New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-04-20
LAW AND LIQUOR,

Mr.. A. Daley Hall was last autumn ole ,ted
District Attorney under rather DUBUQUE crcum-
stances, which, to many pers,ns, suggested the
Suspicion Of bargain with the ruu.seIler, with
view, on their part, to the dreaded contingency
Of the Prohibisory Law. This charge Mr. Halt
did not explain so clearly as was desirable at the
time but he boldly declared that his official acts
should be such a. to remove every imputstiOn.
Accordingly, there was nothing to be done but
to wait for the time of trial which should wash
the Distict.AttoIney's robes clean from the least
shadow Of distrust. That time has nov come,
ard we are sorry to say that the robes are not q
bit Iurer than they were before.
We yesterday published a letter which the
District-Attorney bad written to the Mayor, in
reply to the latstrs request to be informed of the
law cor corning the sale ofliquor between May l,
when licences cease to be granted, and July 4,
when the prohibitory statute takes full effect.
Mr.. Hall replies that during the period 10 ques.
ton there will be no Law at ali, aud that the
rum sellers of the city msy hold unrestricted sat-
uynulia on every day In the week for these two
months, With 10 power anywhere to check them
The reasoning on which this opinion is based will
no doubt appear perfectly satisfactory to the par.
ties whose interest 10 advanced by it, but 1t will
barely render Mr.. Hall Immortal a. a lawyer.
He Gays that the right TO sell liquor is natural
rjeht, and, Sin the absence Of prohibition Or Of
"lioense iyttem, with psins and penalties 1t
"tached," everybody may become run mer-
chant, wholesale or retail. And, the prohibitory
law having abolished licenses, the sapient st!or
ley arsues that, as a consequence, it has abOl
i.Led all penalties for selling without license.
Nov, this msy be good rum selling law, but IN
ii some respectable Court 50 expounds the mat
ter, We fear IL will not be much esteemed by the
public 10 general The new statute, 20 far from
entirely sbrogatiDg the old ones simply repes'
that provision in them whereby licenses were
grsnted, leaving all the rest inta,s aud valid
Tie pe nsltes of these statutes will be In force
after the 1st of May as we'll as before, and Their
IL nothing In the nov law which can be reasons
bly, construed to the contrary. Mr.. Halls a.
sumption, that because tome people were II
etpsed under the old ensctments and the new
forbids The licensing Of any, the natural right 3
sell, a. he calls it, Ia fully restored to all th
world, is . hssty blunder, which some may 60 o
far a. 10 cali wilful sophism. Alter the let Q
Msy the law will be, simply. that all persons VII
sell liquor without license dose at the risk Of csr
tain pains and penalties, and further, that nobod
shall be licensed. All who then prosecute tn
traffic will be liable to the same punishment a
the unlicepsed deslers were before. This W
suppose 70 be the law, and We are confident tina
the Courts must so declare il, the District Attoi
tty to the contrary Notwithstanding. The differ
erce in The nature Of the business before and af.e
tie 4th Of July, when Prohibition begins, IL sim
pl. thst until that time the penalties In force ar
tbost Of tie old law. while after it they will
ttose of the Lew. And We afec.lonately sdyis
the liqu' people not to rely too confidently o
sbe friendly exposition Of this public Officer
They will do much better to make their arrange
nenss to obey rather Il an resist the Ia y, for the
may be assured that the latter will prove bar
| road IN travail