New-York tribune., 1877-11-22
rlrrErN HrNnREn LIcENsEs.

OVER rwO-rHEDs OF TIE SALOONS iN TIE CITY
siIrlNG uQroR WITHOUT ArrIo.IrY or Jaw
TIE rXGsE coNn,>I NuEs' Vrws-wHAr
TIRE LAWS RrQyiBE-THE LIST or HOTEL IL
CrNsTs KfPr BACK.
In the minds Of many persons, including n
iorco numbcr o. liquor dealers who have ntrrstod thr
iat.ross 70 certain committees and associations there is
rf confusion as o the precise fgnhcItOu o. the laws
bearing upon The question Of granting licenses Before
March o. 1877. TIE Excise Commss ssioners granted III
ccrecs vcsy freely the restictcns upon them
being few At tia' time the Coir, Of Ap
Icas decided that, iu order 10 secure j.
censc. man NUT keep an iar, tavern or
hotel A. once the Excise Commissioners refused to
grant any moro liceu,ce and thousands o. liquor deal
c,s who bad obtained licenses, found themselves min
tcntonay vioaUug the law, interpreted 10y the conrt
81 last resort Up 10 Nay j. tte Comuisorcrs granted
no ccuscs and after That tine. uoh smaller nGiuOcr
,hau formerly. Only 123 hrt-cless hceasce-t tina; is,
licenses permitting the sale Of stuoas liquors, wines,
etc. 10 De drunk on the pr,usci--ha,e been issued.
The second and tid-cass licenses number about l4OO,
80 that OF The 5000 druldngplaccs the city, more
tsan t,yo-thiris arc unlicensed.
The law % 1s7p on tins sabi It. under which the Ev
else Commiss0neIs acted up 60 March - gave the Com
missioner power 90 grant licenses TO persons of good
moral character who shall c approved by tLeIn." 10 sell
liquors. also wines and beer 70 he drunk on the prem
iscs There was no restriction 10 the Kind Of place
which the applicant proposed c. keep. This law was
supportod hy numerous decisions Of the supreme Court
and also by decision OF the General Term of the ST.
premo Court IN the Fourth Judicial District the opinion
being written bvJgdgc Smith. The Act Of 1870 rceu
acted the law Of 1857 with tho exception Of those parts
which were supeiceded by the new law The Court of
Appeals however decided in effect that the section Of
Tie Act OF 1857 which restricted the sale OF sp rtuous
Iqlors etc the keepers Of inns, hotels OF tayerns
was i in force. The section referred TO Is in par
follows:
licenses shan not be granted to any person TO sell
tie premises % the person Eccnscd unless such person
Tnpisioncr. r saiis6ed that The applicant IS Of good
moral character at e has sufficient ability 20 keep an
Inn, tavern. or hotel and lc necessary accommodations
10 entertain travellers. and that an iuu tavern, or hotel
IS rcgu.ryd i0r the actual accommodation OF travellers
10 Ec, the same all % which shall be expressly stated
IN such license.
ocr sections Of the act provide that in towns and vii
laes the keeper OF the nD tavern or hotel shall have
accommodation. for not less than three guests. aud
suniccnt stabliug aud proyender Tor four horses
cattle in addition 20 his own stock while 10 cities, he
must have no least three beds and the necessary bedding
for The accommodation Of travellers" II is also required
tnat Within thirty days after obtaining his license be
put up sign announcing that ne Keeps al hotel
nm, or tavern.
speaking in reference THIS law yesterday President
Morton OF tie Board Of Excise. said to TRIBUNE re-
porter IN order 10 obtain censet was not neces
sary Tor man actually 10 keep hotel, but all that
was required OF the Commissioners was that tn ey should
be satisfied that the applicant proposed TO keep an hotel
was good moral character and capable OF Keeping an
hotel and had tie necessary accommodations for so
doing. II was left for them to determine In
what way they should be satisfied. Among other
thipgs they required that the applicant should
make an aGi0avit setting forth that he pro
,osed 10 keep an hoel u accordance with the section
Of the law quoted above In ADDITION 70 Tins ey @Sas
80 me Colnuissi0 toners Lad certainly compiled Win
,h law and IN some had construed II even more
sosely lAa vas actually necessary Wine VIC AAS4so