, 1874-05-09

even it should happen to burst and fall upon
a lighted candle or lamp, since other vendors
OF spirits are not required to keep these arti-
cles at hand.
Special provisions are made in the Draft as
to the different localities in the towns where
these dispensaries of Spir1tu0us medicines may
be established, and it is particularly remark
able that they could, by being established in
Kongens-T vergade, unlimited, Frederiksted, and
IN hongens-Gade, as far as the corner of Smede-
Gade, Ghristiansted, be situated nearly in juxta-
position to Church and School-house-at least
not SO far off as to make it inconvenient to
step into, out of church or class, and take a tip
without being just missed by parson or
teacher.
To be, however, a little more serious with
this very grave and serious subject, this Draft,
while seeming to prevent the situation of
shops in such localities as would evade the
direct and immediate overlooking of the posi-
ton by the police, actually offers the opportu-
nifty to sell rum in every creek and corner of
the towns inasmuch as a retailer who has a
burgherbrief can obtain a rum-licence to vend
liquors by the bottle in his shop, no matter
where that shop is situated in the towns.
VIII traders be glad to take this rum-licence
and pay &32 per annum, or not? They will be.
They will by this means have their present
Illicit trade in spirits licensed and extended
for lnasmuch as many are now able to sell by
the bottle undetected, they will be able to
%contrive numerous plans to sell by the glass
without detection also. In fact, the question
may fairly be asked, does not the practice
now exist of selling sp~irituou8 liquors by the
glass without a licence, ard no other answer
could be given to it but an affirmative one.
If, however, other traders are to be allowed
to sell spirituQus liquors Ivy retail, then, they
having the decided advantage over the social
led mUnopolists, as plainly shown above, should
be bound to pay at least one half as !much as
the latter, if not quite as much, and then be
particularly prevented frOln selling RIM ex-
cept in portions Of 5 Gallons, but be allowed to
sell all other kinds Of spirituous drinks by the
bottle. This would, | think, have its own eff
feet upon the system altogether, and in time
produce ONE beneficial results to all concern
ed.
To enter fully, Mr.. Editor, into a detailed
discussion Of every point in this document
that could bear dilatation, is not my object
nor could | be 50 intrusive in occupying so
much of your space; but l cannot leave this
subject without a few concluding remarks,
showing up the tendency which, in my opinion,
this Draft as a whole viii have in influencing the
abandoning of rumshop licence as now paid for
by the present holders, tor really they would
be arrant dupes, with all due respect for their
better good sense, to continue to pay S16O for
the privilege of selling rum and other spirits,
enduring all the disgusting scenes which taunt.
their delicate and decent feelings every day
of their life, when they could do a cleaner
business of a similar kind with more decency
and genteel bearing, at least for one-ffth of the
amount proposed in the Draft to be imposed
on the heads of the keepers of these destroying
dispensaries.- X.