The National and State Legislatures being in recess, there is a “plentiful scarcity” of domestick occurrences, at this time.—­This is locally remedied by the Lottery, which seems to arrest the attention of all ranks of citizens.—­To describe the symptoms of the disease is impossible—­all are fascinated—­all expect to be the favoured children of Fortune.—­The rich court her smiles, as eagerly as the poor—­and whilst, O! fickle Goddess, the Young pour forth their supplications for thy favours,

    “With falt’ring pace, and feeble knee,
      See Age advance, in shameless haste;
    The palsied hand is stretch’d to thee,
      For Wealth, it wants the pow’r to taste.”

The delusion is general—­and general must the mortification be.  But as attention must be paid to the infatuation—­we have endeavoured, by a regular publication of the fortunate numbers, to alleviate its frenzy.

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On March 29, 1814, Messrs. Bridge and Renouf, the well-known brokers, of 79 State Street, Boston, gave notice that a prize of $500—­No. 3,394—­“had” been “drawn in the Plymouth Beach Lottery.”  This number had been “sold by them to several young Gentlemen who purchased 30 Tickets;” and they also announced that the drawing was “suspended until the next Tuesday, when the first drawn ticket will be the highest prize, Twenty thousand Dollars;” and besides this, that “there are remaining to be drawn four prizes of $1,000 each, and four prizes of $500 each.”

It should be noticed that there was, even in its most flourishing days, a difference of opinion among individuals in regard to the morality of the lottery, as men must differ on all subjects; so that it is perhaps only fair to cite a specimen or two of the communications which appeared in the papers in reference thereto.  A writer in the “Salem Gazette,” June 29, 1790, says:—­

OF LOTTERIES.

Lotteries have of late been a very productive source of revenue in this State.—­The moral tendency of them has been supposed by some to be injurious to society; and government have been careful to grant them for such purposes only, as that the probable benefit should outweigh the evil.  By this means we have seen the interests of literature supported—­the arts encouraged—­the wastes of war repaired—­inundations prevented—­the burthen of taxes lessened, &c.  Manufactures might also in this way be established.  Those which will not support themselves, it is true, will not benefit the community; but there are very important ones, which in their infancy require the nursing hand of government—­to such the produce of lotteries might be beneficially applied.  There exists a spirit of adventure in all societies, which will lead a number to throw themselves into the hands of Chance in one way or another, & which, under the direction of a wise Legislature, may be made to subserve their best interests.  The monies raised by lotteries cannot impoverish the community—­as they are not sent abroad, but only taken out of one pocket and put into another.

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