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The Famous Gin Law

The Famous Gin Law image
Parent Issue
Day
17
Month
September
Year
1897
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Thia famous "gin law, " passed in 1736, is interesting as the earliest severe blow at liquor dealing aruong civilized nations. It levied a tax of 20s. a gallon on spirits, and a license of f 50 for any one selling or dealing in them. Aud, being in advance of public opinión, it failed, much as other more stringent prohibition laws have failed in our own day. For the cry was at once raised thatit taxed the poor man 's gin and let tbe rich man 's wine go free. Every wit, every caricatnrist, had his fling at it. Bailada were hawked aroond telling of the approaohing death of Mother Gin. The liquor shops were hung with black and celebrated uproariously Mme. Qeneva's lying in state, her funeral, her wake and so on. The night before the law went into eöeot, so the contemporary journals say, there was a universal revel all over the country. Every one drank bis fill and carried home as rauch giu besides as he conld pay for. To evade the law apothecawes sold it in vials and small packages, sometimes colored and disguised, generally under false labels, snch as "Colic Water," "Alake Shift," "Ladies' Delight. " There were printed directions on someof these paokages - e. g., "Take two or three spoonfuls three or four times a day, or as often as the fit takes yon." Infonners were very prominent and exceedingly offensive. inventing snares to catch lawbreakers for the sake of the heavy rewards, and spying and sneaking around in a way particularly distastefnl to the English mind. In sequence they suffered in their turn. The mere cry, "Liquor spy!" was enough to raise a mob in the London streets, and the informer was Incky if he escaped with a sound thrashing and a duckiug in the Thames or the nearest horse pond. Indeed, snch an outcry was made about the matter that the ministry became very un popular, and the law was not enforoed after two or three years, and was largely modifled in 1743,

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Argus
Old News