THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1882. THE GAMING AND LOTTERIES ACT.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2537, 26 May 1882, Page 2

THE GLOBE. FRIDAY, MAY 26, 1882. THE GAMING AND LOTTERIES ACT.

It appears very certain that the Gaming and Lotteries Act will not bo allowed to continue on the Statute Book in its present form, if, indeed, it remains there at all. In tha Legislative Council a move has already been made to amend one of its clauses, and in the House Mr. Steward has given notice of a Bill to amend the Act, while Mr. McDonald proposes its entire repeal. Of all the Acts passed last session this one has caused the most annoyance, and has proved of the least use. It is harsh and it is fickle. It allows the professional betting man to ply his trade with the utmost impunity, while it prevents the harmless half-crown sweep. Then again, although people are not permitted to make sweeps, they are allowed to bet by the totalis at or ; so that frequently where a man would formerly have been contented to spend ono or two half-crowns or shillings, ho is now driven to spend pounds. There can be no doubt, of course, that the object of the Legislature in passing the measure was laudable. If it had had the effect of stopping gambling, all right-minded people would have been extremely pleased ; but this it has certainly not been done. In fact,in one particular at all events, it absolutely encourages it. As a deputation that waited on Colonel Trimble the other day pointed out, the amount of amusement provided for people on the racecourse is now very limited outside of the racing itself, so that, for want of something to do between the races, they are more or less driven to have recourse to the totalieator.

Then, too, it may be argued with regard to the prevention of large racing sweeps, there is the consideration that & considerable amount of money goes out of the country, as sweeps are got up in other colonies and our sporting youth patronizes them. However, this part of the objection to the Act is, to onr mind, not a very strong one. Those who are determined to spend their money in gambling will do so by book or crook, and no legislative enactment will stop them ; the Legislature can only provide that no needless temptations be placed in the way of those whose habits have not been unalterably fixed. The prohibition of large sweeps has, possibly, done good in this direction, and is probably the most successful part of an objectionable Act.

If the Act is amended, it is to be trusted that some general principle will be recognised. It should be made a sine qua non that small harmless amusements on the part of the people should be passed over, and that the greater evils should bo touched. If the trade of the professional betting man can bo stopped, so much the better. He is a useless and, in some respects, a dangerous member of society, and if he can ha improved off the face of the earth so much the better. If we remember rightly, a clause which would have done much towards abolishing his obnoxious science was introduced last session, but was lost in the passage of tbo Bill through the House. With the experience gained by all members since the present Act was passed, it will surely be very possible for a thoroughly practical measure to be framed which will discriminate between what is vicious and what is not so.

THE ADDRESS TO THE QUEEN.

It was an amusing episode that of Sir George Grey’s motion, that an address should bo forwarded to Her Majesty congratulating her on her escape from assassination. Sir George, in his speech on the Address in Reply, had made a special feature of the fact that no addresshad been sent. This ho evidently considered to be a gross lacJie on the part of the Ministry; indeed, he went so far as to say that the meeting of Parliament should have been hastened in order that the congratulations might have been sent at once. People wore amused at tbie sudden appearance of loyalty on the part of the veteran. His utterances of late have certainly not partaken of any excess of that virtue. But here he was proposing a most extreme measure for,apparently, the sole purpose of exhibiting Lie unbounding enthusiasm. That ho had other motives under the apparent object of his suggestions was of course taken for granted, because Sir George generally manages to secrete a card up his political sleeve. But Major Atkinson was quite equal to the occasion. Nothing could have been neater than his reply. “ In view of the fact,” he said, “ that addresses of this kind had been forwarded by the population in all parts of the colony, the Government did not think it necessary that the, so to speak, servants of the people should afioiw.-rls do what they had already done.” Bravo, Major ! The enemy’s flank could not have been turned with greater dexterity. SIR JOHN HALL, K.C.M G. Oun readers will be pleased to see that the late Premier has boon favored with a distinguishing mark of the approbation of bis Sovereign for services rendered. No one politician could be singled out in the colonies who more thoroughly deserves the honor. Ho has served his country with zeal oven to the point of sacrificing for it what is of more value than untold gold—namely, health. He was entrusted with power at a most critical juncture of our history, and has carried the colony through iuto days of peace and comparative plenty. In view too of late events in connection with the Native question the

news is not without its significance. Had the Native policy of the Hall Ministry met with the marked disapproval of the Home Government it is little likely that the honor would have been conferred on Sir John. But the English Ministry evidently view the matter in its true light. It is recognised that the colony has every right to manage its own Native affairs in its own method, and it is further seen that the late Government acted with the greatest tact, forbearance, and firmness in the Parihaka affair, and with the greatest skill in its dealings with the Waikato Natives. In fact, the elevation of the gentleman who now we most for the last time call by the familiar name of John Hall, is a fitting conclusion to one short, but most successful, act in our colonial drama. That the new Knight may live long in the enjoyment of renewed health, and that he may hereafter find sufficient strength to enable him once more to serve his country in the able manner in which he has already, is the wish of all.