President, I have a motion in my hand, which I will read to
the Senate:
"'_Resolved_, That a joint committee, of one from the Senate, and two
from the House, be appointed to report a bill abolishing licensed
gaming in the city of New Orleans.'"
Larry had declared war, for he added, as he sent his resolution to the
clerk's desk: "At the proper time I mean to say something about these
damnable hells." Throughout the city there was a buzz; for at that time
New Orleans had not the fourth of her present population. Any move of
this sort was soon known to its very extremes. The trustees of the
hospital, the stockholders in these licensed faro-banks--for they were,
like all robbing-machines, joint-stock companies--and many who honestly
believed this the best system to prevent gaming as far as possible,
were seen hanging about the lobbies of the Legislature. Each had his
argument in favor of continuing the license, but all were based upon
the same motive--interest. The public morals would be greatly injured,
instead of being improved; where there were only four gaming
establishments, there would be fifty; instead of being open and public,
they would be hid away in private, dark places, to which the young and
the innocent would be decoyed and fleeced; merchants could not
supervise the conduct of their clerks--these would be robbed by their
employes.
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