The New York herald., 1878-01-18
THU STATE CAPITAL.
Full Discussion of the Excise Muddle
in Committee.
ILLEGAL ARRESTS.
Speeches by Dlessrs. Tracy, Crosby, Creamer,
Darling and others.
STRONG TEMPERANCE ADDRESSES.
New York Harbor To Be Kept
Free from Garbage.
[DY TELEGRAPH 10 THE HERALD.

bly, held JOINT session In tho Senate Chamber this
afternoon. All the members OF both committees were
present except Senator Morrissey II having been
announced that the excise question would be taken up
large number OF spectators we're present The bills
considered were Dalys aud Gocbers The discussion
was opened by Colonel John Tracy, counsel for tho
Wine and Spirit Traders Society, who spoke substan
italy as follows
COLONEL TRAcY's spExcm
appear IN behalf OF the Wine SPIRIT aud Traders
socety society IN reference TO proposed changes "a me
excise system. The subject Is naturally divided
into two hcads FIRST Shall there be any legisla-
ton relative to exclse during his session.
and scope oi sucn legislation? There exists great
wrong, ior winch the present laws afford no
and OF the United States an important branch OF the
public service has been DO administered as to make
Now \ ork laughing stock among the cities vi The
world. Tho property aud liberty of large number Of
its citizens have been sacrificed ana vested rights. ap
parcny guaranteed by Jaw, imperilicd. Tue condi-
lion OF the Excise Department a state OF chaos. In
i nature order was brought out Of chaos b.
the cxerlion OF tho Almighty creative power.
your powcr under the organic law mighty and
exclusive. II IS maxim cf law that IN civilized
communities there be wrong without
remedy. The only power TO remedy this great wrong
is yours, and abe city Of Now York now invokes IT.
The Judiciary is powcrless, in consequence OF
sistent and deceptive laws. The evil has grown
great Tor further endurance, ana the subject upon
which you prc called 10 act Is ono which concerns
timately the welfare OF the people OF tho whole State
WHOLESALE ILLEGAL ARRESTS.
tho People smith have only recently do
vclopod ana The duty OF protecting inv and order and
securing ofcal accountability immediately
originally upon you. The questions reach
the very ioundaons oil tho civic fabric social
life. On the 9th OF December over hvc hundred cii
Zcns were suddenly arrested aud thrown INTO eloDs'
coils, where they were ncarcernied all night with the
vileAt criminals They wcro arrested ut a late hour
aud had NO opportunity to give bail or invoke the
great writ of liberty. They not allowed
communicate with their families, ana were
ded together III their dungeons their sucr-
| inns ware extreme. Tho people thus arrested were
well known residents oil their respective localities,
and thcrc probability oil their abscondins dur
ing the ght ihey were engaged in lne occupation
OF selling ale wine. spirits or beer at retail
| and a very large proportion of them were keep-
OF restaurants which customers were supplied
with meals Ever sinco 1870 1t had boon ndcrsto u
Ny them and by the whole community that Their
one licensed by law. Nearly ali OF th0s;
rested during that afternoon ana evening paid
the Board oil EXCISE the sums required to be pad by
Law. They had receipts ot those sums and had
assured by the Commissioners tnat their receipts hold
good until their formal licenses woro granted re-
from Official sources o any change IN tue method OF
enforcing tho law. Against noue OF them was there
any charge preferred other than that oi selling liquor
ORIGIN OF ExcrsE LAWS
The parties TO tho case are law and order, tho
peoples rights, pubic morality, and oic accoun
biity against ianaticis, petty tyranny and pecua-
tion IN Office the grievances OF particular cficals
arc not concerned. You deal with the law, tho
supreme rule or action Tor courts officials aud
II any official feels agsrieved by the simple truth
necessarily reciod IN this great case, l can
cntious officers Will thank Tor asking you
TO make consistent and plain avs ana will be
to you Tor granting our request me original and
main object OF excise was 10 False revenuc In English
law excise systems are said 10 have pccn uakuown
until the necessities OF Queen Anne induced the levy
ing oil u tax upon pubic houses Tor the benoht OF
privy purse. Thc publ cans paid this tax in consider
alton oil special protection LOT themselves and ther
business which Is Vtcn associated with volat
Of law, which are more frequently injurious to public
propricy, but really less detrimental TO tho COM
muniiy than deeper crimes, which rarely occa-
stoned by the excessive use of VINE.
LIQUOR SELLERS SHOULD De RESPECTABLE.
