The Portland daily press., 1880-03-05
FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 5.
BY TELEGRAPH.
AUGUSTA.
Proposed Amendments to the
Liquor Law.
PETITION FOR THE PARDON
OF JOHN H. GODDARD.
Councillor Brown to Follow Pills
bury to Massachusetts.
Especial Dispatch to the Press. !


liquors, commonly called the prohibitory law,
has been in operation in this State in some of
its modified forms, more than quarter of a
century. The people of the State have had
ample opportunity to observe Its workings, and
to Judge of its efficiency in restricting the sale
of liquors, and in suppressing the vice of in
temperance. A large majority OF the citizens
of Maine, we are confident, believe that it is a
righteous law, and that it has proved an effec-
tive agency in shutting up liquor shops and
restricting the sale and use of intoxicating
liquors.
''The principle of prohibition" says Gov.
DAVIS in his message, and we fully endorse the
statement has been so long the settled policy
of the State, and has been found so useful and
effective in suppressing the liquor traffic, that
no party or class of men now dare to assai it,
While relying mainly upon moral forces to
reform inebriates and to train the youth of
temperate and virtuous habits, the friends of
temperance desire and reasonably demand
that the law shall be vigorously enforced
against those who, in defiance of public senti-
ment and the. appeals of suffering persist in
selling intoxicating liquors.
The assertion sometimes made, that the pro.
hibitory law has not diminished the consump-
ton of liquor, but simply changed the manner
OF selling it, is not supported by the testimony
OF those who appeared before your committee
1t is not denied that the suppression of public
drinking places has caused those engaged in
the traffic to resort to a variety methods for
the purpose of evading the law, and has null.
hplied club rooms and other places of re sort,
where liquor is secretly sold but there is no
evidence to support the statement that the
secret sale of liquor has increased in the same
ratio that its public sale has decreased In
fact, the testimony of those who appeared be-
fore the committee showed conclnsiyely that
where the law has been vigorously enforced it
has largely suppressed the private as we'll as
the public sale. Any failure to accomplish
this is due more to the negligence of officers
than to the defects of the law.
OblaCfi0n nv l.
law on account OF the expense of enforcing it.
is not deemed valid The enforcement of ali
laws for the protection of society is expensive
but this is not regarded as a sufficient reason
that person guilty of crime against society
should be allowed to escape the penalty of the
law because it would cost something to arrest
ana convict him. And surely the expense of
enforcing Tne law for the suppression of the
liquor traffic. the most fruitful cause of crime.
poverty and wretchedness, is not sufficient
reason for neglecting to enforce it. A due
regard to economy requires rigid enforce
ment OF the law, for it would compel offenders
to pay large sums into the treasury of the
State as well as diminish crime and pauperism.
The law is in the main satisfactory. Your
committee do not recommend any radical
changes. A few amendments are proposed,
chiefly for the purpose of securing a more
faithful enforcement. These amendments are
recommended in response to a large number of
petitions from all parts of the State.
The amendments which the committee re-
port amend chapter II and q of the Revised
Statutes in relation to common nuisance, and
the sale OF intoxicating liquors, SO that the
law Will read as follows when amended:
Sect. l. All places used as houses of ill-fame
resorted to for lewdness gambling for the illegal
sale OF Intoxicating liquors. and all places of resort
where intoxicating liquors are kept sold eiven
away, drank, or dispensed in any manner moi pro
vided for by law, are common nuisances
hal ha liz,
to sell, by himself, his clerk, servant or aSent
directly or indirectly, any intoxicating liquors. Of
other mat n porter strong beer lager beer, and ali
with intent to sell the same for tppline nnrnoses
or as beverages well all other distilled spirits'
saI De considered intoxicating within the meaning
OF TINS chapter; but this enumeration shall not pre-
considered intoxicating. Nun "e'''e
extend to the manufacture and sale OF unadulterat
ed cder IN any case, when sod in Quantities of five
gailons or upwards, delivered and taken away at
one time, nor to wine made from fruit grown in
this state nor to the sale by agents appointed under
ramentat and medicinal uses.
