THE LATE LOTTERY CONVICTIONS.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 318, 4 May 1878, Page 4

THE LATE LOTTERY CONVICTIONS.

[From the N. Z. Sun J A few days ago proceedings were again taken by the police—which in these cases we assume to mean the authorities — against certain persons, among whom were Justices of the Peace and settlers of position, for the part they took in a racing sweep. This time it is in the North Island, in the Provincial District of Taranaki, and not in austere Otago, that the machinery ol the law was put in operation to punish the so-called offenders against—not the colonial laws of the land—but some old and obsolete Provincial Ordinance. We really thought that after the absurd exposes made at Dunedin during the hearing of that expensive cause celebre, the “ Cameron Consultation” case, the* Government, or at least the head of the now one-eyed and one-armed police force of the colony, would have taken steps towards repressing the zealous ardour of local constables bent upon getting np prosecutions, by hook or by crook, in order, we suppose, to “ keep their hands in.” But it seems that we were mistaken. A number of respectable men have been dragged into a certain Police ‘Court, situated within the boundaries of the old Taranaki Province, and each duly fined and mulcted in costs. And all the time this dreadfully wicked practice of getting up sweeps on races is vigorously flourishing in other places where “peer, policeman, and parson ” are making frantic efforts to secure winning tickets, and that too in the broad light of day. This state of things is very ridiculous, and we can scarcely account for it. As a matter of fact, were all the written laws which now overburden the land, to be enforced in all particulars, in a cast-iron and unelaslic way, our Police Courts and perhaps our gaols would be found somewhat to small to hold all parties concerned. Surely lire Carlyle and Patea police received definite instructions from Wellington befoi-c they took action in this instance. The Hon. W. Fox lives not far off, and both he- and our now Attorney-General have long been bitten, we believe, by the anti-lottery mania. To attempt to .put down sweeps in races, while betting in the open street, or indoors, remains an cvor-popular institution peculiar to the British people, is more than an absurdity. The Legislature, last session, expressed itself strongly, if tacitly, of that opinion, when the Lotteries Bill, so timorously introduced by the Government, was ignominiously cast out of sight. And now that every endeavour is being made tin bring the/whole colony under oaehiniform code of laws, we cannot conceive that the Government could direct that Peter here should be punished fordoing that which Paul next door is enjoying with legal impunity. A contemporary takes a very common-sense view of the case in the following lines which wc fully endorse :—“ We cannot reconcile it with our common souse views that while a company of persons may assemble in their own house and gamble for ruinous sums with cards or dice, others, who have no such desire, may not venture a pound oh the chance of getting fifty or five hundred, as it may happen. In a sweepstake a man can measure the exact extent of what he may lose. There is no groat or undue excitement to lead him on to a ruinous expenditure. He takes one, two, or half a dozen tickets, pays for them, and quietly waits tho result. A man -may draw a sweep on a race-course—and who is it that does not do this—but tbo law would have it that outside the paddock he may do nothing of the kind. So long as men desire to risk theii money on an event — so long will there be found ways to do it in spite of all laws made and passed to the contrary.”