EVIDENCE, &c.

In the preparation of my Lecture on Gambling, I gathered more material than I could then employ. The unemployed. matter appears to me, however, so important, that I think it my duty to publish it as a supplement to the Lecture. will be found to consist of:

1st. Testimony from the German Church Assembly; 2nd. Evidence from our own Law Courts;

3rd. A Letter on Gambling, in Germany and America; 4th. The testimony of a distinguished Traveller,

to all which I ask the reader's candid and serious attention.

It

I.

A Translation of Twelve Sections of a Paper on Gambling, read in St. Paul's Church, Frankfort-on-Maine, September 26, 1854, at the Session of the German Church Assembly, by Bishop Rapff of Stuttgard, showing the extent of Gambling in Germany-the mischief which it inflicts, and the efforts successful and otherwise-which are made for its suppression.

FIRST SECTION.

The Atmosphere of Gambling.

In the spring of this year all the hills and vales of my fatherland were adorned with trees, bearing the most luxuriant blossoms, and the starving people rejoiced in the ex

pected fruit. But two cold nights destroyed all these hopes -the blossoms fell to the ground, and even the trees which had not put forth their blossoms were so blasted that the caterpillars devoured the slowly developing buds. Such frosty nights, and such caterpillars came also over the blossoms of the spiritual life, of which, thank God, we at present see manv in our German fatherland. These glorious Church assemblies-the gathering together of so many German men around the one fountain of salvation, whose living streams they desire to lead out over dry fields, in order that beautiful oases, yea, gardens of God may bloom there the numerous Church unions, Christianly renewed universities, Church governments and clergy, and all sorts of institutions and activities for the production of better times through better men,—all that is like the long wished for bursting forth of the blossoms in spring. But nights of frost and caterpillars-oh, what fearful desolations they make among our dear people! Thus the tavern with its streams of beer, wine, and even brandy, which carry away the fragrance and soon even the blossom itself of all the beautiful and good from plants of God; the there with closely connected Sabbath desecration-the rude cursing and swearing-the poisonous unchastity-the Baal and Mammon service, through unbridled sensuality and avarice; and as the simoom which while up all this desolating dust, the general unbelief and hall belief, which science, as with a besom, has swept from most

hoa halba, but which only the more tenaciously fixes itself seoa cho unlearned and yet cultivated, upon the uncultivated ad vos of age to them who know nothing and yet know www.xong. Those dark regions of infidelity, of estrange... er den God, of thoughtlessness and of coarse or refined ny, choke all spiritual life, as at the dog's cave, at vod, who eulphurous vapours lie a foot in depth, into

sa surprise of travellers, dogs are thrown,

which immediately appear to fall down decd, but which come to life again, if they are instantly taken out. In such a dark, cold, poisonous atmosphere especially an apparition takes its abode, which, by several governments is not combated as the other enemies to morality and the welfare of the people, but is suffered, and by some, even fostered; while all the well-disposed of the people sigh on account of it, and the slaves of this tyrant curse him, when he has re-. duced them to misery. This tyrant, before whom even princes bow themselves, this gangrene which has eaten out many blossoms, even of the inner mission, is gambling, partly in gaming-houses, partly in private and government lottos and lotteries. The German name is gaming-hell, and this single word, by which our people commonly designate the enemy, which from Italy and France has come and nestled down amongst us, should be sufficient refutation and protest. But as levity does not regard the eternal hell, it likewise plays with the name of gaming-hell, and this fundamentally destructive wickedness is carried on more shamelessly than ever in the light of day.

THIRD SECTION.

Gambling opposed by the Confederation.

LET me first bring before your notice how these weighty voices have expressed themselves, and what has hitherto been done in the way of law against gambling, which is equally hurtful in a political as in a moral point of view. By this consideration we obtain a firmer footing, and more right in the eyes of the German people, and especially of its government.

In the Assembly of the Confederation in the year 1844, the Würtemberg ambassador, commissioned by his King, delivered the following declaration: "As the destructive influence of gambling is not limited to the immediate neigh

bourhood of the place where it exists, but extends over a much wider sphere, it is consequently not enough that single German Governments prohibit it in their respective countries, therefore his Majesty addresses the following proposition to the sovereign and noble members of the German Confederacy. That all the gambling banks, lotteries and lottos existing within the territory of the Confederacy, or at least the public gaming-banks, should be forthwith. abolished. Whereupon the President remarked that some time ago, prompted by the Prussian Government, the Courts of Austria and Prussia had entered upon confidential deliberations for the removal of this evil. By unanimous consent to a proposal of the President, a Committee was immediately chosen, which should take into consideration the proposition made by the Würtemberg Government, and prepare a report. The report was brought forward on the 6th of February, 1845. It represented, first of all, that in the present time, the enjoyment of gradual acquisition by effort and labour, was less than formerly sought after, and much more, a sudden profit sought to be acquired without trouble; it took notice of the appropriate observation taken from a report of the "Staatsrath" Rebenius, in the Baden Chamber, that the abolition of the gaming-banks is a step demanded by the laws of religion and of morals, as well as by the temporal welfare of the German nation. Then showed that the limitations by which the governments had sought to obviate the damage of the gambling-licenses issued by them, had been proved

practicable, and they were justly accused of reaching the hand to this corrupting business, and by that means were in danger of losing the respect of their subjects; further, that the permission of public gambling does not support the prohabumon of private gambling, but much rather, as it is only you to the sake of the revenue to be drawn from gambling, 32 10 vali ulated to produce envy and hatred towards the rulers,