The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-02-21
RACE TRACK BILLS.
Three of Them Introduced
in the Legislature By a
Republican Member.
S-UPERHEATED DEBATE
Thompson of Camden and Lane Of
Union Bandy Nasty Charges
Public Hearing
Clicked OFF.
DEBATE
specia, to The Jersey city Ns,os.

TRENTON, Feb. 81. 1S93-There have
been many exciting scenes in the New
Jersey Assembly, but few have equalled
that which transpirei In the Assembly
Chamber last evening. 1t was an old
time crowd that packed the Hobbies and
thronged the galleries. and those who
braved the cold to come out were well
repaid. The long expected and much
talked of race track bills made their ap-
p~earance, Notwithstanding Mr.. Thomp-
sons avowal that lone would be intro
duced this session. They numbered three
and were introduced by Nj. Parker, the
| young Republican from Monmouth. who
was elected in a Democratic District on
arace track issue.
F~REEHoLDRBs TO LICENSE.
The first bill provides:
That the Board of Chosen Freeholders of any
County In this State, or the Board Of Aldermen,
| Common Council, Township Committee or other
body having general charge OF the affairs Of any
| city, township or municipal division of this State
III which there is situated and maintained a race
COZ course ns for the racing gsras r rrnn as1gIlns srot TN or pr pae-
plate or other thing to be run, paced or trotted
for by such horses, mares or geldings, shall have
power and is hereby authorized 70 license the
owners Of such race course to maintain and use
| the same for any running, racing, pacing or
| trotting Of any horses. mares or geldings for any
purse or stake, plate or other thing; such license
and no license shall be granted for the main
tenance or use of a race course within the cor.
porate limits Of any city having a population Of
more than one hundred thousand people, accord
ing to the census last taken.
That the licenses provided for In this act shall
be granted only upon the expressed condition
that the owners and managers or the race
| course so licensed shall allow all owners, jock
eys and trainers of horses, mares and gelding
all the privileges of entering, racing and trai ms
| ing horses, m ares and geldings which shall be
allowed to any other owners, jockeys or train
ers, unless such owners, jockeys or trainers, or
such hors es, mares or geidings shall have been
for fraudu lent practices, or under some rule or
| regulation adopted by the owners Of a majority
| of the licensed rase courses in this state. Pac-
ing upon any grounds owned or leased or con =
| trolled by such person or incorporated body or
| association unless a license for that purpose
shall have been granted as In this act provided;
any license granted under this act shall become
void upon any breach of any condition upon
which 1t shall be granted.
That it shall not be lawful for any person or
| incorporated body or association to maintain or
use In this State for the running, trotting or
| pacing of horses, mares or geldings for a purse,
| plate or other thing to be run, paced or trotted
for BY such horses, mares or gsidings any race
| trotting or pacing prior to the first day of Janu-
| airy, one thousand eight hundred ninety-thPee,
unless such person or incorporated body or as,
| q 6h6Al 4ALog AH0 UAa ~ &lOi1 ~
| State a certified copy of a resolution adopted BY
three-fourths of the members of the Board of
Chosen Freeholders Of the county in which such
race course is proposed to be maintained, which
! resolution shah declare that the maintaining of
such race course is a public necessity.
BooKMAKING LOCALIZED.
The second provides:-
That the practice, habitual or otherwise, Of
betting upon horse races, known as
| book-making, or any of the acts Of either bet
| ting or book-making upon horse races, or the
keeping Of a place or places to w~hichfparsons
a nuisance or the keeping Of a disorderly house
or a conspiracy or any ersmisdemeanor or
criminal offence whatever, or the persons en-
gagged therein be indictable when such bettin z
or ~book-making Is carried on or done Within the
| exterior enclosure of the grounds of any race
course of any agricultural society or OF her ih-
corporared body Of this state, and wherein, for
the running, racfpg, trotting or pacing Of horses,
mares or Reidings for a purse, plate or other
thug, the said society or Incorporated body Is
notlndictabls; and provided. further, that such
only on the days OF the races Of said society or
| body, and upon the races within such enclosure.
NOT INDIcyABLE.
The third is entitled b supplement to
| the act for the punishment OF crime and
provides;-
That If any person or persons, or corporation
or association shall within the exterior enclosure
of this grounds of any race course OF any
licensed agricultural society or other licensed
incorporated body of this State wherein, for
horses, mares or CEILINGS for a purse, plate or
other thing, the said society or Incorporated
body Is not indictable, shall IN an indictable
| manner practice, habitually or otherwise, the
betting upon horse races commonly known as
book-making or any of the acts Of
| either betting or book-making upon horse
| races within such enclosure or in an indict-
able manner keep a place or places within such
enclosure to which persons may resort for such
betting or bookmaking. such person or persons
or corporation or association shall be deemed
| guilty of a misdemeanor. and shall upon copyic-
lion be punished by a fine not exceeding twenty
dollars, but such person or persons, corporation
or association shall not: for such practice. ha-
| bitual or otherwise, of betting or bookmaking,
or of keeping a place or places within such en-
closure to which persons may resort for such
bookmaking or betting. or for authorizing or
| permitting such bookmaking or betting within
such enclosure, be deemed guilty of maintaining
a disqrderly house. or maintaining q nuisance, or
of cohspiracy orof any criminal offence what
ever, except as In this section provided.
PUBLIC HEARING.
The bills had scarcely been introduced
when Mr.. Lane offered a resolution to
the effect that a public hearing be granted
| upon the bills on Wednesday. February
28. In speaking ia support OF his resolu-
ton, Mr.. Lane said that the people should
be heard. They were accorded that
privilege last year and the year before,
and the moral citizens OF the State on
both occasions came down to Trenton,
and such a tornado Of indignation swept
over the State that the men who were en-
deavoring to secure the passage OF the
bill were paralyzed and could not move.
Mr.. Lane thought hat they should be ac-
corded the right to come before the Legis-
lature and tell why the bills should not
PASS.
Mr.. Hutchinson, the Republican leader,
spoke in favor of the resolutions and said
that they ought to pass. MI. Harrigan,
the Essex patriarch, wanted to know
what all the fuss was about. He did not
know what was in the bills IN asked
| why they were SO bad. He also wanted
10 know what Mr.. Lane meant by declar-
ing that the State had been scandalized
by such legislation.
Mr.. Lane replied by saying that IL was
an insult to the intelligence of the House
to ask what a race track bill contained
which was introduced In that sessIo u.
They told their story on their face. 1t
was q matter OF common eporG that the
| present Legislature was on an auction
block to be knocked down to the race
track rambler that hak the most money.
AssemDiyman Beekman accused Mr..
Lane of being ambiguous about the auc-
tiOn block. Mr.. Lane replied sharply
thatft was a matter of common rnmor that
q large sum of money had been raised to
secure the passage Of a bill 10 the interest
of the ~bookmakers.
At this point. Assemblyman Henry Of
Camden, who was somewhat under the
| weather, rose in his seat and ~unsteadily
waving a paper above his head, said