580 RACING, WAGERS AND GAMING. 



to be repaid to the second best Horse (;:). And gifts left 

 for annual Races were not to be altered [a] . 



There appears to have been a distinction in this statute 

 between a Match and a Race, for at whatever place a 

 Race might be run, it must always have been for a Plate 

 of 50/, or upwards {b). But it seems that a Match was 

 either to be run at Ne^svanarket or Black Hambleton, or 

 the Plate was to be worth 50/. or upwards (c). This Act 

 also prohibited a Game called Passage, which had just 

 then been invented, and was in great vogue, and also all 

 Grames with Dice except Backgammon {d). 



These enactments with regard to weights were pro- 

 bably found so very inconvenient and useless, that in 

 A.D. 1745, 18 Geo. 2, c, 34, was passed, which was " An 

 Act to explain, amend and make more effectual the Laws 

 in being to prevent excessive and deceiffid Gaming ; and 

 to restrain and prevent the excessive increase of Plorse 

 Races." It appears that a Game called Roulet or Roly- 

 poly was then very much played, and though many had 

 been ruined by it, the law was found insufficient to pre- 

 vent it. This statute therefore enacted, that any person 

 keeping a place for playing Roulet or other Games with 

 Cards or Dice, or himself playing at any of these Games, 

 shoidd be liable to the several penalties of 12 Geo. 2, 

 e 28 (e). The privilege of Parliament was taken away 

 from persons against whom proceedings had been com- 

 menced either for keeping a common Gaming-house, or 

 for playing at unlawf id Games (/ ) . And any person 

 winning or losing by play or by betting the value of 10/. 

 at one time, or 20/. within twenty-four hours, might be 

 indicted and fined five times the value so won or lost (g). 



It appears that the circumstance of thirteen Royal 

 Plates of one hundred guineas each being annually given 

 to be run for, and the high prices which were constantly 

 paid for Horses of strength and size, was considered a 

 sufficient encouragement to breeders to raise their cattle 

 to the utmost possible size and strength ; and, therefore, 

 some of the restrictions which had been thought favom-- 

 able to the breed of Horses were removed, and it was 



(2) 13 Geo. 2, c. 19, s. 7. (e) 18 Geo. 2, c. 34, ss. 1,_ 2, 



(«) Ibid. s. 8. Appendix, repealed by 8 & 9 Vict. 



(b) Ibid. s. 2. c. 109, s. 15. 



(c) Ibid. s. 5. (/) Ibid. s. 7. 

 {d) Ibid. 8. 9, Appendix. (ff) Ibid. s. 8. 



