The New York herald., 1869-01-09


public morals and Of public justice, its report for
| the year 1868 Is herewith given IN full:-
| To THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
| The Metropolitan Board OF Excise, pursuant to
1885, and to section sixteen OF chapter $50 Of the laws
Of 1857, and to section nineteen OF chapter seventy
lowing report for the period since the 18TH day OF
December 1857 the date OF its last annual report In
its former communications this Board was compelled
the public mind agitated by numerous suits against
the Board and expensive proceedings in the courts.
that tended to develop feeling OF hostility towards
the law on the part OF those most opposed to It.
During the past year there has been exhibited much
less evidence Of This feelng nearly all litigation has
ceased and general disposition TO observe the law
70 tho ev W rSpsf onY mas Sr
been instituted against the Board during the past
year. This suit still pending fs In the name OF the
late Mayor OF that city, and has for its object to pro-
cure judgment that the franchise OF granting excise
licenses belongs solely to that officer and tnatits
cise by him Is necessary for the protection OF the
city creditors. Though pending for several months
no proceedings have been taken in this suit and as
the Board annually pays more excise money into tNo
city Treasury than has been received during any
twenty prior TO the passage OF the present Ex
tional by the Court or Appeals, il Is hardly antici
pated that this litigation can seriously prejudice the
| administration OF the law.
THE EXCISE LAW IN QUEENS COUNTY,
The litigation formerly reported In the county OF
Queens is nearly OF an end and the liquor dealers IN
the portion OF that county subject to the Excise law
have generally taken out licenses. And wne it will
| not probably be practicable to enforce the Excise
law SO completely in a section to which the Metro
politan Poce law is not applied, In other sections
OF the Excise district yet the ready recovery OF YER
diets in cases brought by the Board before the Su
preme Court In that county, furnished such cOnvinc
ing evidence OF the public feeling concerning It's en-
| forcement that the principal liquor dealers ac-
quesced, and promptly and cheerfully took licenses
from the Board.
most labOrious and delicate portion OF the du-
ties OF the Board Ia involved In the investigation Of
charges OF violation OF licences and OF the Excise
aw ana te decisions o. .ese . cases also nyOave Sa
can be no doubt that the proper discharge OF this
! function Of the Board contributes most materially
toward the easy and effective execution OF the law,
and tends to strengthen the public confidence IN ts
administration Many OF the questions to be decided
very embarrassing and 1t requires patience care
and integrity to secure the ends or justice.
1t Will be seen that the Board has investigated more
than 2,2s7 such complaints; that 457 licenses have
missed not established, and forty have been in
definitely postponed. 1t is fact Of Importance, "a
illustrating the manner In which this delicate duty
has been discharged that though the opportunity
exists in every case, only single proceeding for
| In revoking licenses has ever been TAKEN and in
1nat the decision OF the Board was sustained,
| and the certorari was denied, because no facts
| calling for review Of the decision OF the Board
now THE Law WORKS.
The following extract from the last report OF this
| Board is confirmed by the experience OF the past
year:-"fheorsts have contended, on the one hand,
that the trafc in Intoxicating liquors should be
utterly prohibited and suppressed; other that
it should be left as free as the trade in grain or bread
or in any other necessary OF ile The public judg
ground between the extremes maintaining that this
traiic should be tolerated, but regulated and sub
the reasonable ana moderate qualification Of the appe
tte for stimuants opposed barriers to perilous ex
cess and reckless infatuation.
.If this golden mean between absolute prohibition
and D0undess Indulgence B still 10 be adhered to
respectfully submit that no material alteration in
the present law Il desirable or would prove con-
| ducive TO the general well belngr
| When the present law went into operation the
number Of places at which intoxicating liquors were
| publicly sold In New York and Brooklyn was 0, 720
and the number or such places Is now 1901.
any useS @ pnrpose e could be secured Sy increasing
the number OF such places; and the substitution Of
other pursuits In 24ls such places 1t may be hoped
has added somewhat to the comfort OF families, and
not little to the accumulation OF productive Indus
\ try in the two cities
has not been administered any theory OF coercive
personal morality, nor on any assumption OF right
age but solely on the theory OF providing reason
able and wholesome regulations for public tra11c
peculiarly Liable TO abuse and there cannot u ~ be-
leved, be any serious ground for doubt lat least on
the experience OF this lawb that the exemption or
the Christian sabbath from thls ranc, and the re-
| duction OF the period of its public pursuit from
twentyour TO eighteen hours per day, and from 1853
| to los hours per week, has done much to promote
what all good men and women desire, and little 70
foster what any good man or women can regret
I HINT.
II the habit OF drinking Is so strong in any case
|
| be intermtted on sunday from midnight to day
light, II Is not didcult TO secure supply for private
| use during these periods. and few can have such
ideas OF the convenience and advantage OF the near
proximity Of liquor store as to claim that they suf
FER any serious prejudice by the Board not permitting
more than 301 such places TO exist In the cities 0f
/ New YORK and Brooklyn.
| CHARACTER or LICENSED HOUSES
The Board cannot doubt that the provisions OF the
\ law which renders II necessary for those who
spend their time In those places to depart at mid
night and makes IL for the interest OF the licensees
10 preserve quiet ana order on their premises while
open. have contributed to prevent scenes OF vice
and violence; aud the reductions OF the number
| OF places where liquors are sold has been made
by rejecting and dscouraging the applica-
TONS and forfetng the licenses OF those VINO kept
the most Objectionable places In this way, IL Ia be-
| Iieved. gradual elevation has been commenced In
the average character OF the licensed houses aud u
may manifest that both the pride and the interest
OF the licensed vendors under this law are united to
all whose places tend 70 bring disrepute the
mon business.
The closing Of che drinking places on election
day has long been Known 70 contribute largely TO
the pubic peace and quiet and the same result s
| now equally apparent as consequence Of closing
| such places on the Sabbath.
COMPARISON OF ARRESTS.
We able 10 make fair comparison by con-
| Tuesdays. Thus record kept for period OF eight
months IN 1888 showed 5lo arrests for intoxication
| following Tuesdays OF each week, the 1876 ex.
cess on Sundays indicating, doubtless, the number
/ that want VI occupation on the sabbath
leaves the easier victims OF Incorporate habits. In
| the thirteen months during which the present Ex-
else law had been In force, at the date OF the last
report, 10 was proved that 6,02i arrests were made
| on the Tuesdays. against only 2,5i4 on the Sundays
OF the same weeks and TINS 90! excess OF Tuesday
over sunday arrests, according 20 tue ratio shown
for the prior eight months comes considerably short
OF the number Of scenes OF disorder Of which the Sab
| bath had been relieved. And II should he remarked
that portion OF the sunday arrests, under the
| present Excise law have been OF persons who have
gone out OF the district and dram. much liquor
that they fell Into tho hands Of inc police their
| return.
intoxication on sundays ar Tuesdays for the year