The only alternative Is regulation. The ques-
ton is, What sort oi regulation shall there
beY represent men who claim to be more
efficient apostles Of temcyrancc and practically
more strenuous supporters OF law ana order than
those VINO denouncc tnelr pursuits. Leaving out oil
their personal merits denerts, their ID
tcrest encourage only Tho temperate spirit
beverages and TO preserve order their places OF
business. 1t is among the principal Objects the
Wine and Spirit Traders Society TO do all iu It's
power 10 diminish tho EVIL OF intemp rance"
and is the interest OF ali its members conhnc the
business respectable and raspousbc cIGZcns, who
will vOey law and shun association with they oiaors
Of law. he business III i,rmcnted and distilled
81, 600 900 900 IN The United The
transactions la our state upward of 5000 900 900.
SHALL THE TRADE BIZ REGULArEDr
For your action upon the subject you do not lack
precedent. Before the alteration OF tho internal rev.
system IN accordance with tho petitions
men, The spirit tax was the great scandal Of Tho
country. Honest men were driycn out Of busi-
ness; thieves and advcnturcrs monopollzed II, and
instead OF s20,OOO,UU0 per annun justly due tho
United States the treasury received only sl7 600 000
but little more than the interest on The tax. wise
aud practical, although far from perfect, law raised
the revenue single year TO SOL, 900 900,
ana restored the business TO its natural cnauncls
The necessity OF taxation was then admitted Tho
! question was what rate anc kind OF taxation there
should be how IL should Oe adj ustcd to
tor Of the business concerned, just II Is ad-
micd here that regulation Is essential. and that tue
question now to regulate wisely IN the interest OF
State revenue aud public order. ihe magnitude OF
| the subject IS not measured only by standards Of
revenue, puDiic order or interests OF tho business
| directly concerned.
SEVENTEEN MILES OF RUN sHofs.
Citizens of our State manufacture handle very
| much than grow, but there yet within
the State OF Nc~ York many virgin acrcs We are not
III "a condition To cnuuro serious injury commerce.
manufactures, transportation or tho cultivation OF the
soil Our competition WIN neignboriug states and
countr Is close. We cannot AFFORD to seriously
baIrass business la which We lind profitable outlet
Tor agricultural products, with toll paid to
canns raIoads, iactcries aud storouOuscs at every
stage OF tho process aud at every mile OF the way.
! You certainly do not want TO burt the iarmer
and vet you could scarcely innlct upon him "A moro
injury than by destroy ing GRIPPING tho
business which affords MN tho most prontabe aud
convenient, market ior his grain. Consider the grow
OF wheat and barley tho cattle ccdcfs
hop raisers and the maIser~ OF the STATE. Fity-sx
pounds o corn concentrated into fifteen pounds OF
uconol! IL you destroy or hamper tho man
uiucturc oi aIo or beer what becomes Of
tho malt houses, when furnish employment 10
so many IN the cities Of the nterorr Thon look at
The vineyards oi the southern ticr and toward the
wcst-tbosc great enterprises. winch have sprung.
Minerva-ikc, IRON our SOL. aud wnicn coax prosper
ity aud aJpincss from barren cfags Wine drinking
I nations ate not often weak. Tho greatest mnnary
contest o our day was between the Two greatest wine
growing countries OF Europe. And now tho proh BIZ
tonists Of the Koran 10 down before the vodka drink
oi TIC oith Have you ever thought gentlemen,
how many classes OF people are concerned tn tlo
proper regulation OF Tue nquor traic, and now
spread would be tho injury inflicted by serious blow
TO that trade IN an answer OF OF the Police
Commlsslo 10 Mayor Els " charges II stated
that ine liquor stores OF New YORK, II placed IN q
row, would reach seventeen miles, DO property
owners Gesirc to have seventeen miles OF vacant
lots empty houses Ia tue city OF New
| York; Would II be good policy to deprive
the coopcrs now OF their main source OF livelihood
cabinet makors, plumbers, pump makers, gazers
and others OF their profits 10 hlting up iho better
class OF saloons and rcstauruntsH 10 u worth while
10 ure interests 50 vast and vared BY persistent re-
fussl TO pass laws TO regulate the liquor traffic IN tho
interests oil good order ana puDc rcyenuof Would
VI DO excusabc IN you To negcctto prOvide Tor tho
custody OF the pubic funds, out OF which our great
charities arv sustaincdr
Tho necessity OF legislative action being Demon