Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-02-11

proposed to relieve him, BY the grant of mi
viiege which the Legislature have wisely taken
under their own CONTROL 10 be used whensoeyer
the consideration presented should be deemed OF
snihcient importance TO warran, the indulgence
Let II not be supposed, sir, that this il the first APP
piication oil the kind which bas been made to the
General Assembly of Virginia, or that the leas,
impeachment has existed, until of late wears 70 the
use OF Lottery for the attainment of am lauda-
oie or valuable end. An examination of our sta
tutes viii show thai, within the last forty years
more than seventy cases have occurred of lotteries
authorsedby thelegisature fo the various purposes
Oh endowns schools; erecting churches; promoting
public charities; constructing roads bridges canals
oil aiding individuals in works for the public good,
and Tor their opn advantage, uader pecuiia,
circumstances. Nearly all OF these cases are be
lore ne, and would enurnerate them were il ne
cessary Indeed, sir, IL was not until the passage
OF the act oi 1871, which authorised the presiden,
and directors of the Literary Fund to sell annually
'or seven years, to any person. q G privilege OF
raising By lottery, lotteries the sum of $50 900
and appTopiaing the proceeds the benefit of Il
Literary Fund, that the Legislature ever refused
the privilege, when satisfied from the circumstances
oi The case, that 1t would he used an instrument
~ a'tain any salutary purpose. The prollibtory
act of the same session, was nothing more than a
re-enaction OF ;he old law of 1863; before which
the right OF lottery was free to al; and had no
N'HN' oH'S' Nv NicN, IMAM project the privilege
granted 10 the Literary Fund. Subsequent TO the
expiration of that privilege, it was for some wears
the policy of the State to extract porliou of us
revenue, oa iax the sale OF tick cts in foreign
io'ieries, or lotteries authorised by other states
At a more recent period, this policy was sub-,i-
tu,ed by an absolute prohibition accompanied by
eaVy penalties, o! the sale of tckels in any lottery
not authorised by our own laws. The utter abor-
tiVeues. o: Tins prohibition, all must acknowl ledge
ana The eNpruleucy % auai Ell,
source oil revenue, no one, should imagine, can
entertain doubt. Whilst, sir, in defiance OF your
penalties and prohibitions, thousands are daily
carried out oil the state, 10 promote schemes OF
Improvement in oar sister states we deny To our
selves as well the use OF these means of eiiectnp
similar improvements, a. the benefit OF the tax
certainly noi less valuable than an imperative pro-
hibiion
Dut, Sir, whatever may be the will Of this BODY
IN relation to existing enactmenis, upon the sub
Jec-be ye disposed or not TO place il upon ground
different from that which it at present occupies
THIS claim emphatically addressed To your sound
discretion To grant refuse the relief in behalf of one
who has done the State some service Shall were
iuse the exercise OF the right sought in this case be
cause OF It's departure from an established principle
oil sound policy! The Uniform policy of the Stale
un'li within the last few years. has been decidedly
IN favor OF he right; and this we are all nov more
than halt inclined 20 believe is the sound policy
boes II oiieEd any moral principle! No-For if
u'ea al all II must be productive of good TO The
parry Claiming 1t, and cannot endanger tie we'll
oeinS OF society by encouraging that spirit which
IN mere games OF chance is oslen fatal-always in
furious to those who engage in them If it be said
ina the NAKED ingredient OF chance stamps i, with
iioraiity, then, SIR, II Is obvious every pursuit E
NE Is haoie TO the same mputation, and the argu-
meh' iornids US the exercise of some of the most
valuable attributes OF our nature. Ii is not my
purpose, however, to 20 into examination of the
general principle, winch, in truth, has little or no
rearing upon this queson.-And if it had would
simply remark, that Lotteries res, precisely upon
The principle oil assurances, whether of shjos
houses, lives, bad deb,s and al others with Ibis
single distinct!on-that the Lottery is mos, liable
10 run into abuse; and it is ur III, reason alone
that the Legislature have taken the subject under
their own specinl regulation. The Lottery is un-
questonaby useful, restrained within urousr
bound. And mhen funds required for any be-
nevoir or desirable olec, for :. lich direct tax
cahhol be resoTedt 10, the public authority rcs,rsin-
ing 1t may grant the privilege under particular eli,
cunlsiances, claiming Indulgence without daHpey
~ dbaSe. This mole of selling was formerly often
re>or cd 10, and IN rase familiar 10 us all that OF
COL ByrG,) II had the shluary effect of making Lis
estate con.1eieat 10 the payment OF his de5s, and
oil satisfying his creditors, large portion of whom
must otherwise have remained unpsid Tie estate
OF MIR. Jefferson is of such descriptions that pur-
chaser could not be obtained, except at a most de-
rlorabie sacrifice but by the aid of a lotlery in
ducIns many, and the willing only, 10 venture ihe
SIM ii risk OF a ticket, his debts would be eschar
ged and probably competency be LET, FOR his ia
tmily.
Let no one imagine, Sir, that this is claim set
up in behalf oil man, the leader OF party
The relief proposed by the measure iis the-on. III
view as act OF but sheer Justice fro.rfe q.cgis-
lature, as granting but small measure qitwhst is
due from Virginia to this her devoted anIillus;ri-
Gus scorn upon his occasion, ali motive
or purpose, distracted from tie naked Justice OF
the case Is he then, from his character and pre-
SEW sitiation entitled to that degree of consider
sibs Justify the Legislature in permitting him
10 use this privilege? do not address myself
Sir, TO Of this of that political denomination;
bat to all when say, that well during the period
OF British domination in this land since the aus
picous birth of liberty, Virginia is mainly In
debted 10 Thomas Jefferson for all that we hold
most valuable in her government, her laws, her
institutions. He came into the public service AT
the dawn OF manhood, aud from that moment down
To The present. through all the trying of our
country embracing the revolution-he has been
engaged in labors most momenious and of the deem
est interest TO Us and all succeeding generations. 49,
1 hat the men with whom he associated at the
most eveniiu era of our history were of the first
order, is most true; yet well know 10 him they
all looked up IS the leader in the great work Of
decentralization the master mind to guide them in
realizing TO this people the substantial blessings Of
free government; and upon bin, Sir. devolyed
the vast responsibility, the beneicent trust of
framing those Statutes which occupy the front Of
our present Code, imperisbabe monuments OF ee-
MUS and wisdom and devotion TO equal rights. Ii
Is my devoui and earnest prayer, that Virginia will
not turn hes back upon him in his old age, but that
she will shew at least, far this poor boon
can shew, that she has not forgotten what he has