THE GAMING AND LOTTERIES BILL.

Evening Post, Volume XXI, Issue 150, 29 June 1881, Page 2

THE GAMING AND LOTTERIES BILL.

The Bill for the Suppression of Gaming and Betting Houses, and for the more effectual abolition of lotteries, introduced in the Legislative Council by the Hon. the Attorney General, follow 3 much the same course as the bill of last year. The new clauses provide that the owner or keeper of ?« gaming table shsll be liable to a fine of JBIOO, or 6 months' imprisonment ; that he shall forfeit all the money found in the establishment; and that every person found in a gaming house without lawful excuse shall bo liable to a £5 penalty. Gaming with coins, cards, or instruments is declared unlawful ; tho US'3 of the totalizator is only to be permitted whfn that instrument i 3 sanctioned by the Colonial Se3retary on the recommendation of a recognised racing club; betting-houses are prohibited under penalties ranging up to or three months' imprisonment; the sale or disposal of goods by lottery under a^y guisa is forbidden under penalty of £ '00 fine or six months' imprisonment. Peisons who when apprehended in gaming houses give false nanfes or addresses are to be fined .£'so or imprisoned for a month. There is a second clause imposing penalties on persons keeping gaming, houses, the penalty in this case being S>soo or twelve months' imprisonment. Obstructing constables is punishable with .£IOO fine or six months' imprisonment. Ihe provisions of the bill do not apply to gennine art unions, bnt sweepstakes, under whatever name, are declared illegal lotteries.

