LAST NIGHT'S SITTING.

Waikato Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1416, 30 July 1881, Page 3

LAST NIGHT'S SITTING.

The House jre»U9i,eijHt-7i30, t f, . N«w Bffli. I The Horoata, Water-race , Pill <wu' repocted from the Private Bills Committee and introduced by Mr Wright and read a firafc time. Gaming and Lotteries Bill. The committee resumed on the Gsming and Lotteries Bill. On clause 8 Mr Shepherd moved th.© omission of the' woirHs, '"excepting the totalisator, udder certain circumstances, from the operations of the Ait." - On a diviaion the amendment was negatived by 30 to 27, and the clause , passed *» printed. ! On clause '9, Mr George asked the I Colonial Secretary to e*pjaiu what " fan tan "was. "' /; '' "''■ Mr Bowen thought this should ' be done before they were asked to bo virtuous at the expense of their yellow brethren. He very much doubted whether " fan tan " w« much worse than a game of 100. , .r, , ,- v > ,-!.,: Mr Speight Hoped the Colonial Secretary would not corrupt their moral* by doing anything of the kind, , ( , Mr Bryco 1 suggested that "fapi tan " was Chinese for chess. Mr Levestam wanted to know if the Colonial Secretary really understood the game. Mr Keeves thought it might be aa innocent as kiss-ia-the-ring. He suggested that the clause should be postponed until Mr Dick had learned the game and was able to explain, Mr Dick regretted he was bound to confess that he had no personal knowledge of "fan tan," The bill had come down from the Council, and no doubt the members of that body fully understood the matter. Still he believed "fan tan" was a game for which playors had already been punished in the Police Court. Mr Jones said he might play "fan tan" without knowing it. Pr. WhlHs said " fan tan" was a gam? where a lot of Chinese stood round a table on. which a lot of counters were thrown down. Then one Chinaman swept all thf counters up except one, and it depend* d on which corner of the table that counter was nearest who won, Mr George said this was not " fan tan.' 1 What it really was was a game of odd or even, such as' boys played with nuts in their hands. Tho Chinese played with counters covered by a panntkan. Mr Sheehan was rather ashamed of his party, as only members on his side seemed able to captain the game. He would like to know something about all the new hats which had been losfc and won over the late division. After further discussion, Me Mac»a» drew suggested that the matter should be left to the local governing, bodies. Mr Hirst paid Chinese gambling nous** were a serious evil in hia district. In Rirerfcon alone there were eleven. Mr Barron moved to insert the game of 11 sfcchackpool 1 ' in the clause, which was agreed to. The clause, an amended, passed on a division of 39 to 14. Inc'ause 12, Mr Andrew moved that the monetiry penalty be struck out j leaving offences to be puuished only by j imprisonment. i The amendment was lost by 28 to 24. i Mr Barron moved an amendment to make the penalty both a fine and iiu» prison men t. It was negatived on the voices. Mr Fulton moved the omission of the words allowing imprisonment " without" hard labour. Negatived on the voices. The clause passed «« printed, < (.Left Sitting,)