Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1855-11-30
The General Assembly, No. II.

The proposed alterations Of the Liquor
Law of the State occupied more time dnrlnE
the session than any other snhj}et, esrrcil''y
in the House Of Representatives. The bill
introduced into the House by DR.. Thomas
Powers Of Woodstock, went to repeal in the
first place all the enac'mant- Of 1888 aud
1854 which amended or added to the act Of
1852 Two or three Of those PROVISIONS,
more or less modified. were by the bill to he
re.enacted, and several oil ers Of very strenu-
Gus character were to he Put in force Be
sides the doubtful wisdom Of some Of Ties"
measures, considered by themselves, one gone
raj objection had great weight IN the minds
of many. 1t was said that the law already
In force, MS a whole, Is workiuga great and
positive good-that it is pretty we'll under
stood, and has judicial decisions in its favor.
Moderate and useful additions IA 1t, IN points
where its working i unsatisfactory, can ne
easily made, and, if ne pruiently. they will
neither awaken extraordinary opposition
among the people, nor onlanger its general
validity but a substauti Il re-cast OF the
whole, or the bringing into force again some
OF the onJrc,>V",.'l" PROVISIONS ~ tnc "'t "'
1852. which were taken out OF 1t by the act
Of 1853, will be quite sure to arouse an or
position of serious force throughout the
State and besides that, will make 1t neces-
slry to have the whole ground beat up anew
before the courts, with at best a doubtful re-
suit. Why then run all TN, needless risk
Such was the feeling Of the main body Of the
friends OF the prohhitory system in the lie
gislature, and though Il y.ry few persons
were Influenced by extreme views, and
thought it quite impossible 10 haze too mach
OF good thing. and some others, from hos
tiity to prohibition in all shapes, We're quite
willing to have the law made 50 severe a. 60
insure an ovcrturn Of the whole another
year, the men of more discreet views proved
to be greatly in the majority
The result of all the movements and coun-
ter-movements was that there vas NJ repeal
Of any part Of the law now in force. Three
or four useful additions were made &, it, 30
ns TO subject to penalty those who AS agents
or transporters shall knowingly bring into
the State liquors intended to be unlawiully
sold or distributed, to iuGict q fine on per
sons who become intoxicated, on those who
obtain liquor Of authorized agents under
false pretenses, and on those who sell know
iDgly impure or adulterated liquors. These
beneficial provisions, with two or three forms
Of proceeding anda ME ludicrously long and
jingling in its enunciation, were all that came
out OF the Legislative alembic from the album
dant materials which were put into it.
Another short act was passed winch is III
tended to put stop to a dodge which some
OF have resorted to, VIZ by n plea Of
guilty on one ofrnse to make that plea cT"c-
tual to clear of every 50 many preceding
offenses Of the same sort
PROFESSIONALLY the liquor law Of this
State is as a whole, by far me bcst cr,ont.
This is owing think to two circumstances.
One, the general determination to avoid *.
IRENE and violent measures to make u real
and sure progress, rather than q Snowy and
uncertain one. The other, 4 determination
equally general and rcsulutc, that there
shall not be either politicO.temPerance or
politico-anti-tempe party in the State.
Thus men of all political parties can without
JEALOUSY unite to sustain what ia really
wholesome and beneficial for all AS much
on the subject Of prohibitory hqoor law as
on most others which concern them imme-
diately as citizens Of the State. According
to our view of the matter, 50 long MS such a
prudent and reasonable course Is pur-uel
the probibitory system will continue to gain
friends and strength and nowhere would an
opposite course insure more rapid and com
Ilete subversion of it than in this same tenn
perate, law-loying, and liberty, loving State Of
Vermont.