Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-02-22
The Maine Liquor Law In Congress.
Correspondence of The N. Y. Tribune,

~ commences Win pret Wole settllg loIth
the DAM lie aud property, and the in
security vf the public in evussquence Of in
toxicasing liquors beiug employed as bev-
srsge, ard then proceeds, NTH similar pro.
Visions to ihose OF the Maine Liquor law,
with few Important additions in charactci
with tie title vi the bil. =
Ia the first section it def, es minutrly the
Minds OF liquor embr aced within the meaning
vi the bill; aud in tue second, in providing
Tor The a. puiutmcnt If ap agent. ii limits his
remuneration to such salary as may be hxcd
tron Us The Mayor and Aldermen, and pro-
hibits his deriving any profit from the sale oi
LIQUOR, 30 that it vii lot be to his interest tO
promote its sale or to offer any inducements
To purchasers. In succeeding sections, the
bond or surety for the proper pc iurmance ot
the duties of agent is fixed at $1,000 The .
instructions to the agent are prescribed by
the bill, requiring the agent to keep took
in which the purpose for which the liquor is &
purchased is specified, aud the book signed
by the applicant; the book to be open to the
inspection Of all lega. voters in the town or
city where located.
The penalty the frst offence liz viola
ting the act by sell W liquor is a fine o! $40
hul cos.s, aud unprisunment or no ! ss thSn
let nor more thun thry dOys. The Sc,
convicI ion wilt subject tie convict To line
OF SO and coss. AMI i'm lri,onment for nos
le,s ihan dirty nor more thin i,ty days
For the thir aud every suose1usn' offence
fhc ul SO costs, ard nos less than three
nor inorc than SIX months impri sormcnt; and
III default ot paying any # the fines, the
cunv.c: to be detained TO labor fo- the Dis
tricl until the utnount is peid, according to
the usual prizes OF such labor in the District.
Obtaining liquor OF the agent aGer JiiSe
l,sieRCes subjects tho convict To fine Ot $40,
costs, and not less than ten nor more than
thirty days imprisonmcnt, aud held liable 10
aston Tor any damages sustained by husband,
vile, aud children, or other relatives OF the
person or persons who mny have become i'll
toXicatcd by The Illegal use OF liquor go Oh
tnurd
The clause detainns the drunkard until by
his Disclosures the person who supplied him
with liquor 10 convicted, is similar 10 that in
tae Connccitu, Liquor law, except that the
person connected is liable not only for the
fines aud costs OF his own violation OF the
act bu. alio for the cost Of arrestng and de-
timing the drunkIrd; and a!so liable 10 GC-
iiou for damages sustained by the relatives
u such Gruukard in being deprived st his as
sisldncc, or for any other damage he may
have committed while under the H. fluence OF
the liquor thus illegally supplied him. II
more than two days u:e rcqu red to bring tho
offender to Justice the Justice Of the Peace
J., lelt to his discretion as 10 whether he re-
,eives bail for the appearance oI the drunk
urd TO give evidence.
The most nov.i and striking feature Of
this bill 10 in The eighth ,luuse, which reads
do fellows:
III on the death Of any person, it shall he
shown to the satisfaction ol a Jury ut Cor
oncr's Inqnest, that deceased died rom the
effects OF ln,emperance, aud that The liquor
producing such intampcrancc was obtained
ut Il person or persons in violat ON Of this
law. such person or persons shall be deemed
guilty OF murder ia the third degree, and il
shalt be the duty Of the Coroner TO report the
same to amy Jdstice, whose duty /, will be to
issue Il warrant and cruise the arrest Of the
person or persons 30 charged, who, on convlc-
ton, sha suffer, in addition TO the penalties
herein provided Tor violation o! this law, the
psnuliy provided for by law ,f the suid dis
trct ,or murder in the third degree. llo or
his estate shall also be Liable for all cXpcn.
srs .nG damages incurred in consequence Of
ouch death, either by the relatives aud friends
ol the deceased, or by the authorities in the
ci,y ar town in which deceosed shall have
died"
The ninth clause is ulso an entirely new
feature in Lquor.law legislation:
~ any injury or death shall be caused by
fire or any accident occusioned by intemper
nncc-and it shall he shown, To the satisfnc
ton of Jury, that such intcmpcrnnce wa'
caused by a violation OF this act, the party oI
parties guilty of such violation shall, on con
yiction, be liable for all expenses aud dana
ges either to pcrson or property, whether
.uch accident shall occur within the said
district or on the land or water in any par
of the United States, or on the high seas on
vessels sailing from or TO the United States
The tenth section renders vioators ul the
law liable for any expense incurred by town
or city authorities, IN pI ovdng tor the poor
rendered chargeUbie in consequence OF sucl
violation OF lfe law in the sale Vi Intoxicating
liquors.
The twelfth section provides that the dam
ages occssioned by violations Of the mw
shall be recoverable rom such violators by
my person, insurance, railroad or other com
pany, on application to Municipal Courts, the
account in all cases over $50 TO be decided
by jury.
In most other respects the bill resembles
the Maiae Liqsor law, or all it's leading iea'
lurcs
Mr.. Mayuli was once opposed to the Maine
Liquor law when il was brought up in ihc
Mulns Senate; but since he has seen its re-
suits, he | as become jealous advocate of It's
principles, and, as President of the Maine L.
quor Law Statistical Society in this City
has aided greatly in collecting valuable facts
showing the benefits 0: the law wherever en-
forced.
lie also has given notice Of introducing a
bill for prohibiting the importation OF all in
tpxicaiipg liquors into the United States-u
subject much talked of in the Maine Liquor