The Portland daily press., 1867-02-12
The L.iceu-c Lisnor Law Que..io...
HEARING BEFORE THE JOINT COMMITTEE OF
THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGIsLATuRE. H-

drinks prepare" Ny neN. ID. r. Clark of North
Chelmsford, and introduced in the House of
some weeks since by Mr. Hey-
wood OF Concord. We copy from the report of
the Boston journal: .l. .I..- I'D
Lev. Mr. Clark appeared before the commit
zee ana urged that his bill should be reported
ior the consideration of the Legislature. He
ciaimed ~ that he came before the committee in
.le interest OF temperance. The temperance
wIich he wished to defend is the opposite OF
drunkenness. To advance this cause he did
not propose to repeal the present prohibltory
laws, but TO leave them in full force against uii-
hcensed parties; to attach to the laws alaw
regulating the sale of intoxicating drinks Dy
stringent license law, which shall impose
heavy tax upon the licensed parties, togeth-
er with severe restrictions and heavy bonds,
which, together with the license, shai pe ior-
teited if the sales are not made IN accordance
with the restrictions. To accomplish this he
has caused a bill to be framed and introduced
info tbe Legislature by Mr.. Haywood of Con-
cord. which he explained briefly. The act
leaves it to the discretion of a majority of anv
town or city whether they will keep in force
the present laws or license the sale of liouors
He believed that this mode would greatly nro.
mote the cause OF temperance, by licensing the
amount of the sale; by so REGULATING the saie
that what is sold will do yery much less mis-.
chief IL would lessen the drunkenness. sion
ana n'gt ~ seang ana Sunday selling, and stop the
T.
the excise law of New York. He then consid
ered the Two plans of prohibition and regula-
.ioii, claiming that the former plan had proved
Doth a failure and adisaster. Drinking habits.
notwithstanding its stringent provisions, are
Sreatiy ON the increase, which he substantiates
py statistics from the report of the Chief of
Police OF Boston and other sources -... I.f .f-
The speaker then traced the origin and work
ings of the present liquor laws, and the estab-
hshment OF the Constabulary, claiming that
by the requests of the friends of prohibition
of the Legislature for increased facilities for
carrying out the laws; by increasing the Con-
stabulary force, the enactment of Jury bills,
and their present demand for supremacy of the
Constabulary over the City Police, the failure
OF the present laws is demonstrated as prohib-
itory laws ais 71.7 54Ia hlf p Fs
He then considered their disastrous effects
upon the temperance cause. Depending upon
the law to remove the evils of intemperance,
moral effort began to be relaxed by the friends
OF temperance. At the passage of the first
law in 1867, men who were only moderate
drinkers and had kept only a small quantity
att time Ill their houses, increased largely the
quantity and became immoderat9 drinkers
Again, young men and boys took advantage of
the secluded places to commence the habit of
drinking when they We're free from observa-
hon. Private drinking clubs formed, especial
ly IN larger cities, as safe resort, was another
evil and disastrous result of the passage of the
first law. The impossibility of enforcing and
the bold disregard of the law, has DESTROYED
the sacredness of law generally 1t had been
disastrous by an increase of hypocrisy, espe-
cially among politicians and Legislators He
had been credibly informed that members of
the Legislature in this State had voted for
stringent prohibltOry laws, and within fifty
minutes had been seen to take their glass of
liquor. e.Is -f I-.5H. s7-I1~1a 1a'-"- =, n
He then considered the laws in regard to
their prohibition of the sale of cider ale, por-
ter and wine, and presented the scripture ar
guments of large number of good men who
conscientiously believed in their use, who con-
sequently would refuse their support to such
laws. He represented the arguments which thew
adduced from the Scriptures as theirs, and not
his, claiming for himself personal total absti-
nence for third of a century. 1t has been
said on previous occasion that if our Saviour
should repeat his first miracle at the present
time, he would be liable to Indictment by the
laws OF the Commonwealth. He urged the
utter lmpossibility and impracticabllity of en-
forcing the law, especially with regard to large
dealers and hotel proprietors.
