Evening journal., 1891-04-14
AN EXCISE eaggzg AT ALBANY.
Speaker Sheehan Pronounces the asinori
" Report Not in order.

~ Report Not in Order.
A1BANY, April l4--In the assembly last
night the following bills were passed: Sen.
ator Hendricks giving Syracuse a fire
marshal and an inspector Of public bnild-
ings; Mr. McKennas Long Island City
Grand avenue improvement bill; Senator
BSrkett's Brooklyn bridge terminal exten-
sion bin. Before the calendar was taken
mp Mr.. Ward, of the excise committee,
asked Of the committee if reports were not
In order He desired to offer a minority
report from the excise committee. "point
of order" cried Mr. Schaafe, and dozen
Democrats were on their feet. DIR Bush
also raised a point of order, saying that
the excise committee had reported by bill
only and not by report. Speaker Sheehan
sustained the point Of order and said that
the minority has no permission TO make a
report.
Mr. Ward-I rise to question Of priv
ilege.
The Speaker-The gentleman is out of
order calendar for the day.
Mr.. Ward sat down. The report which
was 80 peremptorily refused was as fol-
lows:
"The bin was reported by majority Of
the committee before it was printed with
out being as much as read over 10 the com
mittee, without any hearing being had,
without the committee knowing what ii
did contain and against the protest Of
minority members of the committee but
enough Is known to show that it contains
serious and dangerous innovations in our
law regulating the sale Of liquor It re
peals entirely twenty-five chapters of the
laws Of the state passed during various
years from lS40 to 1890 for the suppression
Of intemperance and regulating and re-
stricting the sale of Intoxicating liquors.
1t materially modifies the existing civil
damage act. II leaves in doubt the law as
TO the sale Of liquor on Sundays. and by
prohibiting the detection and punishment
of violators Of the law practically allows
the sale at all times, including Sundays,
nights and election days.
1T prohibits the only known means Of
discovering and prosecuting violations Of
the very law which it is proposed to enact.
1t removes many Of the restrictions
against the sale Of Intoxicating liquors to
minors. 1t permits the indscriminate sale
TO all minors over sixteen years OF age. in
stead OF eighteen, as now provided by law.
it creates a new class OF licenses, to be
known as eating house licenses, which
may be granted 90 any saloon keeper who
has stove and some crackers and cheese
1t transforms the mere personal license
which exists under the present law into
franchise, which may be sold, assigned or
otherwise transferred. II creates a special
license for the sale of liquor after o'clock
at night The Catholic clergy Of New
York city, who are pre-eminently in posi-
lion TO judge Of the effects of such law
and whose only interest is the welfare OF
1 la ~ t..I s.,..
fion against the passage OF the bill remov-
ang the restrictions upon the sale Of intoxi-
eating liquors, and more than a thousand
clergymen-both protestants and Catho-
iics-from every county in the state have
Joined their New York brethren IN a pro-
test against the passage Of such an act.
These men are the foremost thinkers
and leaders in the public opinion of the
day, and this legislature cannot refuse TO
listen to them without expecting the con.
demnation Of the people Of the state. No
petitions have been received from the poor.
from the iaboring man or from parents,
guardians or employees Of minors request
ang the passage Of this or any similar bill.
or that any Of the present restrictions upon
the sale Of Intoxicating liquors be removed.
but the law is IN the interest Of and asked
Tor by the Liquor Dealers association. aud
that association only While we believe
that liquor dealers should be given every
protection granted to any other class Of
business men we do not believe III the re-
moval Of the restrictions and regulations
now existing as 20 the sale Of Intoxicating
liquors, and therefore we report against
the passage Of this bill
The report is signed by Messrs. I.Hom
medieu, Ward, Everett, Brown and Den
niston, minority members Of the commit
tee
The bill for the adjustment Of railroad
grade crossings was defeated