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Today in History (1862) - The U.S. government forbids all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation. On the same day in 1865, the Confederate Congress voted to enlist 300,000 black troops, granting them freedom with the consent of their owners. Lee surrendered a few weeks later. |
Alcohol retailers quickly adjusted in the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling that states had to permit interstate wine shipments if they permitted in-state ones. While Amazon.com hasn't yet lived up to my prediction that it would begin selling wine, it has partnered with wine.com and currently is offering free shipping on orders of over $100 as well as a Japanese version of the site. (Incidentally, Prof. Bainbridge reports some rough play among the shareholders of wine.com.)
My conlaw Prof. Thomas Reed Powell (Fall, 1952) told the class the anecdote about a delivery during Prohibition to a college professor of a large crate that was extensively stenciled "BOOKS". The deliverer knocked on the door and then told the professor: "Professor, your box of books is leaking." Hopefully the wine packaging is much more secure.
Now what about interstate deliveries of the hard stuff? Is gin being discriminated against?
Posted by: Shag from Brookline at September 8, 2005 07:13 AM