MISCELLANEOUS REMARKS. 303 



houses have been suppressed, must he a source of con- 

 gratulation, both from the excellence of the measure 

 itself, and the prospect of imitation which it opens, on 

 the part of other continental powers. But, at the same 

 time, it cannot be denied that, however desirable it may 

 be that no community should give to gambling that 

 appearance of sanction which is implied in regulation, 

 the refusal of the latter is accompanied by evils, of 

 which it is never possible to say positively that they fall 

 short of those which would be produced by sufferance 

 accompanied by restriction. Jn this country, there are 

 the means of gambling open to every class of the com- 

 munity, and there can be no doubt that those who avail 

 themselves of them are subject to imposition in a degree 

 which could not be the case if the 'play were accompa- 

 nied by publicity. The classes of rank and wealth 

 have the power of forming themselves into clubs, 

 in which illegal games are played without the possibility 

 of detection, and in such institutions there can be no 

 doubt, with rare and occasional instances of exception, 

 the play is conducted at least with fairness. But no 

 such thing can be supposed with regard to the numerous 

 receptacles in London and other large towns, and which 

 are believed to exist in different forms, suited to all 

 classes of society. The difficulty of obtaining legal 

 proof renders conviction next to impossible ; and the 

 occurrences which sometimes take place at the sessions, 

 prove that, even when enough of evidence is obtained to 

 hold parties to bail, the accused can generally find the 

 means of preventing the evidence from being forthcom- 

 ing to sustain the indictment. Under such circum- 

 stances, gambling in its worst form thrives in defiance 

 of law. Nevertheless, the good consequences of dis- 

 couragement are visible throughout the country. There 

 is no people in the world among whom so little of direct 

 gambling is found. 



The infatuation which leads persons to suppose that 

 they can ultimately win from a hank, which has chosen 

 a game in which the chances are against the player, is 



