The New York herald., 1878-03-29
The Mofett Bell-Punch Question and
the Excise Law.
DEBATE ON CONVICT LABOR.
Rejection of a Bill to Build a Railroad
with State Money.
THE UNITED STATES DEPOSIT FUND

Moaat bell punch in New York city meets with
siderable opposition. Mr.. Brooks proposition Ia to
| substitute the virginia law passed last year for all
| laws In force IN New York. The Virginia law,
however, does not touch tho vital questions which
| have been discussed here this winter. IL
! simply imposes tax upon the sale OF
| liquor at retail and authorizes the employment
OF patented machinery for its collection The
adoption Of tho Virginia scheme would not Of itself
determine the character OF our sumptuary laws. or
solve tho nnkcepers' question; its only positive
effect would be TO ncroase taxation upon liquors
sold in the city OF Now York to the extent Of two and
a half cents upon each glass OF sprituous liquors,
and one-half cent upon each glass Of malt liquors.
AS 10 Virginia. wlnos. whothor native or foreign,
would under the head OF ale ohoc liquors, and be
required to the tax OF two and half conts upon
each glass This seems to be against the sentiment Of
the Legislature. which has manifested itself in tho
speeches Of Astor Alvord and others in favor OF i'm
posing only minimum burdens upon the sale OF lieht
wines The of two and half cents each glass
OF liquor sold would largely the internal reve-
tax OF ninety per gallon distilled spirits,
and the adoption OF the scheme would compel dealers
in New York city to pay a much heavier tax than
those other portions OF the State.
MR.. MOLLER's BILL
Tho Moat system took definite shape to-day In the
bill introduced by Mr. Moler, of Westchcster. Mr..
pian-an indication of tho indicator. MIR. Moller's
bill puts the eemini Of alcoholic and fermented
consumption in actual bodi form before tho Leg,s-
lature
Tho title OF the bill Is Gan act imposing tax and pre-.
scrbiDg the modo Of collecting tho same, the PRIV
ege OF selling wne ardent spirits, or malt liquors
within the limits OF the city OF New York" 1t is
strictly local BILL and confers tho benefits and bur-
dcns OF the Virginia system exclusively upon tho
tropo,is
The first section prohibits all sale Of liquors without
license and compliance with all the provisions of tho
new law. The classification OF licenses is novel, Ro
tall licenses authorize sale In quantities less than i've
gallons to be drunk the premises within
''curage." This seems TO establish tho Identity Of
retail licenses with bucket shop licenses Licenses TO
sell liquors to be drunk at the place where sold to
be called "bsrroom licenses" Persons Keeping BUCKET
shops barrooms the same premises must pay
both licenses.
The second section provides that licenses shall DO
issued in tho discretion Of the Board OF Excise, and
that tho licensee shall give bonds tho city OF New
York In not less than 500 than 81 900 for
| compliance with law. Applicants refused by the
| Board are allowed to appeal TO the Supreme Court
monaty of Now York to have constructed by letting
to the lowest responsible bidder, barroom registera
when the supply OF registers Is satcient she Mayor
them 10 him. The Conn ssioner OF Excise Is re-
| Qured to explain to dealers the mode Of operating
Tho fourth section provides for 'nspectors OF OK
cise''-numbcr not statcd-and prescribcs tho same
method OF attach operation OF the machines
as now prevail In Virginia.
The hilh section requires the retail dealers. or
bucket shop keepers, to turn the appropriate crank
for every half pint utpc thereof sold, and
imposes u like obligation upon the barroom keeper
| for evory glass OF liquor disposed OF.
| The sixth section imposes a tax OF $50, payable
semi-snnuay. IN advance, upon every retail dealer.
Ten dollars Ia TO bc deposited ms security for each
| of
are the same as IN Virginia.
visions regulating the duties Of tho .nspectors of
excise" and OF tho city authorities regarding the
registration OF sales and tho disposition Of taxes col
| lectod.
| The repeating clause repeals acts now existing only
In 80 lar as they may be inconsistent with this act,
which does not seem to AFFORD any direct relief 10 tho
| liquor dealers IN New York city.
