The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-07
i NEW LIQUOR LAW.
Peculiarities Of q Bill Brought
Up in the House.
+ Is NOT FAIR TO LOOK UPON.
Antf-xaffroad Legislation Gets Its
Yfsst Serious Setback In
the House.

f,rrnr1k. FEB. G.--fSpeciai. ia remarkable
,oeexnre for the regulation Of the sale Of mat,
.Issxffuous md sinous liquors was introduced 10
~ Horse this morning By Representative
Nevfr. Or EkAmanis county. Its provisions are
- severe = 70 amount 70 practicsi pEf5nicition
q fhe liqrof fraf5e In every county and incor-
srorn1cd fown and city In the state. except those
sucorporased under special act. and It's word
~ md phraseoIogy are 70 ingenious a. 70
4ussify the suspicion that II Ii bold scheme OF
some enterprisiug lobbyist % levy blacEmaA
upop he liquor interest throughout the state
nc bEli Is entitled san act TO regulate the sale
81 epirisuous. malt and vinous liquors, and 70
eruvcnt the sale thereof without having int OBJ
tofned iicsnse therefor, and repeal all laws and
pexfs or laws IN conflict Herewith. The
1rnf section contains the provision that no per-
eon shall be entitled 70 sell sp1rifn-
ous. malt Or yfnous liquors in the state
N 1ces quantities than gallon, without having
Obtained ncsnse from the county court Of the
proper county for that purpose Section hxes
The amount Of license per annurn a. slsa.0, and
n The same proportion for . less period Ine
third SECTION provides In the usual manner. that
persons obtaining licences shall execute good
ana suf1cient bond in the sum Of s2.fto, and the
the following conditions are imposed That
be vii keep an orderly house; that be viii not
perIa:t unlawful gaming or rioteus conduct .
Ms place Of business for the purpose OF traffic
on Sunday; that be Will not sell 70 nIincTt,
drunken persons Or habitual drunkarns, sld
tie penalty for violation OF any or all Of the
provisions shall be q fue Of not less than ",
nor more than 500; the person 20 violating
shall be liable 70 prosecution as hereinafter
provided. Section contains another unasusl
provision, whose rigorous application would
rrobsbIy result IN the denial OF Hour
out Of every five applications for liquor
neenses. II il prescribed that every aPpEt-
can't for license shall FIRST obtain
q Ids own trouble and expense the signatures OF
90 actual majority Of the whole number OF
vosers in the precinct Ia which ne snsil WISH 70
cell liquors, pctitioning the county court 70
grant such license. Further provision Is made
Tor publication in any paper within the county
Of such petitions for four consecutive weeks
After these provisions have been complied
with the county court. in its discretion, may
give license of the character asked. IL Is made
the duty Of prosecuting attorneys, kheriffs, con-
any violation Of the act 20 make complaint
thereof to the grand jury at It's
next term for any violation The appii-
cant under ths prDsssiohs OF .he ac..
strange reason IL lie made the duty OF the county
clerk 20 20 prosecute. IL is further made the
duty OF the grand jury at each and every term Of
the superior court. in any county, 70 make strict
inquiry and return bills 81 indictment against
every person violating any Of The provisions OF
section II reads as follows: aIncorporated
cities and towns OF the state shall have power 20
establish and maiatain license for the sale Of
spirituous malt and yinous liquors within their
Boundary, but In no case shall lieenses Be less
than provided BY section OF this set" Upon
the surface IL might appear that this section
might except all incorporated cities from the
able that the section does not confer
upon such cities power Ito regulate
the sale OF liquors, and al best IL can mean that
cities only shall hare power 70 FIX The amount
Of license above fl,o0a. Further, there is no
provision whereby funds collected from city
1lesnses shall go 70 the city treasury. but under
the general provisions Of the act ali moneys so
cities except those incorporated under special
act would not derive dollar of revenue under
the regulation and licensing OF the liquor traffic
The act would also doubtless repeal the statute
Of 1854. which provides that 10 per cent OF all
license funds OF Incorporated cities shall be
paid into the state treasury.
