Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-13
SOMETHING WRONG
A Startling Amendment Inserted
in the Race Course Bill.
REDUCING THE LIMIT TO one MILE.
Senators Declare the Committee
Never Adopted 1t.
THE TWO REP RTS.

A curious legislative error-to put Il char1-
| tably-was discovered in the Senate to-
day. 1t has an important bearing on local
matters and should it not be corrected may
| lead to serious results
Senator Gibson this morning presented to
the Senate the favorable report from the
District committee on Senate bill 1880,
known as the Blackburn bill, which is
Intended to exclude the Washington Jockey
Club from the anti-pool selling bill pro-
visions OF the ID of March. 1891. Mr..
Gallinger then asked leave TO present a
minority report on the same subject signed
by himself and Senator Proctor A short
time afterwards one OF the clerks OF the
Senate, in examining the papers, discovered
that In the original bill IL is provided that
there shall be no pool selling within one
mile OF the city limits whereas In the bin
submitted by Mr.. Gibson the draft OF
which was furnished by the District Com
mlssioners in typewriter, as a substitute
Tor the Blackburn bill and adopted by the
committee, there had been inserted In writ
ing the words half OF a." so that the bill
woold permit pool selling up to half a mile
The clerk hurriedly reported his discoy-
cry 10 Senator Gallinger, and then TO Sena-
tor Gibson. and finally to Senator Harris
the chairman Of the committee. who was
presiding over the Senate at the time The
recollection Of Mr.. Gallinger and Mr. Har-
ris was that there had been no mention
made OF an amendment reducing the limit
In the committee and certainly that no
amendment was adopted. Mr. Gibson stat
ed that 1t was his recollection thar the half
mile limit had been adopted by a vote of
the committee. but in this opinion he was
not supported by any other members Of the
committee The added words are apoar-
entity in his handwriting
Chairman Harris stated that to avoid any
trouble the bill had better go to the calen-
where kalV 10 ha HiSfnr rl.e1
for some time TO come and that the matter
Will be discussed and settled at the meet
ing of the committee on Friday ,.ext. Mean
while. however the bill as reported changes
the limit from one mile TO half a mile.
The Substitute.
The bill as drawn by Senator blackburn
exempted from the provisions CT the act
Of March, 1891, the Washington Jockey
Club by title. and gave them permission 10
make books at their spring and fan meet
ings in each year. The District Commis-
sioners, to whom the bill vas referred, re-
ported on the 30 of March and recommend
ed the adopting of a substitute hill The
Commissioners said:
THE reasons which actuate the Commits
sioners in submitting this substitute are
that the bill as referred 10 the Commission
ers contemplates the giving Of a specific,
special and exclusive privilege to one cor
poration. while the proposed substitute,
prepared by the Commissioners, is OF gen.
eral application"
The substitute provides that the act OF
1891. shall not apply TO book making at the
spring and fall meetings of any Jockey
club other racing association conducted
beyond one mile'-here occurs the amend
ment-'from the limits of the cities OF
Washington and Georgetown, and whose
track is not less than one mile in length.
The provision is retained in the bill that
such meetings shall occur between the LIST
of March and the 18th of December, anu
shall not exceed eighteen days in length
each.
The Minority Report.
The minority report signed by Senators
Gallinger and Proctor is as follows:
''on the 3lst day of January. 1883. an act
was approved which provided that every
person who shall in the District of Column
bia set up or keep any gambling table or
any house, vessel or place on land or water
for the purpose of gaming, or any gambling
device commonly called A. Is. c. Faro
Bank, f. o.. Roulette Equality. Keno.
1himbles or Little Joker. or any kind OF
gambling table or gambling device. adapted,
devised and designed for the purpose OF
playing any game of chance for money or
property or who shall induce entice or
permit any person to bet or play at or upon
any such gaming table or gambling device
or on the side or against the keeper there
OF, shall, on conviction, be adjudged guilty
OF a misdemeanor, and shall be fined by
Imprisonment for aterm not more than ten
years"
THAT law is still in force and doubtless
does much toward suppressing gambling in
the District. On the I'd of March. 1891,
an act was approved, entitled an act 10
prevent bookmaking and pool selling in the
District OF Columbia the first section of
which provides that IL shall be unlawful
for any person or association Of persons
In Washington and Georgetown, or within
the District of Columbia within a mile of
the boundaries of said cities, TO bet
gamble or make bets or pools on the result
Of any trotting or running race OF horses
or boat, or race OF any kind or on any
election, or any contest OF any kind OF
base ball.
1T is claimed that it was the intention
Of the last named act to permit bookmaking
and pool selling on race tracks located more
than one mile from the boundaries OF the
cities Of Washington and Georgetown. and
the language of the act seems TO justify
that contention. Ii did not, however. modify
or repeal the act OF January 81, 1883, ana
bookmaking and pool selling continue TO
be prohibited under that act. The present
hill in dts amended form will modify the
racing question sufficiently to permit gam
bling on race tracks situated within one
mile from the boundaries OF the said cities.
I'VE are Of the opinion that the prtn-
ciple embodied in the act OF January 81.
1883, is a wholesome and wise provision.
II absolutely prohibits gambling by cards
or otherwise in all parts Of the District
OF Columbia The poor man who is caught
at game Of policy, keno, roulette, or any
other Of the well-known devices OF the
common gambling fraternity is punished
severely, but in the face of that the pres
ent bill misnamed bill TO more efectually
suppress gambling in the District OF CO.
lumbia. proposes to legalize gambling on
race tracks In the interests OF the rich and
the professional sporting element OF the
community. We believe that the proposed
legislation is vicious in principle and for
that reason dissent from the report OF the
committee and recommend that adverse
action be taken on the bill when II comes
hafp he or
1t will be seen from the minority re-
port that these two Senators signing IL
had nothing in mind to suggest the change
from a mile to a half mile limit