On the whole, the Monet scheme presented Ia not
likely 10 pass without great opposition The extra
on alcohohc hquors would amount TO over 81 so per
gallon, the Ordinary barroom calculation being sixty
cxactlon would amount to So pcr barrel SO that tho
effect OF the law would be 10 quadruplo the present
tax on ale and bccr, and increase nearly threoiod
that upon spirits and othor liquors not produced IRON
malt
Mr. Mollers bill like bills the session.
Is very careessy drawn II has gone 10 the Commit
tce on Cities The date OF It's consideration or report
| is quito problematcaL
| DEBArE on A RAILWAY BILL.
II was hardly 10 be supposed that u oil authorizing
the superintendent OF State Prisons and
equip narrow gauge railroad, about fifteen miles
long. between Clinton Prison and Lake Champlan,
would give rise to one OF tho most prolonged and
Assembly to-day was SO, by tho ears by
this bill, which appropriatcs $s0,0O0 from the State
Treasury 10 pay Tor the road IN part, and empowered
the supern' endent TO employ convict labor In It's
grading, bridging and construcion.
| The opposition which developed itself against the
| bill was based on Two objcctions-namcy, to the
building OF any railroad ut the States expense ana 10
the uso oi convict labor Among those who spoke
against II on both grounds were Mr.. GAVIN, who
moved to strike out the enacung cause and Messrs.
| Grady and Browning.
| OBJECTION TO CONVICT LABOR
Mr.. Brooks was In some doubt of tho proprioty OF
State aid To tho undertaking. but did not IN the least
for this and similar purposes. Alter IT mad been
pretty wcli settled, however, that the proposed rail-
road, which is TO take the place OF q wagon road,
ought as measure OF economy TO tho state 10 DO
buiI, the discussion hinged entirely upon the qucs
ton whether or not CT labor should be employed
| at all.
| Mr. Calvin thought as did Mr. Beard, Mr.. Purdy
and other labor reiormcrs few evenings ago. that
this tho very time agitate the question. Con-
| Wet labor was employed IN many branches of man.
uiacture at the sato penitentiarcs and prisons At
With whicn honest ubvrers and artisans outside
| the prison could not compete. No honest mechanic
could afford to work at hIty cents day. Mr.. calvin
| dis aged the advertisement oi IA stove firm which
boastcd OF the cheap prices at Which tho firm could
sell stoves by reason of the fact that prison labor WAS
| Parke Goodwin In depreciation OF the fostering Of
skilled trades In prisons and alluded to the fact that
Lord Houghton, after a recent visit to the Albany
| Pcnitentary, told I.euteIant Governor Dorshoimer
| that tho Ministry in England which snoud allow tho
| empcymcnts at which the convcts there wore on
gagged 10 DO carried on In British prisons could not
| stand a day.
Mr.. Grady while hc did not 90 far as to donounco
at Wholesale the Employment OF convict labor, ve-
| heme0tly denounced tho methods OF employing II
| which have been adopted ia this country. In his
opinion the State II II wished to relieve the distress
prevalent among the working class OF It's people,
would not proit itself by the labor OF convicts In tho
manufacture oil hats, shoes, chairs harness and sad
dioiy ware, &c; II would set the convicts NJ somo
| kna oil work not opposed to the interests OF toers
| outside OF prison walls.
| THE OTHER SIDE.
These arguments were easy to be mot and wcrc par.
TALLY over!hrown by Mr.. Aivord, Mr. Brooks and Mr.
| Dewitt G. Peck.
Mr. Aivord, pointing TO the fact that there arc
$50 900 workngmon In tho state OF Now York, thought
II unlikely that thcir interests would be seriously
teopardized by the injection the industries OF tho
OF the labor OF some eight thousand occupants of
| prisons. Ito challenged the labor reI0rmers TO show
| that employ OF convicts mad deprived or