364 



RACING, WAGERS AND GAMING. 



Eeign of 

 George the 

 Fourth. 



Eei^n of 

 'William the 

 Fourth. 



1787, an Act was passed to render more effectual the laws 

 then in being for suppressing unlawful lotteries {I) ; but 

 the Government raised money by state lotteries. In a.d. 

 1802 an Act was passed to suppress certain games or 

 lotteries caEed littlegoes, under very heavy penalties {m). 

 In this reign there was no legislative interference with 

 regard to racing, but the breed of horses continued to 

 improve. In a.d. 1809 an Act was passed by which the 

 duty payable on the exportation of a horse, mare or gelding 

 was fixed at two guineas each (n), and on the importation at 

 four guineas each (o). But in ten years this Act was 

 repealed, and six pounds thirteen shillings was fixed as the 

 duty payable on importing a horse, mare or gelding, and 

 they were not mentioned in the table of commodities paying 

 duty on exportation [p ). 



Greorge the Fourth was a great patron of horse-racing, 

 and was owner of some first-rate horses. In this reign, 

 A.D. 1823, an Act was passed authorizing the infliction of 

 imprisonment and hard labour on persons convicted of keep- 

 ing a common gaming house (j) ; and people playing or 

 betting on any game of chance in the street or highway are 

 to be deemed rogues and vagabonds, and be liable to im- 

 prisonment with hard labour for any term not exceeding 

 three calendar months (r). 



In the reign of William the Fourth an Act was passed, 

 A.D. 1835, which is now in force. It is 5 & 6 Will. 4, c. 41, 

 being " An Act to amend the law relating to securities 

 given for considerations arising out of gaming, usurious, and 

 certain other illegal transactions." It repealed so much of 

 16 Oar. 2, c. 7, and 9 Anne, c. 14, as made void any note, 

 bill or mortgage given for any illegal consideration, or made 

 such securities enure for the benefit of parties in remainder, 

 and enacted that such securities should not be deemed void, 

 but to have been given for an illegal consideration (s). So 

 that money, paid to the holder of any such security, shall 

 be deemed and taken to have been paid on account of the 

 person to whom the same was originally given on such 

 illegal consideration, and to be deemed a debt due from 



(I) 27 Geo. 3, u. 1, repealed by 

 46 Geo. 3, c. 148, a. 64. 



(m) 42 Geo. 3, c. 119. 



(m) 49 Geo. 3, c. 98, Sched. (A.), 

 Outwards, repealed by 6 Geo. 4, 

 u. 105. 



(o) Ibid. Inwards. 



(p) 59 Geo. 3, c. 52, s. 1, and 



Table (B.), Inwards, repealed by 6 

 Geo. 4, c. 105. 



(q) 3 Geo. 4, c. 114. 



()■) 5 Geo. 4, c. 83, s. 4, Appen- 

 dix. 



(s) 5 & 6 Will. 4, c. 41, ss. 1, 3, 

 Appendix. 



