Demoine courier., 1855-02-22
For the Demoine Courier.
THE PROHIBITORY LIQUOR LAW.

smali interest 70 Inc people oil Iowa 10
know whether, and if so, when the pro.
hibitory liquor law passed az the recen.
session Of the General Assembly will
take effect and be a law binding on them.
1t has been generally understood, l be.
lieve. that the taking efec, Of this law is
made TO depend upon a vote Of the peo-
pie expressed at the nexs April election.
Such | do not regard to be the effect of
that vote. Article Sd, section q OF our
Stale Constitution. says: mo law OF
the General Assembly, Of a public ma.
,ure, shall take effect uEtil the same shall
be published and circulated in the sew
eral counties of this State, by authority i.
If The General Assembly shaIl deem any
law Of immediate importance, they may
provide that the same may take effect BY
publication in ne wspapcrs in the State"
| understand the las, clause of this pro-
vision of the Constitution to clothe tie
General Assembly with authority to or
der any law Of a public nature, and of
immediate importance, to take effect by
publication in newspapers. This Con-
stliu!ioual provision has not been resort
ed to by the General Assembly in refer
ence to the law under consideration
It's true they provide that a par. of sa ID
law shall take, ~"etTect from and after its
publication in The Iowa Capital Reporter
and Iowa Republican" Can this par.
tia! direction give said law, or any part
thereof, vitality ''from and after such
publications. think not. Every con-
stisu'ional law passed by the General
Assembly is a, entirety. Il must sem
brace bu. one object, aud this objec. mus,
be expressed in its title" Then can the
General Assembly constilu.ionalIy pro.
vide tha, n part Of a law shall take ef-
feet at one time, and another part take
effect at another and different time, by
ordering the publication of one par, in
one way and another part in another
way! The last clause of section %,
Article 3D., of the Constitution, above
quoted, gives authority 10 order these
publications in newspapers, and that
gives j, in refe renee to the law entire
not to a part of il. II This view of the
Constitution be correct, it follows then
that the law entire-as well that part
which has relation to, and provides for a
vote Of the people-as those parts which
regulate The traffic in Intoxicating liquors
must take efec, a, the same time.
SUPPOSE the law in question made no
provision for its submission to the peo-
pie, then let me inquire, when would j.
take effect under the constitution and
general law OF the State? We have seen
already what The constitutional provision
is on the subject Of the time when laws
Of a general nature are 10 take effect
In addition to this provision we find on
page 5. and in section 22 OF the code,
how the laws Of a public nature are TO
be published and circulated, and when
they take effect. This section. (22,)
provides ",hat the acts Of a public ma
ture, and resolutions passed a. the regu-
lar sessions Of the General Assembly,
are required 10 be printed, bound and
deposited in the office OF the Secretary
Of State. by the frs. day of May follow.
ing the session. and the Secretary shall
distribute them to all the organized coun-
ties in the State by the frs. day Of June
following, and such acts as have not tax.
en- effect before BY other provisions oil
law, shall take effect .hroughou, the
State on the FIRST day of July following
Then the law under consideration being
oil q ''public nature, and having been
"passed at a regular session Of the Gen
eral Assembly," will take effect on the
frs, day Of July, 1885. provided j. shall
have been previously "printed. bound and
distributed to the several counties in the
State" unlese there are some stipula-
,ions in the act itself to The contrary.
There are some provisions in sections
% and "a Of the Code which may, pos
sibly. for a short time, postpone the time
when such acts are to take effect, bu,
prima facia. they take efsc. on the first
day oil July after THEN passage. Then
If there were no provision in the law il.
self to submit it to q vote Of the people.
it will be readily admitted tina, under the