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To the Honourable the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Wisconsin.
The undersigned Ladies Residents of the County of Brown, respectfully represent that they believe the manufacture of ardent spirits in this our young and thriving Territory to be a great public evil against which it becomes us as a people to provide a wise and seasonable remedy.
At the present time your Petitioners do not know of any Distillery being in operation within your Legislative jurisdiction. Therefore, we regard the present crisis no one very favourable to enact such laws on the subject as may guard this community from these floodgates of fire and death being let loose upon them.
Reflecting that the use of ardent Spirits as drink has filled our world with mourning; seriously retarded the progress of civilisation, virtue and happiness among mankind essentially diminished the wealth and prosperity of the nation; greatly deranged the productive industry and business of the country and brought multitudes of our fellow citizens to [illegible], we feel that such restrictions being laid by law on this nefarious business, as to prevent distilleries from growing up among us, will be greatly beneficial to the morals of the people and a very favoring event to the rising Greatness of Wisconsin among the states of our confederacy.
The amount of distilled Spirits requisite for all the useful purposes of life, namely reducing and the mechanic arts, is so small that it will take but litte of our having capital to pay for it at a foreign market, whle the coarse grains not raised and to be raised in this Territory for a long time to come, are so much needed for man and beast, now on the soil as well as thousands who emigrate here annually from the older states; so your petitioners it appears that not merely is the convenience of these precious staples into liquid poison a gross insult to the benificent Creator; but also we hope ever consideration of a large and liberal policy; which ought to consult the welfare of the many in preference to the selfishness of the few: every dictate of humanity - the interest of the rising generation, giving a high moral character to the Territory abroad in short every just regard to public virtue - good order - and general well being amongst us, will prompt the Honorable Legislature either to inhibit the distillation of ardent Spirits in this Territory under a heavy penalty or so embarass by heavy duties, that branch of business as to render it unprofitable. That this subject command your early and serious consideration: and that
