Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-03-19
LIQUOR LAWS OLDEN T,nE.

1t was one OF the doctrines Of our
Puritan ancestors that
"Man wants but little here below;
and doubtless they believed
"That little he wants strong"
for plentiful allowance of beer, wine
and spirits appear In their list Of pre-
parations for the voyage. Suitable
persons, approved by the magistrates
for mine host was a man of consider
able Importance in We Olden time
were licensed to keep ordinaries
or taverns. and sell liquors, but
were bound by stringent laws to allow
no drunkenness or disorder on their
premises. Indeed, the guests them
selves were not free from surveillance
We read IN Jossellyn's Voyage to New
England" ''that if a stranger went into
one of these houses of entertainment
he was presently followed by one APP
pointed to that office, who would thrust
himself into his company unlimited, and
If he called for more drink than the
officer thOughtin his Judgment hecould
soberly bear away, he could presently
countermand it, and appoint the pro-
portion beyond which be could not get
one drop"
Some of the old laws for the regula-
ton of taverns arerather curious. The
following, enacted July IL, 1677, by
the Great and General Court, ;" held
ut Plymouth, will serve as a specimen
at Is ordered by the court and the
authorities thereof that none shall pre-
sumo to deliver any wine, stOng Liquor,
or Cyder to any person or persons
whOe they may suspect viii abuse the
same; or to any bOyes, Gerles, or single
persons, tho pretending TO come in the
name of any sicke person, without
note under the hand of some sober
person IN whose name they come; on
pain of five shillings for every such
transgression. The one halle to the
Country and the other halle to the en-
former"
Drunkenness was punished by vari-
Gus penalties, which viii seem amusing
to us though doubtless considered 9TH
erwise by those who incurred them.
Here a few specimens;
Sergeant Perkins, ordered to carry
forty turfs to the fort, for being
drunk"
Daniel Clark, found to be animmor-
crate drinker, fined forty shillings."
John Wedgewood, for being in the
company of drunkards, to be seen in
the stock"
"a man who had often been punish
ed for being drunk was now orderedto
wear a red ID about his neck for a
year."
Such entries may be found scattered
through the old court records, and Oc-
easiOnally reprimands or dismissals for
drunkenness may be found on the
church records.
Quite trade had sprung up between
the colonies and France and the West
Indies. The colonies exported fish,
pipe slaves, clab-boards, and received in
return wines, rum and various other
articles. The Rev. Increase Mather, in
a sermon preached IN Boston, in 1856,
thus deplOres the introduction and use
of rum:
''It is a common thing that later
years a kind of strong drink, called
rum, has been common amongst us,
which the poorer sort of people, both n
town and country, can make themselves
drunk with. Those that are poor, and
wicked too, can for a penny or two
pence make themselves drunk. l wish
to the Lord some remedy may be
thought of for the prevention of this
evils
Nearly two hundred years have
flown by since the worthy Mather ut
tered this wish, and yet no remedy has
appeared.