The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1885-05-28
PROHIBITION VS.. LICENSE.
the QUESTION of License or Non
License Hangs Fire Before the
Board

rs 10 whether Smith had majority OF
all the legal voters resident within the
corporate limits of the city. Both sides
were represented by counsel, the Prohibi
tionists by Messrs. Thompson, McNair
and Spencer and Smith by Messrs. Ses-
sions & Cassidy.
A reporter of THE LEADER made the
following condensed summary of the
order in which the contest proceeded.
l. The consideration of the question as
to whether the Prohibition petition was
a contemplation within the meaning of
The law. Argument was submitted by
counsel on both sides This consumed the
morning session, and the Board took re-
cess to p. NJ.
On reaSSenbling at > o'clock the Board
decided to admit the Prohibition petition
as counter petition at the same time de-
ciaring rs to this point their minds were
not entirely clear.
2. The next step was the reading over
of Smiths original petition, containing
ls3 names, and the challenging of 20 of
these on the grounds CT non-rrgistration,
non-rcsidence, because some wcro on the
contemplation, and three had never
been published.
3. The Board next proceeded to COM
pare names 70 ascertain how many we're
on both petitions, pending which counsel
for license introduced II orders from par
ties who had signed both petitions, with
drawing or requesting the crasure of their
names from the Prohibition petition, and
to which Prohibition counsel raised legal
objections.
4. The liquor petition was next com
pared with county registration, and Pro-
hibitiOn counsel objected to the counting
Of any name registered after the petition
was filed and published, of which there
were Is or 90
>. Taking of testimony in eases of par
ties challenged by Prohibition counsel rs
non-residrnts. A great many witnesses
were introduced pro and con and this
branch of investigation was not quite con
pleted ut Il late hour, when motion pre-
vailed to take recess until Monday
morning 8 o'clock.
The Board met Monday pursuant to adj
journment and proceeded in the following
order:
/. Concluded taking testimony as to
parties challenged by Prohibition coun-
sci as uon-reSihents.
,. Taking of evidence as to when
the Prohibition petition was started
). Introduction by Prohibition counsel
of county registration hooks. and also a
list of As ncutrals which it was claimed
should be included against the petition for
license. An estimate, placing total mum
Der of legal voters inside of the corpora
tion at 220, was also submitted.
A. Prohibition petition, containing III
names, and the neutral list of 40, were
peXt taken up. and counsel for license
proceeded to challenge 6 or 10 names on
these on the grounds Of egistraton,
non-residence, with being minors, etc.
registration book, calling attention to vote
cast at last municipal electiou-227.
6. Introduction of further testimony on
both sides as to residence, and also as
to estimated legal vote, bringing it up to
between 22O and 23O all told, up to date
of May 18th. Additional testimony was
also taken as validity of certain sigma
lures on the Prohibition petition.
Counsel OH both sides here rested and
submitted the case without argument fur
ther than this A statement on the part
t-ation books might be used in conjnnc
ton with county registration to ascertain
what constitutes majority of legal voters;
and OH part of counsel for Prohibition,
explaining that they might be so used
only rs IA matter of conyenlence to facili-
tate snch finding, but that it was dis
tinctly provided by the State Constitu-
ton and the Code of 1850 that only per-
SONS registered on the county registration
books, and havinga bona .fde residence
within the corporate limits of the city of
Brookhaveu, could be legally counted OH
either petition or as neutralS.
After some informal talk, at 1890 p. NJ.
the Board adjourned to meet again at /
T. NJ. in committee of the whole for the
purpose of canVassing the various points
raised, with the view of coming at cor
rect conclusion as to the general result.
A long session was held beginning at !,
and the Beard as a committee of the
whole took another recess until +. NJ.
Tuesday, without having reached deci-
sion.
At the meeting Tuesday afternoon still
further progress was made, and 1t WAS
then determined to have the corporation
lines resurveyed as described i'll the new
charter i'll order to correctly determine
the location of certain signcrs. Mr.. Geo.
&. Hoskins WAS employed TO make this
survey forthwith, and the Board adjourn
ed to meet again at 4 7. NJ. next Monday.
Whatever may be the prejudices CT the
Board-aud they arc quite popularity be-
lieved to be in favor of Iicense-it must
he conceded that they show disposition
, to be pains-taking and patient, and we
trust that they will be able to arrive at
such decision under the law and facts
AS will exempt them from criticism by the
advocates of either side. As we under
stand it, they don't propose TO do any
thing ain a corner or hide amy of their
acts under bhshel."
Our Amateur Dramatic Company go TO
Al ], ,