The Sun.
London, England, 1809-05-17 00:00:00

COkSIDERITIO.WS Olt' LOTTERIES.

Of the expedien,..v and,utily of Lotteri#S; in a
-,
politiCal view, for rasing a supplkof money to Ca.
vernment,t here can he no mahnerof doubt, as they
1-Innsince e always been found, their ,first introduc.
tion, to rank amongst the mostimportant resources
' of the State, Nvliether applied tO the purposes 9f
funding large' sums of money, without loss or dis-
count; at their full nominal value, to aiding Loans
upon emergencies, or to raising a certain annual
profit.
. .
When they have been resorted to for raising mo-
ney, they
,IniVe produced it at par; when by any
other means of borrowing the nation would, in
,many cases, not have received ;Move 60j. per cent.
and have been debtor ft)? the whole priKeipal.
-Ai auxiliaries to a Lan, they , have been compe-
tent to supply the douceur or bonus to the leoder,
and saved the additional taxes, which otherwise, in
such cases, must have been laid mi.
When• Administration has been enabled to apply
them as means of producing a certain annual prom-, ,
there has generally accrued very late sums.of mo-
ney—the last six years in particulzr, about half a
million per annum--;-bes)de many. valuable-contin-
gencies, supposed to amount to near three. hundred
thousand pounds more. • - '
The foundation and principles upon which such
prodigious Stuns arc raised,- without tux or disronient,•
deserves some atteni ion.
V 4,..
J. [iv possibility of obtaining a great eyentual be-
, neat often extinguishes the conslderarion of preise
value in the Original cootratie it is not how this-
alone that the State'is enabled to prdedre 17 or JO. -
for what is worth only :01. but other motives opt:- .
rate much more powerfully, and none with greater'
force than a ready marker and circulation or Lot-
tery Tickets, at whatever price they speculatively
yet virtually bear; for example—if a person gives
2 01. for a Ticket, which. he well knows to be worth
but 101. he loses the refieaiun of his having dis,
burled :double the intrinsic value, in the confidence t.
that he still carries his 201. note in his pocket, and
can convert the Ticket into that sum •whenever he
pleases : thus be reasons till the Ticket is cli awn.—
Very numerous are the adventurers of this class,
and of the description who woold not becoine
buyers, if they were persuaded they could Lot sell
their Ticket' for the same sum that purchased it. -e•
The latility with which the ideal value of Tickets
• .
can be convened into temporary' realityi: by. an stn-
mediate market and currency, at any nominal price,
induces multitudes to become buyers, from the pro-
bability of their producing certain profit by advanc-
ing in price, and is that which is Called spectra-
tint).

If the objeas had in view by the several Aas of
Parliament passed for public Lotteries, and the be-
.neficial purposes to which the monies arising front
them have been ;ipplied, are considered, the Lot-
tery scheme must be approved of as a laudable and
useful invention. Other nations, seeing the utility
of it, have followed the example of the English, who
first contrived this easy and prompt mode of supply.
Lotteries are established over most parts of Europe;
much harm would probably result front their discon-
tinuance--a fruitful source of revenue would be lost
to the Stale.,and no substitute could possibly be.
found by a voluntary tax to replace it. The-revenue
arising from other taxes is not so expeditiously, cot
leaed, and is greatly curtailed by the 'contingent
charges of collecting; besides, nll taxes being consi-
dered as burtheos on the' people, every occasion
should be avtaided of adding to the- accomilated
load under which they already groan. it is the na-
ture of man to abhor compolstoo 'Men do net wit-
submit ,to taxes itopose'd ; but a Lot-
tery. is a voluntary tax, which they impose' upon
themselves, and by which they are gratified,
stead, of complaining olGovernment as oppressive,.
they are eager to contribute, from motives Of self
advantage. A Lottery, therefore, ' beingso cp,350-.; •
nant to the wishes and expectations of the „people, ,
it' is in .this point of view, of all other modes ofl
a supply, the most eligible, 9r least inrexecti,
tionable, and tends very Much to keep the public us
humour with Administration,
.by diverting their at-
tention front the real or they
labour under from the multitude of other taxes.'

