THE ENGLISH BENCH ON BETTING.

Patea Mail, 24 February 1882, Page 3

THE ENGLISH BENCH ON BETTING.

“ A week ago,” says the Field, “ the proprietor of a public-house and her 'manager were summoned before Mr Mansfield, at the Marlborough Police Court, for having unlawfully suffered the house . to be used for betting, in contravention of the Licensing Act. It seemed that, in consequence of certain complaints, the Treasury had instructed the police to take the matter in hand, and a constable was sent to the house, who not only saw betting going on, but also made a bet himself ; and upon this evidence five summonses were taken out against the landlady and manager. Mr Mansfield dismissed the first summons, not considering the charge proved, expressing himself at the same time as strongly opposed to the conduct of the police. When the remaining four summonses were heard, the same magistrate said that the policemen engaged in this affair could heve been brought before him as provoking to commit a misdemeanour and inciting to commit crime, and, if this had been done, he would most certainty have sent them to trial. Such inodes of detection should never have been pressed into the service of justice. To this the counsel for the Crown replied that if that were so the detective force might as well be disbanded at once. Mr Mansfield continued : If these people be convicted the police ought to be convicted too. Betting is neither a vice nor a crime, and I dare say that which goes on at Tattersall’s, and on the Stock Exchange is much worse than the cases we generally see. Those who do it for thousands and millions are great ; but when we see a few poor wretches risk their shillings, they get into trouble. As to excusing perfidy of the kind here practised by the constable, is simply rnonstrous r and I am perfectly sure that every judge in the country would agree with me.”