§ Lord Monteaglesaid, that nothing had been farther from the intention of the Government of which he had been a Member, than to encourage lotteries for the advantage of speculators at home or abroad; in fact, a Bill had been framed with the contrary effect; but he did not approve of that part of the Bill which deprived the informer of all inducement to follow up a prosecution where the law had been violated; he feared that, if the pecuniary motive were withdrawn, very few 320 prosecutions would be instituted especially by informers.
The Lord Chancellorremarked, that the object of Government had of late been to get rid, as far as possible, of prosecutions by common informers for penalties, since nothing could be worse than a system under which they were encouraged. Prosecutions by the law officers of the Crown had, in many instances, been substituted, and an alteration might, he thought, be introduced into this Bill in Committee without endangering it.
§ Bill read 2a.
§ House adjourned.