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Show GAMBLING M1KI.S A RAISE FoRRKLIGIOCS PCRPOSES. It is becoming fashionab'e to resort to gambling, disguised under the name of lotteries and gilt enterprises, to raise money in aid of religious and other purposes. That legality might be given to the late lottery for the San Francisco Mercantile Library Association, Associa-tion, a special act was passed by the California Legislature and approved by Governor Haight, in contravention of the constitution and penal statutes of the State, the end being supposed to justify the means. And the Courts of that State have since been having decisions de-cisions and counter-decisions on the matter, enough to vex any ordinary-mortal ordinary-mortal not versed in jurisprudence. As we have twice announced, a festival fes-tival will be held this evening in aid of the Catholic Church; but wo did not know until yesterday that the festival fes-tival embraced so broadly the lottery business, and, a3 a consequence, the gambling that must attend it. We learn that a diamond ring, valued at two hundred dollars; will be disposed of by lottery; that a sewing machine, worth over a hundred dollars, will be similarly drawn for; and that other articles of smaller value will be disposed dis-posed of in like manner. While the Herald is the advocate of the fullest religious and civil liberty, this action and others proposed in other quarteis, demand some comments, that those engaged may understand their position before the law; and not only avoid a very questionable proceeding, no matter what may be the object in view, but probably suvo themselves from trouble, in ea.e some of the more rabid of the federal Officials should get ou their track. There is not the warmest fraternal feelings existing between the various forms of the Pro-le.Uiit Pro-le.Uiit f'aitli and that which recognizes thi Pope ai its earthly head; and as some superzoJous olficials are shining utuinaiie-, in creeds antagonistic to the 'Koman Catholic faith, they might be after tho getters-up of this festival with .-,b,arp-iuintcd judicial and lentil click.i, .md might inflict linos, wins and jcii-.il'ics jcii-.il'ics for acts in oppoMtiou u (bo "law. 'I ho 8t.iutH of Utah, ci.;o 114, t.c-tiou t.c-tiou Zl, provide iiial the City Council oiSaaLik City, bus power, "within ,tii: .I'll i-diol ion of'thn city, by oi'lin-. auce and the ei .o' ement thereof, to prevent, punish ur prohibit every kind of fraudulent device and practice: all descriptions of gaming, playing at dice, cards or other games of chance, with or without bettiur " The same principle prin-ciple is sustained : Territorial statute; aud the City Council, acting on its charter authority, in 1800 passed an ordinance which contains provisions directed di-rected against gambling, said ordinance ordin-ance being still in force. As lotteries are construed to be gambling, within the meaning of tho statutes, these raffles, lotteries and gift enterpries become be-come critical matters, in which the participants are liable to punishment Because these laws have bean passed by a "Mormon Legislature," although they have been approved by a Governor Gover-nor appointed by the President of the United States and sanctioned by Congress, Con-gress, some might suppose that they would be decided unreasonable and void, and a.s not embraced in the proper legislation authorized by Congress in the Organic Act. But that such ideas may be dispelled we will state that similar legislation is on the statute books of nearly all the States, of which the following extracts from the penal Statutes of California will suffice for a specimen: " It shall be unlawful for any person or persons to dispose of any goods, personal property, real estate, or other valuables, by lottery, lot-tery, raffle, or any game of chance, or by any drawn number represented by tickets, or cards, or throwing and counting of dice, or by any other means by which an uncertain disposition disposi-tion of said money, goods, personal property, real estate, or other valua-jles, valua-jles, is sought to be held. It shall alio al-io be unlawful for any person to aid in any such scheme before named, or in any way whatever, either by printing, print-ing, circulating, buying or selling, managing or drawing tickets or cards, or chance in any lottery, raffle, gift enterprise, en-terprise, or other unlawful means, as above named." Persons offending against the above statute "shall be guilty of misdemeanor, misdemean-or, and on conviction shall be punished by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding six months, and by fine not less than five hundred dollars nor more than five thousand dollars." Penal Acts of California, Sec. 1 and part of Sec. '2, of ihc Act concerning gambling. gam-bling. And the Congress of the United States, in its wisdom, has passed a law similar in effect, for the government govern-ment of the District of Columbia. We will close this caution to our friends with the following, originally addressed by the Contra Costa Gazette Ga-zette to Governor Haight, of California, Califor-nia, paraphrasing a few lines of it for Washington news says there is strong reason for tielieving an amicable settlement settle-ment of the Alabama claims will soon be effected. Parties engaged in collectiug mining tax off Chinamen in California, have been indicted for violation of the 15th Amendment. The London E'.cuminer proposes to submit the questions between Great Britain and the United States to a court of arbitration. A great meeting at Bordeaux on Saturday Sat-urday save an enthusiastio endorsement endorse-ment of the policy of defending the country to the last. Ex-Senator Drake is to take his seat as Chief Justice of the Court of Claims to-day. His successor in the Senate, Mr Jewett, was to qualify and take his seat yesterday. St. Petersburg news says the correspondent, corres-pondent, who sent to the foreign papers pa-pers a Bummary of President Grant's letter to the Czar has been banished, the letter being considered private, and its publication a personal insult to the Czar. Attorney-General Akei-man has decided de-cided that Government can keep the amount of compensation for Government Govern-ment services by the U.P.R.R., as interest in-terest on the railroad bonds; and if the interest is paid, can keep half the amount to apply on the principal. |