Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1870-03-25


The following is The text Of tl1e zls,-pa,
ance bill now before the Legislature oi Penn
sylyania. II has been reported from tho
House Committee fayorably aud was passed
By that body ON the 10th inst We hope to
see it inally passed and become law before
the Legislature adjourns, so that the people
Of every election district may decide the
matter in accordance with the wishes of the
majority.
An ACT to enable the citizens Of Pennsylva-
nia to determine whether the general sale
of Intoxicating liquors shall be permitted.
WHEREAS, All laws, TO be efficient, should
have the support and appreciation Of the
people,
AND WHEREAS, IL is represented that a
majority of the legal voters of certain coun-
ties, cities, boroughs, wards aud townships
desire the passage OF law that shall, in
such districts, forbid the sale Of Intoxicating
| liquors as beverage, and conine such sales
/ 10 medical, sacramental, artistic and mechan-
ical purposes;
AND WHEREAS, II is desired Ia obtain
a certain indication Of popular sentiment 10
regard TO such sales, therefore
SECTION l. Be il enacted, de-, That the
/ courts Of quarter sessions of the several
counties of this Commonwealth, upon petit
| ton of at least One-fourth Of the number Of
| the legal voters Of any district in this Com
! monwealth, as determined by the number
I Of votes at the last general election held pre-
! vioas to the presentation of said petition,
! setting forth the desire OF said petitioners
/ that vote of the legal voters of the dis
| trict, of which the said petitioners are resi-
dents, may be had TO determine whether or
/ not the sale of intoxicating liquors shall be
allowed in said district, except for medi
/ cal, sReramental, artistic and mechanical
purposes, as provided for in this act, shall
! order and direct an election to be held at the
election in said district so petitiouing next
| ensuing after the presentation Of said petit
/ ton, or at such special election as the said
court may order, the time and place for
which shall be named in said order. and it
shall be the duty of the said inspectors and
judges of election in said districts, at the said
general election, to receive tickets either
written or printed from the legal voters
thereof labelled, on the outside, "sale of
/ liquors" and on the inside "for the sale Of
liquors" or against the sale of liquors,
and TO deposit said tickets in box provided
for that purpose By said inspectors and
/ judges, as is required by law in case of 9TH
er tickets received at said election, and the
said tickets so received shall be counted,
and return Of the same made to the clerk
| of the said court duly certified as is rcquir-
ed by law, which certificates shall ba laid
before the judges of the said court, at the
first meeting of said court after such cleo
ton shall be held, and shall be fled with the
record af said court
SEC. 2. That the said petitions shall be
! verified by the afidavits of two or more Of
the petitioners, and shall be presented to
said court at least sixty days before the
time of holding said election, and the said
court shall issue their order from the hold
ing of said election at least thirty days be-
fore said time. A copy of said order shall
be furnished the sheriff, or other officer
whose duty it is to give the legal notice for
holding annual elections, who shall give no.
tice to the legal voters Of said district Of the
said order of said court authorizing a vote
upon the sale of liquors in said district The
/ sheriff or other officer, and the clerk of said
court, shall be entitled to the same fees for
fling the said petition and issuing the order
of said court. as it is by law allowed for sim
liar services.
SEC. 3. That In receiving, and counting.
and in making returns of the votes cast, the
said inspectors, judges and clerks of said
election shall be governed 5y the laws of
the Commonwealth regulating general elec-
tions, and all penalties of the said election
laws are hereby extended to, and shall ap
ply to, voters inspectors, judges and clerks,
voting at and attending upon elections held
under the provisions Of this act.
SEC f. That whenever, by the returns
of said election IN any district voting as
aforesaid, it shall appear that there is a ma
iority Of the votes then cast on the sale of
LIQUORS against the sale Of liquors, then and
in that case the said court shall so declare
BY proper minute to be recorded in the min
utes of said court, and thereafter in such
district this act shall be 10 full force and ef-
feet. and it shall he unlawful for any person
to sell intoxicating liquors within the dis
trict, except as hereinafter provided. Pro
Uided That this act shall not be construed
to forbid such sales by any person duly IL
censed by license granted before the issue
of the order of said court authorizing the
said vote as aforesaid, for the unexpired
term for which said license may have been
granted broUided further, That no bill or
Indictment preferred, or found, against auy
person or persons, for violation Of the laws
of this Commonwealth, shall be annulled by
the passage of this act, or It's adoption by
any district Of this Commonwealth. If,
however, it shall appear that said returns
show a majority of the votes cast at said E.
lection for the sale of liquors in said district,
then this act shall not be in force in said dis
trict but the laws in force and applicable
governing the sale of liquors shall be held to
apply and be in force therein; and prorided
further, That, through ike forms, a vote
may be had at the general election, not Of
tener than once in three years, with the OBJ
iect to renew the laws existing and permit
ting the sale of liquors, and, if a majority Of
votes be cast for the sale of liquors, then
such laws shall remain until again reversed.
| And the true intent and meaning of this act
is that the people shall have control of the
sale of liquors within their respective coun-
ties, cities, boroughs, wards and townships
/ PrOUided. This act shall have the effect to
repeal any local law in force prohibiting the
sale Of intoxicating drinks in any district in
the State
SEC. 5. The word district in sections two
three and four Of this act shall be held to
include either a city, borough or township
SEC. 6. That in any district where, pursu
ant to the forms indicated in the previous
sections of this act, majority vote shall be
cast against the sale of liquors, said vote
being attested by the officers Of the election
as already provided, the retail sale ofiatoxi
eating liquors shall be and is herby forbid
den in such district, under the penalties IN
aicted by the license laws IN force ia said
district at the time of said election, and in-
toxicafing liquors, whether foreign or domes-
tic shall not be sold by wholesale. within the
; limits thereof, in less quantities than FIVE
gallons, under the penalties for any viola
tion inflicted by the laws restricting the