Butte record., 1856-12-13

as required by the constl-
tuition. Hereafter the people viii
pass upon acts creating State inGebt-
edness, and we thank the Supreme
Court for inaugurating this import
ant move even at this late day.
There can be no doubt but what
this decision will have the effect to
for time, the current
value of our State Bonds, but it will,
nevertheless, be the means of our ul-
innate prosperity, as it will check the
extravaganza of future Legislatures,
and bring their sessions to close
when the cash in the Treasury has
been exhausted.
We are not amongst those who be-
ieve that the people of California
will vote not to pay the outstanding
bonds when the matter shall be pre-
sented for their approval or rejection.
They will not vote for reputation.
1t is proper that the Sacramento I'm
ion, and also the Times, papers that
have been repudiated by the people,
should harp about the people of Cali
fornia receiving the ''scorn,' SC. of
the world. The State will deal
Justly with all mankind, and will,
hereafter, thanks to the Supreme
Court, be just to herself:
THE LAW prohibiting gaming, 81 in
generally speaking dead letter. I'm
der the present anti-gaming act the
offender is merely liable to civil
process, and in most instances the
defendant escapes entirely, either by
previously assigning his property to
a third person, or pleading utter in
solvency. With no fear of punish
ment before their eyes, the gamblers
laugh at the law as it now exists, and
deal their games almost as openly as
in the days of '49 and 80. During
the last six or eight months, there
have been at least half dozen places
where all kinds of games have been
carried on, every one of which is in
direct violation of law. The exor-
bitant rents paid by the gamblers tc
the proprietors of the houses in which
the games are permitted, enable the
owners of she saloons to pay theil
fines, if perchance they are paid al
Iall, and then realize a handsome
profit in the capital invested.
So long as the present inefficient
law exists as the only means where
by to prevent gambling, SO long will
it be carried on, for to bring an act
ion against the itinerant gambler is
worse than useless, aad the chances
for gain are too favorable for such
persons as feel disposed to rent their
houses for such purpose, to be de-
tered by the chance of a civil suit.
The probability is that so long as
men and cards exist, so long there
will be more or less gambling, but
the evil will certainly never be obvi-
ated, or scarcely palliated, so long as
gambling is merely Enable offense
and not designated as a crime amena-
Bile to more rigorous law. We be-
lieve that in most of the older states
laws are in force making the dealing
of banking games a penitentlary
crime, and it is to be hoped that our
next legislature will pass such law
as will be an intimidation both to the
gambler and to the proprietors of
houses wherein gaming is sanctioned.
AS productive of serious personal
difficulties, nothing parallels the vice
of gambling, except that of drunken
ness, and they are both productive of
each other and usually go together.
A long catalogue of indictments
is to be tried before the Court of Ses-
sions during its present sitting, and
the chances are that they will re-
suit to the expense of the county, not
fop the want of evidence to convict
tie offenders, but for the simple rea-
son that in all likelihood very few
or no fines will be paid, the law hav-
ing heretofore been SO construed as to
render the violator exempt from i'm
prisonment for the nonpayment of,
the fine; thus, in most instances
throwing the costs of trial upon the
couhties wherein such actions are
brought. The present statute is ut
terly inefficient, and ought to be