CHAPTER XVI.

Beginning of the end of lotteries--Curious handbills.

56 Geo. III. c. 61, passed June 20, was the Act for the lottery of 1816, in which the prizes were £609,730, and the profit £164,686 15_s._ 8_d._ Year after year the introduction of the annual Lottery Act was the occasion of an endeavour to induce the Chancellor of the Exchequer to discontinue the practice of raising revenue by this means; but, for a long time, all such pleadings were ineffectual. The reply vouchsafed was invariably to the same effect, that it was impossible for the Chancellor of the Exchequer to consent to renounce a sum which must be supplied by some other tax, which would in all probability operate even more oppressively on the people.

And now we come to a very singular series of handbills, which are so curious that I am loth to leave out one. Some are undoubtedly issued by BISH, and I should feel inclined to ascribe the others to him, only they are too modest in not making full use of his name.

FORTUNE’S TRAIN, OR THE ROAD TO RICHES!

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Go where Fortune leads the way, Gain her favours while you may.

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I’m the wisest, you’ll declare, For I have bought of BISH a share.

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At your feet a suppliant pair, Lott’ry riches hope to share.

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I’m the wisest of the Two, A Ticket here behold to view.

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While other people make wry faces, We’ll dance ourselves in Fortune’s graces.

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I’m the luckiest of the Three, A £20,000 he sold me!

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Madam, will you join the Train? Fortune’s never sued in vain.

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The same to me, but best of all, _For another I shall call_.

The Lottery Act for 1817 was passed on May 23 (57 Geo. III. c. 31), when £599,643 1_s._ 5_d._ was distributed in prizes, at a profit to Government of £217,966 5_s._

Here is a rather clever skit on the newspapers of the day.

“WAYS AND MEANS;

OR, FORTUNE’S BUDGET.

TUNE--'_Lunnun is the Devil._’

_Times_ are hard, they say, _Gazette’s_ with Bankrupts full, Sir, The _Patriot_ mourns the _Day_, And pities _Johnny Bull_, Sir, The _Englishman_ complains Bad debts his _Ledger_ fill, Sir, And all the _Statesman’s_ pains, Can’t remedy the ill, Sir.

But search the _Globe_ around, The _Traveller_ will tell us, _Examiners_ have found Worse woes than have befel us; And all this _Hue and Cry_ A keen _Observer_'ll find, Sir, Is spread by some deep _Spy_, Who wants to raise the wind, Sir.

But _Echo_ spreads the _News_, SEPTEMBER’S FORTUNE’S BUDGET; _Dispatch_, then prithee use, _Express_ to BISH’S trudge it; For Fortune’s _Herald_, BISH, Your _Oracle_, advises, If opulence you wish, Take _Post_, and buy his prizes.

_Review_ the Scheme, say I, Of wealth its _Advertiser_, Your lucky _Star_ then try, And BISH’S Tickets buy, Sir; Each _Journal_ tells his name, To Luck he is conductor, He’ll _Pilot_ you to Fame; Take him as your _Instructor_.

Buy Shares, if wealth you wish Of Fortune’s own _Selector_; A _Phœnix_, Sir, is BISH, Of Prizes, he’s _Inspector_; Try him, if wind you’d raise, A _Monitor_ advises-- His _Register_ displays A _Chronicle_ of Prizes.”

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