Seer. A. Upon petition and representation of
thirty or more well known tax payers in any county
that the provisions of chapters seventeen and TWEEN,
ty-seven of the revised statutes and acts additional
thereto and amendatory thereof are not fathfnlIv
enforced by county or local officers it shall be the
such representation, and if in their Judgment such
are well founded, the governor by
and with the consent of the council shall appoinf
Two or more constables for such county whose dutv
Shall be to diligently enforce the provisions of sail
chapters ana acts and for this purpose such consta
bles shall have like powers and duties AZ sheriffs
ana deputies For such services said constables
snail receive the same COMPENSATION as is nrov;daJ
by law forlsheriffs and deputies f-N0N
also 70 amend chapter sxty-two public laws, re-
lartng 70 snerls and county attorneys, by striking
out section four of said chapter and substitntin9
therefor the following ssWheneyer the governngg
snail after Investigation and hearing of the parties
De satsned That any county attorney has willfully
refused or neglected to discharge the duties imnosaa
upon him by this act it shall be his duty to remove
sucn attorney from Office, and fill his place by ap-
Section forty-nine of chapter twenty-seven of the
REVISED statutes as amended by chapter two hun
hundred and seventy-four, Is also amended e. tEat
it will read as follows: ~ 'n"'
cd in any street or highway. or being intnxicated
IN his own house, or any other building or nlace
who shall become quarrelsome or in any other way
disturb the public peace that of his own or any
other family 80 as to render it necessary for the
police or peace officers to interfere NAV be taken
stable, marshal, deputy marshal. poce officer or
Waterman, and committed to the watch hOuse or |
nIsint csm ~ some other suitable place. till
upon which he may be arrested and tried and II |
iound guilty OF being intoxicated in the streets or
or any other building or place. and becoming 1naI
relsome and disturbing the public peace or that of
by fine not exceeding ten dollars, or by imnrison. |
ment IN the county Jail or house of correction noa
person may be punished by one not exceednS tWenl
~ dollars or by imprisonment not more than nine
" days Tho Judge or Justice may remit any per-
discharged whenever he shall become satisfied that
the objects of this law and the good of the nublic
and the prisoner would be advanced thereby. Rmt
said punishment nor any part thereof shall NOT he
RENTED unless the prisoner, under oath, gives in
formation from whom and where he procured the
liquors upon which he became intoxicated
Sect. 35-f any person competent to he a wit
ness in civil suits shall make Complaints upon oath
police court trial justice that he believes iptox
eating liquors are unlawfully kept or deposited in
sad auo ae state D or and
state IN violation of law such magistrate shall issue
his warrant directed to any officer having power to
search the premises described and Specially desig |
mated in such complaint and warrant, and if said
same ,st IN uors are there found, to seize the
ana them safely keep until final action on the same
and make immediate return of said warrant The
name OF the person SO keeping aforesaid said
liquors, if known to the complainant shall be stated
IN such complaint and the officer shall be Command
ca ~ SAID warrant if he shall find said liquors. or
Shall have reason to believe such person has CON
cealed them about his her person. to arrest smcb
person OF persons and have him or them forthwith
DeIore such magistrate for trial. If the name of |
tne person keeping such liquors is unknown to the
complainant, he shall SO allege in his Complaint
and such magistrate shall thereupon issue his war
as provided in the first clause of this section IF |
upon upon u tIia the court upon the evidence adduced
aforesaid kept and intended for unlawful sale nv |
Inc person or persons named in said complaint or
py any other person or persons with his or their
knowledge or consent, he or they shall be found
guilty thereof and sentenced to pay fine of 500
ana costs OF prosecution, and in default of payment
thereof be imprisoned 30 days in the county ial at
hard labor, or instead of such fine shall be impris
omed IN the county Jail six months at hard labor
IN every subsequent conviction after the first Of
fence described In this section the person or mar
sons found guilty shall pay fine of 500 and cost
OF prosecution, and stand committed until the same
pc PAID and in addition thereto shall be Imprisoned
In the county jail six months at hard labor
sec. o-Thls act to take effect when approved
There was considerable amount of business
transacted to-day in the legislature. There
was some debate, but not on matters of special
Importance. In the Senate the debate was
principally confined to an appropriation for
the Industrial School for Girls at Halloweu.
which was fixed at $1,000. An important
bill to the liquor law was reported
which Will come up tomorrow for considera-
ton. There were only six matters on the
Secretary's table to be disposed of when the
Senate adjourned.
Tn tho Houco tboro ,roro |