Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-03-08
From the State House.
Liquor LegisIatiOn-The HOuse Amends
the Senate Liquor Bill and then De-
fcats Ei-Fast Day Appointed.
BosToN. March I. 1872.

BosToN, March I, 1872
The house began its annual wrestle with til
liquor law to-day, the subject coming up in rec
ular order on reaching the bill nom the senate
which takes away from towns and cities the au
thority TO vote on the eXpcdency of selling mai
liquors, ale, lager beer, &c. The prospec
of debate on the always fresh and inspirin
topic of liquor legislation filled the galleries
The talk was much of it very weak and rambling
Mr.. Blake, Of Milford, made the first, the short
est, and on the WHOLE the best speech in favor O
the suppression of the sale of beer. Mr. Newell
of Boston, who never has anything parlicula
to say, read several pages ofdry details and gilt
tenng generalities on the evils of intem
perauce. Mr.. Winslow, Of Newton, wa;
in his element, and made true-bluC
prohibitory speech He had much to say
of the wolves in Sleeps clothing who professed
10 be the friends of prohibition, but stabbed it
with kiss" aud made lying reports" about
"the cause" &c.-by which it is supposed he re-
lerred TO Mr. VIM. B. SpoonerS total abstinence
society, organized year ago, which is about the
only live temperance organization in the state.
He declared that the pIohibitory law never had
a full and fair trial until 1870. Tie would send,
if he could, all the brewers to the place where
Judas went, but he did not state precisely where
this locality was. He relrained from speaking
to the question before the house, and, instead of
giving any reason why cities and towns should
be deprived of the privilege of voting yea Tor nay
IN the question whether ale or lager should be
included with the prohibited intoXicants, he
closed with sonorous period about forlorn wives,
suffering children and blighted homes. Without
enumerating all tn speakers, l ought to state
| that Mr. Smith, the colored member from Boston,
| made a very effective speech in favor of some
practical temperance legislation, and criticised
the men who shout out "rummy" to any honest
temperance men who propose different method
of liquor legislation from their own. When
Mr.. Winslow concluded, the stentoran voice of
Mr.. Merritt, the Springfield apothecary, who be-
lieyes quite differently from the Newton member
about this business, was heard in the back part
Of the hall proposing an amendment to the bill
prohibiting the sale of cider, the farmers pet
beverage also, and calling for yea and nay vote
thereon. The roll call was ordered, and although
many of the prohibitory men, conspicuously Mr..
against the amendment, it was adopted by
vote of 1CS to II.
| Everybody was ready to vote upon the main
| question apparently, when Mr.. Thompson of
| Gloucester suddenly appeared on the floor and
proceeded to make one Of the sharpest speeches
OF the session. He spoke, of course, against the
bill, and against the whole principle OF prohibit
tion and the manner in which it is carried out
in the state. He first opposed any change in
the law this year, and then took up the more
general questions. He held the prohbtionists
up to ridicule for making it a crime to pour
| liquor into jug a1d sympathizing with and
building hospitals Tor those who poured it down
their throats. He declared that the law was all
wrong, that the drinker should he punished as
much as The seller, that evil did not come into
the world by drinking, but by eating that the
real springs of evil were in the human heart but
not in a rum barrel, that it was not necessary or
| desirable 10 remove all temptation from the
| world, that it was the men who conquered their
| passions and not the men who were shielded
from them that earned The crown of life, that
the drinking Of liquor, and intemperance. was
increasing grea lily under the states present poll
cy, and that the state ought not to make money
out of the traffic by petty prosecutions as it is
doing. But he did not suggest the i'm
mediate repeal of the law, knowing OF
course that that was impossible. Dnring
MIR. Thompson's speech, which was in his best
vein, the gas in the hall was lighted, and
| it was nearly half-elst six when he concluded.
| An attempt was then made to adjourn, but the
| prohibIory men preferred to sit it out and the
result was the calling of the yeas and nays for
the second time, and The refusual of third read
ing to the bill by vote OF II to II, Mr.. Faxon
of Quincy voting in the negative in order TO
move reconsideration, which he bunderinely
attempted to do before the vote was declared
So many of the members were absent and the
vote was so close that it is still impossible to
predict the fate Of the bill in full house when
it shall be reconsidered.
The special committee on the reporting time
of the committees informed the house to-day
that none Of the committees ask for time later
than the close Of the present month, and that
they can all without difficulty report at that
time; whereupon an order was adopted instruct
ing the committees So to do, and it will be acted
| on in the senate tomorrow. We may now rea-
sonably expect TO see the legislature adjourn in
| The first week in May.
| The house accepted never so many reports of
leave to withdraw on all sorts Of petitions, and
| passed to third reading the bills to increase
| the capital stock Of the Fitchburg railroad
company, and to establish the third district
court of Southern Worcester. Mr.. C. c. Denny,
nf Iai,.o .4r1to hoe
Mr. Sturlevant, resigned, appeared and was
sworn in to-day.
The following letter, illustrating the rare con-
scentiousness of faithful member although a
little funny, should be read by some OF the re-
cusant members who stay away a week at a
time and think it Is all right:
NORTON, March I, 1872.
| Hon. John r. S1nf0rd Speaker of House of
| RepreSeHtdtiDeS-U Str: Having been absent
| two days on account Of q very servere cold and
not beng able TO be present to-day, respectfully
ask TO be excused, hoping to be present in a
day or TWO.
Very respectfully,
lSiGned. JOHN r. ROBERTSON
In the senate, to-day, bill was reported to
authorize the Worcester county horticultural So
cety to hold real and personal estate to the
amount of S15O,0OO. 1t has been found neces-
sary TO legalize the proceedings Of the last town
meeting in Lexington, on account of the check
list not having been used in the election OF
moderator, and bill was passed to legalize the
meeting, but in the house it fell through
for the lack of explanation, and was re
ierred to the next general court Or
ders were passed instructing the committee
on the taxation of banks to consider tine expe.
| diency Of repeating portion OF the acts Of 1862
on that subject, and directing the judiciary
committee to consider the eXpedency of requir-
ing the preservation OF check lists. Bills were
passed TO third reading, TO authorize the Con-
heeucut River railroad to lease its road, to es-
tapllsh Tree bridge over the river at SPRING
hed, to authorize the borrowing of money for
the new Jail in Taunton, to authorize the Ash.
Durnham railroad company TO lease its road and
resolves to authorize the sale of the state arsenal
and in favor of the disabled soldiers employ.
ment bureau, and in favor of building S75 600
boarding house for the Westfeld normal school
The prison committee have agreed to report
the plan for prison for women submitted by
the prison commission and the unemhere ,iu