From these considerations, and many more , that
might be. adduced, -the, expediency of Lotteries is
very apparent ; and .they` are even necessary, because
the disuse or' omission of, theta would incur a great
deal of hurt to the nation, by draining it annually of
a considerable quantity:of specie; for if the people;
.accustomed to Lottery adventure are denied.thOop,
portunity:Of speculation at home,' they will have re-
course to foreign Lotteries. This yeing the case, or
-as the di,spositions of. the people to this species of
adventure cannot be altogether controuted, there is
necessity that Government should provide against the
evil that would follow to the nation.. by' their dealing-
in the, Lotteries of other countries, An Eughsti
Lottery not Only prevents tinnier going out of the
kingdom for foreign Tickets, ha is -the; means of
drawing money into it, and promoting circulation.
Let the etleas of Lotteries be, now considered in
a moral point of view, and how far they are ti,,,etui
to the people; Imperfation is attaChed 10 evcry
thing in this world. What is. there that is not sub-
jed to abuse ? The best things:may be pt:rverted tO
the worst uses, even religion itself ; and it must be

allowed, that notwithstanding all the real and pre-
,

tended mischiefs of Lotterieli, they are attended

with many good etfe&s i -they serve to awaken nod
support a spirit of euterprize that is perfettly couso-
mitt vvitli 'the genius:of trading nation. VS' h-
out a passion for adventure, men would .degene-
rate into supineness, and to' that anitnation which
is requited for vigorous exertion or patient po:r-
suit.

Men have universally and. naturilly a propensity
of this kind,. which often hurries them on to great
excesses i hut this passion, like every other,
proper ends* and duly restrained Vperhaps useful ill
society. 'fatty description of gaming is allowable,
that by a Lottery must be so, a$ being exempt from
all possibility of fraud, and many other inuonveni-
encies that attend the common modes of gambling,
with cards, dice, race-horses, &C. The revenue

from all whiell put tagetlier, produces but n trlfijog
aid to Government, comparcd with that from Lot.
turios.

It every a& by whitis a rim) subjeas himself to
ilmbazard of di*oppointment, is to he denominated
gaming, and bell in an immoral balit, there rio
caie w40.-ras7 not be nliletie gamester tor i;

Lvror co:i;i9gettciS, ayti pcison i, net
exposerhlnistif &Licusell ail the chat ke
of fortune.

. .
Speculation - in tr.le and in ci:lt-r thing.s, i:;„ A.
.•
cpectes.tA aarentule Ildt ' Very ditlevei.t ond 4.lfL-0 letA
. .. =
justinable. Every thing in the eXtrelno is perilicHi.,
but since the passion 1:.)r adventure i.; natural, if lier.
within proper limits it ut3y,be esteemed necesaat v
and tanini. ' '
..

Theft iS'this itittSei 10 Ile saiJ in favour or State:
Lotteries, considered in the worst light, that they
serve to exclude tuanrptivAtel.t/tteriqs, and, (Alicy
lees more pernicious, awl as-tLey are now stripped'
of gambling in insurannes, by the short periods .in
which they are tirnwii, it is diflit4ilt to i:otl an ot
jeClion to their being continued, which will IRA ap-'
ply with greater (nice, to the instruments of evtr.,Nt‘
other mode of gaming, have a perpett:alltal

LAW REPORT.

COURT ()I': MAY

LYE V. uunmaydati.
,s.
Tii!,; was an aetion to recover-imck the sum of
.501. 'which itha been paid bY the Maintia,as a depu-';
Sit at 1 ;',3)e, under -;t misreprestitation.
I\ir. hum.: stated that the Plainitti is a j-ierson
who .had Mired from busines:, iind lived upon
property at Paddington, One day he went into
ati6tion room, and Was induced,. on perLiniog
conditians-of a Wei- to poiehne one of the
was a sale of leasehold ~ifi.tattl.ni at Li.wtit;
.the Btrand..mn‘tlie. lot pardia,,,,;‘,l.hy tho
was the hoUses No. 1, e, and 3, Afeli were stated
in the contlitionslo be let to respettible ten/i/As, at
the annual produce 01. bbl. and that tthiy had recently':
undergone a thorough replir.' rite flaintiff
having seen the house,,, but thinkinglie had a go(',et
bargain, the lot tor I I t guine;Q, gan,'r
in deposit, a bill of exchange for The,
lug day lie went to view Lis .Ities
houses, instead of being, in good ccpitir, a little e;
the perpendicular, propped up with stutts, hnmenst
holey in the floors and walls, and the rain coming
through the roofs. He was ecittaUy disappointed in
his tenants he could only find one who, instead t.,;l';.
paying Isl. yearly, 'only•paid 111. he tlit't viet.t
the iltietibTier, acid ()Capri de lt his depc.6it,
was rein:eft', and he no south( it b;'.1.11:•-,
selloff. T w
he-aUttioneek, the distriet sot veyor, and
another *fitness; were 'called to ,prove this stare.':

•
nient.
Mr. GARAO*, for the Defendant; maintlined that
the premises were in tenantahie -repair, 01,.i woulo.
call witnesses to prove tile tact,
Lord ELLENBOROUGII—.." Unless 3ioll Call swear,
down the stuffs, 'Mr, G.trroW, I &nit see how yo 3
can.maintain that the houses were •in thorough re-
pair,"
GAIIROW-;—" 1 cannot do that, tny' Lord,"
Yerdia for the Plaintiff; 501. with costs.