New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-01-22
THE WORKINGS or TIE EXCISE Law
Tho Annnal Rennrt of the Metrnnnlitan COm-

The Annual Report of the Metropolitan Com
mssioners Of Excise having just reached hasten to
lay the gst OF it before readers at the earliest
moment. We have rarely perused public document
which seemed pertinent and cogcnt Its as folows
To the Gorenor Of the state Of Netc-TOrk:
The Metropolitan Board Of Excise IN and for the Metro
potan Police District OF tho State of NewYork, except
ing and excluding the County OF WestchesteT respectfully
reports:
That the act constituting the Metropolitan Excise Dis
trct and regulating the licensing therein of the liquor
traffic and the retailing Of intoxicating drinks, was
passed the 14h Of April 1866, and by its terms, took
immediate effect:
That tins Board duly constituted and entered upon
the discharge Of duties the LIST day of May ensuing
That its operations were aiterward virtually ar
rested and its authority and efforts parayzed by inunc
TONS which ipjunctons were ultimately oyerrued and
dissolved by Of the decision OF the Court Of APP
peals, which determined that the act constitutional
and VALID but not I'LL after they had for term of six
months served their purpose Of multiplying the law and
securing the widest and fullest mpuniiy to the unlicensed
and unlcstralned traffic in intoxicating liquors.
That excluding this standardization which Dciher the
Excise Law this Board justly bo held accouna-
behe has been i'll force fora total period Of thirteen
months counting from the organization Of the Board up
10 lst of December, 1867:
That whereas the amount collected-at least the
amount accounted for thus collectel-uder fo pro
visions Of the law which this Act has superseded,
iuconsderable; the amount collected and applied TO
the decrease Of taxation under this Act less than
Sl,29J,40 u during the eleven months closing
with March. 1867, and has been Sl,3o5,Oo2 q
during the eight succeeding months making the total
receipts from licenses and fines and interest deposits,
under this act S2CO5l IS up to tho 1st Of December
1867:
That the total cost Of collecting this revenue has been
less than three 9) per cent Of IT'S amount
That the thus realized from this act would OF
ifsn1f euni M ID 10
entire public debt OF the City Of NewYoIk within next
fifteen years:
That the number Of places at which liquors pub
cly retalcd in the two cities Of NewIOrk and Brooklyn
has been reduced from nine thousand two hundred and
seventy the LIST Of May 1906 to six thousand eight
hundred and ortyhye the LIST OF December, 1sf7are
ducon Of two thousand four hundred and twenty-five
shops involving redemption Of that number Of
enements from liquor selling TO other, and we trust bet
ter uses and diversion OF ten thousand TO fifteen
thousand persons from attendance in dranshOps to diff
ferent aud would hope, in the MAN, more benGhcen
avocatiOns:
That tho hours during which liquors were publicly
posed for sale in our two cities which formerly les
Der week he whole nunber, have been reduced by this
to IS, I'm the average, on each secular day,
leaving Sundays and the hours between midnight and
sunrise of other days with each day Of election entirely
exempt from the liquor traffic
That open violations OF the Excise Act Except In the
towns Of Queens County, where owing TO the absence Of
police force, an exceptional condition Of things has eX-
isted and promptly corrected; whereas the act
which it supcrsedes habituay ostentahousy de-
fed naught by the great body Of retailers OF
alcoholic iquors:
That the effects Of the Metropolitan Excise Law
exhibited the habitua quiet and order evnced In our
annual elections in largely increased balances TO tho
credit Of the poor Savings Banks aud In signal
dmDutOn Of arrests for disorder and crime by the police
which formerly made more but now make fewer, ON
Sundays than on any other day Of the week
That during the thirteen months which we have not
been prohibited by the courts from giving effect to this
law the total number Of arrest Sundays by the police,
for resulting manesty from too free indulgence In
the use ofntoxcang drinks, ABA; while on the Tues
days OF those months 1t no less than COIL or
more than double the aggregate Of arrests IN the CORE
spending Sundays:
That, this disproporton is wholly 20 cities ex
perence under other laws there were more arrests
Sunday than any other day OF the week Thus, In
the eight months of 1865, from May TO November ncu-
sve there l5 Of the made Sundays aud
but $3.50 Oh Tuesdays.
That very large proportion OF the arrests now made
on Sundays those Of persons who having left these
cities to indulge the suburbs their passions for strong
drinks return tpsy and disorderly at late hour and
compel the Police to take them in charge.
That while the number Of dramshops, Of o1cnses, and
the cost Of gratifying the passion for strong drink have
oil been thus signally reduced SOBER decent awabd
ing citizen will complain that tho facilities for OBJ
tanning liquor have been harshly restrcted 6sl5
dramshops and beer saloons in two such cities being
liberal allowance, while all who choose TO tppe between
midnight and sunrise, oDthe Christian Sabbath, have
only TO provide themselves with their favore beverages
a few hours in advance, and drink them in their
each Others private dwellings untroubied by the police;
only the lowest and most abandoned drunkards and out
casts being unable to make such provision.
These facts bear their own comment Argument would
be lost on those whom they fail TO impress with the utility
and benefcencc OF the law which have been commits
stoned to execute
Theorists have commended the hand, that the
traffic intoxicating liquors should be utterly prohibited
and suppressed; the other, that II should be left
as free as the trade in grain bread, or in any
other necessary Of life. The public judgment has.
with rare alterations held q middle ground between
these extremes maintaining that this traffic shond
be tolerated but regulated and subjected to restrictions
which, while they provided for tho reasonable and mod
crate qualification OF the appetite for stimulants opposed
barriers perilOus and reckless fatuhton II
golden mean between absolute prohibition and bound
less Indulgence still 10 be adhered to- respectfully
submit that material alteration In the present law is
desirable or would prove conducive 10 the general We'll
On reference to the report Of the Treasurer 1t win be
that the received by the Board for licenses
eight months 81 1885, 3l 20
For fines from NewYOrk 3,087 %
For fines from Brooklyn. bISO 90
For interest on deposits In 1896 3429 ~
For interest on deposits In 7........ 1883 90
| OF this sum. the Commissioners OF the Sinking
Fund OF New-YoTk received ............. 7Os,5s7 o5
Commissioners Of the Sinking Fund Of Brook
Commissioners Of Charlie; and Correction iSsSs 81
New-York State Inebriate Asylun........ I2s659 50
Inebriates Home for Kings County 4O6l2 sc
Common SchOols-Rlchmond County ........ 1890 CO
School Fund-2ueens Connty....--...---..... ?sSo 90
School Fund-Hew Utrecht. .............. 1887 90
Commissioner Of Schools Kings County o.475 80
The total amnt received for licenses and fines In each
year since the organization Of the Board follows
FOR LIcENsEs-lSG6, &-283s54 CO; 1867, 2s5,03l TO-