Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1875-03-21
THE GAMING BILL-A MIDDLE.

THE GAMING BxLL-A MIDDLE
There was something Of an agitation
in sporting circles yesterday. A Ger
titled copy of the bill to restrict gam
bling was received from the office o.
the Secretary of State. when it was dis.
covered that the bill which is now a
law Is not exactly the bill which passed
both Houses of the Legislature. The
bill that passed provided for a quarter
ly tax Of 500 on faro games, and $500
on keno and all other banking games.
In counties with a population of l,5OO
or loSs the quarterly tax was $3.50. II
also restricted gaming to back rooms
when on first floors. The bill which
was signed ty the Governor taxes all
games $500 pei quarter, with no TO-
dnction in sparsely populated counties
We %conversed with a number of the
members Of both Houses, yesterday,
and all agree that the bill which reach
ed and received the approval OF the
Executive is not the bill which pissed
the Legislature. The explanation is,
that the original bill was amended in
the Assembly in the manner in which
it is now found; the bill went to the
Senate with the amendments attached;
the Senate refused to concur in the
amendments; the bill was returned to
the Assembly; the Assembly receded
from the amendments, but the amend
ments were not erased or removed
from the bill, and carelessly became
enrolled with it. 1t is not believed
that the error was Intentionally COM
mitted. AS the bill was regularly cer-
titled TO by the officers of both Houses,
and approved by the Governor, it will
doubtless stand as it now appears.
The Enterprise is q little "off" in its
statement of facts, and also, we believe,
in its conclusion. The act which was
signed by the Governor was not a Sen.
ate bill, but originated in the Assem-
bly,, and the following is its history:
MFR. Haynie early in the session intro
duced a bill in the Assembly to Ii
cense and regulate gambling. On the
SINE day a bill of the same character,
but more stringent in its provisions.
passed the Senate and came into the
House. Both bills were referred to a
special committee Of which Mr.. Van
Hagan, of Lincoln, IA chairman.
The committee rejected both bills and
reported a substitute, which was pass
ed by the Assembly. 1t provided for
a license of $500 a quarter on all bank
ing games in counties in which 1900 or
more votes were polled at the last cleo
ton, and $500 in counties where less
than that number of votes were cast.
1t was amended ia the Senate so as to
require a license of $500 in all the
counties, regardless of the voting pop
ulation, and passed the Upper House
in that shape. 1t was then sent back
to the Assembly for its concurrence,
but that body refused to concn and it
was returned to the Senate, which re-
coded from its amendment, and the
bill passed both Houses precisely as it
was originally introduced as a substi-
tute in the Assembly. The journals OF
both Houses will show that this is the
tue history Of the bill. It's reaching
the Governor in the shape it did is a
most mysterious piece of business, and
Is attributable to the grossest rascality
or criminal negligence, AID proba-
bly, to both. Certainly the En-
rolling Committee Of the Assembly
was guilty of the most cnlpable care
lessness in permitting a bill to pass
from their hands in such a shape, and
especially an act which had attracted
so much attention, and been so fully
discussed, that lis provisions were IA
miliar to every page and porter around
the Legislature. Even if the clerk had
failed to remove the amendment at
tached to the bill, as he should have
done when the Senate receded from its
position, it seems impossible that the
mistake should not have been discov-
cred in passing through the hands OF
the Enrolling Committee and the En-
rolling Clerk. The chapter of coinci-
dental carelessness is too long and d.
vided into too many parts; and it will
be hard to convince the people that
the result Is altogether attributable to
negligence or that a designing hand
was not directing the entire business.
We differ with the Enterprise in its
conclusions that the bill will stand as
1t is because it was regularly certified
to by the officers of both Houses and
approved by the Governor. The bill
was v passed as it now stands up
on the statutes, as can doubtless be
proved by the journals of both Houses
tunlsss they have also been tampered
With and by members of both branch
Is Of the Legislature. 1t is the spin
ion Of several legal gentlemen. ~ whom
we have inquired, that such testimony
would I've admissible in u courts. II
would sesm unreasonable and contra
yy 70 the spirit OF justice were it other
wise, and we venture the prediction
that IL the matter Is taken to the Sn,
Drama Con r. that tribunal will pro