Vice and Immorality

Laws of Illinois passed by the Second General Assembly at their first session commenced at Vandalia, December 4, 1820. An Act for the Prevention of Vice and Immorality Approved Jan 31, 1821

Be it enacted by the People of the state of Illinois represented in the General Assembly that any person found reveling, fighting or quarreling or working on Sunday (works of necessity and charity excepted), or practicing any unlawful game or sport, or found hunting or shooting, will forfeit on conviction, three dollars and if amount is not paid, if a male, he is to be committed to the jail not to exceed 48 hours. Watermen from landing their passengers, loading, and unloading their cargoes, or ferrymen from carrying the travelers over the water, or persons moving with their families are exempt.

Sect 2  Any person over the age of 16, who shall profanely swear by the name of God, Christ Jesus, of The Holy Ghost, shall pay for each profane oath, the sum of one dollar; if he can’t pay the fine, he shall be imprisoned for the space of 12 hours.

Sect 3  If any person shall swear or behave in a disorderly manner, in any court of justice, he or she shall be fined not more than $50 or less than $5; if it occurs before a judge or justice of the peace, the fine shall be not more than $10 or less than $3.

Sect 4 Any person over 16 years of age, if found on the public highway or any public house of entertainment, intoxicated by excessive drinking, and causing any disturbance, shall be committed to jail for a time not to exceed 48 hours and to pay the fees that arise on such commitment.

Sect 5 Any person who shall play cards, dice or billiards for money, shall upon conviction, pay $39 for each offense, and if any person shall race horses for money, the fine shall be $10 if convicted.

Sec 6 No billiard table shall be set up in any dwelling house or other place, for the purpose of encouraging gaming, and if found, the person responsible shall be fined $1000 on conviction.

Sect 7 Any person who shall lose any money or valuable thing at any horse-race or at a game of chance shall not have to pay or make good the same, and any note or mortgage or transfer of property shall be void.

Sect 8 Any person who loses money at a gaming table, shall have the right to sue the winner within 30 days to recover the money or goods lost.

Sect 9 Any person who shall willfully and maliciously tear down or destroy any copy of any law posted in a conspicuous place, shall pay for each offense a sum not exceeding $25 or less than 10, and on failure to pay shall be committed to jail not to exceed 36 hours or less than 6 hours.

Sect 10 The same goes for any person who destroys posted banns of matrimony or advertisements respecting estrays. (Ed Note: Apparently the notice of a lost horse was just as important as the notice to marriage someone.)

Sect 11 No person in order to raise money for himself or another, shall put up a lottery to do so.

(Ed Note: Are any of these laws still in effect, cause I know a few that are being broken.)