The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-17

THE TRUE HISTORY OF ITS ,PAssAGE-WHAT
THE PRESIDENT OF THE LIQUoR-DEALERS
ASSOCIATION DID.
The history Of the passage OF the Mofett.
punch bill Is a curious one. The first bill
reported to tne House Of Delegates pro-
yided for q tax OF two and half cents on
each alcoholic drink. This was reduced to
one cent, the Richmond delegation voting
solid for the amendment. The House, how
I ever, refused to strike out the section
which Disseminated against the wholesale
trade, and the bill was defeated, the
entire Richmond delegation voting in the
negative. The subject was then recon-.
mitted, to special committee, of, which
Mr.. Dooley was member.
When the committee met Mr. John
Smelling, Of the Cafe, at his own request
was permitted to. appear before II. He
stated that he was president OF the klch-
mond Liquor-Dealers' Association, mum.
bering hundreds Of members, and that II
the committee would restore the. tax TO
two and half cents neither he nor
the Association would make further oppo-
sition to the bill, but that they would favor
its massage. He gave his reasons, and
among them were these: That the dealers
could charge q quarter for two drinks,
thereby giving the State five cents tax
and receiving the existing price for drinks.
In the case OF one drink be said the State
would get It's two and q half cents and the
bar-keeper two and hall cents additional.
His opposition to one-ceDt tax was that
parties would still sell at existing rates,
using an inferior article OF liquor, and
thereby prevent other dealers who adhered
to good liquor from advancing their prices.
The result was that the committee reported
the present bill, omitting the Objectionable
clause in regard to wholesale dealers.
When it reached the House the Richmond
members had it amended by striking out
the clause requiring each dealer before re-
ceiving license to swear he had not violated
the law, and also by reducing the specific
license to one half of what the committee
reported. Colonel Armstrong, OF Rocking
ham, who was one OF the special committee,
and an advocate of the Moffett punch, stated
to the House that the president OF the Rich
mond Association-the most influential IN
Virginia-had, on behalf OF his organization,
agreed to the bill and appealed to the city
delegates to make no further opposition
to it.
President Smelling also went to the Rich
nond delegates, and to other members Of
the Legislature, including Hon. John W.
Daniel, and durged them to vote for the bill,
reiterating, by way of argument, the rea-
sons he gave the committee. When the bill
was put upon its final passage it was agreed
to by large majority, Messrs. Dooley, Gil
man, and Lovenstein voting "Aye."
The above information was obtained from
gentlemen conversant with the history Of
the bill, and they believe that their recolec-
tion is perfect. II it is not, those interested
can have their side fairly presented in these
columns, as the only object is an impartial
statement OF facts.
THE NUMBER oFREGIsTERs NEEDED.
1t is likely that Norfolk or Petersburg
will he the next city supplied with regis
ters. The acquisitions for registers made
by the Auditor Of Public Accounts on Mr..
johnson are Qor the cities named) as fol-