New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-08-08

they Bnoul0 nhVe Iet gO-6uu STU tncy nooS wv vs."
evidently mean to hang on. They talk as if they
meant to serve the dear people forever, and take
pay accordingly. Dcgberry was not more generous
Of his time and energies when be said to Leonaso
"Were / tedious as King, could find in my
heart to beatow it all on your worship" Hal
lect, as We are often reminded, speaks of those
operate vccalists,
"Nbo.e lat fsrewplls' still unssr Ger u.s.
And, like toui-est die BY inches"
But Dogberry did finally desst, and the vocal
lists do move on; but Messrs. Kerr, Haskell and
Holmes aforesaid seem disposed never to follow
their laudable example. They have just gone into
Summer quarters, a. they tell US, preparatory to
opening their Fall campaign, which is to last, we
infer, far into Winter, and as much longer a. they
can muster the requisite assurance to protract it.
And for what Under what pretense Of duty or
public policy do they thus wiredraw the thread OF
their official being Let Us hear Commissioner
Holmes On this point, speaking to the public with
the express assent Of one and the tact concurrence
Of the other of his colleagues:
"This Board cannot be insensible to the fact that
millions Of capital have been invested in the liquor
trade In this city, and that it was 81 invested at time
law. There are many, and very many worthy men
and honeet adesmen engaged In the business in oca-
tons to great extent isolated from freehold residents
and whOee compliance with the law will be somewhat
question Of time. More especially when we con-
slider the fact that very many Of our reehoders are
new out Of the city, il liberal construction OF the law
be beLeft 10 such az these l, for one, an will
ing to accord that benefit to them
-" Engaged" in ,chat business" are these
"worthy men and horest trsdesmen :" In the
keeping Of mere grog shops. II they are only
selling liquor as importers, erocers or me- rchauts,
they need no petition from fieeholders. "The
business Of these "worthy men aud honest
tradtsmen" is purely and simply the keeping OF
tipping houses-sll Of which, without exception,
the law under which these Commissioners are act
ing intends and endeavors to outlaw and shut up.
Mr.. Holmes msgisterialIy Informs US that he "is
"acting under the sanctity (l) of an oath, and
not in any loose, irresponsible Journalistic CO
pacity." Such being the fact, we ask ha TO read
over the act which he has sworn TO execute and
point to the section aud clause which authorizes
him to license for retaining place which is obvi
Ously not hotel, and hiss not the required accom-
modations for the entertainment of travellers. Yet
We know aud be knows that such places have been
licensed, mauger all the paraded 4" sanctity Of an
oath" Will he pretend that half the places he has
licensed to retail are really taverns according to tse
careful definitions Of the act
But again: This act was passed early in April,
to take effect expressly in May. The requirement
Of an Endorsement from twenty freeholders was
Immediately made as public as possible Men who
wished to sell liquor according to law were under
obligation to hunt up their freeholders-not at some
indefinite period in the future, but in season. If
they could not obtain them, then they could not
legally sell, and if they did sell, whether with or
without license, they violated the law. Yet Mr..
Holmes intmstes that there are applicants who
have not yet been able to find twenty freehoders
to ndorse respectively their applications; SO be
adjourns over, leaving them to continue selling
without authority, in the expectation that they
may severaiiy be able to hunt up their twenty free
holders at some future day This looks to US like
collision between public functionaries and law
breakers ia shield the latter from the legal penal
ties of their misdeeds; but as we are not acting
under the I" sanctity Of an OATH" our view Of the
matter may be erroneous.
But Mr.. Holmes proceeds to intimate that IL
ceDses granted otherwise than according to law
invalid and that the lcensers are liable to prOsecu-
ton. Thank you for nothing Mr.. Commissisner-
it did not need the assurance Of lawyer of your
grade to apprise us Of that. What we ask Of you,
snot to stand trial for the course you pursuing,
but to quit it. You are standing this day bet ween
the Five or Six Thousand defiant viOlators of the
Excise Law and the punishment they invoke. II
q hundred Of them were prosecuted TO- morrow, they
would doubtless plead" We are awaiting the &C.
- ton of the Excise Board, and expect licenses
whenever they get ready to act on our respective
"applications. We are selling meantime as others
L" sell, and without intending to violate the law"
If you, Robert D. Holmes & Co., will just finish
up and get out of the way, it is probable that some
action will be taken against these Illegal druDkard-
makers-nay, it is your duty to take such action
yourselves. The law makes you the fountain Of
enforcement as well as Of license. Instead of
doing what it plainly requires Of you, you stand as
screen betwi1t the law and its vioators. You are
this doy keeping in countenance those whom you
dare not license or who will not pay the excise de-
handed. Do you suppose it will be generally be-
lieved that you stand thus for nothing
..2e...
Among the proceedings Of the American Asso-
c;st;on for the Advancement of EducatiOn we find