THEIR HISTORY, RISE AND PROGRESS. 



361 



moiety to go to the informer and the other to the poor of 

 the parish where the offence was committed (g) ; any person 

 winning by fraud by betting or playing at any game, 

 or any person winning above 10/. at one sitting, might 

 be indicted, and on conviction forfeit five times the 

 value so won, and if he had cheated, be deemed imfamous, 

 and suffer such corporal punishment as in cases of wilful 

 perjury (/*). _ 



Two justices might cause persons suspected of having 

 no visible estate or calling, and who appeared to support 

 themselves by gaming, to be brought before them, and 

 find sureties for their good behaviour for the space of 

 twelve months (?) ; during which time, if they played or 

 betted to the amount of twenty shillings at any one time 

 or sitting, they were to forfeit their recognizances {j) ; 

 and any person assaulting or challenging another on 

 account of money won at play was to forfeit all his goods, 

 and be imprisoned two years {k). But this Act was not 

 to prevent gaming in any of the Queen's palaces during 

 her residence there (/). The word "games" used in this 

 Act was held to comprehend horse races («?) and other 

 games mentioned in 16 Car. 2, c. 7, and therefore any 

 race for 10/. a-side or upwards was illegal. In this reign 

 two Acts were passed to enforce 10 & 11 Will. 3, c. 17, 

 with regard to lotteries («). 



In A.D. 1721, and the following year of the reign of 

 George the First, an attempt was made by further legisla- 

 tion to suppress unlawful lotteries (o), and to prevent 

 foreign lotteries being carried on in this kingdom {p). 



In the reign of George the Second it appears that 

 there was an excessive increase in gaming, and to remedy 

 the evil, 12 Geo. 2, c. 28, was passed, a.d. 1739, being 

 " An Act for the more effectual preventing of excessive 

 and deceitful gaming." This Act declares the games of 

 the ace of hearts, pharaoh, bassett and hazard to be games 

 or lotteries by cards or dice within the meaning of the 

 Act, and imposes a penalty of 200/. on every person 



Eeigu of 

 George the 

 First. 



Reign of 

 George tlie 

 Second. 



[g) Ibid. s. 2 ; Frederick, Bart. 

 T. Lookup, i Burr. 2018. 



[h) Ibid. 8. S. 



(i) Ibid. s. 6. 



(j) Ibid. s. 7. 



\]c) Ibid. o. 8. 



[l) Ibid. s. 9. 



\ni\ Blaxton v. Pye, 1 "Wils. 309 ; 

 Clayton v. Jennings, 2 W. Bla. 706. 



(ra) Tbese were 9 Anne, c. 6, ss. 

 56, 57, now yirtually repealed ; and 

 10 Anne, u. 26, s. 109, repealed by 

 49 Geo. 3, u. 109, and 1 & 2 Will. 4, 

 c. 36. 



(o) 8 Geo. 1, c. 2,ss. 36, 37. 



\p) 9 Geo. 1, c. 19, virtually 

 repealed by 7 Geo. 3, c. 48, ss. 

 4,5. 



