Executive Order 5888 Constitutional Neutral (+0.02)

Executive Order 5888—Regulating the Transportation of Liquors over the Highways and Waterways of the Canal Zone

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Saturday, July 16, 1932

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2 min read (407 words)

Plain-English Translation & Framers' Constitutional Analysis

Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.

This executive order, signed by President Herbert Hoover on 1932-07-16, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Regulating the Transportation of Liquors over the Highways and Waterways of the Canal Zone." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.

Constitutional Assessment: This action represents an orderly exercise of Article II administrative discretion, managing the internal machinery and personnel of the executive branch without abridging the ancient liberties of the people.

Key Directives & Operative Actions

▪ Each shipment of such liquors shall be accompanied at all times by a certificate by proper Panaman authority showing that the liquors concerned are in transit through the Canal Zone, giving the name of consignor and consignee, and specifying the point of origin and point of destination outside of the Canal Zone and the United States and all territory under the jurisdiction of the United States.

▪ The outside containers of such liquors, whether boxes, barrels, kegs, cases, or other containers, shall be sealed by the official issuing the above certificate in such manner that no part of the contents can be removed without breaking such seals, and such containers and liquors shall remain under seal while passing through Canal Zone territory.

▪ The transit must be continuous, and no such liquor in transit shall be permitted to remain within the Canal Zone.

▪ The Governor of the Panama Canal is hereby authorized to prescribe from time to time rules and regulations to carry out this order.

Constitutional & Societal Entities Impacted

🏛️ Sovereign State Governments & Localities 🏛️ Executive Departments & Federal Civil Servants

Total Words

407

2,382 characters

Estimated Read Time

2 min

@ 200 words / min

Flesch-Kincaid

Post-Grad reading level

Constitutional Polarity

+0.02

Framers' Alignment index

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Scholarly & Legal Citations

Exec. Order No. 5888, Herbert Hoover (Jul 16, 1932). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-5888-regulating-the-transportation-liquors-over-the-highways-and-waterways.

Official Document Text

Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)

Original Source →

By virtue of the authority vested in me by an act entitled "AN ACT To provide for the transportation of liquors under seal through the Canal Zone," approved July 5, 1932, and reading as follows: " Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled , That section 20 of the National Prohibition Act is hereby amended by adding after the proviso therein the following additional proviso: ' And provided further , That this section shall not apply to the transportation of liquor, under seal, in transit to and from points outside the Canal Zone over the highways or waterways of the Canal Zone under regulations to be prescribed by the President, when such liquor is not destined for use or consumption or final delivery in the Canal Zone,'" I hereby establish the following Executive order for the Canal Zone, effective from and after the date of this order, regulating the transportation of liquors under seal in transit to and from points outside of the Canal Zone over the highways or waterways of the Canal Zone when such liquor is not destined for use or consumption or for final delivery in the Canal Zone: 1. Each shipment of such liquors shall be accompanied at all times by a certificate by proper Panaman authority showing that the liquors concerned are in transit through the Canal Zone, giving the name of consignor and consignee, and specifying the point of origin and point of destination outside of the Canal Zone and the United States and all territory under the jurisdiction of the United States. 2. The outside containers of such liquors, whether boxes, barrels, kegs, cases, or other containers, shall be sealed by the official issuing the above certificate in such manner that no part of the contents can be removed without breaking such seals, and such containers and liquors shall remain under seal while passing through Canal Zone territory. 3. The certificate covering such liquors in transit through the Canal Zone must be exhibited upon demand to the proper officers or officials of the Canal Zone. 4. The transit must be continuous, and no such liquor in transit shall be permitted to remain within the Canal Zone. 5. The Governor of the Panama Canal is hereby authorized to prescribe from time to time rules and regulations to carry out this order. HERBERT HOOVER The White House, July 16, 1932.