Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-03-01

EXCITEMENT At ST. ALBaSs, VT.-An in
tense excitement, it Is stated, is now reign
ing IN ST. Adams. only second to that pro-
duced by the advent OF the rebel raiders IN
lSj4. correspondent says
90 It originated in attempts Of the State officials
TO enforce the liquor laws Of Vermont. These
officials have been o4 tie alert for some time,
and on WeiDsslay seized quantity Of the |
ardent ~ tiiliarl- saloon ami placed it in |
the loek-up TO await the making out Of the
Necessary papers 10 insure It's spilling in the
street. While 1t was tLus disposed Of. some Of
the hquor dealers, by way Cf strategy. went
and. informed a customs officer that there was
a Quantity Of smugged liquor in the lookup.
forthwith that official gathered his forces and
seized the fluid which was awaiting couhscation
under the State laws. This riled the State
officials. aEd wholesale raid upon every saloon
and hotel was the consequence, the keeper Of
each saloon being required 10 give bonds in the
sum Of ; 900 not 10 open his house TO any
outsider whatever. The consequence Of this
was that when the usual influx of strangers TO
the village occurred on Thursisy night, they
had not where 10 lay their heads, snd no place
to procure meal even, except at the eating
room Of the depot. One Of the peculiar
laws of Vermont is that private houses cannot
receive and entCctain any stranger for comIe en-
eAAtlhs ~ AAis nNAAAA "N AtA " w
rights oi hotels, 90 the untortunstes who desired
to remain in the villsge were compelled to hud-
die together IN the depot when 'ght came, and
two OF three freight cars were metamorphosed
into barracks for their accommodation The
situation was unchanged " q last accounts.
Every hotel is closed, villagers are excited and
business is almos. at s stand Silly i.
Times.
The Messenger said, Of tie trial Of the
proprIetoIs of the Welden House
Most Of the day Was spent in examining wit
nesses whose remembrance Of things past was
sometimes obscure So far as we heard the tes-
tlmony il disclosed the fact that only bottled
ale has been imbibed in this village, aud that in
such temperate quantities as to show that those
who drank are "a law unto themselves" and
need no restraint from statutes. We 10 not know
what awful facts may be proved in cases
vet 10 be tried but 80 far as the Weldon House
is concerned, all the testimony which We lave
heard shows that it has been conducted On
Temperance basis, TO extent not to Be dreamed
Of, since the lst Of January. Citizsns are just
! becoming aware Of this, having been blinded {,
Of course, by their Tr'judie's."
This is Of course sarklstieul.' The
Messenger Of wcdrcsday reviews the case
as follows:
I No trial in 4 Justices court has received the
attention bestowed upon that which closed yes
I terday, the Court House being usually packed
with listeners. Able c0unse, Was slso employed
| upon both sides, aud every indication, from
( the beginning showed that there vas TO be de-
: termincd fight 70 enforce the Law. and 10 oppose
I lis enforcement. The C0nstiiHtiongliiy Of the
Equcr law, question seldom brought before a
court Of the kind, became the question in our
Justices court, and learned arguments, and ex-
ceeiingly ingenious oues, were made TO show
that the jIry had right to pass on the ques-
ton Of the constitutiOnality Of the law, and
/ authorities in seeming abundance were cited TO
fortify the arguments. The skill with which
| the counsel for the defense constructed their
| arguments and conducted their case was admira-
bic, and on the first trial Of the only case which
has been tried that Of the State vs.. the lessee'
Of the Welden House, the jury disagreed. th'
cause Of disagreement being the question Of the
corstitutionslity Of the Law. We believe Or
the second trial more attention wss paid to thi
| neur question by attorneys on each side, making
the trial more interesting still. But the goo
sense which recognizes that there would be N
safety, nor stability Of law, IL decisions Of sue
: importance were at the will Of every jury, Ia
| triumphed, and for all the otenses eousldere
proven, this Jury rendered verdict CT guilty
The argument Of the States attorney In ciosin
!. this case is Justly considered an able one, an
4 contributed much toward the triumph OF u
n law in the present instance