Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-14
SournaI ano Courier.
Friday Morning, April 14. 1882.
THE TEMPERANCE BILL.


 The bill to regulate the traffic in alcoholic liquors which passed the Senate Wednes- day by vote of IT to passed the House yesterday, large majority voting in it's favor. The bill has been much amended during it's progress, but the amendments have not been such as to destroy it's strength. In fact some of them are improvements.
 When this bill becomes law we shall have what we have not had, plain, comprehensive and harmonious act for the regulation of the liquor traffic. The dealer will be able to find out whether or not he is violating the law, and there will be less disputing in the courts than there has been, or, at least, there will be less occasion for dispute as to what the law is.
 The bill guards the issuing of licenses with much care. It provides that all apph- cations for licenses shall be endorsed by five electors and taxpayers of the town in which the license is to be used. No person endors- ing such application shall be a liquor dealer and no person shall endorse more than one application. Another provision is that any person a resident of the town where license is issued may file with the county commis- sioners any objection to the granting of license to any applicant therefor, and upon the filing of such objection the county com missioners shall give such notice as they shall deem reasonable of the time and place of the hearing of such objection, at least five days before such hearing is to be had. No license can be issued to any sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, grand juror, justice of the peace, prosecuting agent, to any woman of bad re- pute, or to any person keeping house of ill., fame, or house reputed to be house of ill- fame, or to any person keeping any gambling place of any description. No person having & license under the provisions of the bill can employ any minor as bartender, porter or in any other capacity, in any saloon where spirituous and intoxicating liquors are kept for sale, and upon such employment the license will be revoked. Furthermore, it is provided that the holder of a license must not allow any minor to lolter on the prem ises where his liquors are sold. Every per son who manufactures or sells liquors adul- terated with any deleterious or poisonous substances is to be fined not more than two hundred ana n1Cy QOLarS Every person who sells liquor to any person (to be drank onithe premises) who thereby becomes intox- icated, and who, while so intoxicated. shall in consequence of said intoxication injure the person or property of another, must pay just damages to the person injured. If any person arrested for intoxication will tell where he got his liquor, and will testify fully and freely upon the trial of the person &C., cused of selling to him, anything which he may disclose cannot be used against him on any prosecution for such intoxication.
 Chapter VIII. of the bill provides that when town votes against license the Select men mayappoint town agent to sell liquors for saoramental, medicinal, chemical and mechanical uses only.
 These are the most salient features of the bill which, while it sharply attacks some of the evils which accompany the traffic in in- toxicating liquors, is not unjust to the deal er We can see no reason why 1t should not work we'll as law.