The national Republican., 1868-12-28
LIQUOR SELLING IN THE DIS.
TRICT


Tho City Councils are expected, tonight, TO
act upon one or both Of tho two following
bills, viz: that OF Mr.. Hines, as follows:
fined or otherwise punished for selling spirit
uous, malt, or fermented liquors or other bev.
er.ge. without : license who have complied
an application for = license for keeping either
hotel, tavern, ordinary, restaurant, or other
house, and has paid Into the designated depos.
OF money required BY said laws for license TO
keep either a hotel, tavern, ordinary, restaur-
Sec, 2. That any person arrested for selling
spirituous, malt, or fermented liquors, or other
beverages without license, shall be a compe.
tent Witness for himself upon his trial, and
Inconsistent with the provisions of this act be,
and the same are hereby, repealed.
And that OF MT Bates, as follows:
BE u enacted, That no person or hrm shall be
fned or otherwise punished for selling spirit.
uous, malt, or fermented liquors, or other bev.
erages without 9 license, who have complied
with the laws Of the corporation In obtaining
the recommendations Of the free-holders and
commissioner, required by existing laws for
making an application for license for keep.
ing a hotel, tavern, ordinary or restaurant, and
paid into the designated depository ofthe funds
Of the corporation, the sum Of money required
BY existing laws for license to keep such
hotel, &C., and that this act shall take effect
November, 1865: Provided, That this act shall
not be so construed as to exempt the persons
aforesaid from any penalty or fne imposed
upon persons having licenses approved BY the
Board OF Police.
Both the above bills are In direct and palpa-
BILE contravention of the act OF Congress dated
July %, 1850, providing that the approval OF
the Police Board shall be necessary to give
vitality to any license any liquor.scller Of the
District may obtain from any other District
authorities. See the provisions OF this law OF
Congress, which are as follows:
ACT or JULY -, 1860.
From and after the expiration OF licenses
already granted 1t shall be unlawful Tor any
person or persons keeping an ordinary, restau.
| rant, saloon, or other place where spirituous
liquors are sold, within the District OF Colum.
bia, to give, sell or dispose OF any Intoxicating
drinks without = license approved BY the
Board of Police; and hereafter no such license
| shall be considered legal by any OF the author.
until the same shall have been approved by
the Board Of Police, and so certified by the
| secretary thereof, under the office seal.
| We respectfully submit that the enactment
Of either the Hines or Bates bill by the Coun.
ellis will not be worth pinch OF snuff by way
of authorizing liquor sellers to defy the au'
thorIty of the Board OF Police. No argumen,
is necessary to assure any one OF the fact, who
knows enough to be aware that the authority
i
Columbia. 1t astonishes us, we may add, that
any one In the City Councils can be so inoon
| siderato of the true interests OF their frlcndi
as to press upon the Boards the enactment oI
| either as any llquor.seller who undertakes tc
| set the authority OF the Police Board at de
| lance, under the belief that the proposed
action Of the Councils will bear him out in sc
doing, will simply involve himself In heavy
expense, and In the end be prohibited abso
lutely from selling liquor.
The purpose OF the Police Board In thil
matter Ia simply to take due care that non,
shall set the laws and regulations governing
the sale of spirits in this District at defiance
These laws and regulations are reasonabl,
and plain. They seek but to guard the com
munity against the evil effects OF unlicensed
and untrammelled liquor selling, which 1
permitted here would surely make the Dis
trict OF Columbia pandemonium. The Polic,
Board has refused a license TO no man wht
has not violstcd the law In some one or NOR,
particulars. More or less liquor dealers o
course complain OF the law and regulations
but they will complain OF any law or regula
tion that may Interfere with their desire Il
sell to whom they please, and at any time AM
under any circumstances, or they are ver!
different from many who retail spirituou
liquors elsewhere. We respectfully submi
to all right-thinking men that II any busines
requires strict regulation 1t Is that OF retail
Ing ardent spirits; and further, that the Polio
Board are but doing their duty to society fl
, the manner in which they are regulating 1t.