The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-04-24
THE PRoHIBrToRY LIQUOR Law.

The New York Journal Of Commerce has
an article contending that the prohibitory IL
auor law of that State, so far as it prohibits
the sale of liquors by the importers, in orgi-
nal packages, or their transportation through
the State in such packages, violates the Con
stitusion of the United States. IT refers 10
the famous case of Gibbons W.. Ogden, deci-
ded by the Supreme Court oil the ohi'ea
States-a case which arose out OF tue iesis'
lation of New York, in attempting to give
An exclusive use of her rivers, for purposes
of steamboat navigation, to Messrs Fulton
and Livingston, in which it was held thai the
mower of the General Government to regu-
late commerce is co-extensive with the sub
iect ON which it acts; that it does not stop at
the external boundary of State, but enters
within its limits, and is there supremei that
commerce is intercourse, and one of its prin'
cipal ingredients is traffic.
The journal also says, that in the case of
Brown VS.. The State of Maryland-which
arose out of an attempt to collect the penalty
imposed by law of the State on importers,
who sold their goods in original packages
without license-it was held that the power
to regulate commerce, and the legislation OF
Congress authorizing the importation OF
goods, included the sale of the articles intro
duced; that sale was an essential ingredient
of that commerce, of which importation COO,
sttuted part; indeed. that sale was rs indis.
pensable to the existence of commerce as
was importation. In delivering the decision
of the Court in this case against the State
law, Judge Marshall asks:
"What would be the language of a foreign gov
crument which should be Informed that ito mer.
chants after importing according TO law aoere TOR.
hidden to sell the merchandise importedP What
answer would the UDited States give TO the COM
plaints and just reproaches which such 40 extrsor'
binary circumstance would impose on them? Ne
apology would be received or even offered. Such
a state of things would break up commerce. Ii
will not meet this argument to say that such state
OF things will never be produced, that the good
sense of the States IL sufficient security against IT,
The Constitution has not conded the subj to that
good sense IL 10 placed elsewhere. The question
is, where does the power residef not how tar VIII
1t be probably abused3 The power claimed by the
State 10 10 its nature 10 conflict with that given to
Congress; and the greater or less extent In wnich
Il NAV be exercised, does not enter into the iuQui
nv concerning its existence. We think, then, that
Ii the power to authorize sale exists 10 Congress,
the conclusion that the right to sell Is connected
with the law permitting importation, as an insepa-
rable iucideDt-is inevitable. 1t the principles we
have stated be correct the resuItto which they con
duct US cannot be mistaken Any penalty IL ficted
on the importer for selling the article az ms charac-
tor of importer be In opposition to the act OF
Congress which authorizes importation. Any
charge on the Introduction and incorporation OF
the articles into and oh the property In the
country must be hostile to the power given 70 Con-
gress regulate commerce, since an essential part
OF that regulation. and principal object OF II, is to
prescribe the regular means for accomplishing tnat
Introduction and Incorporation"
The Court, adds the Journal, composed,
among other eminent names. of John Mar
shall, Bushrod Washington, Joseph Story and
Smith Thompson, adopted these views, and
gave judgment against the State of Mary
land-a judgment which has since been act
ed upon throughout the whole length and
breadth of the Union, without question as to
its propriety. seea
w The opinion given by the district at
torney of the city of New York, that between
the first of May, when all licenses expire, and
the 4th of July, when the liquor law goes into
effect, every person may sell liquor with i'm
punity. Sundays included, receives the hear
ty approva, of all the thirsty men of the town
1t is believed that in the brief interval left
the topers will drink enough to last them fol
the next twenty five years.
RIOT AND Loss OF LIFE AT CHIcAGo.-A seriou
riot, growing out of the liquor law, occurred Il
Chicago, Illinois, on Satu, day last. A small pro-
cession Of Intoxicated Irish and Germans, headed
by drum and fife, marched to the court house
onI xIa onfla ntol
interfered and fight eusued. This brought an i'm
mense crowd together, and battle took place, in
which clubs and knives were used. One man wa
killed and five or six wounded. Several of tn
riDgleaders were arrested and committed to prison
from whence the Germans declared their intentio,
to release them. In the afternoon the military wer
called out, and company of artillery placed at tn
court house.
MOB L Nv IN MIssoURI-MErHoDIsr PRKAcHess
The office of the ''Luminary" 10 Parksvlle, Nilsson
RI. being suspected of ireesoil tendencies was at
tackled on Sunday by some two hundred citizens O.
Platte country, who destroyed the fixtures, and
threw the printing press into the Missouri river
The editors absence alone saved them from beino
tarred and feathered. The mob passed resolution.
denouncing the editors and threatening their live
~ well 40 those OF other free soilers twas .Iso
determined that no Methodist preacher sbon,S nv
allowed TO preach in that county, on main of 10
and feathers" for the first offence, and HANGING n
the second. Al
FIRE IN EATON, PA,-CHuRcH BURNED Al
Eastop, Pa, ON Saturday night ten buildinss ae,e
destroyed by fire, the work of an incepdisrv
Among the buildings destroyed was Towards En-.
press Stables, with five horses, and the Metbodi.,
Church.
The freshet on the Lehigh and Delaware river,
% subsiding.
FIaE IN PKrERsBURG.-We learn that fire oc.
Cured Ia Petersburg yesterday morning in the clio
thisg store OF Julius Robinson on Sycamore street
Ithappeped sbout4 O'Clock. 1t was extinguisbef
promptly; little damage having been done to The
building.
LET OEY.-The degraded woman, Mary Jones
who was sentenced to five years 10 the House o,
Correction, at Boston, for street walking, has been
let of on condition that she would leave the city
for hveyears.
Quick Turtle Curtis Peck from Richmond
10 Norfolk, arrived at the latter place. Saturday, By
bali past 2P. M-the quickest trip ever made be.
tween the two cities.
N-v,.~svv, rrr m rsr = nu hnnNa,, A. Ic,l