Sunbury American And Shamokin Journal

The License Law.—The Pittsburgh Gazette contains the opinion of the Supreme Court upon the late law authorizing certain counties to decide by ballot whether vinous spirits shall be sold in said counties. The majority—Gibson, C. J., Rogers, J. and Bell—decide it to be unconstitutional. Burnside, J., and Coulter, J., dissent. The Court ground their decision upon the position that the Legislature cannot delegate legislative powers to the people; that a minority of the people have not agreed to be governed by the majority in any other manner than that pointed out by the constitution of the State of which they are members; and that the law is unequal and not universal over the Commonwealth. Thus one county may totally restrain the sale of liquors by vote, whilst in an adjoining county the old license law is the only restriction. The majority opinion was delivered by Judge Bell—the minority by Judge Coulter. The report occupies nine columns of the Gazette.