State v. Tobin

226 P. 681, 31 Wyo. 355, 1924 Wyo. LEXIS 32
CourtWyoming Supreme Court
DecidedJune 3, 1924
DocketNo. 1186
StatusPublished
Cited by46 cases

This text of 226 P. 681 (State v. Tobin) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wyoming Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Tobin, 226 P. 681, 31 Wyo. 355, 1924 Wyo. LEXIS 32 (Wyo. 1924).

Opinion

Blumb, Justice.

The defendant in this case was convicted of violating the provisions of sections 3389 and 3391 W. C. S. 1920, relating to gambling, and he appeals.

1. The first act passed in this state in relation to gambling was Chapter 27 of the laws of 1869, entitled “An Act restricting gaming.” Sections 1, 5, and 8 of that act, in so far as pertinent here, r'ead as follows:

“See. 1. Bach and every person who shall deal, play, carry on, open or cause to be opened, or who shall conduct either as owner or employe, whether for hire or not, except under a license as hereinafter provided, any game of faro, monte, roulette, lansquenette, rondo, vingt-un, commonly known as twenty-one, keno, props, or any banking game played with cards, dice, or any other device, whether the same be played for money, checks, credits, or any other representatives of value, shall be guilty” etc.
“Sec. -5. Every person who shall permit any of the games mentioned in the first section of this act to be played, conducted, dealt, or carried on in any house, tent, booth, or shed, owned and occupied by him or her, in whole, or in part, except by a person who has received a license as herein provided, and in the room described therein, shall be guilty” etc.
“Sec. 8. The following games and no others shall be licensed under or by virtue of the provisions of this act, viz: faro, monte, keno, rondo, lansquenette, roulette, vingt-un, commonly knowni as twenty-one, and props, and that any person or persons who shall keep or deal or permit to be kept or dealt, in any building or place under his or their control, any other banking game or other games of chance [361]*361for money, or other representation of value, played with cards or other devices, shall be deemed guilty” etc.

These sections remained the law of this state until 1901, and were contained in the Revised Statutes of 1899 as sections 2178, 2183 and 2185. In 1901, the legislature of this state passed chapter 65 of the Session Laws of that year, entitled “an act to amend and re-enact sections 2178, 2180 and 2183 of the Revised Statutes of 1899, and to repeal sections 2179, 2181, 2182, 2185, 2186, 2188 of the Revised Statutes of 1899, relating to gaming.” Section 1 of said act (now section 3389 W. C. S.( 1920) struck out of the original act the phrase “except under a license as hereinafter provided” and the phrase “banking games” and reads as follows:

“Every person who shall deal, play, carry on, open, or cause to be opened, or who shall conduct, either as owner or employe, whether for hire or not, any slot machine, game of faro, monte, roulette, lansquenette, rondo, vingt-un, commonly known as twenty-one, keno, props, or any other game played with cards, dice oi| other devices of whatever nature, for money, cheeks, credit, or other representatives of value, shall be guilty” etc.

Section 3 of the act of 1901 (now section 3391 W. C. S. 1920) struck out of the original section (section 5, act of 1869, section 2183, R. S. 1899) the phrase “except by a person who has received a license as herein provided or his employee,” and otherwise left the original section intact. It is thus seen that two material amendments were made to the original act, the first striking out all provisions in regard to licensing the dealing, carrying on and conducting of gambling games, and the second striking out the phrase “banking games,” thus including in the prohibition of the new act each and every game played as therein mentioned.

It is the contention of counsel for defendant that the act of 1901 is in violation of section 24, Article III of the Con[362]*362stitution of this state, providing among other things that the subject of a hill shall be clearly expressed in its title. A reference in the title of the amending act to the section or sections of the statute to be amended by number, accurately indicates the general subject of the legislation to be affected by the amendment, and is not in violation of the foregoing constitutional provision, if the new matters contained in the amended section are germane to the subject of the original sections. Board of Commrs. v. Stone, 7 Wyo. 280, 291; 51 Pac. 605; 36 Cyc. 1029-1031. If not’ germane, then of course the title could not be said to clearly indicate the subject of legislation, and it is the contention herein that the new provisions contained in sections 1 and 3 of the Act of 1901 (sections 3389 and 3391, W. C. S. 1920) are not germane to the subject contained in the original sections as enacted in 1869. We have read the cases cited by counsel, but do not consider them in point. The purpose of the constitutional provision above mentioned was to prevent surprise or fraud in legislation by means of provisions in bills of which the titles give no intimation. Board of Commrs. v. Stone, supra. Hence we must set out to discover whether in the enactment of the Act of 1901 any such fraud or surprise was reasonably possible. In People ex rel v. Whitlock, 92 N. Y. 191, 197, the court, speaking of a similar constitutional provision above referred to, says:

“The object of that provision is fairly answered by a title giving notice to whomsoever reads, that legislation is impending which, by amending the act referred to, might touch upon the subject matter of any of its provisions.”

One error into which counsel have fallen, is in thinking that the provisions of sections 1 and 5 of the Act of 1869 were enacted primarily for the purpose of licensing the dealing, carrying on and conducting of gambling. We do not think it was. Section 1 of that Act purports to be enacted, as we think, for a two-foldj purpose, namely, first, for the purpose of prohibiting the dealing, carrying on, [363]*363and conducting of gambling, and secondly, for the purpose of permitting the prohibited acts, iff they fall within the exception specified therein; namely, if a license was obtained. This view is strengthened, we think, by the fact that section 8 of the act of 1869, specifically provides that licenses may be issued to carry on and conduct only a few and limited number of banking games, and prohibits the carrying on and conducting any other banking games or other games, for money, etc. All that the new enactment in 1901 did, was to strike out the exception contained in section 1 of the act of 1869 and to apply the prohibition therein contained to gambling games other than those originally specifically specified therein. In other words, the prohibition originally contained in the latter. section was simply broadened. And bearing this in mind, we must not overlook the fact that chapter 65 of the Session Laws of 1901, and the title thereof, not only affect sections 1 and 5 of the Act of 1869 (sections 2178 and 2183 R. S. 1899), but also purport to repeal certain sections of the law then in existence, one of which, section 2185 R. S. 1899, prohibited the carrying on and dealing of all banking and other games for money, etc., except those specified, and the others of which related to the procurement of licenses, how they might be obtained and the amount to be paid therefor. These facts are very pertinent in determining whether or not the title clearly expresses the subject of legislation. ¥e cannot take an isolated portion of a title to determine that.

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Bluebook (online)
226 P. 681, 31 Wyo. 355, 1924 Wyo. LEXIS 32, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-tobin-wyo-1924.