The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-08-05
WASHINGTON.
THE ANTl-LOTTEEY LAW AS RE-
PORTED.
Strong Measure Aimed AT the Curse of
Louisiana-A Piece Of Most Rigid Lcgis-
Al Nntes

WASHINGTON, D. C., Aug. T.. Special. F.
J The anti-lottery bill just reported from ia,
House Committee on postonco- and post
roads Of the House, is the most rigid OF AL
r kindred measures ever offered in either
House Of Congress. 1t proposes TO amend
sec,iOn 3Sii Of the Revised statute, so "a,
to make it read II follows
"Section 3s9t. No letter Y0sial. card. on
, circular concerning any lottery. su.rllled
GIFT concert, or other siniillrcnterprisc Offer
ing prizes dependent upon Tot or cnance. or
concerning schemes devised for the purpose
Of Obtaining money or property under false
| urctcnscS, and no list oi the drawings ~ any
lottery or similar scheme, ana ur lottery
o. ticket or part thereof and no check, dlatt,
bill, money, postal note. or money-osder "a
the purchase of any Ticket, tickets. or part
thereof. or Of any share - az $ chance in any
such lottery or gift enterprise, shall be- car
fled in the mail or delivered nt or through
any D1stOfiice or branch thereof. or hy any
lctter.carricr: nor shall any newspaper. cir
cuiar. pamphlet, or publication of aGN
kind containing any advertisement OF any
lottery or gift enterprise OF any kild onfril e
prizes dependent upon Tot on chance. or cone
tanning any list of prizes awarded af the
drawings of any such LOTTERY or eIit cui .r-
prise. whether said list s of any pat on ol all
Of the drawing. Dee carried i'm the mail or de-
liNcrpd bV any postmaster or lDttcf-clrrIpf.
ANY person VINO shall knowingly deposit or
cause 4 be deposited. or who snail knowing
ly send OF cause tu Zoe sent, anything tO br
conveyed or delivered by mail In violation of
this section. or who shall know luglN cause 10
bee delivered by mail anything herein for
bddcn tO he carried hy mail, shall
be deemed guilty of q misicmcauOr.
and on conviction shall hc punished
hy % fine OF not more than i've hundred NOi-
lars or by imprisonment for not more than
one year. or bv both such line and impr.-On-
ment for each Oiiensc. ANY person FloIalng
any Of the PROV ,lons of tins section may ue
proceeded against by Information or iuGict-
mcni, ana Tried and punished either in thc
district at which the unlawful publication
was mailed. or 10 which it Is carr led bN mail
! for delivery according TO the direction There
| on, at which n is caused To he delivered NY
mail 90 the person 10 whom il is addressed "
The next provision amends section 1923
10 make it read as follows:
'Section 1929. The Postmasior-General
may, uI on evidence satisfactory 70 him That
any person or company is engaged IN con-
ductiug any lottery, Git cnterpr ee, or
scheme for the distribution of money or oi
any real or personal property 10y lot, chance.
| or drawing of any kind. OF that amy person or
company Is conducting amy other sch'mr "l
device for obtaining money or property ol
any kind through the mails hy means 90 ftl-r
| or fraudulent Dretenses, representations. cor
promises. instruct postinahtefs al any post
Office at which registered letters arrive dl-
rectcd 10 any such person or com
pany, or TO the agent or representative
OF any such person or company whether
such agent or representative Is acting as an
individual or as a firm. bank, corpora
ton, or association Ofany ldud. to rcturn al
such registered letters o. the postmaster at
fhe Office at which they We're originally MALI
ed with tie word Fraudulent plainly Wtlltrn
or stamped ON the outside thereof; ana 300
such letters 80 returned tO such lOstmes tors
shall bc by them returned tp Tine writer's
thereof uudei such regulations as The
Pc Pcstmoster-Geuclal may prescribe. Btl
nothing contained i'm TINS serti.h snll
bc construed as % auNolfl'
any TO>tmaster or other person 70 open amy
letter not addressed to himself The pnnlt
! advertisement by such person nr company eO
| conducting such lottery. gilt ,n'ctpi se,
scheme. OF device, tHat r'lnitttnccs for thc
same may bee mai Ly registered letters io
any other person, o. .n. bank, cyIl niilpn, oi
association named ih-tcin shall Dee held to hee
an Acknowledgement or the existence OF said
agency bs ali the parties uNned therein.
