Georgetown weekly news., 1855-05-24
An Act to Suppress Gaming.

| - NEPAOsS 0uHl1n8s
For the information of our readers wo
publish below the Anti-Gambliug act which
took effect on the 7th inst.
This is one long stride towards reformiDo
the moral condition of the State.
The People of the State Of California. rem
resented IN Senate and assembly, do endct
asfolloucs:
Sec. l. Every person who shall open or
cause to be opened, any gaming bank Or
game of chance, the whole or part of which
yelongs to him, in any house or other place
whatsoever, whether the said house be own.
ed or usually occupied by said person or NOT
and likewise every person who shall deal for.
or otherwise conduct, or assist in conduct.
ing the affairs of such bank or game, and
also every person who shall permit such
bank or game to be opened in any house IN.
der his control, may be prosecuted by IN
dictment by the Grand Jury of the county
in which the offence shall have been com.
mitted, or before any Justice Of the Peace
or Recorders Court Of said county, and on
conviction, upon evidenSS,sEasbon Or more
ClCuIUlG WIllCHSCo, SuClll w uIlStt III sum
not exceeding five hundred dollars, nor less
than one hundred dollars for the first offense
and double such for each subsequent Offensa.
and in all cases, the house or place in which
such illegal gaming is carried on or held
except it be done without the knowledge Of
the owner thereof, shall be held liable for
the fines imposed on persons for such illegal
gaming within the same.
Sec. 2. The owner, tenant, or occupant
of any house or building, in which moneyOr
goods shall have been lost by gaming, with
the knowledge or consent Of such owner, oc-
cupant, or tenant, shall on conviction there
of be fined not exceeding five hundred dol
lars for the first ofiense, and double such
amount for each subsequent ofense.
SEC 3. All notes, bills, bonds, mort.
cages or other securities or cOnveyances
whatever in which the whole or any part
Of the consideration, shall be for any money
or goods, won by gaming or playing at
cards, dice, or any other game whatever, Or
by betting On the sides or hands of any per-
son gaming, or for reimbursing or repayiDg
any money, knowingly lent and advanced at
the time and place of such gaming or bet
ting, shall be void and Of no effect as be-
tween the parties to the same, and as to all
persons, except such as shall hold or claim
under them in good faith, and without no.
tice of the illegality of the consideration Of
such contract or conveyance.
SEC. 4. 1t shall be, and is hereby made
the duty Of all District Attorneys to prose
cute all offences against this act and to
make quarterly y reports to the Courts of Ses-
sions, or Boards of Supervisors Of the coun-
ty in which such prosecution was had, Of
the names of all persons who shall have been
convicted under the provisions of this act,
during the preceding quarter, together with
the amount of all fines so imposed and col
lected from each person SO convicted.
SEC. 5. The District Courts Courts of
Sessions, Justices of the Peace, and Record
erS' Courts, in the several counties of this
State, shall have full and complete jurisdc-
tion over all cases arising under the proyis-
ions of this act, and it shall be the duty of
the Courts Of Sessions to give this law in
charge Of the Grand Jury, whose duty it
shall be to inquire into and present all cases
Of violation Of this law; proUided, that
nothing in this act shall be construed to in
clude the games Of Billiards and TenpinS.
SEC. 6. One fourth of all fines collected
under the provisions of this act, shall 90 to
| the District Attorney; one fourth shall be
paid into the treasury Of the county where
the offense was committed, and the remain
der shall be equally divided among the vari
Gus Orphan Asylums in counties where such
Asylums exist, and where there are no such
Asylums, shall go into the General School
Fund Of the county.
SEC 7. An Act entitled can Act to H.
cense gaming" approved March IA, 1851,
and an act to amend the third section of an
act entitled IAN act to license gaming, aP
proved April 29 1851, are hereby repealed.
SEC. s. This act shall take effect and be
in force thirty days after its passage; pro-
clded, that no license referred to in section
seven of this act shall be issued after the
passage Of this act.
Approved April II, 1855.