We are oblieod to bold over a number of letters to the Editor. The TTawea, with the San Francisco mail, arrived jast as we were going t:> press. The Local Bills Committee, to whom was referred the Masterton and Greytown Lands Management Ace 1871 Amendment Bill, have reported that they have considered the measure, and found it a local bill. They, therefore, recommend that it be allowed to proceed. Dr. Wallis ia to move, on Thursday, that no Licensing Bill which gives the control of the liquor trade to the ratepayers will be satisfactory to this House unless provision is made in it for granting compensation to those whose licenses are cansolossly refused to be renewed. Mr. Reid is to ask the JJinistor of Justice, this afternoon, if it is the intention of the Government to carry cut the recommendation of Captain Hume, Inspector of Prisons, made in his report to the Government, to the effect, " that, as vacancies occur, the superintendents of prisons be selected from retired naval and military officers P" This afternoon Mr. Murray will ask the Government if they will provide facilities for the vaccination and re-vaccination of grown persons. A very lame attempt is mado to explain the two days' detention of the English mail at Auckland by somo long-winded stories about the coastal steamer being delayed on her upward journey to Manakau. This docs not in the least degreo touch our agreement, which was that care should be taken to have a steamer in readiness awaiting the arrival of the mail. It is no exense to say that the steamer did not get up in time to start punctually, if she has to "cnt it so fine" that any of the various delays to which steamers are liable, will involve a proportionate detention of the Knglish mail. We repeat the view we expressed yesterday that arrangements could and thould be made to ensure having a steamer ;n; n readiness to start south with the English mail at the earliest possible moment after its arrival in Auckland. Mr. George Fisher has retired from his candidature for the Toorndon Ward. His reasons for doing so will be found ia our adveriising columns. As he did not give two clear days' notice, as required by the Act, of his intention to retire, the election will have to take place in spite of his withdrawal, although, under the circumstances, it will bo only a matter of form. The polling commences at 9 a.m., and closes at 6 p m. Mr. E. Shaw, R.M., proceeded to the Lower Hutt this morning to preside over a sitting of the local Resident Magistrate's Court. There were only two cases set down for hearing, namely, Bonrke v. Haase (judgment summons) and Shaw v. Oakley (application to have the defendant bound over to keep the peace). We direct the attention of the City Engineer to the disgraceful state of the footpath in Willis-street near Tustin's shop. If a plank crossing over the footpath is tho order of the day, by all means let it be put down properly, but the ratepayers object to the present obstruction. The steamer Beautiful Star, bound from Lyttelton to Westport, called in at Picton last night and telegraphed to Wellington that on passing The Brothers a signal was made from the lighthouse that medical aid was required there at once. Strangely enough, it was not until half-past 10 this morning that the Stella Btarted for The Brothers, a somewhat unaccountable delay, which may have serious consequences, and which contrasts unfavorably with the prompt and humane action of the captain of the Beautiful Star, who went 40 miles out of his course to ensure speedy communication, the case being so urgent. By an Otaki correspondent we are informed of tho death of Mr. 'ihomas Bevan, who arrived in Wellington on the 17th March, 1841, in the ship Lady Nugent, and who had attained the age of 81 years. Shortly after his ariival in Wellington tho deceased commenced business as a lopemaker on Te Aro Flat. He af removed to the Manawatu district, and in 1856 removed to Otaki, where he carried on the business of storekeeper and ropemaker until within a couple of years of his decease. There was a clean sheet at the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning. The Foxton Herald publishes full particulars of the destruction wrought in the Manawatu district by the earthquake. Information from the country districts shows that many large fissures have bee n made by the earthquake. Between Motuiti and Opiki there is one several inches wide, extending for two or three miles. About the centre of this there are evidences of a quantity of sand having been thrown up, and forming an oval mass about 20 feet in diameter and 12 inches thick. At this point, however, the fissure has closed up, and it is impossible therefore to ascertain tho appearance of the spot whence the sand was thrown. At Waiatapia a large crack, between two and three teet wide, was formed. In the Carnarvon district the earthquake was felt with great violence. Several large fissures have occurred between Bainesse and Carnarvon. On SunHay morning a German, living near Bainesse, found that during the night his well, which was six feet deep before, had become so deep that the bottom could not be reached with a 40-foet line, and he also asserts that when he first went to the well the water was bubbling up. Information has been received that tho upper Oroua railway bridge, between Feilding and Palmerston, has been twisted, and care is necessary in crossing it; also, that two of the understrutted bridges between Palmerston and Feilding have been damaged. The railway line along the sandy country between Foxton and the Oroua Bridge was also twisted about in a singular manner, especially about If miles from Foxton, being turned about in a snakelike fasnion at that point. The gangers, however, immediately set to work to lepair the damage at tho worst places, and tho down train on Monday was able to reach Foxton, though it had to go at a much slower pace than usual, reaching Foxton about threequarters of an hour late. The following gentlemen attended the ordinary weekly meeting of the committee of the Benevolent Institution, held yesterday afternoon : — Mr. J. G. Holdsworth (chairman), Roys. J. T. Hinton, H. Van Staveren, and W. Kirk, Messrs. B. Smith, J. B. Smith, A. J. Smith, C. P. Powles (treasurer), and A. G. Johnson (relieving officer). The cases dealt with were not so numerous as usual, and the fresh one 3 presented no features of special interest or importance. A donation of £2 from Mr. C. D. Barraud was received with thanks. At the half-yearly meeting of the Court Sir George Grey, A 0.F., held last evening, there was a large attendance of members and visiting brethren, and the following elections were made : — Chief Ranger, Bro. [J. J. Harris ; Sub-Chief Ranger, Bro. E. Brandon; Senior Warden, Bro. J. Moreland ; Junior Warden, Bro. W. Rix ; Senior Beadle, Bro. W. Garratt; Junior Beadle, Bro. J. Robertson ; Treasurer, Bro R. A. Page ; Secretary, Bro. A. V. Knapp. The following Past Chief Rangera were also nominated for the various district offices — D.C.R , Bro. O. D. Finch ; D.S.C.R., Bro O. D. Finch; D.8., Bro. J. F. AdamsD.T., Bro. A. Whitford; D.S., Bro. J. T. Bo vis. J This evening, being St. Peter's Day, there will be full choral service at St. Peter's Church, beginning at 7.00 p.m., when a musical service entirely new to Wellington will be sung, and also tamo selections from Handel's oratorio, "Tne Messiah." Mr. Hautria Weot will preide at the organ, and tha offertory will be given to the choir fund. The South Pacific Loan and Investment Company announce, by advertisement, that they are prepared to advance money at low , rates of interest. '

