The last lottery--Attempts to get up excitement--The
procession--Alteration of date--Advertising car--
“A Ballad, 1826”--Drawing of the last lottery.
But the lamp was to flicker once more before it finally died out, and a
“last lottery” was decreed to be drawn in 1826. In the spring, and for
three weeks after midsummer of that year, the lottery-office keepers
incessantly plied every man, woman, and child, in the United Kingdom
and its dependencies, with petitions to make a fortune in “the last
lottery that can be drawn.” Men paraded the streets with large printed
placards on poles, or pasted on their backs, announcing “All Lotteries
End for Ever! 18th of July.” The walls were plastered all over with
posters, and handbills thrust into the hands of street-passengers,
besides being left at every house, containing the same heart-rending
announcement, and with the solemn assurance that the demand for
tickets and shares was immense! The prices had so risen, were so
rising, and would be so far beyond all calculation, that, to get
shares, or tickets at all, they must be instantly purchased! As the
time approached, a show was got up to proclaim that the deplorable
“Death of the Lottery” would certainly take place on the appointed
day; but, on some account or other, the pathetic appeal of the
benevolent contractors was disregarded. At length, finding that it
could not be floated by the 18th of July, the stony-hearted public were
“respectfully” informed that “the Lords of the Treasury had issued
a _reprieve_,” and that the “drawing” and “quartering,” etc., was
postponed till some day in October, “when lotteries will finish for
ever.” Here is a handbill relating to the 18th of July:--
[Illustration]
“What’s the odds?--while I am floundering here the gold
fish will be gone; and as I always was a dab at hooking
the right Numbers, I must cast for a Share of the
SIX £30,000 on the 18th JULY, for it is but 'giving
a Sprat to catch a Herring,’ as a body may say, and it
is the last chance we shall have in England.”
We can scarcely do better than follow Hone’s contemporary account of
this “last lottery;” it is so fresh, being written at the time.
“Incredible efforts were made in the summer of 1826 to keep the 'last
lottery’ on its legs. The price of tickets was arbitrarily raised, to
induce a belief that they were in great demand, at the very moment
when their sale was notoriously at a stand; and the lagging attention
of the public of the Metropolis was endeavoured to be quickened by all
sorts of stratagems, to the 18th of July, as the very last chance that
would occur in England of gaining 'Six £30,000 besides other Capitals,’
which it was positively affirmed were 'all to be drawn’ on that fatal
day. Besides the dispersal of innumerable bills, and the aspersions on
Government relative to the approaching extinction of the Lottery, the
parties interested in its preservation caused London and its environs
to be paraded by the following
_Procession._
“1. Three men in liveries, scarlet and gold.
“2. Six men bearing boards at their backs and on
their breasts, with inscriptions in blue and gold,
'All Lotteries end on Tuesday next,’ six £30,000.
“3. Band of trumpets, clarionets, horns, etc.
“4. A large purple silk banner carried by six
men, inscribed in large gold letters, 'All Lotteries
end for ever on Tuesday next,’ six £30,000.
“5. A painted carriage, representing the Lottery
Wheel, drawn by two dappled grey horses, tandem
fashion; the fore horse rode by a postillion in
scarlet and gold, with a black velvet cap, and a
boy seated in a dickey behind the machine, turning
the handle, and setting the wheel in motion.
“6. Six men with other Lottery Labels.
“7. A square Lottery Carriage, surmounted by
a gilt Imperial Crown; the carriage covered by
labels, with 'All Lotteries end on Tuesday next;’
drawn by two horses, tandem, and a postillion.
“8. Six men with labels.
“9. Twelve men in blue and gold, with boards on
poles, with 'Lotteries end for ever on Tuesday next.’
“10. A large purple silk flag, with 'All Lotteries
end on Tuesday next.’
“This procession, with its music, drew the heads of the servant-maids
to the windows in every suburb of the metropolis, and was followed by
troops of boys, till they tired of its frequency. It sometimes stopped,
and a man with a bell cried 'O yes!’ and 'God save the King!’ and,
between the two, proclaimed, in set words, the 'Death of the Lottery on
Tuesday next!’ The event was likewise announced as certain in all the
Newspapers, and by cart-loads of bills showered down areas, and thrust
under knockers; when, behold, 'the Lords of the Treasury were pleased
to order’ the final drawing to be postponed to Thursday, the 18th of
October; but all the good people so informed, were wisely uninformed
that this 'order’ was obtained by the lottery folks, to give them a
long day to get rid of their unsold tickets.
[Illustration]
“After this, the streets were cavalcaded by men, whose bodies were
concealed between long boards on each side of their horses to announce
the _next_ 'last of the Lottery on the 18th of October’ aforesaid; and
men on foot walked with labels on their breasts and backs, with the
same never-dying intelligence, according to the further figure in the
engraving of the lottery wheel, which represents one of the Government
Wheels, and the sledge it was drawn upon from Somerset House to
Cooper’s Hall, at the commencement of the drawing of every lottery; on
which occasion there were four horses to each wheel, and about a dozen
Horseguards to protect the instruments of _Miss_ Fortune.
[Illustration]
[Illustration]
“But the most pageant-like machine was an octagon framework, covered
by printed lottery placards, with a single horse, and a driver, and a
guard-like seat at the back. When drawn along the streets, which was
at a most funereal pace, it overtopped the sills of the first-floor
windows. Its slow motion, and the route it chiefly took, evidenced the
_low_ hopes of the proprietors. St. Giles’s and the purlieus of that
neighbourhood seem to have been selected as the favoured spots, whence
favours were mostly to be expected. An opportunity offered to sketch
it, while it was pelted with mud and stones, and torn and disfigured by
the unappreciating offspring of the sons of fortune whose regards it
courted.
