The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-01-20

Duty OF THE GRAND lkQuEST.-We have tateiy
been Informed that the Grand Inquest of this
city ard county have it in contemplation to en-
force certain Laws which lave long been dead
on the statute books, by indicting the keepers
OF the gambling houses and houses Of nlfame,
and also to extend q dose of the same whole
some medicine to the dealers in lottery policies
IF this determination is carried out, we shall
see great fiutrerlDg, not only among the per-
sons so indicted, but also among the most re-
spectacle that is, the veal shiest class Of our
citizens But we apprehend that the Grand
Inquest will do no such thing, for the reason
that the property occupied for these nuisances
pays the very highest rent, and so lucrative is
in collecting their money, no matter how ex-
orbitant the sum demanded may be.
Tie gambling law is very stringent one,
and the novice who gets feeced is further pro-
tected by the civil law, as he can sue for and
recover the amount, with costs, lost at anyg game
OF chance The criminal law has been on the
statute books two or three years, and there
never has been conviction under it. Oay two
complaints have been made-one by the en-
ploy ers Of clerk, who were satisfied when the
money alleged to have been stolen from them
was returned by the gamblers. The District
Attorney probably thought that if they were
satisfied everybody else ought to be; and as
one Of the indicted persons had, and has, a large
amount of political influence, the Indictment
few days since, and the accused per-
sons are under bail. Some of the
gamblers hold large amounts of real
and personal property; they occupy the finest
houses, drive the prettiest turn outs, operate in
Wall street, have the best seats ct the opera,
and, for oil that we know, the most comfortable
pews in the fashionable. churches. Their tran
sactions with the mercantile world are extern
sive, and their engagements are promptly met
Indict such fine gentlemen as these? Why, the
IDEA is absurd
The lottery policy dealers are to be indicted.
Where win you find them Pat their places of
business in Wall street, or at their palatial
homes in the Fifth avenue? It is not doing
away with the evil to indict few policy ped
dlers-the large operators, the men who have
made fortunes, and still net immense sums, are
The proper objects for the Grand Jury q indict-
ment It is equally absurd to suppose that
theso respectable pvreops should be ieopardisod
The whole subject is curious, and full of in
tcrest. 1t is singular to see such respectable
people traffickiDg in sin, trading in lcencious-
ness, and making merchandise of iniquity. BY
going still deeper into the facts of the case, we
should find that many of the persons who own
houses which are leased for the purposes of gam
bling ard prostitution, are members of our
churches; and, worse still, that in some in
stanses, church property is converted to these
base uses 1t pays tremendous rate of in.
terest on the investment. So it will be seen
that as the owners of the property get all the
profits of the traffic, they are the persons who
viii be injured by the indictments. When we
add to this the fact that the gamblers and their
friends are very important persons in the pri-
mary elections and nominating conventions,
it seems very probable that no indictments
Of the kind said to be in preparation will ever
reach the light But we shall know more about
it today when the presentment is made to the
court.