LOTTERY SCHEMES. 227 



did not fall into the mistake of allowing contractors to 

 pocket half the profit. They proposed in Scotland to 

 offer prizes worth three million pounds sterling for six 

 million pounds worth of tickets ; in the west of 

 England they proposed to offer one million pounds 

 w^prth of prizes for two million pounds worth of tickets. 

 The balance of three millions in the one case and one 

 million in the other would have been directly available 

 for the purpose which the promoters of the schemes 

 had in view ; and everyone who bought a ticket in 

 either lottery would be able to lay the flattering 

 unction to his soul that, as he had given twice as 

 imich for the ticket as it was worth, one-half the price 

 was a charitable offering. 



It would probably, however, have served the 

 purpose of the promoters of the scheme equally well, 

 and would have exposed them, perhaps, to less direct 

 animadversion, if they had adopted one of the Con- 

 tinental lottery systems. In these the holders of the 

 lottery appear exposed to some slight risk of loss. The 

 risk is exceedingly small. Practically, indeed, if they 

 start with a sufficient capital, their risk is evanescent. 

 Still, there is always a bare possibility that, instead of 

 gaining millions, they may lose the thousands or tens 

 of thousands with which they start. The holders of 

 Continental lotteries may be more fairly charged with 

 being ' mere gamblers ' than our Scotch friends (who 

 have been called so, but in reality by no means merit 

 the name, since they ran no manner of risk) ; but the 

 Continental systems have not been open to such 



Q 2 



