New-York daily tribune., 1856-03-27
THE PROHIBITCRY ACT.
OPINION OF JUDGE ia. JOElNSON,
AFFIR MING
THE CONSTITUTlONALITY OF THE LAW.

COURT OF FAPPEALs......TVEsOAY, March =, lSj5.
The People agt. James q. Wyahsmmcr
IA Johnson, 1.-The plaintiff in error vas indicted
by Grand Jury of Erie County, charged with having
sold intoxicating liquor, in small quantities, contraryt to
the provisions of the Prohbtory Act OF April o. 1865,
and was tried and convicted Of the offence at Court
of Sessions Il was proved upon the trial. that he had
on seyeral OCCASIONS between the ith of July Of that
YEAR. snd the time Of the indictment sold and doliy
erd at his bar in Buffalo, to various por-Ons, brandy
in quantities lcss than one pil which drank upon
his premises As the plaintiff in error had no license
to SELL in that manner, and for that purpose the acts
nassed were such az hnve been msdemeanors in this
state by Statite subiecting the offender TO indict
ment and conviction, in the manner adopted III thiA
case certainly since the excise act OF -Ol up 10
the time when the All in question took e1ect. IL Is 10
be seem therefore whether such acts still criminal
in their character, whether, under the present
statute the criminal feature, 40 long ent uniformly
stamped upos them hthertoahas been taken away.
The Indictment is for selling contrary 20 the proyh
ons of this Act ard not the provisions Of the Revised
Satu,es and unless this Act has been violated, the
conviction 10 any view Ii erroneous. -
Only two questions properly ari.e IN tlls case trst
wGs the liquor sold by the Plaintiff IN error suolect
10 the prohibition in the first section OF the ACT; ana,
hib the n, c IN intorcang liquors the eNen, to which
T % = go nh il /. claimed that the qaor in qres-
tor and ae Of selling exempt from he
fop IN parsaancs OF The and reas
tic Iated States ane the driy rrsan: Ps pP9a & ~ s
potter il the original package aad dew u ron :ach
when il scd complained Of These acS' %EhA 'ns
psniia error h-rsd prove the t were ADMITTED oa
the part the pubic prOsecutoy but tie eEIncs was
10 on ice that t was Irrelevant AID iEmat.rs ad The
evidence and te conasrsons Of tie ecs coacelsi were
excluded - be Court Oh ths, sr9uI- yer ne~ e'cs
the time oi the sales question, 80 e1emp, iae last
carse Of tho fr.t section u az follows Th section 'l not
srPy liquor, the n-hi 10 se INCA v ,a'' S'-o =sA
Z freat Ot
Doubtless the fTs, section did not apply 20 tn@ q2f
Tie fse. ss hey were admitted to exis Bat did the
ton Which thus aI attached folio" I: mo he hand, Of iAs
plaintiff In e-ror 90 authorize sales BY hn H s tho
resnin. of he pr9Yi.oni Th, mu ispend think upon
TIE question gh-thsr the avs treess OF e Iei'a4 "a .
follow property imported troIl foreign countries sief hs
ra,st5 nom The hand, Of the importer % cLsIs o. tn4s S
to 5SI 5sI:7 sDy Ij9' u s 81 s.: -o.ed II ley % ~
iss terms VI Tie exception DO 1o' sYiy Ie L7. - 80 80 >,
ofise Uned S.ste. T. ss.e snd tsess. DO nos ls'
f5w rrsrerv s;,er s pls,sd from the k--ds Of re in
fr -: Sess pa Of r. aga lS:' V. o. Ps a Il H,t
y wheat 40 License Gaze. How'd, ioi)
privilege or gsesry -zslaye sh % foreign ever u ne &
iqrcr, out s1 y % syCi e. colis y GOV ~
,iars- Ba. when ne arls las paced iro qrls Fse'rl
l1rsfctica, snd 10 NAT 1ein q A. 81 - y,
- ;s s!.aS.a .:. q ~ fs,s; es: .,ls re 5i ~ .as,
M. tr - pisa .-si.. o. the eane sai 'hs- saeh
VS. tie iutenn Of the I~EsstuTs csn res1nss sly
doubt. Ii ~. cczi yAOre ~ whole 8 % = - ~ OF L'
tud e1eale foa yeu /. sel l,-ed aEon - .,ce, til
h. 1iv =. ~ ,r5.us Il is clc-A 80 mi IL -se the
.,rue.c % + eouroolei tor b he sl1l Ter the 9Hr-
fl l. error Bat .hs a violate s rse. .oE ths IT. 'fis
son Il ;he lsnass - s1-cor OF - il.-t re-
ii-n In harmony with tis tecl-te4 eci oi -
boaa4 % give Z tL-t .erp-st.;io' ILey .. 81.
give ~ lc..on Nh.h ssi ro-yr--- % EiI
g wbecs the isnsEsss 'moJe . s. eI's 81 20
J. 49, z .r:ye. ,.t--.,--- -.
WA74i .torrI .ae-efr. 70 iesu-e Stehrr iasEe . an
ex.s.ius a.. cf yhr -li ~ as ct- are 80 lt-
other cicrrsts-cs. ,-0fAs- 4Ir - t ~ - ,oe
ic-of a-.ou i clear ts- reitE3r tfp isv7 aiefe
g1- ufcn me p .ir TIE oI VIII 10 Na
ccrNielet. AZ he e1c-yr0n 4 - r7' ~ - -
I5e qrer1z tken ersez. Vsefne- IL Le. q Sc = Ye
make vaiG is p--lifs "a 40 If rrope ~ nj 90,
er'-,, fgr,le -r-oses .s VIII nd b~ise bees MOI
,ca.uacr.y VsrhaeI. Il b qles-ba . lower s-i -
i-sss ts g. - f-sf ITO RE ra-zfe - c1'-et u ~,
rstinrrowe. IN ss:. Jo.eF - - lii toe Lasd -.
Es- safe d. .c.v. fo-n dtte sri pre- syss,
i.as 81. cs-eB. ssreG % 80 n.tiefe - "e-
-.~.iullg - IA 81 e. sf--s4 res L-f- 70
" errrcss -- Or dv 3 lag-stoL, Deen colsfle
I iron fte G-rcrsl Govern .tG. - , u, -
L. r-s-.e, I'd -, -gz,rs ~ e-rsd uT- rs Genes b'Fe-n
D. tn Ccrssf % le nstct tze@' ~ >alr'
sl61r-Ae O. -s.lt ali i- -rec. I'D v. lst u 49, - s
TIE. Co-s, or VA lsTs Fi--ioney leIel > toA
/ srrfs c. f.e-.-s m.ie ufeT lo f--ftf .n'-Af-.'.
Tie '.'-- s So med BY M .es-r coz SCI i'I n .-AO
- i1 .ro- thst arv law Scfe, nirf or -stfi inf
troh.bt;Ig 81 e. Il fmpoF-od property, oy tae ini'
tccfe tlrchasr ola the inpO:tr l.sGi1eh IS i-' an
-.fursy would ,cn1 dsscoH.,ze and prevent nr
y .ercs,oo oi he ssb9ry Of he G=sss, G9's sa' .;