St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-28
SENTIMENT AND JUSTICE.
The Liquor Bill Further Consid-
cred in the Senate.


WASHINGTON, May 27.-The senate
resumed consideration of the bill sub
jecting imported liquors to the provis-
ions of the laws of the several states,
the question being on the substitute re-
ported yesterday from the judiciary
committee providing that liquors so
transported shall (when their actual and
continuous transportation shall have
terminated) be considered to have ceased
to be the subjects of commerce with
foreign nations and among the several
states, and shall be part of the COM
mon mass of property within the state,
and be subject to its police regulations.
Mr.. Coke argued against the conStitu-
tiOnal right of congress to dele
gate its delegated powers back to
the states. Mr.. George made a consti-
tutional argument on the question, and
gave his support to the bill. Mr.. Eustis
said that the question presented by the
bill under discussion was a very per-
picking one. On the one hand large
property interests were represented,
and on the other hand there was en-
countered strong moral sentiment in
one or two or more states. The diff
Guilty in the question arose in the at
tempt to reconcile the conflict between
the rights of property, under the cOnsti-
tuition and laws, and that moral senti-
ment known as prohibition. He regret
ted that some solution of the question
had not been discovered, for he cOnsid-
cred that the bill proposed by the judi
ciary committee was clearly uncOnSti-
tutiOnal 1t was notification of pro-
vision of the constitution. Mr.. Eustis
said it was proposed to legislate against
the breweries of Milwaukee and St.
Louis and the distilleries of Kentucky,
Illinois, North Carolina, New York and
New Hampshire. Tomorrow they
would be asking for exclusion of cotton
seed oil, of which the state of Louisiana
produced large amountin value. Then
they would be asking that dressed beef
from Illinois and tobacco from North
Carolina should not be considered an
article of commerce within the mean
ing of the constitution. He was states
right Democrat of the strictest sect, and
was in favor of the states exercising to
an unlimited extent the rights which
they had reserved. But the powers
which they had lodged in the federal
government, and lodged wisely, he
wanted the federal government to eXer-
else exclusively. Mr.. Gray stated
the constitutional difficulties involved
in the question, and said that the
right of congress to regulate commerce
had not taken one iota of the police
powers of the state. He did not think
it a delegation of the powers of congress
to say that the original package shall
not be considered a matter of interstate
commerce in such way as to inter
fere with the police power of the
states. Mr.. Reagan, while declaring
himself in favor of any reasonable mode
of abridging the use of alcoholic liquors,
did not think it safe TO strain the cou-
stitution. If congress should pass the
pending bill, it would probably be de-
clared Unconstitutional. The bill went
over without action, Mr. Wilson, of
Iowa, giving notice that he would ask
the senate to remain in session to-mor
row until the bill was disposed of. The
wee president announced the appoint
ment Of Mr.. Blackburn as member of
the committee on appropriations, and of
MI. Carlisle as member of the commit
tees on finance, territories and woman's
suffrage. After an executive session
the senate adjourned.