Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-03-02
TIE RACE TRACK BILL.

10rm, rs IL Chuo iloI1 VIZ AAo'
ed the Senate on Saturday, in the face
of every obstruction on the part OF the
race track sympathizers known to ex-
perienced legislators, by a vote OF % to
4. The opponents struggled hard 70
kill the measure. Every amendment
thew offered was voted down and on
the final vote only Messrs. Hay, Mush-
bach. Jackson, of Warren, and Little
voted against the measure.
Just after the morning hour, MIR.
Sands moved that the bill known as
the Maupin bill, to prohibit pool-sell-
ing, be taken up, which was done, after
much opposition. Mr.. Sands asked
that the amendment of the committee
striking out the words "one-half of the
fine shall be given to the informer" De
voted down, as it was so late In the
session that he was afraid that any
amendment might jeopardize the pas
sage. Mr.. Little conteDded that the
bill without the amendment was ull-
constitutional, and that it should be
adopted. He offered as substitute
the bill prepared by him as member
of the subcommittee appointed by the
committee for courts of justice, but
which was rejected by that committee.
Mr.. McIlwaine agreed with Mr..
Sands that no chances should be taken
| in the matter. There was, he said, aD
overwhelming sentiment in favor OF
the bill, and it should be passed as soon
as possible.
Mr.. Morris said that he had not in
tended to say word on the question,
but he felt bound to reply to the asser.
ton ofthe Senator from Petersburg that
there was an overwhelming sentiment
| in favor of the bill. he said that he
did not believe that this sent;;-ant was
widespread, but mad been carefully nur-
tured and made the most of by few
newspapers and a few ministers OF the
gospel. For the ministers, he said, ne
| felt the deepest respect, but from their
very calling they were bound to be one
sided men. He protested earnestly
against legislation adverse to the whole
horse-breeding interests of Virginia, for
the good of Alexandria county. he
| took the bold ground, he said, that
gambling was not wrong per Set was
only wrong when it outraged public
decency.
| Mr.. Boykin said the question as to
| whether corporation could be pun
ished according to the provisions OF The
act, was not new one. 1t had been
decided before, and clearly meant the
| officers of q corporation. He said pub
lie sentiment demanded the passage o.
such measure, and its enactment
should not be jeopardized by adopting
amendments, therefore necesitatipg
that it be sent back to the House.
Mr.. Mushbach said it was the fault OF
the friends of the bill that it came up at
this late day in the session, and that
I they should not seek to impair the ef-
fectiveness of the measure by refusing
to adopt amendments. He said the
Maupin bill would not accomplish what
was expected of it, and he was opposed
to it. He had heard vague rumors, he
said, that gambling was carried on in
Richmond and Norfolk and other cities
| in the State as we'll as Alexandria, but
that public attention only conferred
upon the latter city. Mr.. Mushbach
said be did not wish to be misunder-
stood in his position. II am opposed
to what is going on now" said he. 81
am trying to make the evil as small as
possible. I am in favor OF the sub
stitute of the Senator from Freder.
icksburg and opposed to the Maui
pin bill because it will be defeated by
the very men that you are attacking"
He said the Maupin bill only "knocked
out" the paraphernalia used in making
bets on horse racing, but would not
cure the evil. The chalk and black
board would probably be dispensed
with, but other means would be adopt
ed bv the bookmaker in carrying on his
business. In the course of his remarks
Mr.. Mushbach took occasion to com.
plain that the newspapers did not sufi-
GENTLY air the opinions expressed by
the democratic members of the Senate,
but devoted their accounts of the pro-
ceedings of the body principally to the
views promulgated by the republican
minority. II don't expect" he said,
chat what am now saying will ap-
pear in the papers, as see the report
ers are listening and not writing"
A vote was then taken upon the
amendment ofthe committee in regard
to giving one-half the fine to the inform
er, and il was defeated.
MIR. Little then offered further
amendment, striking out the portion
applying to imprisonment of violators
of the law. This was also defeated.
The Maupin bill was then again taken
up, and the substitute offered by MIR.
Little was read and rejected by q vote OF
ayes 10, noes &c.
The original bill then came up, and
was passed just as it came from the
House by vote of ayes %, noes A.
Messrs. Hay, E. 81. Jackson, Little and
Mushbach.
The bill to prohibit winter racing
was then taken up, and passed by
recorded vote of 81 to 0, after the adop-
ton of the amendment proposed by the
committee striking out November in
the list of months in which racing is
prohibited.
The Senate bill entitled "a bill to
prevent pool selling" companion
measure to the two passed, then went
through, without opposition, the vote
being SO 0.
Before the vote was taken Mr.. Mush.
bach rose and inquired whether this
second bill was to correct the errors OF
the Maupin bill.
"No, sir" replied Mr.. Sands. sit is
intended to correct the eros of the