Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-10-13
GAMBLING.

Tho public will be greatly surprised to
learn tibet the bill for the suppression of gam
bipr rs laid Oh the table in the Senate of
VirgiG.a yesterday, on the motion Of q sena-
tor, who said 'the bill was Of too sweeping a
character" We did not expect the Legisla-
ture Of Virginia, at such a time, to turn CHICK
cn-hearted OF gambling. What punishment
il too sweeping, to severe for y crime that Is
undermining public morals, squanderlng pub
lie Snds, enhancing prices, and dlssraelns the
.;tv and State 1t is q notorious. fact that
public funds are nightly squandered in these
bells that official honor and honesty are
there betted away. But more than this, and
worse than this: there are twelve Of the thir-
ty-odd faro-bsnks in Richmond which send
each fifteen hundred dollars perday to market
and the balance average one thousand dottarI
per day. Here is one Of the chief sources Oh
high prices-these bells earn their money so
easily that it is a matter Of the smallest conse-
ouencs what they pay for marketing. Their
splendid suppers attract the crowd their
l;ouors intoxicate, and their cards win the
"a
money. u
Here are high prices fot every article Of
food most willingly paid by these villains
because they easily defraud it out of their Gus
toners. The police Of the city have been
subsidized by these gambling bells until the
enforcement os the laws has become-a ridicu-
lcus farce. We tell members of the Legisla-
ture that their action will be attributed to an
influence equally dishonorable if they fail to
meet this terrible evil with proper legislation.
What punishment is "too sweeping for such
wretches?
These gambling bells, spending from fifteen
to twenty thousand dollars per day in market
ing, do more 70 keep up prices Of living than
all the extortnners and spectators in the city
or State. AS long as they pay without regard
to price, prices will continue up, without re-
gard to the misery Of the poor or the starva-
ton Of the city. These are the real wretchcs
that are grinding out and trampling upon the
blood Of the poor. They inveigle by their
sumptuous supperS every CLASS of citizens and
rob all alike. Within these dens are lost
public as we'll as private funds.
The bill laid on thetable declares gambling,
generally styled faro, an infamous offence, and
the party or parties convicted Of keeping and
exhibiting the same are liable, under the law,
to imprisonment in the city, town or county
tails Of the Commonwealth for a period not
49, .-o -,ot6o rnr r,nrc 3hnp furolyn
All the tables, apparatus and property used in
the eame is forfeited, and all moneys; One-half
TO 20 to the person or persons making the
seizure and one-half into the State Treasury.
Persons renting q house for such purposes Of
gaming as contrayene against this law, or
hiring any slave for serving in such gaming
places, shall, upon conviction, pay q fine Of
not less than one hundred dollars nor more
than one thousand dollars. and suffer the for
fixture of such slave so employed.
Are these punishments two sweeping for a
crime Of such consequent evils? If they
nre, let it be modified and every man caught
10 a faro bank, or other gambling hell, be
punished with nine ahd Thirty stripes, well
laid on, at the public @hipping-post. Let all,
the villain that sets behind and the scoundrel
that sets before the table, be punished alike
by whipping. Let the maximum be of stripes
well laid on. Let an organized secret police
be established, known only to the Mayor,
With high rewards for vigilance and the ap-
prehension Of the criminals. If these meas
ures are adopted, and vigorously enforced, an
evil of greater magnitude than cxtortion will
ho rnn,a1 nlt