.
Indirect, but more disastrous injuries
would result, from the damage inflicted on
the trade and prosperity of the city of Bal
timore. The reputation of commercial
community is extremely y sensitive, and in
reference by law 10 restrict, direct or con-
troll its business must be we'll advised, not
TO prove detrimental. If The capacity of 9
market to supply every article of necessity
or luxury be diminished the value Of all that
is 10 be found in lis depots is essened !;
where the supply is most ample, there the
trader will resort, and will desert the limit
ed, for the unrestricted mart, where every
demand can be gra,i6ed al once.
la the almost desperate rivalry no W in pro-
gress amongs, the more extensive CONNER
cial emporiums Of The country, it would be
suicidal to paralyse tile energies and re'ard
the advance ofthe city we should most cher
ish, and whose interest it is our duty to pro-
,ect. Her grocery market is her peculiar
boast, and upon this The blow would imme-
diateIy and most heavily fall The opinion
of her intelligent capitalists and traders is
sufficiently indicated by their memorials,
and in tina, opinion the committee fully con-
cur.
We are aware tha, speculative calculations
ere exhibited, designed TO enforce the idea
that this bill would prove advantageous as
revenue measure. 1t is urged that our
almshouses and prisons are filled with drum
kards, and that the necessity for and
expense of such institutions is attributed
TO the use Of Intoxicating liquors. De-
grading and deplorable as the vice OF
drunkenness Is, and ruinous as it may be to
the health, fortune and happiness of indi-
vIduas, we are persuaded that It's produc-
liveness of crime amenable to the law, is
greatly exaggerated; sometimes the cause,
it is oflener the concomitant of crime-as Of
ten the child as the parent-and although
paupers and felons may be drunkards, the in
ference is as illogical as untrue, that if tenn
pera,e they would have been prosperous and
honest.
We re;terate the deliberate and unani-
nous opinion of the committee that to the
revenues of The SIa,e the operation Of this
bill would be prejudiciaI, and more to be
deprecated, as importing that branch which
alone it is in the power Of the Legislature
to appropriate for those salutary or charita-
bic objects that may invoke the benovolence
or the justice of the Government.
Blu! even divcs,ed Of It's injurious consc-