The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-08-30

! gress, as far as the Territories are concerned
Thus, our best course towards Kansas as we Gao
do nothing for Kansas, is to let Kausas alone, and
to attend to our own affairs; for if we go on at
our present rate Of al increased taxation Of three,
four or FIVE millions year the State will soon
be drained of every drop of blood in its body.
BLEEDING New York is with us the main and
only practical issue for November, and it cannot
be shirked in a hue and cry about bleeding
/ Kansas
/ THE LICENSING SYsrEM-THE "THRfE BID
LAw.'-Out OF The eight hundred aud four acts
passed duiipg the last session of the Legislature,
one Of them is entitled ian act TO suppress mem
perance, and to regulate the sale OF intoxicating
liquors" This is supposed to DC an improvement
on all previous legislation, but that it is 60 has
! yet 10 be seen. In eighteen hundred and ffty-6ve
the sale Of intoxicating liquors was under the
! jurisdiction Of the Mayor and City Council aud
| Commissioners Of Excise. Licenses we're
issued to persons Of 'mcral character" entering
| into bonds Of 1925, with surety, for the die per-
iornance of all the conditions upon which the
licerse was granted. For any ipfraction, sue az
fttuHtlihS EaiAuiihS' hetgihS a urciuSiiy uousc,
| &C. the proprietor of the saloon ira or tavern
was fined sometimes confined, and ~ al times
under the surveillance OF the authorities. On
Sunday, according to the law aAd ordinance, no
strong drink could be sold to auy one, except an
actual traveller, boarder or lodgor; and judging
from the number OF smiles and wnks generally
exchanged upon that day, we should fipposc the
city contained only travellers, bs.sders and
dodgers. But, however lax the execution Of the
law may have been, or careless the scrutiny of
the Aldermen ard Assistants OF each ward in the
granting Of LICENCES, Of one thing We are certain
the law itself was good, and sufficiently sIrin-
gent for all the purposes intended
! Under its licensing regulations there were an
nuaDy issued about seven thousand licenses TO
owners Of hotels, restaurants, &c, bringing into
the city treasury coo year-a very hand
some sum. By some hocus pocus legislation the
system was put in allegiance, aud an I'M
restricted traffic in Intoxicating liquors was
! freely permitted and INDUCED in by persons Of
moral and immoral characters. II is supposed that
uuder this free system ofunversal wbiskey selling
not less than twelve thousand persons could have
been engaged in the trade, as in every hoie and
corner Of the city the black bottle and lager keg
were installed as the household gods OF ndGiber-
! les spitituous devotees. This rum satn MALTA
| produced its own formation, in arousing pablo
sentiment against its denominations, and the ACT
/ to suppress intcmperancc and regulate the sale
/ Of Intoxicating liquors" was the result
! On the principle that any law is better than
/ L. AZ, - a.
but in comparing il with former enaetmepts aud
ordinances il seems o very foolish attempt to do
more than can nc effected, and on the whole d
/ very bunglipg piece Of legislation. With the cx-
ccption Of that quaint injunction TO allow 10 one
bat the owner of three spare bcds' 20 sell wines
/ ard liquors on the premises, the taking Of all
power irori the Mayor and Cornell, substituting
in their place three Commissioners Of Excise,
and the charging Of from thirty to two hundred
and fifty dollars for each license, there is no
4 Other pcrceptible difference between The system
( under which licenses were granted in 1sJj aud
the rf5'uf wc have now entered upon.
OF The twelve thousand sellers OF Intoxicating
/ Liquors in the city not more than six hundred
have applied for licenses up TO the present.
time. The fifty days allowed 10y the law
have passed, and tho rccusants instead of being
| SUNNI. rily shut up. are graciously informed
! they may sell away until the first of September.
and eytn--as one OF the Commissioners suggests
/ - TO the fret Of January. Is not this palpable
/ admission of weaktess?
According 70 this precious enactment no per
son cen obtain a license to sell less than FIVE gal.
] oT
to be drank on the premises, unless such person
keep en- inn, tavern OF hotel having at least three
sra1e btds What alliuity there is bit xcen thrce
spare beds and temperance can only be explained
by our sapicnt legislators.
One thing Is certain-that under this three
bed law the most temperate ard thirsty citizens
perambulsting our streets cannot get a glass Of
wine for The lsw suppcscs only travellers TO need
such an accommodation. What farce DO the
Commissioners ever seriously expect TO carry out
such ridiculously stringent provision?
We have not alluded to the audacious attempt
made by this act to sbridge the liberty Of the
citi7en--to interfere with The social euioyments
Of the temperate Thousands Of the working
clssscs--to thc'inquisitorial powers of tho Com
missioDcrs--thc summary jurisdiction given TO
every policcman-the encouragement offered to
the informer and thief, and the general demorali
zation preilicattd. Thee require no comments
from as, being sufficiently plain in their conse-
qucnccs. IT Is evident, from what we have al
ready stated, that this "thr,e bed law" will add
another melancholy example 10 the faulty Of
legislative feratlcisu 10 endesvofng TO accom-
plisb by .prohibitory onactments. sheer inpos