The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1873-02-15
LETTER FROM NORTH EAST.
NORTH EAST, Feb. 18th. 1872

b .>oNi LAsi, Ttb llbI, 1870.
Mr.. EDIToH.-Dear .Sir-If not impos
ing upon your valuable time and space, we
herewith send you IL few lines for your in
spection and publication, if you deem them
worthy.
And as the time for renewing licenses foi
the sale of intoxicating beverages, in North
East, is drawing near, and if you remem-
Der in the Spring of Il we petitioned the
Honorable Judge of the Circuit Court for
Cecil county, not to grant licenses for the
sale OF rum in our village, but he informed
us the law Was mandatory. and that he had
no discretion in the matter whatever, and
we not knowing who the signers of the
petitions was, of course exhonerated him
from all blame in the premises.
Herewith we give you a copy of the Hon.
orable Judges letter verbatim:
PERRYvILLE, April eth. 1871.
MeSsrs. II. G. Shippers, VIM. D. Alex
ander. james Crawford and one hundred
and tifty-two Observation-Disclosures our
petition praying me "to acnhhoG license
for the sale of Intoxicating liquors in the
town of North East" was received bv me
at Chestertown, on the 25th inst, when,
even if under the law had the power to
grant your request, it would have been too
late to have done so for the coming year.
AS not expecting to be at home again be-
fore the LIST of May, I had more than IA
week previously-and without the slightest
lntlmatlon from any quarter that you in
tended to communicate with me on the
su9Ject-dellvered to one of the parties an
order to the Clerk to issue license.
fully agree with you that both the H.
censed and unlicensed sale of intoxicat-
ing liquors and beverages in our commun
ity is Il great evil" and am sorry that you
should have supposed that | would have
directed the Clerk to issue license for the
sale thereof, in any case in which had the
right to refuse. The Act 1853. chapter 342
Is mandatory and leaves no discretion in
the Judge, except as to the two persons,
househoders, to whom the licenses shall
be issued. Section 2 is as follows:
and be it enacted That the Judge of
the Circuit Court for Cecil county, shall
before the first day of May, in each and
every year, after the passage of this Act,
furnish to the Clerk of the Circuit Court
for Cecil county, the names of two persons.
householders, in the village of North East,
to whom and to whom only the said Clerk
shall issue an ordinary to vend fermented and
spirituous liquors, which persons shall COM
ply with al the provisions of the Code with
respect ordinary license
1t imposes duty which is very distasteful
to me, but, it is my duty to comply with
the requirements of the law. And your
remedy is by application to the Legislature,
which could, and | have no doubt will
change the law to meet your views | have
each year notified the parties to- whom |
have directed licenses to be issued. that
unless they keep houses as orderly as the
nature of the business will permit, will
refuse them a renewal of the licenses and
have heard no compalaiut against either of
them on that score. In haste and with the
greatest respect,
FREDERICK STUMP.
Now, We wish to call his (the Honorable
Judges attention to the fact that the law
requires each Of those two persons to be
recommended by two respectable freehold
ers in their immediate ricinuy. We learn
from the list published in The Wing, few
weeks ago, that Samuel Logan, S. D. Moi
fit and VIM. r. Mearns signed the North
East petitions for the sale of rum last
SPRING. The query is when the law re-
quires two respectable freeholders in the
immediate ricinity of the ram sellers, (who
shaft comply with all the code how he the
Honorable Judge under the above circum-
stances can justify himself in recommend
ing those petitions >to the Clerk to issue
license for the sale of rum in North East.
Respectfully yours,
One OF THE 100 SIGNERs
OF THE PETITION.