Eastern times., 1855-03-22
The New LIQUOR Law.

lhe outrageous new liquor law of Neal
Dow, Elder Peck and other hotheads, having
passed the Legislature, it is we'll to publish
the vote on IFS passage in the House for future
reference 1t is one of the most inconsistent
and arbitrary laws ever forced upon free
people. In the words of Mr.. Chase, repre-
sentative from Calais, the law is inconsistent
and arbitrary, because its penalties bear no
comparison to the penalties for other offences,
and because slight offences are punished with
great severity.
By this law, the man who sells one glass Of
liquor, though it may do no injury, and at
most, but little, is fined ten dollars, and i'm
prisoned thirty days, while BY other laws, the
man who sells any amount or arsenic, opium,
chloroform, all of which are used to considera-
BILE extent, to the great injury of health, and
often, 10 the sure destruction of life, is neither
fined nor imprisoned
The man who is convicted Of selling the
fourth time, is fined two hundred dollars, and
imprisoned six months, while the black heart
ed sedacer, who beguiles an innocent girl and
destroys her happiness, and the happiness of
her friends for life, is usually fined from one
hundred to five hundred dollars, without i'm
prisenment.
The express man who is convicted for the
fourth time of carrying ever SO small quanti-
ty Of liquor, is fined four hundred dollars, and
imprisoned six months, while the man who
carries conglomerated, poisonous, life-destroy-
ing medicines, publishing and stating, in most
positive terms, that they will cure all diseases,
and by such villanous statements and false
pretences, defrauding community Of its money,
and spreading diseases, instead of curing il, is
left unfned, and unimprisoned. The man
who takes liquor to iRtoxication, is imprisoned
thirty days, while the man who makes an un-
successful attempt to kill himself at once by
taking arsenic, is not punished by law.
The argument that if man does not trans
gress he will not be punished, applies as well
in any other case, as where liquor is con-
cerned.
That, as whole, no evil is equal to the
evil Of intemperance, no one, at least do not,
pretend to deny. All good citizens, are anx-
ious to stopit. The question is, whether the
severest law is the best, or will it effect the
greatest good,
Each offence or transgression, considered
separately is not of great moment. 1t is the
aggregate-the whole together, that makes
the enormous evil that is SO Justly complained
Of
If the law against house-breaking and steal
ing was as much winked at, and as sackly ex-
ecuted as the liquor law has been, it would
not be long before we should be overrun with
house-breakers and thieves. 1t is the certain
ty of The execution of law that makes its
transgressor tremble.
Our present law would finally eradicate the
evil of fintemperance, if it was executed; and
it is more likely to be executed than more
stringent law-such an one as is now about TO
be passed.
The following are the yeas and nays on the
passage of the bill to be engrossed =
YEAs.-H. Andrews, L. Andrews, Abbot,
Bachelor, Bacon, Banton, Barker, Barrows,
Berry, Blanchard, E. II. Brown, L. Brown,
A'luCO, A1uSh, OdIle, SdTI,
Chaplin, Charles, A. Clark, Cole, Comins,
Coombs, Curry, Cutler Dixie, Doble, Durell,
Fenno, Files, Furbsh, Garland, Getchell, |
Hanscom, Haskell, J. B. Hill, Hinckley, f. |
Hutchins, Ingersoll, Jones, Lake, S. R.
Leavitt, Leighton, Libby, J. NJ Lincoln,
R. G. Lincoln. Main, Mallett, Mayo, McKen-
ney, Mclaughlin, Means, A. Merrill, w.
Merrill, Murphy, Mason, Nickerson, Norris, |
Oaks, Perham, Philips, Pillsbury, Poor,
Porter, burlington, Rawson, Remick, Scam
mon, Sko6eld, S. Smith, Smell, w. Stanton,
Staples, r. S. Stevens, w. P. Stevens, |
Stone, Thomas, Titcomb, TwitchelI, Walker,
Wallace, Wasson, Weeks, Whitcomb, Wins
low, Woodman, York.-65.
The names of Messrs. Hall and Josseyn |
were afterwards added to the yeas, by their
request.
NAYs.-Bradbury, Bridges, D. X. Chase,
Joseph Chase, Josiah Chase, Cushman,
Eames, Elliot. Gilchrest, s. Gilman. Green
leaf. Haines, T. Hutchins, Ingalls,, johnson,
J. T. Leavitt. Miller, Nichols, O'Brien, Pat
tee, Payson. Pike. Raynes, Rogers, Sander
son, A. Smith, Sweat, Turner, Woodbury.
go.
1t appears there were 80 members who did
not vote. 1t would be curious to know how
many of the thirty-two lodged.