! Section lOur Thousand and forty cone OF tine
REVISED Statutes is to Doc ahicndcu 20 feaa as
follows:
.Snr. IOl' The Postuast,r-Gsueral uly.
upon ey dencc satisfactory % him ihai any
person or company D, cu-fged lu conluriiug
any 10 terry. gift enterprise, or scheme FOR inr
distribution of money, or OF any fUdl or per-
sonai property by lot. chai ce, or drawing oi
amy Kind or that any person or company .s
conducting any other scheme for NnfiilhinH
money or property OF any kiui thtou b
the mails by means of false ol irtui
uleut prctcuscs, representations or prom
l~f lIIUIl Iilt iliA l4lttilt If NNAt
master 10 suld person OF company "l tti.f
postal mOncy-Order, drawn 20 hl. or lis order,
or in his or ifs favor. or To tue agent ui amy
such person or company, whether sucu h- ilt
- acting as an individual or as 70 ilrh, btnH,
corporation. or ASSOCIATION of amy KIND, "ud
may provide Dy regulation iorthe rciufu,o the
rcmlttcrs OF the sums named lu such money
orders. But this shall not Huihoill' any ptt-
son TO open any letter not addressed io hiin-
self Tie public advertisement hy such per-
sln or company so cOufiucflr9 amy such l'i-
terry gift outcruri.c. scheme or dctlcD. tht
rrmltiaurcs Tor tir stur may Doe haIr ~
means OF postal money N-ordffs 90 amy 'INtl
person. firm. bank. corporation or a>sociai jon
named therein, shall br hclito Doc a'itnn" t.
edgmcnt oi tnc existence ui sad agency n.
ali the parties named therein.
RIGID LEDi-LkIiON.
Il j. admitted that legislation coull not
Dee made more ri-id or searching without
exceeding the bounds prescribed Dy tn"
constitution, and to protect personal l-hts.
TIE co,nurrFE's ErroRr.
The report of the committee which ac-
cmnparied the bail was prepared in thr
pO,t0flice department. and under the inn
mediate .upcr, isiOm Of the Attorney -tttucr-
al for tnat department. 40 ihe outset DO
contends that Congress bas already
evidenced IT'S intent tO exclude lct-
ters. circulars and other matter from
the mails which relate to lotteries. by >cFe-
raj urcliuu ruacimeut-. hut tines lave
have proved inefficient. The report further
p claims that ut Is also evident lhhl 10 WAS
. the intent Of tOngres, % provide the lo,i-
master-Ccncral with the authority and the
means 10 execute the several statutes. u
o. goes further and declares that
"Without more fore tile legislation lhc use
. nf the mails by lottery companies Will con
tinue to grow in greater ratio thtu N iN-
! i'm the past The report adds li"i nraiN ail
, the small concerns. Wlsch lew years SOD
. did business. have Succumhcd - ne Louis
. | lana Lottery, "the giant mOuoi OI}, Mulcn
not only Wdlks over the fields hereloluf
,ccupled by The smaller companies, blt has
extended lis business until 30 hus feacnc ci
.. enormous ana alarming proportions.
' 10 is estimated, continues ~ ..l"',
"th.t this company mails through the wash
in,tOn pOst0fiice, Ina the District Oi Columbia,
/ lprobabiv not less than JO,OUD letters per
month. and inat It's mail DEPOSITS in the city
of New orleans Will amount 20 iFe "r ttn
2 times as much more. All ms matter s'h'
out under cover Of the al contains i"tlrlN
circulars and lists of lottery draw ings, til u
which - declared 10 be uon-lnaliuDie under
The law But IL goes WithCu' let or hindfaiicc
nccause under existing statutes lt seems I'M
Z possible 10 Obtain proofs ol thrT rue 'i'i
, acter The object OF the proposed biil Dr. to
: provide further opportunities for obta MN =
, Information upon which prosecutions IL
: frequcnt and indeed unlimited, violations 81
, / the law may bc more SUCCESSFUL
POsrMAsTERs' POWER.
The sections Of the statutes conierrlng
power upon the department over lottery
G mail matter are quoted to show their made
uacy. The opinions Of the Attorney-Gen
( eral have been that the existing laws are
penal. and can only be enforced ny tht
B.. courts, and that they confer NJ
-, power upon the Poslmaster-Geuera
/ 10 seize, detail, or Withhold from trans
f, mission and delivery any ordinary letter
E or packet not actually known by him To re-
! late 10 lotteries. OF course, the head oi 10,
b department cannot obtain personal know
edge as 20 The content, % mail matter. b.
. der the opinions of Attorney -.Gencfal DcN
e ems and Garland, the roslmasicrGeneral.
/ power 10 purge the mails of Objectionable
[ matter is limited 10 unsealed circulars ah,
v similar matter not protected by lhc ,ancllti
of the seal. such unsealed matter. undei
: existing law. cOOld only Ice Withheld iron
delivery, and the person mailing 1t woul'
have to be positively identified before he Ol
she could be punished, though the laws
provide for such punishment.
4 SUPREME COURT,
: The supreme Court has decided That: 'NC