he then presented his plan, and reftlted ihe
common assertion that mo right existed to II
cense an evil, and claimed that there was no
evil in the sale itself, the evil only commencing
when the liquor comes into the hands of the
purchaser. He referred to the Excise law of
New York as a virtual acknowledgement by
the friends OF temperance there that it was
right to license an evil He claimed that the
temperance cause could be best advanced in
connection with license law, and illustrated
MS point by referring to the feeble lieens., law
IN TINS State i'll 1896, and in later wears when
the temperance reformation was the most s1,c
cessful. He recommended to the considero-
tiOn eff the Committee the subject of some So
we're regulations in regard to the monufaetnre
OF liquors and the prevention of the poison
Gus adulteratiOn of them, although he had not
wished to comphcate his bill by an introduce
tion INTO 1t OF clause to that effect. He urg-
ed further the great revenue which would come
into the treasury of the Commonwealth by a
license law at time when revenue was so
greatly needed. ''t A'-
In conclusion, the speaker urged his plan for
fnll consideration of the Legislature decar-
ing that he believed the time was soon COM
ing when it would be adopted, for the people
of the State generally were becoming thorough.
ly dissatisfied with the present plan. g M
AT the conclusion OF Rev. Mr.. Clark's re.
marks, which occupied about an hour and a
hall, William b. Spooner addressed the Com
mlttee in opposition to a license law and in
reply to the previous speaker Considering
the statistics furnished in the report of the
Chief OF Police of this city, he claimed that
anything desired could be proved from there.
A number of years ago 900 cases of arrests
Tor drunkenness We're reported in this city,
and the following year only about one sixth OF
that number, for The reason that the fact of
taking persons to the station houses in an
intoxicated condition was found not to con-
stitute an arrest The objections of Mr.. Spoon
er to the arguments of the previous speaker
were that the liquors to be dealt with at
present had no similarity to the wine of the
time OF our Savior; that there was nothing
brought forward to prove that the cause of
temperance had been advanced more in New
York, Pennsylvania and other States where a
license law exists, than in Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and other
States where prohibitory laws exist He
should bring forward facts at future hearing
toprove that when license law existed in
Boston and six hundred liquor places were
lcensed three and fonr hundred unlicensed
places constantly enlisted, and were seldom or
ever prosecuted. r sf ID -
Rev. MIR. Clark followed in reply. The
reason why unlicensed parties had not been
previously generally prosecuted, was because
OF the small penaltiesieixsting- license costing
only about Sl y, and no bonds forfeited. BY
hs own bill so high price is to be paid for
the privilege of selling that the licensed parties
will combine to protect their own interests
He knew OF large number of ministers who
sympathized in his movement and agreed with
him in his convictions. ,I,l I'D. md ....i.r t4
In reply to question as to whether he knew
of any members of the State temperance or
carnations who favored a license law, he re-
Good Templars ''7- IL 'iI8 77,'-7'
MIR. Theodore Voelkers, who was sitting near
Mr. Clark, arose and told him that he could re-
Ter to him as not only a Good Templar. but al
SO a reformed drunkard, who favored q license
law and who desired to address the Committee
In Its favor at some future time, The next
hearing will be on the 10th instant.
The Boston CoLLECToRsHIP.-The nomina-
tion of Mr.. George Bancroft for Collector of
the port OF Boston in place of Gen. Couch, who
failed TO be confirmed by the Senate, is stated
to have been so unexpected at Washington
that it was at first believed to be mistake of
name for George Ashmun; but it proved that
the President had really nominated the histo-
rian. The Boston papers express some surprise
that the President could find neither in Bos-
ton, nor in Massachusetts, nor yet in all New
England man fitted to the place. Mr. Ban
croft has held the position before, having been
appointed by Van Buren, in 1888, and he dis
chrged its duties in a very efficient manner,
giving satisfaction to the merchants generally.
1t is doubtful if he will accept the place, but
should he do so his confirmation is hardly
contingency, and he will no doubt make pop
ular Collector. -aa .,It-.. i...a
Snow IN NCRTHERN New HAMPSHIRE In
I 1ymouth, N. H., and vicinity, there is now
only about eight or nine inches of snow Far
ther north, at Haverhill there are only four or
five inches on an avarape Tn MANY nlacaS in