The Early Period in the United States. 
129 
while one state required every attorney to pledge himself before 
the license could be issued, not to charge illegal or extortionate 
fees. Physicians 1 became amenable to law, in that some states 
required license fees, and prescribed examinations for all who 
desired to practice medicine. 
In short, license fees and regulation by means of license, be¬ 
came extremely common in the early part of the century . 2 
Auctioneers , 3 pawnbrokers, retailers of various kinds , 4 victual¬ 
lers, innkeepers, and others were placed under supervision, but 
perhaps most important of all were the liquor licenses . 5 These 
were employed in all the states to regulate the establishments 
in which liquor was sold. The charges vary from a merely 
nominal fee to a considerable sum. Some commonwealths even 
had a classified system of licenses; among others may be men¬ 
tioned the beer license, wholesale liquor dealers’ license, retail 
liquor license, for each of which a distinct fee was charged. In 
the early history of the country it was customary for the 
country grocer to sell liquor as well as provisions, which led to 
the establishment of the license regulations for groceries in 
general. 
It should be borne in mind that liquor legislation and the 
license system is a distinctively American development; al¬ 
though England has had almost the same experience, which has 
resulted in similar regulations, still our system is not taken 
1 In New Jersey, physicians for vaccination hospitals were required to 
furnish bond for 1,000£ before they could obtain license. Act, 1789, Feb. 
3, p. 302. The Massachusetts Medical Society was given power to exam¬ 
ine and license candidates, and to fix fees therefor. Laws, 1796, 
par. 6, 42. 
2 Broker’s license fee of $5, originated by an early Governor of Maryland. 
Laws, 1818, Ch. 10, §1. Ibid., Lottery ticket broker’s fee, $500. Hawkers’ 
and peddlers’ license fee, $40. 1819, Ch. 184, §6. 
3 South Carolina license fee, from $25 to $175. Statutes, XV, 797. 
4 Pennsylvania venders of domestic merchandise, $20. Laws, Penn., 
1830, p. 387. 
5 In Baltimore, liquor in quantities of 10 gal., fee $12; retailing generally, 
fee $16. Laws , Md., 1827, Oh. 117, par. 2. New Hampshire beer-bottler’s 
license, for first class fee, $75; second, $50. Laws, N. H., 1814, 
par. 148. 
