MESSAGE.

STATE OF MARYLAND, }

Executive Department; }
Annapolis, February 26th, 1858. }

To the House of Delegates of Maryland.

Gentlemen:—In compliance with the request contained in
an order passed by your House on the 6th inst, I wrote at once
to the Governor of Maine, asking the information desired in re-
gard to the operation of the Prohibitory Liquor Law

I have to-day received a reply thereto, enclosing certain statis-
tical information and tabular statements in relation to two of the
counties of the State of Maine, whereby the inquiries made in
your order are answered, so far as it is in the power of the Gov-
ernor of Maine to give such answer. And taking these two
counties, one the most populous and commercial county, and the
other an agricultural county, as examples over the State.

I am further informed that the Prohibitory Law was enacted
in 1851, amended in 1853; further amended in 1855, repealed in
1856, and the present License system substituted instead.

That the whole number of convicts supported in prison in the
county of Cumberland, in the year 1853, was 319, at a cost of
$1,673.50, and for the year 1857, was 1047, at a cost of $5,256.-
33. In the county of Kennebec, the whole number supported
in 1853, was 108, at a cost of $1,003.76; and in 1857, was 204,
at a charge of $1,998.66.

Of the 319 convicts in Cumberland county in 1853, 154, were,
committed for drunkenness; and of the 1047 committed in 1857;
732 were for drunkenness.

Of the 108 in Kennebec, in 1853, 25 were for drunkenness
and of 204, in 1857, 84 were for the same cause.

In both counties there appears to be a proportionable increase
in the number of convicts for offences of assaults and batteries,
in the year 1857.
The amount of cost and charges for criminal prosecutions in