TEMPERANCE.
Mr. HUGHES submitted the following:
Resolved, That the Committee on Temperance be instructed to report a bill for a temperance law without delay ; and that, for that purpose, they have leave to sit while the House is in session.
He said he had never been a champion for a prohibitory liquor law, but on this matter his views had undergone a change. He had uniformly defended his withdrawal from the Democratic party upon Democratic principles. He had seen so much of the evil effects of the unrestricted license of selling liquor, that he was willing now to publicly renounce this principle of opposition to prohibition. If it was a democratic principle, no matter he renounced it. And it might now be said, if gentlemen will: "The last link is broken that bound me."
Mr. PEELLE desired permission to introduce a bill on this subject.
page: 222[View Page 222]Mr. DAGGY would like to amend the resolution so as to require a temperance bill to be reported by the gentleman from Monroe.
Mr. HUGHES would adopt the views of the gentleman from Wayne [Mr. Peelle.]
Mr. Hughes' resolution was then adopted.
Mr. PEELLE (by leave) then introduced a bill [H. R. 283] for an act to prevent public drunkenness, and prescribing a remedy; which was referred to the Committee, under the order just taken by the House.
Mr. DUGGY submitted the following:
Resolved, That the clerks and employes of this House who have served in the war for the suppression of the rebellion, be entitled to a copy of the Adjutant General's Report, and that the be directed to furnish them accordingly.
Mr. KIZER denounced the Adjutant General's Report as the occasion of great expense to the State, without corresponding advantage. He had a copy, and he was willing that any soldier should have his copy that wanted it.
Mr. McFADIN moved to amend so as to tender a copy to each of the employes of the House.
It was rejected.
Mr. THACHER and Mr. MILLER moved to amend so as to tender a copy of said Report to every soldier in the State.
Mr. HUGHES said that amendment would take out about all the money in the State Treasury. He proceeded to say that the publication of this report had been the occasion of numerous fraudulent applications for bounties and pay. The muster rolls ought never to have been published. But now, since it had been done, this amendment was monstrous. It would require a new edition to be printed of six or seven volumes. There are probably 100,000 soldiers in the State, who would be each entitled to a copy.
Mr. KIZER would distribute them as far as they would go.
Mr. NEWCOMB said nothing could be done in this way by a simple resolution. It would require a concurrent resolution, or a joint resolution, or a bill. On his motion, the resolution and amendments pending were laid on the table_- yeas 42, nays 41.
On motion of Mr. ROSS, Mr. Van Valkenburg had leave of absence for one week from to-morrow.
