Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1833-04-18
MESSAGE:
A SUBSCRIBER.
To the Honorable Senate,
and House of Representative


The sympathies of the community,
excited in an unusual degree by a re-
cent melancholy occurrence in this
city, have led, through dilligent and
painful inquiry, to the most astounding
disclosures of an extensively preva-
lent, although hitherto almost unheeded
cause of personal and domestic distress,
OF legal transgression and of wide
spread and overwhelming moral evil.
Ii mas been satisfactorily ascertained,
that Il high handed system of dealing
and gambling in Lotteries and Lottery
Tickets is now carried on, in this Com.
monwealth, in despite of the prohibi-
4 lions oflaw in defiance of tie vigilance
4 of the Prosecuting officers, and in ut.
ter disregard of the infections of the
Tribunals Of justice. A highly respect.
able Committee of an Association Of
Citizens of the Metropolis, have, with
the most commendable spirit, directed
their attention to endeavors to arrest
the frauds and mischiefs of this demon.
alizing traffic, and, in furtherance of
their object, have addressed to me, in
my official capacity, an earnest and
Impressive memorial on the subject.
They represent, that Tickets of Lotte-
gaes granted an other States, are openb
sold IN this; that Tickets are nsanufact-
ared an fictitious Lotteries, and ha7ves
and quarters Of Tickets, representing
the same number, are multiplied indefn.
aely, both in real and pretended Lotte-
rleS, and these indiscriminate1y and sue
i ceSstutly,to an immense amount, limos.
esi upon ignorant and dehded purcha-
SerS.
The influence of such schemes Of
deception to allure the laborious poor
from the path of honest industry, and
to cheat them other hard earned wa
ges, to entice the young and the unre-
fleeing from their fidelity, and betray
them into violation of their trust, and
the commission of heinous crimes, can
not be doubted, while the desolating
and fatal effects upon the social relati-
ons of life, are scarcely less to be de-
plored. The memorial proposes that
measures should be taken, through the
Legislature, or otherwise, to induce,
IN all the States of the Union, the a6so-
Ittte and entire abolition of Lotteries.
Deeply sensible to the nature and
magnitude Of the evil practices which
are thus found to be INDUCED, to an
unlocked for extent, | but obey a die
tate of public duty in respectfully SUBJ
uniting the Memorial and the matters
walch it respects, to your considerati-
on. The existing Law for the re-
straint of Lotteries, | deem wholly in
adequate to the purpose for which it
was enacted. By the Statute of 1925,
chapter, 1874, the penalty for adver-
tsing or selling any Lottery Ticket or
Tickets, or drawing or aiding or as
slstlng in drawing any Lottery, or be-
ing concerned in the management or
conducting of any Lottery, not author
a lzed by the Laws of this Common.
wealth, Is fine, not exceeding One
Hundred dollars for each offence, so
that the imposition o.. any sum, howev-
er small, may be satisfaction of Tho
forfeiture created by the Statute. II
is well understood, that the gains Of
many Of these lawless Manufacturers
and Vendors of Lottery Tickets are as
lmmoderate as their trade is vicious
In a recent exposition made under the
most respectable authority, of a simila
traffic, in a City Of Sister State, it i,
stated 10 have been sscertained, that al