Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-03-31
Il. w M
Publisher and Proprietor.
Liouor Laws of Ye oIden Time.


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 a plentiful allowance of beer, wine
and spirits appear in their list of pre-
parations for the voyage. Suitable per-
sons approved by the magistrates-for
mine host was a man of considerable
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 themselves were not free
from surveillance. We read in Josselyn's
Voyage to New England, THAT if a
stranger went into one of these houses
Of entertainment, he was presently fol-
lowed by one appointed to that office,
who would thrust himself into his COM
pany unlimited and, if he called for
more drink than the officer thought in
his judgment he could soberly bear away,
he could presently countermand it, and
appoint the proportion beyond which
he could not get one drop.
Some of the old laws for the regula-
ton of taverns are rather curious. The
following, enacted July IL, 1917, by the
Great and General Court, held at
Plymouth, will serve as a specimen:
1T is ordered by the Court and the
authorities thereof that none shall pre-
sumo to deliver any wine, strong liquors
or cyder to any person or persons whoe
they may suspect will abuse the same;
or to any boyes, gerles, or single per-
sons, tho pretending to come in the
name of any sicke person, without a
note under the hand of some sober per-
son in whose name they come; on pain
of FIVE shilings for every such trans
rression. The one halle to the Country
and the other halle to the enformer.
Drunkenness was punished by various
penalties, which will seem amusing to
us, though, doubtless, considered other
wise by those who incurred them. Here
are few specimens:
Sergeant Perkins, ordered to carry
forty turfs to the fort, for being drunk. =
"Dauiel Clark, found to be an immod.
crate drinker, fined forty shillings.
John Wedgewood, for being in the
company of drunkards, to be set in the
stocks"
A man who had often been punish
ed for being drunk was now ordered to
wear a red d about his'neck for a year.
Such entries may he found scattered
through the old court records, and oc-
casionally may be found on the church
records.
Quite a trade has sprung up between
the Colonies and France and the West
Indies. The Colonies exported fish,
pipe.staves, clap-boards, and received in
return wines, rum aud various other arti-
eles. The Rev. Increase Mather, in
sermon preached at Boston in 1856, thus
deplores the introduction and use OF
rum:
at is a commen thing that later
years a kind of strong drink, called rum
has been common amongst US, which the
poorer sort Of people, both in towR ard
country, can make themselves drunk
with. Those that are poor and wicked
too, can for penny or two-pence make
themselves drunk. | wish to the Lord
some remedy may be thought of for the
prevention Of this evil.
Nearly 200 years have flown by since
the worthy Mather uttered this wish, ana
as yet no remedy has appeared.