COUNTRY EDITION. The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3152, 4 August 1881, Page 2

COUNTRY EDITION. The Daily Telegraph TUESDAY, AUGUST 2, 1881.

The only two bills of any public importance that have occupied the attention of tbe General Assembly up to tbe present time of the session are the "Licensing" and the "Gaming and Lotteries" Bills. And both of these may be classified under the heading of Goodygoody Humbug. The Licensing Bill in some of its features is, perhaps, a little improvement upon the existing Act, but it is so microscopically better than the one it is to succeed that it has not deserved the time speut upon it. As for the " Gaming and Lotteries" Bill it can only be regarded as a most uncalled for interference with the rights and privileges of the people, and there is not a member in the Houee who voted for it should ever be allowed to sit again in Parliament, If the people are true to

themselves, or value their liberties in the slightest degree, tbey should make these 'legislators unmistakably responsible for this foolish aud unwarrantable measure. Its preposterous provisions cannot but be repugnant to the feelings of every .Englishman, and their enactment can only be understood on the supposition that the bill was never properly read or comprehended by the members of the House. The Hon. Mr Dick said that this bill was demanded by the country. But whoever heard of such a measure as that being demanded by any country, or by any people since the days of the middle ages. The bill as it now standsis a disgrace to the Legislature and an insult to the colony. It makes crime of actions that never before were criminal, and it 3 effect will be that either it will be evaded so that honest men shall be converted into Boeaking hypocrites, or it will fill the treasury with fines and the gaols with prisoners. It aiveß to the police a power that ia not entrusted te them in any country in the civilised world, and it opens the door for the onbounded exercise of hatred, malice, and perjury. We are certain that, if it had been thought that this bill would have stood a chance of passing, Parliament would have been flooded with remonstrances from every constituency in the coloay. But it was reasonable to suppose that ._,_ Lower House would bave done what ifc did to a similar bill last session—kicked ifc out with scorn. It seems, however, that the House of Representatives has suddenly turned pious on its death-bed. And a most fortunate circumstance it is that it is on its death-bed. The dying Parliament will certainly be known as that of the " Old Women," that tried to frame legislation on lines that would make whistling on the Sabbath a criminal offence, and playing at marbles a misdemeanor. As soon as we get a copy of the bill as it finally has passed we shall publish it in full for the benefit of our readers. At present we have only the measure as it was introduced by the Hon. Mr Whitaker in the Legislative Council, and from that it would appear that every game possessing an element of chance ia it is illegal, and those engaged in it are liable to fines ranging from £10 to £200, and imprisonment from one month to six months. The bill makes it illegal to- bet a sixpence on a new hat, on any event whatever ; and any one offering to lay a wager may instantly be prosecuted for attempting to obtain money under false pretences. Section 7 provides that " where any cards, dice, balls (tennis?), counters, tables, or other instruments of gaming used in. playing any unlawful game are found in any house, room, premises, or place suspected to be used as a co;__mon gaming house or place for gaming, and entered under a warrant under the provisions of this Act, or about the person of any of those who shall be found therein, it shall be evidence, until the contrary be made to appear that such house, room, premises, or place is used as a common gaming house, and that the persons found in the room or place where such tables or instruments of gaming shall have been found were playing therein, although no play was actually going on in the presence of the constable or peace officer entering the same under such warrant * *

And the Justices before whom any person is taken by virtue of the said warrant may direct all such tables and instru ments of gaming to be forthwith destroyed." And any person so convicted of the aforesaid gaming shall be liable to a penalty cf £50, or imprisonment at the discretion of the Justices for any term not exceeding three months!! Legislation on this subject has evidently not gone far enough; the importation or manufacture of cards, dice, and all manner of instruments should have been made penal, and all Banks should have been compelled to deface the current coin of tbe realm, so that the two sides of every piece of money should be alike. The most common form of gaming is by tossing a shilling ; hence coin is an instrument of gaming, and when found on the person of anyone it is evidence by this Act that tbe man is a gambler, and his money can be taken from him and destroyed! Can anything be conceived that is more utterly stupid than this senseless measure ?