Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-05-25
A "License Law, for England

Mr.. Bruce, the home secretary in the
Gladstone ministry, has brought into Par
lament a bill to regulate the sale of in
toxicating liquors, which is likely to come
up for action in few days. The pros
pect of it's passage is by no means good
Indeed, if we may Judge from the furry
it has created and the pressure which is
to be brought upon members against 1t
the government will be defeated, or will
escape an adverse vote by withdrawing
the bill. The interest in the subject OF
liquor legislation in this country is a suffi'
cient excuse for brief abstract of the
proposed act.
1t begins by prohibiting the sale OF
liquor at retail after September next by
any person not authorized to do so by a
license from the inland revenue Office,
which is to be given on the presentation
of a certificate from the licensing justices
of the town or district. There are nine
classes of certifcates-for publicans, inns
eating-houses, railway stations, theatres
and other places where liquors are sold.
The number of publicans is to be limited
if the rstepayers so vote. There may be
one in town of 1900 inhabitants, two for
5000, and one for each additional thous-
and. The number allowed to community
is somewhat larger if the population is
sparse. There is no limit to the number
of sellers other than publicans, except in
the discretion of justices. Licenses are to
be granted and renewed annually, but ell
licenses run out in ten years. A scale of
rates for licenses is given, but they are
not of interest. The proceeds are to form
T. 81 .-%o - .fo af
public house inspectors, and the surplus
is to be divided among the counties and
boroughs.
Places where liquors are sold, with
some exceptions, are to be closed every
night at eleven o'clock, and not opened
until seven O'Clock the following morn.
ing. In towns Of less than 10000 inhab.
itants, the time of closing is fixed an
hour earlier. On Sundays they are not
to be opened before one o'clock in the
afternoon, must be closed between the
hours of three and seven, and closed for
the night at nine o'clock. For dodgers
and travellers these regulations are con-
siderably relaxed, and there is no re-
striction whatever on sales to passengers
at railway stations or to persons lodging
en- the premises where liquor is sold. The
justices may, subject 10 vote OF the
ratepayers, decide to close all houses q,
ten o'clock every night or for the whole
of Sunday. Some of the penalties affixed
to violation of the bill are somewhat
severe. The proprietor of any place may
turn out person who is drunk or dis
orderly, and the police must assist
Drunkenness in q licensed house is to be
punished by fine of twenty shillings
and under certain circumstances the fine
is doubled. The second conviction of g
licensed seller for permitting the prem
ises to be the habitxal resort of bad char
acters will forfeit the certificate.
r. There is a fine for obtaining liquors un
der false pretences, and q heavy penalty
is attached to adulterating liquors witt
articles injurious to health. The sale Of
adulterated liquor, or the having 1t fol-
sale subjects the owner of the license t.
fine or imprisonment. In case of convic
ton the dealer is obliged to keep record
of the fact posted in his place of business
for fortnight. Among the singular pro
visions of the bill is one that, when 1t IL
proposed to grant any new publicsns' Ger
| tificates in town, proposals are to be In
| yited and the licenses are to be given Il
the highest bidder. Fl. rt saaI
In Massachusetts, this would hardly b
deemed q stringent law, but it has excited
a great deal Of opposition in London
The protective society to which, most o
the licensed victusllers of England be
| long, have met together and denounced
it. They say it amounts to confiscation
that it introduces espionage; that 1t Il
"a teetotal trap" and that it is altogether
vicious in character. The member
| resolved to appeal personally t
1 the representatives of the people
1 and urae them to oppose the who'll,
measnre. and some speakers coupled
their advocacy of this resolution With I
threat that every member of the House o
Commons who did not vote against tn
bill should be regarded ss an enemy ant
aforementioned. Not even absence from
the House when the vote is taken is to b.
accepted as an excuse. Most of the othe
trades and branches of business connected
with the liquor traffic have also helf
meetings and denounced it, and the tee
totallers," as they are universally caiie'
in Great Britain, are not IN favor OF ID
hill because it does not go far enough
Even the "working-men" think they Sc
another blow in their liberties in the re
strictions imposed by this bill, and hav
made arrangements to protest against !
u Their grievance is that it shortens 4sti
more the hours within which they ca
get their beer. The pressure thus organ
lied, backed by enormous petitions' on
of which, in Manchester and vicinity, na
lalready been signed by more than tnirt
! thousand persons, is almost certain 70 a.
, feat the bill If it should be brought fol