Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-15
From the State House.
Dcbatc on the Liquor ssiIl-snteressing
Committee Hearings.
BosTox, March IA, 1872.

the amendment TO the liquor law, which has
beenIproposed by the committee on that subject
the new bill simply provides that in cities
and towns where the popular vote is in favor o.
the sale of malt liquors, it shall not be con.
strued to allow of the drinking on the premises
The debate has not been Of very high charac-
ter, in fact most of the talk was trivial feeble
and worse than commonplace
The debate was begun by that quiet voiced
Boston lawyer, Mr.. Quincy, who read the board
of health's statement that the use of light wines
and ales is beneficial, and lie moved TO include
cider in the bill. DR.. Moore of Boston put in a
statement of his foreign experience, which con-
firmed the views expressed in that report. Rev.
Mr. Hanson of Peabody, chairman of the
liquor committee, argued that prohibition,
like "Banquos Ghost would not down.
The cause was an irrepressible one and
it would not disappear until intemperance was
removed.
Mr. Smith Of Boston, the colored mem
Der, whose speech the other day was commented
on 10 a dirty editorial in the bitter little sheet
the News, as "Cullud Cas- took occasion to
read that interesting article and reply sharply
to the insinuations therein contained. But the
funniest episode of the afternoon was an at
tempt by Mr.. FaXon Of Quincy to press the
matter home. He told little story without
very sharp point, and was going on to portray
his unfortunate experience with an Incorporate
hired man. Said he, g He was worth three dol
ars day, and l paid him two" Shouts of
laughter greeted the speaker, which heightened
out into the longest and heartiesf laugh of the
session. The poor mans earneStness was quite
innocuous after that, especially as he
made several other tau9 pas just about as I'M
fortunate. After this came a "high falutin"
effort, not worthy the name of speech, from Mr..
Tirrell, of Weymouth. Mr. Brown, Of Adams,
spoke well in advocacy of the bill Mr.. Tough
lin, of Lowell, the youthful wearer of the mantle
of Daniel O'Connell spoke in opposition and
handled Mr. Faxon very severely. Col. Loring,
of Fitchburg, brought forward patent scheme
for Kidding the state of ten thousand 'drunks'
year. He made a point indirectly against his
colleague, Towne, Tor lodging the vote the other
day. There were other speeches, but the house
finally submitted to the laborious process of
calling the yeas and nays on adiournment,which
resulted in carrying the question, and the vote
on it over until tomorrow.
The house got through small part of its bust
ness previous to the liquor bin coming up, and
passed to third reading the bills to authorize
the Worcester county horticultural society to hold
real and personal estate; to authorize the Milford
and Woonsocket railroad to extend its road to re-
vve the charter OF the National glass insurance
company; and the bill TO change the name of
the Methodist Episcopal church in Pynchon
street, Springfield. There was a large num-
Der of reports from commttees-mostly
favorable to the various projects refer
red to them. Orders were adopted re.
questng the secretary Of state to furnish a
copy of the existing contract with the state
printers, and TO instruct the judiciary commit
tee to inquire if more legislation is necessary to
protect the rights of persons charged with fraud.
The committee on finance reported in favor of
increasing the salary Of Mr.. Dana, your assis-
tant clerk of courts; also, in favor of the APP
preparation for a normal school boarding house
in Westfeld.
In the senate, to-day, petitions were presented
from A. P. Squircs to be reimbursed for money
expended and services rendered in the arrest of
the Grafton bank robbers, and Of large mum
Der Of teamsters against the proposition TO fix a
legal time for the closing of freight stations in
this city-a subject that is before the railroad
committee on the petition Of numerous mer.
chants and truckmen. The bill to abolish the
"head money tax went to an engrossment in
spite Of the continued opposition of Mr.. Thayer
of Worcester, which led to a debate
The senate took from the table the bill 10 in
corporate the New England mutual insurance
company, and concurred in the house amend
ments, and the bill to unite the Old Colony and
Cape Cod railroads was also taken up and or
dered to a third reading. The senate shows
disposition 10 keep as few matters as possible on
the table. Bills were ordered 10 third reading
to incorporate the Monson savings bank to au-
thorize the trustees of the permanent peace fund
to hold additional estate, to incorporate the
South Shore steamboat company, and to au-
thorize the Connecticut River railroad TO pur-
chase the Mt. Tom railroad. The bill concern
ing elections in cities on which the committee
on the Judiciary reported fayorably was post
poned. The bill to incorporate the district
court Of central Hampden was reported in a new
draft, to include the four Hamptons, Chester
field, Goshen, Williamsburg, Hatfield, Hadley
and South Hadley.
The committee on roads and bridges had your
boulevard question, or road on the shores of
Lake QuinsigamOnd, before them to-day, and a
bill satisfactory to your city officers, also to the
truetnns of state limo rio bosrit.i r,,as ,crr,ad
upon. The committee on the state constableiy
had some lively talk before them to-day. Hon.
Tappan Wentworth spoke in favor of a petition
for the repeal Of the law of 1871, which provides
penalty for attempting to bride a state CON
stable. Judge Crosby of Lowell said there was
a great deal Of drunkenness and rum selling in
that city. He opposed the petition. A Lowell
state constable designated Hon Mr. Wentworth
as the owner of a large block where there were
several rum shops in full blast, and house Of
doubtful reputation besides.
The joint special committee on the liquor law
gave hearing this forenoon upon petition for
the repeal Of the present law and the re-ehaCt-
mentOf the pTohibitory law of 1867, and making
the owners Of buildings whose occupants are en-
gagged in the sale Of Intoxicating drinks respon-
sible for the damage oecasioned thereby. Rev
Geo. II, Nibbert of East Boston delivered a
lengthy and elaborate argument in support Of
probibitory law. He compared the liquor traf-
hG 10 the philosophers stone, and declared it TO
be The great obstacle to the advancement Of
civilization Referring to the report Of the state
board of health, which he criticised severely, he
said the only thing in the report which he be-
lieycd was the assertion OF DR.. Bowditch that
Massachusetts should have several nebriate
asylums, aud they would have to come TO them
sooner or la!cr. In answer to the question
How shall we treat the druukard?" he said
that prohibti0nisis have done seYen-eghts Of
the work in aid Of the incbrate One
ASSOCIATION with which he was connected
had Tilted $4,000 drunkards out Of the gutter,
and any one OF it, members voting for a license
law would be suspended from the order. He
did not agree with Dr. Bowdtch that the appe-
tile ior liquor increased as we 20 north, or that
the appetite for Intoxicating liquor is a natural
one; neither did he believe that bar tender and
barrel Ot New England rum should have been
placed ia the Garden OF Eden. Licensing the
sale OF liquor had been tried for Two hundred
years, and II had failed to arrest the evil He
could quote authority to prove the right TO in
terfere with man's business and habits for The
purpose Of abatng q nuisance. " YOU put
away this accursed traffic, said Mr. Yibbert, YOU
make il harder for drunkard 20 do wrong and
easier for him to do right. He did not believe
that IL was necessary TO expose the young to the
temptations Of light wines and mild drinks in
.t,Iar m gfrpu pfipD tltqir manhood ,ya ,fuct