Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1903-03-26
Bellows Falls Times
TIL RSDAY, MARCH 26, 1908.
HOW THE LICENSE BILL PASSED.
New Hampshire Legislature Tired of Pro.
hibition : Toll Bridge Bill Passed
Senate.

CONCORD, n. H., March 24.-All eXpec
tations as to the amount of excitemen
that would attend the passage through
the house on liquor license law were
fully realized.
Wednesday morning the formal consid
Grafton of the measure was begun, the
question being upon the motion to sub
stitute the report of the minority of the
committee, inexpedient to legisate, fol-
that of the majority, ought to pass.
On this point the debate was opened
for the minority for Mr.. Phillips OF
Franklin and closed by Mr.. Remich
of Littleton, both making very able
speeches. Others on the same side were
Sawyer of Milford, Kendall of Mount
Vernon, Smith of Peterborough and
Mason of Tilton, the last-named, an aged
democrat, telling the funniest story of
the session.
The majority of the committee put
forward but two speakers, it's democra tic
member, Small of Rochester, in the fore
noon, and its chairman, Batchelder of
Keene, in the afternoon:
The vote on substitution resulted:
Yes, 1O7; no, PA; just two to one.
Thursday morning the bill was read
a second time and was then open to
amendment.
Chairman Batchelder promptly offered
in behalf of the committee four amend
ments which, it was expected would dis
am much of the opposition to the bill.
Two of them, one allowing saloon keep
ers to sell also by the bottle and the
other raising the fee for this class of
licenses in the city of Manchester from
$1,000 to $1,000 were promptly adopted
A third, providing more strict regula-
lions for ii St-clasS licensees, that is, hotel
Keepers, was replaced by an even more
stringent enactment proposed by Mr..
Remlch, whereby the sale of liquor in
hotels i'll nO-licenSe places can be made
to bona Tide, registered guests only and
on no account to residents of the city or
town; meal costing at least 25 cents
must be ordered in order that liquor may
be served with it and no bar can be main
tain d.
With consideration of the fourth
amendment the real trouble began. This
referred to the much-mooted straight IL
cenSe tor cities feature and was in the
nature of compromise, reducing the
time during which the cities must have
license from 1906 to 1904. Mr.. Remich
was on hand with another amendment
providing for a special election on the
second Tuesday in May in every city and
'wn in the state at which the question
OF license or no license shall be decided
by majority vote. This was finally
adopted after long and heated debate.
in which Mr.. Remich was supported gal
lantly and effectively by Fox of NARROW,
Phillips of Franklin, Howe of Barring
ton, Tallant of Pembroke, Smith of
Peterborough, Lennon of Stratford and
Cavanaugh, Riordan and Couch of Man
chester. On the side of the committee
the speakers were Goss of Berlin and
Donahue of Manchester. The latter
precipitated row in the Manchester del
egation which spoiled any chances the
committee amendment may have had up
to that point.
The next amendment came from Mr..
Jones of Franklin and was in effect
substitute bill, embodying the views of
those democrats who are especially loyal
to Mr.. Hollis. 1t was long bill but, be-
ing offered as an amendment, it was
necessarily leld in full, a proceed
ing which did no6 please the tired and
hungry house. The result was great
noise and confusion during the reading
anu, dS SOol DIS III was uDlSU6U, d recess |
until 7.30 in the evening.
Any stampede for home of the mem
oers at this point was promptly checked
and special train for the south ar
ranged for at such time as the evening
session might be over. The word went
,orth that the bill was to be passed at
some time in the night, and the 800
settled down to make the best
If it.
First, the Jones substitute was de- |
eated on roll call Sc to 265.
An amendment by Sheehan of Man
chester, allowing the issue of licenses to |
hubs incorporated before the passage of |
he act was adopted. Mr. Remich Sc
;nred the adoption of couple more,
me providing that any licensee must re-
ide in the town or city wherein he takes
'ut license; and the other directing the
license commission to make public every
month list of the licenses granted.
Five Others offered by him were de-
Gated. They provided for hearings by
he commission in public, for increased
bonds, for restrictions ON drug store
ales, for an appropriation of $4,000 to
state asylum for inebriates,
nd for the appropriation of the same
mount each year from the proceeds of
license fees to be used for the establish
nent of substitutes for the sa loon
At about 10 o'clock, before the last
wo of these had been offered. Mr.. Re-
Mich announced that he was weary and
would be obliged if the fight could then
70 over until Friday morning. This was
enied by the majority, whereupon Mr..
'emich started warfare on the filibuster-
ng line, which he conducted very sue
essfully.