The Jersey City news., 1901-07-06
WORK TO co ON|OLD Blue LAWS.
No Travelling, No Fishing,
No Sports, No Secular
Music, mo Nothing. !"
FINES OF 81 AND 81
A Few Of the Acts the New
Commission viii Have to
Struggle With.

Wueu supreme court 5ustlceS SeHAthaih
Dixon and J. Franklin Fort, with Charles
II. Corbin, the commissioners appointed
by Governor Voorhees, to revise and
codify the statutes of the State, get
down to work on the new revision, ablin-
dant scope for the exercise of their prun-
ing knives will be found in the laws now
on the statute books relative to the OBJ
servance of the '.frst day Of the week.
commonly called Sunday as the old
laws have it,
Many of these laws were enacted away
back in 1854, when what are now big
cities were mere villages, and when It
was considered a sin and an ofrense
against the majesty of the law to do any
kind of work on Sunday, except such as
might be incident to church going, to
preparing meals or to summoning ply
sician. These laws no longer command or
obtain respect, nor is any effort made to
enforce them, except in rare instances.
A thorough overhauling of these obso-
lete statutes, In making the new revision,
would meet with public appreciation and
would have the effect of doing away
with laws which are never enforced and
which are only spoken of as sort of
official jest
In the latest compilation Of the General
Statutes of the State, made in 1886, on
page 3-707. Is found what is known as the
''Vice and immortality Act" enacted in
1854 ami added to from time to time
since. This act deals largely with Sur
day observance, defining what shall ard
what shall rot be considered offense3
against the law and fixing the penalties
. therefor. Under this act many things
which are now common to the. Sunday
life of every city Of the State are also
offenses punishable by fine or imprison-
merit.
Section of the act prohibits business
and diversion on the first day of the
week, commonly called Sunday The sec
ton reads thus:
that no travelling, worldly employment
OF business, ordinary or servile labor OF
work either upon land or water works
of necessity or charity excepted) nor
shooting, fishing (not including fishing
with a seine or net which is hereinafter
provided for), sporting. hunting. cunning,
racing or frequenting of tippling houses.
or any interludes or plays, dancing, sing
ing, fiddling or other music for the sak'.
Of merriment, nor any playing at football
fives, niEe pins, bowls, long bullets OF
quoIts, nor any other kind of playing,
sports, pastimes or diversions shall be
done, performed, used or practiced by any
person or persons within this State oa
the Christian Sabbath, or first day Of the
week, commonly called Sunday"
Every person of the age of IA years or
upward, offending against this part of the
act shall, for each offense, pay a fine OF
81, for the use of the township In which
such offense shall have been committed.
The same section forbids any person.
under penalty of a fine Of 81, to "cry,
show forth, or expose to sale, any wares,
merchadise, fruits, herbs, meat, fish,
goods or chattels." The Justice of the
peace before whom the conviction shall
be obtained is required to send his war
rant to some constable, who shall "levy
the said penalties by distress and sale OF
the goods and chattels OF. the offender
and nj case no such distress can be had,
then the justice may send the offender
to the county jail for a period not ex-
ceeding ten days The act further pro-
vides that If any person shall "be found
fishing, sporting, playing, dancing. fd-
ing or going to or returning from market
or landing with carts, wagons or sleds
or behaving in a disorderly manner. on
the first day of the week, commonly
called Sunday" it shall be lawful for any
constable or other citizen, to stop every
person so offending and to detail him or
her till the next day, to be dealt with
according to law.
There is a kindly proviso, which ordains
that no person going to or returning from
any church or place Of worship, within
the distance of twenty miles, or going to
call a physician, surgeon or midwife, or
carrying mail to or from any postoffice,
or going express by order Of any public
officer, shall be considered as travelling,
within the meaning of the act.
AS a concession to the railroad COM
panies, the act, in third proyiso says
that it shall and may be lawful for any
railroad company in this State to run one
passenger train each way over their roads
on Sunday for the accommodation of the
citizens Of this State.
The trainers of the act, through consid-
Grafton of the '1nner man" generously
ordained that the people may prepare
and dress victuals in private families or
lodging houses, inns and other houses
Of entertainment, for the use Of sojourn-
ers, travellers or strangers, on Sunday,
without violating the law.
Fishing on Sunday is again prohibited
IN the second section Of the act and the
third section imposes fine of s. on the
driver or drivers. proprietor or proprie-
tors of any stage or stages that are
driven through any part of this State
on Sunday, unless Sufficient reason shall
be shown that 1t be done In cases of ne
cessity or mercy, or In carrying the mail
to or from any postoffice. Any justice OF
the peace may stop and detain. until
the following day, any stage or stages SO
driven or being driven
The icemen, who are aiming to stop the
delivery of ice on Sunday, find support
for their effort in the fourth section of the
act, which reads thus:-
That no WAGNER, carter, drayman,
droyer, butcher or any of his or their
servants, shall ply or travel with his or
their wagons, carts or drays, or shall load
or unload any goods. wares merchandise
or produce, or drive any cattle, sheep or
swine, In any part of the State, on the
first day of the week, commonly called
Sunday, under penalty Of 81 for each and
every offense.
While the enforcement of this section of
the act would probably meet with the
A. l-x< A. to