HC Deb 12 February 1834 vol 21 cc252-3
Mr. Sinclair

begged to ask whether it was the intention of Government to make any inquiry regarding the Glasgow Lottery? and suggested that a Committee should be appointed, to consider in what manner any further drawings might be put a stop to, and to take measures to provide against any future Lotteries of the same nature.

Lord Althorp

said, that the subject had been before under the consideration of the House, when it was suggested that it would be unfair to put a stop to the Lottery at that time, as part had been drawn, and people who held tickets would lose their money. He regretted much that such a Bill had passed, and he trusted that means would be found to prevent the recurrence of such a circumstance in future.

Sir Robert Inglis

had stated, when the case came formerly under the consideration of the House, that in his opinion a Bill ought to pass for the prevention of this lottery. He saw no difference between the circumstances then and now, and he Still was of opinion that the subject should be taken into consideration. He trusted that, as the subject was now brought under the notice of the House, care would be taken to prevent the recurrence of any such scheme in future. He could see that the feelings of the House were hurt that such an affair should be permitted, and he was certain that such were the feelings of the country.

Sir Robert Peel

said, that there had been not one lottery, but three lotteries under the Act in question; and it was extraordinary, that neither the Member who took charge of the Bill nor the Solicitor who carried it through the House had had the slightest conception that it was the intention to make it the means of bearing a lottery. He thought it a public scandal that such a Bill had ever passed that House. He did not think that evil would come of publicly discussing the subject. It would, he hoped, open the eyes of the public, and prevent them from buying tickets. He concurred with the Members who had previously spoken on the propriety of preventing such Bills passing in future, and observed, that in the Bill in question the word lottery was not so much as once mentioned. He thought the whole matter disreputable to the Legislature, and hoped, by way of punishing the projectors for the fraud they had practised, that it might prove a losing concern to them.

The conversation was dropped.