A
Closer
Look At
Lotteries
In Early
North
Carolina
Kill we're nof («iking side*
in I he argument.
By ALA*
I».
WATSOA
Wiihoui venturing any consideration
of the propriety of a North Carolina
state lottery in the late twentieth cen¬
tury. I would like to clarify the histori¬
cal record regarding Onslow County
and the lottery of 1761. subjects of an ar¬
ticle in April 1987 issue of Titfc State.
Indeed the lottery authorized by the
General Assembly in 1761 for raising
money to improve the navigation of
New River in Onslow was opposed by
the Lords Commissioners of Trade and
Plantations who spoke in the name of
the King. Governor Arthur Dobbs was
informed not to assent to lottery laws in
the future. His successor. William
Tryon. was specifically instructed not
to approve such legislation until it had
been forwarded to England and exam¬
ined by governmental authorities there
(implying that the prohibition of lotter¬
ies was not absolute).
However, the King and Privy Coun¬
cil did not veto the North Carolina law
as the title of the article strongly im¬
plied. Moreover, it was not the first
public lottery conducted in present
North Carolina. Most importantly, the
negative attitude of the English authori¬
ties did not carry over to state affairs af¬
ter independence.
Despite the English policy decision,
lotteries had a long and distinguished
history in colonial America, a tradition
that had begun in the mother country of
England. The first permanent English
THE STATE, JUNE 1987
colony in the New World. Virginia, was
largely underwritten monetarily by lot¬
teries held in England.
All the colonies sanctioned public
(for community purposes) and private
(for personal benefit) lotteries. Only
Quakers consistently opposed that
means of raising money but Pennsylva¬
nia. where the Friends' influence was
most pronounced, continued to utilize
lotteries until forbidden to do so by the
king.
Private rallies were commonplace
and unchecked until the 1740s when the
colonial governments established their
right to license such undertakings. Lot¬
teries were morally condoned but the
public needed protection against fraud
(cheating and counterfeiting tickets)
which might attend unsupervised enter¬
prises.
North Carolinians held their first
statutorily licensed lottery as a result of
legislation passed in 1759 to raise
money to finish the Anglican churches
at Wilmington (St. James) and Bruns¬
wick Town (St. Philips). According to
Governor Dobbs, the measures were
necessary because the parish vestry re¬
fused to levy taxes sufficient to com¬
plete the structures.
The English government had long
sanctioned lotteries in the colonies but
after 1760 (coinciding with the acces¬
sion of George III) moved from an at¬
titude of permissiveness to one of
proscription. Authorities in the mother
country felt that rallies took men away
from their normal jobs and were also
subject to such corrupt practices as
counterfeiting tickets or cheating.
Still, the colonies beseiged the home
government with requests for holding
lotteries, and private raffles, as noted by
Governor Tryon in North Carolina,
continued to be used.
As soon as the Americans declared
their independence in 1776. the Con¬
tinental Congress instituted the first of
several lotteries to raise money to se¬
cure that cherished freedom. Ironically.
( Continued on page 25)
LAWS OF NORTH CAROLINA-1759.
Ai
в
General Assembly. begun and held nt New Bern, on the Twelfth Day
of December. In the Your of our I,ord One Thousand 8*>ven Hundred and Ptli>
tour, and from thence continued bv Bever.il Prorogations. to the Eighth Day
of December, in the
Ъеаг
of our lx>rd One Tbouwmd Seven Hundred and F1li>
Nine, to be then held at New Bern, being Ihc Eighth Session of Assembly
Arthur Dobbi. Eiq* Governor
CHAPTER I.
An Act. for railing Money for finishing the Churches In the Periehee of St
Jimei and St. Philip. In New Hanover County, by a Lottery
I Whereas, ihe Churches In the Parishes of 8t.’ James and St. Philip
li New-Hanover County, remain unfinished for Want of n sufficient Fund lor
defraying the Expence thereof, beside the Monet arising hv the laie Tax on
the Inhabitants of the bald Parishes, and the Method of raising Money b>
a Lottery. In the Manner hereinafter mentioned being n more easy Wa»
than by an additional Tax for that Purpos.
II Be It therefore Enacted, by the Governor Council and Assembly, end
by the authorm of the same. That Mr Jehu Davis. Mr Marmaduke Jones.
Mr. Alexander Duncan and Mr. John Paine, or ant Three of them shall t*
and are hcreh» appointed Mnuaccrs for undertaking carrtinc on and flrau
Ins a lot'en in Wllmlogtor.. for the
Римом *
aforesaid with Power and
.xnfhnHrx to W*ue Two Thousand Tickets, to he signed b» thetnselvcv a'
the Price of Tblrt > Shilling* Proclamation Mime . each In the following
Form, viz
•No -
• CAPE-FEAR CHURCH LOTTERY.
• •
• This Ticket Intltles the Bearer to •
• whatever Prlte shall be drawn agalns* •
• this Number, deducting Fifteen per •
• Cent aa by an Act of Assembly passed •
• in May. 175V
7
