Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-03-30
R.%tir. from Richmond.

[Correspondonce Of the Alexandria Gazette. ]
RICHMOND, Va, March %, l577.-GeneEal
Bradley I. Johnson, yesterday, 10 the Senate,
made telling speech against Inc whiskey BILL
He said that tie measure was passed by whip
and spur, AID that The Senators were buIldOzed
by uu!hiuking people. lie likencd the Lax to
toy that father has brought home 10 his
children, and i! will be made much Of for q
few days, All then be discarded. lie pre-
lclcd that when the people understood tire
nature Of the tax they would Indignantly
repuaiato it because OF its injustice. General
johnson Ycut Oh further TO argue that the act
vas oppressive to the poor MN, and made
him bear the onus Of the taxation, and he wound
w BY saying that he was 10 favor Of raising
The rcccnuc, but only BY taxing all luxurics,
aud not by taxing onIy one.
Jadgc Cochran also spoke strong against
the bill, and s!gmatIZ9d it as belonging 10 the
sumpuary laws which the history OF the world
proved never yielded any revenue, and were
detrimental 10 the best interests Of the conf
munity.
As may persons arc ignorant Of the MoHett
register, or bell punch, will briefly describe
it: The inventor Of the punch thinks it is a
wonderful piece Of mechanism, aud that his
name will 20 down 10 pos.erity linked with
Watts, Fulton and Stephenson. The punch is
kind Of instrument that must be huog up 10
every bar room, and when the bar keeper has
SOLD y drink he must turn the handle Of the
crauk, and a needle marks it off 90 the index
table Now the inventor, being from the back
woods region has childlike confidence 10 hu-
mau nature that is sublime, and he imaglnes
that every bar keeper, though smartiDg under
the great irj usticc and wrong done him. will
rclgi0u,'y turn The crank OF the d-n thing, as
q Seuaor calls it, every time he passes aglass
over The counter The whole contriVancs is an
unmittigatCd hnmbug ADD nuisance. We all
kaow That the busy time fer restauratcurs is
ia the night, aud that the heaviest drinking is
carried Oh in arother room, outside the bar,
aud The only medium Of communication IS
tails, beers, and straights. aod after be fills bis
there any sane mau who thinks the bar-keeper
will rob himself OF his hard earned gaines and
mark off drinks When there is DO onc BY. No,
it cannot be done; any more than the gas me-
tres could be lett to the control Of each house
back the index whenever they chose.
Gen. Lee voted for the liquor tax bill, but
he did 50 only after he had made q strenuous
effort before the Finance Committee to amend
it by reducing the tax on beer, and Tor this he
will receive the thanks aud support Of all the
German clement, whose interests he has en.
deavOred TO protect. 1t must be understood
that any amendment lacked TO the bill meant
its utter defeat. The amendment might have
been agreed to, but as the end Of The session
was near 81 ha0d the bill had to be passed as it
was or not passed at all, aud so 1t was pushed
through a, an express trao goes over q
rickety bridge, aud those advocates Of this
piece Of unjust legislation will 6nd that they
have dug their political graves.
Senator Moffett's whiskey punch will be a
standing joke 10 Virginia for the next twenty
years. and soon the street gamios will be sing
lug he madrigal:
Punch brother, Punch Punch with care
Punch iii the presence Of the walaire.
One little punch for be lager beer, &c.
Col. Critteuden is still 10 Jail. The whole :