A Lyttelton tslegram states that the master of the eteam-iug Titan, which arrived from Pig-eon Bay, reports experiencing an earthquike at the Pigeon Bay wharf at 11 40 a.m. to-day. Tho wave was ten feet high, and caused some damage to the sponsons of the steamer. The wave was not experienced at Lyttelton. The " Pirates of Penzance" was repeated before a well-filled house at the Theatre Royal last night, the performance bf-ing, as was perhaps to be expected, a marked improvement on that of the opening night. Some of the artistes who were naturally a little nervous the first tight seemed to hare gained more confidence, and the opera went off with great bpirit. Most of the leading songs and choruses were encored, bignur Morley was in better voice than on Monday night, and his songs and duets with Mabel (Mdlle. Murielle) were warmly applauded. Mdlle. Murielle also came in for a cordial reception. Mr. Cary played the part of the Pirate King with great spirit; Mr. Wentworth as the Major-General was exceedingly droll, and brought out the points in his famous patter-song with great effect. Mr. J. P. Hydes (the bergeant of Police) and his merry men were irresistibly lunny, both as regards make-up and acting, the inimitable absurdity of tne choral responses of the policemen causing tho audience fairly to explode with laughter. The Sergeant's song was again redemanded, and the local verses sung by way of encore created as much amusement as on the opening night. Mr. Cecil Kiverton was fairly successful as Ruth, although the effect of most of his songs was again spoilt by their beinz taken too low. The choruses were capitally performed, and the dresses and scenery ovoked general admiration. It is a pity, however, that a better transparency cannot be devi&ed for the closing scene -if it is necessary to have one at all — than that at present used, which is certainly not in keeping with the rest of the work from Mr. Briggs' brush. Mr. Barry O'Neill, the well-known comedian, &c, arrived liom Melbourne to-day, und-r engagement to Mr. R. W. Gary, to take part in the new cast for the Pirates of Penzance. We observe that Mr. C. O'Neill, member Inst., C.E., formerly of Wellington, is practising his profession in Sydney. The Daily Telegraph, published in that city, devotes considerable spuoe to an acconnt of various improvements which Mr. O'Neill proposes to carry out in the Darling Harbour. The cost of the works he suggests would amount to one and a half millions sterling. The 'Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times is at it again. He has ' ' broken out in a fresh places" thi3 time, and perpetrates the following singularly mendacious statements about tho recent earthquake : — " The local papers " (he telegraphs)" aro loyally trying to make it appear that brick buildings have suffered no damage whatever ; but 1 have it on the authority of a practical man that, although there may be no actual rents visible, nearly every large brick building in Wellington ha 3 been shaken to such an extent that another shock of similar severity would have a most disastrous effect." lliis is tho veriest rubbish. Wo made most careful enquiries, and took competent professional opinions on the effect of tho Bhock as regards brick buildings, and the unanimous verdict was that not the slightest injury had been sustained beyond the trivial items of darrage mentioned by us. Indeed, the brick buildings felt it much less than thos4 of wood, and nine-tenths of tho trifling damage that was caused by the eaithquake was in wooaen buildings. In large brick edifices, such for instauce as the building of tho Evening Post office, not only was the actual building uninjured, but hardly any moveable articles were upset, as in wooden houses. In this office not a single article was thrown down, even some things which a slight touch would have turned over remained unmoved. We have no hesitation in asserting that not one well-constructed brick building experienced any injury from the shake. With to-night's issue of tho Evening Post is published a four-page supplement, consisting of a catalogue of the surplus stock about to bo offered for sale at To Aro House. The sale, which is to be held in viow of the annual stock-taking, commences on Friday next. Messrs. W. M'Lean & Co will sell tomorrow, on the premises. Upper Willisstreet, household furniture and effects. Messrs. Dwan & Co. will sell to-morrow, tea. potatoes, &c. Mr. George Thomas will sell to-morrow, produce, furniture, &o.

To the wi^es and families of many honorable members of both Houses of Parliament, now assembled in this city, and also to the ladies resident in Wellington and its environs, it may bo a matter of interest to know that lately there have been completed to special order in the mantle making rooms of James (Smith, Te Ako House, Cubastreet, some very elegant Ladies' Jackets, in the latest designs. The materials have been rich black Satin de Lyon and heavy pile black Genoa Velvet, trimmed with deep fur, and lined throughout with quilted silk. It is hardly necessary to state that for richness of appearance, exquisiteness of fit, and perfect finish tuey could not be exceeded by anything from the most fashionable modiste of the West End of London. What more graceful and fitting present could an honorable member make ?— fADVT.I