The bill confers upon precincts local option in
ifo most savage sense. In EhehaIts county, NOT
long since, the board OF county commissioners
decided that no license should be granted ex-
eepf IN cases wherein applicants secured the
their petitions. There were at one time eight
applicants, and not one OF these eight was able
70 come mp. TO- the requirements. The ruling
one Of the terms used by the trainers OF the bin
that indicates that come OF the sections were
taken entire from some other state, probabls
Oregon, without an attempt az adjustment
70 the changed conditions IN Washington. Ii
provides that applications shall be made to
county courts. There are no county courts in
" 18HtoHkHlfr tDQ Unless k0e county court should
be interpreted 10 mean 'sboards OF county com
tive.
Although II ia very extraordinary measure.
tnat bears upon It's face an unmistakabe case
OF crookedness, Representative Neyin has the
reputation Of Icing an honorable man. and no
doubt he has been persuaded BY design
sibie for measure that at first
appearance looks as II Ii conferred simply local
option IN county precincts and raised the
imum Of $500 TO fixed sum OF $1,000. II should
Dc added 70 the shove that II the act applied
generally IL would effect Tacoma, Seattle and all
cites incorporated under general laws. Those
cities which were Incorporated under special
charters by the territorial legislature, and were
vested with the power 10 license the LIQUOR
uafic, would probably not be interfered with.
Putaey, OF Pacific county. will introduce
tomorrow bill 10 regulate aud restrict the sale
OF such tide or shore lands az are natural oyster
beds. and 20 preserve the rights of oysterrnen in
oysfers transplanted prior 20 March D. ls90
Under the tide land act OF last session. oyster
men were expressly prohibited from purchasing
natural oyster beds, while the owners Of the
lands AUDITING upon tide lands can purchase all
or any part of said tide lands in front 81 the
lands - owned, aud there is no reservation OF
oyster beds. The fact that transplanted oysters
never spawn makes IL highly essential TO the
oyster industry that the natural beds should NOT
pass into the hands OF persons or corporations
and Putneys bill IL Tor the purpose ri presery.
Ing the grounds OF the natural oyster beds nc.
SERVE.
The Senate during two-hour session this
afternoon passed thirteen bills, eleven related
70 the Hill code, and with the exception of one
relating 10 new trials. were passed without de-
bate. When {. b. lis, relating 90 new trials was
read, which was about the ;hirtieth bill pre-
pared by Judge Iiili that already had been
passed without the slightest opposition senator
Thompson, of Nalla Walla, had ii SO amea,esi
that the party intending ID move for a new
trial could have tive days, instead al one 10 Gle
such notice senator Thompson did nor wasn't Il
% go out that he opposed the code commission.
er's work IN any way, bat be was satisfied mis-.
take had been made and thought best to rectIfv
IL No. III, code commissioner bill, was laid
on the table on motion az Dyer, aud his bill No
IL, substituted for the same, as Il vas thought
much better bin. II relates 20 the civil jnris-
dietion OF justices Of the peace.
Senator MeCroskey today introduced bin In
the Senate % require railroads 90 erect and main
tain fences on the sides Of the road where the
same passes through, along, or adjoining en-
closed or cultivated fields and enclosed lands
except uncultivated :imher lands. with opcn,
inss and gates therein, 10 b. hung aud have
lstehes and hooks so that the Same NAV be
easily opened aud shut at all necessary iarln
crossings. Cattle guards shall also be erected
and maintained, where fences arc required. NJ
al public crossings. Until such provisions are
complied with such corporations VIII be liable
% owners OF any horses, cattle, mules or other
animals running at large killed or injured hv
reason OF the want OF such precautionary meas
nres, for double the value OF the animal killed
or injured.
The anti-railrnad faction received its first dc.
eided setback In the House this mcruing, and
The intention OF the House not 10 be IN too great
hurry about enaeting railroad laws was mani