Bedford inquirer and chronicle. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1854-1857, 1856-05-02
TIE NEW LICENSE BILL Its HIS
TORY.

bill viii be found in to days paper. It
was reported, in both Houses, and adopted
lin the Senate yeas q, nays 0, and in the
House yeas 64 nays 81. It has been sent
to the Governor for his approval, which il
IS understood it will receive.
Ono cannot but be struck with the re-
ruarkable disparity between this bll aud
the declaration of the purposes Of the ma
jority party in both branches made before
the meeting Of the Legislature. Il is we!
known, and generally admitted by the mem
bers themselves, that the Liquor League
wss the potent agent by which the present
Legislature was constituted; and nothing is
! more notorious than the asowcd intention
Of tie creatures of .hat League, not only to
repeal the jug Law as the first act this
session, bat to supply It's place with law
whose provisions would not conflict with the
/ interests Of liquor dealers, and would not
50 shockingly violate tie Constitution or
/ invade the personal liberties Of these intel
/ i;geut and competent judges nf the theory
Of the Constitution and the nature Of ;heir
rights under it, This determination was
made and announced as 4 measure of both
! necessity and policy and was carried out
/ by the House with marked promptness.-
! The first bill proposed in that body, and
! probably toe FIRST passed BY it, was SIM
pie one Of three lines to repeal the act of
last SESSION and revive the previously exist
ing laws. It vas passed by an overwheim-
/ lug vote, under the call Of the previous
question, and by party drill The bill went
10 the Senate. was referred to the Demo-
cratic COMMITTEES of Vice and immortality.
! was reported to the Senate with negative
rec ommendation, and was suPplantei By
restrictive license bill, drawn up with great
care by Senator Browne, of Philadelphia
county, one Of the most radical Democrats
IN the Legislature. The bin was matured
By the Senate, and was passed BY me large
vote of 81 70 IT 1t was sent to the House
and By It referred to a select committee,
consisting of four Democrats and one Amer
lcan. It was b. them amended and report
ed to the House, BY it amended SO as to
prohibit restaurants from selling vinous and
spirituous liquors, passed and sent to the
Senate for concurrence. That body refu-
sed to concar in the House amendments and
a committee Of conference was appointed by
It's Democratic Speaker. The House IN
sisted upon its amendments, and commit
tee of conference was appointed By It's
Democratic Speaker. This committee net
repeatedly, anl were upon the point Of re-
porting that they could not agree, when
! four members were added to 1.-TWO from
each House, and the work Of Cancellation
was again commenced After several
weeks additional labor, the committee f.
nally agreed, and the bill as reported is the
result of their deliberations This com :
lnittee Of conference was appointed by Dem
oeratic Speakers, and consisted branch
of it-of majority Of Democrats. On the
Senate committee were Messrs. Browne,
Buckalew, and Wheny, Democrats, and
Jordan aud Flenniken,. Americans. On
the House committee, Wright, (iuzerne,)
Getz, Hill and Eainger, Democrats, and
Hunseckcr, american Each committee
thus contained a Democratic majority: and
by them the bill was placed ia is present
shape.
We rneation these facts, that the respon-
aibility may De properly placed. last year
an American Legislature was abused for the
paSsageof a restrictive Law. tbs year We
wish the public to know that in all this mat
ter the Democracy had a controlling goice.
If they have not fulfilled their promises to
th. Liquor League, it has not been because
they could not have done II, but because,
having obtained their votes, they were care
less as to the redemption of their promises
But all Of the Democratic members were
not favorable to the bill. In the House III
voted for it, including al the members Of
the House Committee except Mr. Edmger,
bnt some Of these appeared TO do so With
some reluctance. Dir. Wright Of Luzerne
denounced the bill as cousaiRing monstrans
aud fanatical provisions, as striking al the
proper discretion Of the Judiciary, as in-
, volring great injustice to large class oi
citizens and properly holders, aad as des-
tined, he hoped, 70 have oFief existence.
Yet no voted for it, yet in doing 80, he roar
ed as gently as a sucking doye. Mr. Geta
did not like it, yet he supported it, as tho
best as he could get. Aaother Democrat
protested against 1t as iniquitous; another
as being bundle Of absufdities, and anoth-
! er as being a swlndlc, Vel all these reted
for it, as they declared it to be the best
they could get.
Now yrl,v was n tho Eest II ay could cetl