The system of state lotteries was very long carried on by the French govern ment, and was the cause of still greater demoralization than in England. State lotteries have been abolished in France.
The Hamburg lottery, which is still continued, is established upon a fairer principle than was adopted in France or England. The whole money for which the tickets are sold is distributed among the buyers, except a deduction of 10 per cent. which is made from the amount of the prizes at the time of their payment.
Lotteries have been very common in the United States, and have been sanctioned by the several states, not so much as a means of raising money for state pur poses, as with the view of encouraging, as they supposed, many useful objects which could only be effected by raising at once a large sum of money, such as canals, the establishment of schools, and even the publication of a book. The numerous frauds practised in lottery schemes in the United States have perhaps done more to open the eyes of the people to the mischief resulting from them than any investiga tion into the true principles of lotteries. A distinguished American lawyer, figured in the New York State Conven tion above thirty years ago, declared that though " he was no friend to lotteries, he could not admit they were per as criminal or immoral, when authorized by law. If they were nuisances, it was in the manner in which they were managed. In Eng land, if not in France, there were lotteries annually instituted by government, and it was considered a fair way to reach the pockets of misers and persons disposed to dissipate their funds. The America Congress of 1776 instituted a national lottery, and perhaps no body of men ever surpassed thew in intelligence and virtue."
These remarks are merely quoted in order to show what a man of high character in America for integrity and knowledge thought of lotteries. The opinions which he expressed were at that time shared by a great number, and lotteries are still common in the United States, as the ad vertisements in their papers show.
The lotteries called Art-Unions, which are common in Germany, were very pre valent in England in 1844. The Art Union of London, which was established in 1837, received subscriptions to the amount of 4841., but in 1844 the amount received was 14,848/. Each member sub scribed 21s., and the committee of ma nagement set apart a portion of the aggregate sum subscribed for the purpose of engraving some work of art, a copy of which was given to each subscriber ; but by far the greater portion of the sum sub scribed was appropriated to the purchase of pictures ranging in value from 101. to 400/., and on a certain day these pictures were distributed as prizes amongst the subscribers, by a process resembling the drawing of a lottery. As lotteries had been put down by act of parliament, these Art-Unions were in reality illegal, and in consequence of a notice issued by the go vernment in April, 1844, their operations were suspended for some time, and a par liamentary committee was appointed to inquire if they could not be placed on a safe basis, and rendered subservient to the improvement of art. A short act was passed to indemnify the managers for the penalties which they might be considered to have incurred, and in 1845 another act was passed with a similar object; but the legislature has still left the matter unsettled.