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A Treatise of Taxes and Contributions / Shewing the nature and measures of crown-lands, assessements, customs, poll-moneys, lotteries, benevolence, penalties, monopolies, offices, tythes, raising of coins, harth-money, excize, &c.; with several intersperst discourses and digressions concerning warres, the church, universities, rents & purchases, usury & exchange, banks & lombards, registries for conveyances, beggars, ensurance, exportation of money [&] wool, free-ports, coins, housing, liberty of conscience, &c.; the same being frequently applied to the present state and affairs of Ireland. cover

A Treatise of Taxes and Contributions / Shewing the nature and measures of crown-lands, assessements, customs, poll-moneys, lotteries, benevolence, penalties, monopolies, offices, tythes, raising of coins, harth-money, excize, &c.; with several intersperst discourses and digressions concerning warres, the church, universities, rents & purchases, usury & exchange, banks & lombards, registries for conveyances, beggars, ensurance, exportation of money [&] wool, free-ports, coins, housing, liberty of conscience, &c.; the same being frequently applied to the present state and affairs of Ireland.

Chapter 11: CHAP. VIII. Of Lotteries.
By Sir William Petty
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About This Book

A practical manual analyzes the various forms and burdens of public taxation and proposes measures to organize revenue and reduce unnecessary public expense. It surveys methods such as allocation of crown lands, land assessments, customs, excise, poll monies, monopolies, offices, tithes, lotteries and coinage, and explains how coin debasement and currency variation affect commerce. Interspersed digressions address war, parochial and ecclesiastical reform, universities, beggary, exportation, rents, banks, registries, housing and commerce. Numerous administrative reforms aim to simplify parish structures, trim obsolete fees and offices, improve revenue collection, and suggest practical projects to employ the poor and stimulate trade, with repeated application to contemporary Irish conditions.

CHAP. VIII.

Of Lotteries.

Men that accept Titles may foresee, that they may be taxed by them as aforesaid, (although it be unlikely (one House of Parliament being all Tituladoes, and the greatest part of the other being such also) that any such way of Leavy should pass) and therefore they do as it were à priori consent unto the Tax in their own Individuals.

2. Now in the way of Lottery men do also tax themselves in the general, though out of hopes of Advantage in particular: A Lottery therefore is properly a Tax upon unfortunate self-conceited fools; men that have good opinion of their own luckiness, or that have believed some Fortune-teller or Astrologer, who had promised them great success about the time and place of the Lottery, lying Southwest perhaps from the place where the destiny was read.

3. Now because the world abounds with this kinde of fools, it is not fit that every man that will, may cheat every man that would be cheated; but it is rather ordained, that the Sovereign should have the Guardianship of these fools, or that some Favourite should beg the Sovereigns right of taking advantage of such mens folly, even as in the case of Lunaticks and Idiots.

4. Wherefore a Lottery is not tollerated without authority, assigning the proportion in which the people shall pay for their errours, and taking care that they be not so much and so often couzened, as they themselves would be.

5. This way of Lottery is used but for small Leavies, and rather upon privato-publick accompts, (then for maintaining Armies or Equipping Fleets,) such as are Aque-Ducts, Bridges, and perhaps Highwayes, &c. Wherefore we shall say no more of it upon this occasion.