Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-01-24
LIQUOR Debates.

During the past week, the liquor traffic
was considerably discussed in the House of
Commons, arising on various private bills
asking for protection from its ravages. The
FIRST debate arose on a bill for the better reg
~ulation of the town of Henderson, in which q
clause had been recommended to be stricken
out by the Committee, wherein the powor of
licensing was vested in the Commissioners.
Mr.. Amis, of Granville, stated that, with the
exception Of four, every voter in the town had
retitioned that the power be so vested. Me-.
Bullock, his colleague, was opposed out and
out to prohibition in any case. At the in
stance of Mr.. Amis, the bill was laid on the
table for the present.
The next was on the bill amending the
Charter Of Davidson College, in which was a
provision prohibiting the sale of intoxicating
liquors within FIVE miles Of the same. We
did not hear the debate, but the bill was final
ly indefinitely postponed by four majority
So to 80.
The third debate, on the same day, was on
q bill to prohibit the sale of intoxicating IL
quors to Free Negroes, making it a penal Of
fence at the pleasure of the Court. Mr.. j
Barnes opposed the bill SO did Mr.. Single
tary-he thought there were many honora
BILE free negroes and it would be wrong tc
prohibit them from purchasing liquor. HI
spoke not as q friend of free negroes or Main,
Law. MFR. rorrrene was opposed to tho bill
He argued that if q free negro was to b
6 engaged in ditching with the water up to hi
knees, it would be morally wrong 20 prohibi
him from obtaining the necessary stimulus
!. and he might die for the want oft. He sal,
there were 100 free negroes in his county
i and this bill will press hard upon the we
behaved portion Of them. 1t will, also, driv
responsible men from the business, who's
place will be supplied with l~awless, irrespor
sible men, who will sell liquor in defiance (
q the law selling liquor to slaves was a gre;
u evil, but the bill under consideration will nj
70 amend it. Mr.. N. advocated the punishmer
~ of free negroes for selling liquors to slave
J. and offered an amendment that free n
as groes who shall sell liquor to slaves shall
uu6u paw anu COStS. duu II uAdUlc " pt
We shall be sold to pay the same.o
or Mr.. Dargan was opposed to the bill al
IN amendment, and said if it passed, it wou
ne make the free negroes the most respectful
and wellbehaved portion Of the communit
He did not wish to give them the advanta
sh, over white people. Messrs. Jordan and Smi
Did favored the bill. They argued that the lib'
ay- ty given free negroes to trade in i~ntoxicati
- liquors was one greatcause Of the ruin broug
to upon the slave population. The bill was fin
old ~ rejected-68 to Is.
So free negroes are not to be allowed t
on much dreaded advantage alluded to
Mr.. Dargan, but they can induce slaves
By steal and, backed by mean white men, s.
ers, infict the curse of drunkenness on the sa
yon population and depreciate their value 25
the so per cent.
We shall reserve our comments on tn
lble things till the end Of the chapter, in the MI
ID a time leaving each reader to ponder well
de- the action of the Peoples representa-,
re- and decide whether they endorse their acti