[35] The expence of entertainments at a Gaming-House of the highest class, during eight months, has been said to exceed Six Thousand Guineas! What must the profits be to afford such a profusion?

[36] The latter part of the Affidavit, already mentioned, also illustrates these assertions, and proves that they are but too well founded: It states—"That Gaming-Houses have increased to such a degree, that there were lately not less than six in one street near the Hay-Market, at all which persons stood at the door to entice passengers to play—That the generality of persons keeping these houses are prize-fighters, and persons of a desperate description, who threaten assassination to any person who will molest them."

[37] The same Affidavit further states—"That the principal Gaming Houses at the West end of the Town have stated days on which they have luxurious dinners, (Sunday being the chief day,) to which they contrive to get invited merchants' and bankers' clerks, and other persons intrusted with money; and that it has been calculated, (and the calculation was believed not to be over-rated,) that the expences attendant on such houses, amounted to £.150,000 yearly, and that the keepers of such houses, by means of their enormous wealth, bid defiance to all prosecutions, some of them having acquired from 50 to £.100,000 each; considerable estates have been frequently won by them in the course of one sitting."

[38] The longer the Lottery continues, the greater the evil. A Lottery of 60,000 Tickets is therefore a much greater evil than one of 50,000: and that in a ratio more than proportionate to the numbers in each.

[39] The Gambling and Lottery transactions of one individual in this great Metropolis, are said to be productive of from ten to fifteen suicides annually.

[40] The following is the substance of the most striking parts of the Evidence of John Shepherd, in the action alluded to.

"The witness saw Hazard played at the Gaming-House of the defendant, in Leicester-street.—Every person who was three times successful, paid the defendant a Silver Medal, which he purchased from him on entering the house, at eight for a guinea, and he received six or seven of these in the course of an hour for the Box Hands, as it was called. The people who frequented this house always played for a considerable sum. Sometimes £.20 or £.30 depended on a single throw of the Dice. The witness remembered being once at the defendant's Gaming-House about three or four o'clock in the morning, when a gentleman came in very much in liquor.—He seemed to have a great deal of money about him.—The defendant said he had not intended to play, but now he would set to with this fellow.—He then scraped a little wax with his finger off one of the candles and put the Dice together, so that they came seven every way. After doing this, he dropped them into the box and threw them out, and afterwards drew all the money away, saying he had won it.—Seven was the main, and he could not throw any thing but seven. The young gentleman said he had not given him time to bar.—A dispute arose between the defendant and him. It was referred to two or three persons who were round the table, and they gave it in favour of the defendant. The gentleman said he had lost upwards of £.70. The defendant said, we have cleared him. The witness has seen a man pawn his watch and ring in several instances; and once he saw a man pawn his coat and go away without it.

"After the Gaming Table was broken by the Bow-street Officers, the defendant said it was too good a thing to be given up, and instantly got another Table, large enough for twenty or thirty people. The frequenters of this house used to play till day-light: and on one or two occasions, they played all the next day. This is what the defendant called, sticking to it rarely. The guests were furnished with wine and suppers gratis, from the funds of the partnership, in abundance. Sunday was a grand day. The witness has seen more than forty people there at a time. The table not being sufficient for the whole, half-a-crown used on such occasions to be given for a seat, and those behind looked over the back of the others and betted."

The person above-mentioned (whose name was Smith) who pawned his coat, corroborated the above evidence; and added, that he had seen a person after he had lost all his money, throw off his coat and go away, losing it also.

[41] In consequence of a very accurate inquiry which has been made, and of information derived from different sources, it appears that fraudulent Lottery Insurances have not diminished. The Offices are numerous all over the Metropolis, and are supposed to exceed four hundred of all descriptions; to many of which there are persons attached, called Morocco Men, who go about from house to house among their former customers, and attend in the back parlours of Public Houses, where they are met by customers who make insurances. It is calculated that at these offices (exclusive of what is done at the licensed offices) premiums for insurance are received to the amount of eight hundred thousand pounds, during the Irish Lottery, and above one million during the English; upon which it is calculated that they make from 15 to 25 per cent. profit.—This infamous confederacy was estimated, during the English Lottery of the year 1796, to support about 2000 agents and clerks, and nearly 7500 Morocco Men, including a considerable number of hired armed Ruffians and Bludgeon Men: these were paid by a general association of the Principal Proprietors of these fraudulent Establishments; who regularly met in Committee, in a well-known public house in Oxford Market, twice or thrice a week, during the drawing of the Lottery; for the purpose of concerting measures to defeat the exertions of the Magistrates, by alarming and terrifying, and even forcibly resisting, the Officers of Justice in all instances where they could not be bribed by pecuniary gratuities;—to effect which last purpose, neither money nor pains were spared; and the wretched agents of these unprincipled miscreants were, in many cases, prepared to commit murder, had attempts been made to execute the Warrants of Magistrates; as can be proved by incontestable evidence. It is greatly to be feared that too much success attended these corrupt and fraudulent proceedings, in violation and defiance of the Laws of the Kingdom.