Butchers' Licenses.

The village is in a ferment of indignation because the Council on Friday evening last passed a by-law licensing our two butchers, Messrs. Austin and Cochrane, and forbidding any other person to sell fresh meat, in less quantities than quarter carcass, within the limits of the corporation, under a penalty of not less than one nor more than five dollars for every offence, or, in default of payment, of not more than ten days' imprisonment. The action was taken at the request of the butchers themselves, who offered to pay $20 each for such protection as the by-law affords them, and they and the "city fathers" are being vigorously anathematized in every place where two, three or more persons congregate. We think the measure is a mistaken one, as it is intensely unpopular and inflicts a hardship on the farmers, who ought to be encouraged to come to the village by every means in our power; on the public, who in these hard times want cheap food and ought not to be prevented from obtaining it; and on the grocers and provision dealers, who can no longer take a pig, a sheep or a quarter of beef from a customer who owes them and cut it up into "lots to suit purchasers." If there are any business men in the community who do not need legislative enactments to swell their profits, they are the butchers, who are well known to be making money faster, in proportion to the capital involved and the risk run, than any other persons; and their attempt to subvert the usual order of things and monopolize the entire retail trade in fresh meat is, therefore, the less to be excused. They can buy a beast that will dress 400 Ibs. for $18 or less, and sell it at an average of seven cents a pound, or a profit of $10, with say, $5 added for hide and tallow; and as three such animals are generally disposed of at each ship (together with an occasional sheep, pig or calf) every week for the greater part of the year, they must be able to make a good living, and have choice cuts of meat at every meal, without oppressing the rest of the community to enable them to do so. Butchering is a capital business, as those engaged in it do not deny, and it has one advantage peculiar to itself, for in what other line can a dealer say that the more dead stock he has on hand the more likely he is to make money? It is a good thing for the Council that they will have time before next election to prove their repentance for Friday night's work, or they would all be sent packing, and the villagers are so determined that the butchers shall not reap any advantage from their little game, that they will go any length to frustrate it, and small blame to them.