The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-25
LIQUOR ONLY As MEDICINE.
GALLON LIMIT CUT TO QUART TO-
MORROW NIGHT.
Assistant Attorney General Gives In
tcresting Interpretation of Law
Express Company Has Been Doing
Big Business Past Week.

Columbia, April 23.-Tuesday will
be the last day on which deliveries of
liquor may be made in South Carolina
under the gallon a-month" law.
The "quart-a- month" act becomes eff
fective Wednesday. The express Of
fees have been thronged with expec-
tant consignees each day for the last
week.
Claude n. Sapp. the assistant attor-
nCy general, has answered as follows
an. inquiry concerning the situation
from B. E. Patterson, mayor of Fort
Mill:
Your letter to the attorney general,
in reference to the quart month act,
has been handed me for attention.
You ask 10 be advised when the
quart-a-month act goes into effect,
and further, whether or not liquors
in possession of common carriers,
consigned to any individual and ,e-
naming undelivercd at the expira-
tion of the time in which the gal
on-a- month act is effective, would be
subject to seizure by State or NUM-
cipal authorities.
II beg to advise that the quart "a
month act passed at the recent ses-
sion of the general assembly is cf-
fective April 25. 1917. after which
time it will be unlawful for any per-
son to receive more than one quart
of liquor or other alcoholic beverages
in any calendar month, which amount
must be for medicinal purposes.
I'm regard to the right of State
or municipal authorities to seize liq-
uors which have not been delivered
to the consignee prior to April 25
L beg to advise that section 1 of the
act provides, among other things, tina,
it shall be unlawful for any person
firm or corporation or company tc
receive, store keep. Or have in pos
session, or to ship, transport or con.
very any alcoholic liquors from an,
point without the State into this State
or from one point to another in th;.
State, or to deliver the same to any
person, firm. corporation or company
within this State except as herein.
after provided, the proviso therear-
ter providing that only one quart may
be received or transported and that
for medicinal purposes.
Inc common carriers arc required I
under the law to keep in their pos
session any liquors which are legally
consigned to persons in this State and
mold the same for delivery in case
the consignee should apply at the Of
flee Of the common carrier in COM
pliance with the law and request de-
livery to be made, until the expira-
ton of the time during which the
gallon-a-month act is effective.
Il am of the opinion, in view of
the fact that the common carriers are
required to hold these liquors until
midnight of the night of April "a
that they sould be allowed a reason
abel time thereafter to return any
liquors, remaining in their possession
and undelivered. to the consignor and
that such liquors would not be sub
lect for reasonable time thereafter
TO seizure by State, county Or muni
cipal officers. If, however. tho ,;o-
uors are not returned to the consig-
nor within q reasonable time by the
common carriers they would then be
subject to seizure as constituting an
illegal storing under the law"