“The Artist’s letter describes the scene: 'As I was walking up
Holborn, on Monday, the 9th instant, I saw a strange vehicle moving
slowly on; and, when I came up to it, found a machine, perhaps from
twenty to thirty feet high, of an octagon shape, covered all over with
lottery papers of various colours. It had a broad brass band round
the bottom, and moved on a pivot; it had a very _imposing_ effect.
The driver and the horse seemed as dull as though they were attending
a solemn funeral, whilst the different shopkeepers came to the doors
and laughed; some of the people passing and repassing, read the bills
that were pasted on it, as if they had never read one before; others
stationed themselves to look at it as long as it was in sight. It
entered Monmouth Street, that den of filth and rags, where so great
a number of young urchins gathered together in a few minutes as to
be astonishing. There being an empty chair behind, one of them seated
himself in it, and rode backwards; another said 'Let’s have a stone
through it,’ and a third cried, 'Let’s sludge it.’ This was no sooner
proposed than they threw stones, oyster shells and dirt, and burst
several of the sheets; this attack brought the driver from his seat,
and he was obliged to walk by the side of his machine up this foul
street, which his show canvassed, halting now and then to threaten
the boys, who still followed and threw. I made a sketch, and left the
scene. It was not an every-day occurrence, and I accompany it with
these remarks.’
“This was the fag-end of the last struggle of the speculators on public
credulity for popularity to their last dying lottery.”
“A BALLAD, 1826.
A lazy sot grew sober
By looking at his troubles,
For he found out how
He work’d his woe,
By playing with Lott’ry bubbles.
And just before October,
The _grand_ contractors, zealous,
To _share_ their _last_ ills,
With puffs and bills,
Drove all the quack-doctors jealous.
Their _bill_ and _cue_ carts slowly
Paced Holborn and Long Acre,
Like a funeral
Not mourn’d at all,
The burying an Undertaker.
Clerks smiled, and whisper’d lowly;
'This is the time, or never,
There must be a rise--
Buy and be wise,
Or your chance is gone for ever.’
Yet, of the shares and tickets,
Spite of all arts to sell ’em,
There were more unsold
Than dare be told;
Although, if I knew, I’d tell ’em.
And so, worn out with rickets,
The _last_ 'Last Lott’ry’ expired;
And then there were cries--
'We’ve gained a _prize_
By the _loss_ we’ve so long desired.’
The lott’ry drew the humble
Often aside from his labour,
To build in the air,
And, dwelling there,
He beggar’d himself and neighbour.
If the scheme-makers tumble
Down to their proper station,
They must starve, or work,
Turn thief, or Turk,
Or hang, for the good of the nation.”
“At last, on Wednesday, the 18th of October, 1826, the State Lottery
expired, and its decease was announced in the newspapers of the next
day, by the following article:--
STATE LOTTERY.
“Yesterday afternoon, at about half-past six o’clock, that old servant
of the State, the Lottery, breathed its last, having for a long period
of years, ever since the days of Queen Anne, contributed largely
towards the public revenue of the country. This event took place at
Cooper’s Hall, Basinghall Street; and, such was the anxiety on the
part of the public to witness the last drawing of the lottery, that
great numbers of persons were attracted to the spot, independently of
those who had an interest in the proceedings. The gallery of Cooper’s
Hall was crowded to excess long before the period fixed for the
drawing (five o’clock), and the utmost anxiety was felt by those who
had shares in the Lottery, for the arrival of the appointed hour.
The annihilation of Lotteries, it will be recollected, was determined
upon in the Session of Parliament before last; and thus, a source of
revenue, bringing into the treasury the sums of £250,000 and £300,000
per annum, will be dried up.
“This determination on the part of the legislature is hailed, by far
the greatest portion of the public, with joy, as it will put an end to
a system which many believe to have fostered and encouraged the late
speculations, the effects of which have been and are still severely
felt. A deficiency in the public revenue, to the extent of £250,000
annually, will, however, be the consequence of the annihilation of
Lotteries, and it must remain for those who have strenuously supported
the putting a stop to Lotteries, to provide for the deficiency.
“Although that which ended yesterday was the last, if we are informed
correctly, the lottery-office keepers have been left with a great
number of tickets remaining on their hands--a pretty strong proof that
the public, in general, have now no relish for these schemes.
“The concourse of persons in Basinghall Street was very great; indeed,
the street was almost impassable, and everybody seemed desirous
of ascertaining the fortunate numbers. In the gallery the greatest
interest was excited, as the various prizes were drawn from the wheel;
and, as soon as a number ticket was drawn from the number wheel, every
one looked with anxiety to his share, in order to ascertain if Fortune
smiled on him. Only one instance occurred where a prize was drawn, and
a number held by any individual present. The fortunate person was a
little man, who, no sooner had he learned that his number was a grand
prize, than he buttoned up his coat, and coolly walked off, without
uttering a word. As the drawing proceeded, disappointment began to
succeed the hopes indulged by those who were present. On their entrance
to the hall, every face wore a cheerful appearance; but, on the
termination of the drawing, a strong contrast was exhibited, and the
features of each were strongly marked with dissatisfaction.
“The drawing commenced shortly after five o’clock, and ended at twenty
minutes past six.
“The doors of the various Lottery Offices were surrounded by persons
awaiting the issue of the drawing.”