The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1855-05-09
Correspondence of the Ashland Union.)
From New York.
New YoRk. May /. 1855.

The excitement of the liquor dealers
and liquor driukers, on the subject of
prohibition, increases as the first of Nj
approaches. If the constructions put
upon the new law by tho temperance
men be correct no person can sell liquor
in quantities smaller than five gallons
between the LIST proximo and the 4th of
July when all the provisions of the act
takes full effect. The retailers differ
in their views as to the propriety of
obeying the spirit and intent of the
statute. Some are preparing to conform
to it's obvious meaning others to defy
it. It is, not apprehended however,
that there will be much difficulty du-
ring the interval between the cessation
of the licence system and the Fourth
of July. The temperance party are
not, 1 think disposed to proceed to en-
tremities pending the advent of the
whole law. Both sides however are pre-
pairing for the litigation which will i'm
mediately follow that event. The Ii
quor interest is powerful in a pecuniary
point Of view, and has secured the ablest
members of our bar-among others
O'CoNoR, who certainly has no superior
if he has any equal, among his profess
sional brethren in this city. He has
received $500 for his opinion, which is
said to be can opinion as is an opinion J"
and he will be retained as counsel on
the alcoholic side during the struggle.
If tue law could haye fair play it would
triumph over all the objections of Mr..
HALL, District Attorney, and Mr.. Dill
LON, Corporation Counsel: which, after
all, are little better than mere bubbles.
But there is a more serious drawback to
its practical usefulness which may, and
1t is probable will, render it a nullity in
this city. A law passed subsequently to
the passage of the liquor bill, enacts
that misdemeanors committed here shall
be tried exclusively in the Court of Ses-
sions. Breaches Of the ~prohibitory Ii
quor law are misdemeanors, and as the
last mentioned act provides that the
class os misdemeanors of which it takes
cognizanze shall take precedence of all
others in all courts of the State, it is
pretty clear that the Court of Sessions
will be brought to a stand-still by the
overwhelming mass of business. The
probability is, therefore, that the retail
ing of intoxicating drinks will not be
stopped in this city by the new measure
but I have no doubt that the law via
be 30 amended at the next session of the
Legislature, as to have no loophole wide
enough for even a "~Philadelphia law
yer )" to drag a eontumacious ellen
through.
The last returns of the Commission
ers of Emigration show a marked fall
ing off in the number of aliens LANDED
at this port during the present year, a
compared with the arrivals in 1854
Between the LIST of December and tn
18th of March last year, the number o
aliens registered was 43,4l3. This yea
during the same period, 1926 ; a de
crease of 1925.
1t is said that there are about tw
thousand Chinese at present living i
this city. Some of them peddle cigars
others beg, few work. Onc of thei
countrymen keeps a large " celestial
boarding house in Cherry ST, and
!, getting wealthy by tie speculation
Rumor says that rats, cats and dogs, ar
remarkably scarce in that vicinity.
The nomination of Commodore Va
: DERB1Lr by that committee in New JeI
sey, was a " sell ;" One of the commit
tee states over his own signature that
was merely a bit of gas, intended as
sort of counter blast to the nomiuatio
of GEORGE LAW. The Commodore b
at the tempting bait, however, an
I" talked back very sententiously. l
is decidedly irrevcrent thus to "pok
fun " at a citizen worth five millions {
dollars. Somebody will be nominatin
+ WIN. B. AsToR for the Presidency Ssh
way of a Sandwich, some of thes
days.
The friends of the P%rohibitory Liquo
Law met in great force at the Metro
, politan Theatre last night, for the pun
, pose of exchanging congratulations. NJ
/ W. f. DODGE presided, and the meecin
was addressed by Drs. TYING, BEEcuEH
, PECK, w. II. BuRLEGGH, ESQ.,, aud 9th
ers. DIR. TYING was in his funniest vein
and let off a broadside of fun on the oc
! casion. Speaking of the money said t
be subscribed to defeat the law, he sal
I" he did not believe the rumsellers woul
ever be able to say to the Bench-de
eide for me and I'll give you a punched
of whiskey, but decide against me an
l will give you punching of the ribs E.
Pretty fair for the church.
ST. CYR.
A GpEAT EARuEp -TuE &C Err