Minutes 10/10/1911 - Laserfiche WebLink

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October t0~ 1911. propriation to Market and Jail, for repairs to the vegetable market. It is further recommended that the Committee be authorized to advertise for bids purchase coal and wood for the public budldings for the coming season~ It is recommended further that the Committee be authorized Jail, out of appropriation for improvement of the Jail. (Signed). B.B. Hutchins, On motion~ the report being referred to the Joint Finance Committee. to~ to spend $~0.00 on the Chairman C. C. of the Committee was adopted, the several recommended appropriations Ordinances-- Hon. Common Council. Gentlemen:-- Your Ordinance Committee respectfully re- ports herein concerning the following matters referred to the Joint Ordinance Committee Septem- ber EB-l~ Augus~ 15, July tt, and June 1~, 1911: Referred by C~mmon Council September B~d. Advisability of an ordinance to prohibit the keeping of a gaming room, and gambling therein. We have considered said ordinance, and~ recommend the adoption of the following there- AN ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT THE KEEPING OF A GAMING ROOM, AND GAMBLING~ THEREIN. Refer=ed by Common Council September~iEth. ~dvisability of amending section $~0 Of the Ordinances in regard to the number of cars to be run on Orawford street by the S. A. L. Railway Company after 9:SO P. M., in accordance with t~e recommendation of the Mayor therefor. It is recommended that section~ ~B0 be amended and section $~8 be repealed, se as to read as follows: An ordinance to amend and re-ordain section 3~0 and to repeal section ~6 of the Ordinances in relation to Railways. Re-referred. An ordinance relating to the establishment of a ~lu~ingBoard. Progress~ Referred by Board of Aldermen August 15th. An ordinance to minimize the noise made by-trains of cars on Crawford street and smoke from locomotives drawing said cams. Progress. Referred by Common Council July llth. An ordinance to regulate t~affic on the street, recommended by the Mayor. Referred by Common Council June 13th. Progress. An ordinance to regulate the removal of night soil from the Sixth and Seventh Wards. The following ordinance is recommended therefor: AN 0~DINANOE TO REQUIRE PROPERTY OWNERS IN THE SIXTH AND SEVENTH WARDS TO PAT FOR THE RE- MOVAL OF NIGHT SOIL. (See Ordinance Book). (Signed). ~'C. Lo Tyler, Chairman C. C. The report of the Committee having been read, the following minority report was offered by Mr. Ellis ~. Moore, in regard to the proposed ordinance, "To Prohibit the Keeping of a Gaming Room, and Gambling Therein~" "Portsmouth, Va., October ~, 1~11. "T~ the Honomable City Council, "Portsmouth, Va. ~Gentiemen:~ "I have the ~on~r as t~e minority member of your 0rdin~nce Committee to re- port as~foilows, with reference to the proposed ordinance entitled,"AN ORDINANCE TO PROHIBIT THE KEEPING OF A GA~iNG ROOM,~AND GAMBLING THEREIN," and providing a penalty for the violation. ~i agree that gambling is an evil which sho~I~ be suppressed, but in the suppression of public evils we should be careful that we offer no violence to individual rights and privileges, that we do not infringe upon private~preser~es Or pleasures. "I object to the clause in the proposed ordinance which reads: "That it shall be unlawful for any person to keep e= maintain a gammng room or any place ~sed and resorted to for gambling purposes in any of its forms, or for the~playing of any game, with whatever instrumentality played, at which money or any other thing of value is won or toSt." This would tend to make law breakers of a large number of law abiding and respectable people. I believe that the~ home is a man's castle w~rein he may do as he pleases so long as he oomm~its no n~isance nor~indu!ges~in'mo violence. "The proposed ordinaDce, no doubt, is aimed at the professional g~mbler¥ and has for its purpose the suppression of public gambling houses. However, this may be trae, it confers a po- wet upon the police to enter any home and invade its privacy. The police should have no warrant, no right whatever to enter a home or interfere in any manner whatever with what is going ~n therein, except in cases of disorder or violence; for anything and everythin~ else they should have no war~ant. While the father of the ordinance say~ that discretion is supposed to be used by the police, I object to any e~ggestion of discrimination on the part of the police in the ex~