Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-04-04
The New License Bill.

on Saturday, by both houses. This bill is
a very stringent one, aud requires that the
applicant for license in cities and county
towns must have four rooms and eight
beds for the use Of travellers. None but
tayernkeepers can sell less than a gallon
of spiri,uous liquors. Not more than one
hotel to every one hundred taxables may
be licensed in the cities, nor more than
one to every hundred and fifty taxablcs in
the county, to be apportioned among the
wards Of tue cities, and districts of the coun-
ties, as the convenience and necessities of
the public may require. All hotels, inns
and taverns are to be classified and rated
according to the estimated yearly rental of
the house aud property. The first class,
when the valuation is $4,000, shall pay
$1,000 where the valuation is SIS, 900, the
rate shall be $500, and SO on down, in the
same proportion, to S25, except in Pbila-
delphia, where the lowest rate Of hotel H.
censc is fixed at S75; in county towns aud
boroughs of over two hundred taxables,
$50; III the country, SIS.
One eating house to every four hotels
may be licensed in the city and county,
with the privalege to sell domestic wines
and malt liquors only-the license fee not
to be less than $50 in Philadelphia and
Allegheny counties, and $50 in other parts
of the State. Brewers and disiillers are
to pay double the rates Of license now
fixed by law, which shsll, in no case, be
less than $50, and must not sell in less
quantities than FIVE gallons, except in the
case of brewers who also bottle their
liquors, who may sell by the dozen bottles
Retailers of liquors with or without mer-
chandize, are to pay double the rates now
required of them, but not less than $50 in
any case, and will not be allowed to sell
in less quantities than one gallon. Bottles
of porter, ale, cider, and other brcwed
liquors, and manufacturers Of domestic
wine, may sell in quantities Of not less
than one dozen bottles, without license
Importers of wines and liquors may sell
in the original bale, cask or package on
paying double the former rates.
Public notice is to be given, by the
Clerk of the Court of Quarter Sessions,
three times in two newspapers, of the
names Of the applicants for licenses, and
petitions must be signed by twelve reputa-
bic citizens The Board of Licensers for
Philadelphia and Allegheny counties is
appointed by the Court, and consists Of
three reputable citizens in no manner in.
tercsted in the liquor business. Any
person found intoxicated in street, pub
lie house or public place, will be liable to
fne of five dollars and persons who sell
enough liquor to make any one drunk, are
also to be fined five dollars, in addition to
all the penalties prescribed by any existing
law.
The penalties for violation of the act
are fine of not less than ten nor more
than one hundred dollars, for the first Of
fence; and for second, or subsequent
conviction, the same penalty and also I'M
prisonment not less than one nor more
than three months, forfeiture of license,
and incapacity to receive another license
for five years thereafter.
The effect of this law will be to reduce
greatly the number Of places at which
liquor may be bought legally. Whether
it will tend to increase the number of un-
licensed tippling houses, will depend in a
great measure upon the vigilancy of those
who administer the laws. The traffic, by
a strict enforcement of the law, should be
reduced about two-tbirds; but when We
see how laws of this kind are usually ex-
ecuted, We have no idea that this desirable
result will follow. The penalties, howev-
er, will to certain extent check the ille-
gal traffic. No business can be pursued
as actively under the ban Of the law as
when it is licensed and under its favor
Under the new act there will still be some
thing like thousand licensed houses in
Philadelphia, which number is certainly
enough for all the proper wants of the
Many liquor shops under ex-
isting laws are mere nurseries of drunk
enuess, exercising an influence over the
young which is as hurtful to their morals
as it is injurious to society. If all these
are cut of, under the new law, no person
now engaged in the business need regret
it.-Philad. Ledger.
WALKER with his hands full-Costa
Rica, having no desire to be ruled by
as Nicaragua now is, has declar-
ed war upon the later government. Walker
has mustered his forces, about six hundred
men, and marched against his new enemy.
This is rather small army to effect much,
aud as the steamers have stopped running
to Nicaragua, the chances of any acces-