WEEK.
["Jan.
1SG4.
2,
be
was given to the officers employed by the coma warrant being granted, to missio: open the doors of the suspected places, enter and seize all "cards, dice, tools, rials with which they are made."
- k, to have
payment of one hai th.:a atalad or stamped accordingly. All cards
If we add to the facts already stated, that the term over which the duty upon playing-
of any person
lid
ira-
6
not
to be
m
brought to
fur Kile after June, 171 lj
end to be charged with play-
ing-cards were to be expo '.iy
in
unless
any
»ns
of
potted f each
or painted side (face; pack. nders were ma
dty of ed cards found
in their possession.
to
made
felony,
nterfeit or forge punishable the seals, stamps or marks which denoted the out eighty years ago
m
the punish:
actually inflicted
Harding, who
uiiied
engraved an ace of
The
card -maker.
the order of a
d from the he would have
car lility,
shared the engraver's
fate.
By
the same Act
permitting the search
were extended and the notices reby card-makers, and the clauses reL u removal of unstamped caids, pare amended and made more striuiue officers
ises
cards was to remain in force, was extended from thirty-two years to perpetuity, we shall s an accurate epitome of the principal points connected with the duty on playingcards to the end of the reign of George J., and In the twenty-ninth year for some time after. of the reign of George II. (17 5(3), an additional duty of sixpence a pack was imposed on The opportunity was taken, as playing-cards. usual, to frame measures in expectation of
preventing the fraudulent evasions of the duty which still obtained. It transpired that great frauds were committed under pretence that cards were manufactured for exportation, cards for exportation being exempt from duty. It was therefore enacted that all playing-cards intended for exportation should be distinguished by a particular wrapper, and that one card in each export pack should be marked on
the face with a special stamp.
and stamped, as
be used in Great Britain under a penalty of 201. 201. penalty was also attached to the selling
A
and buying of any covers and
revenu.
con tin a
f last
se.-
on the
y successive Lb, down to
mud
by some relation to
d
that personsused, placed or the pur-
P°*° °f •*'
i i
ttcks,
labels
which had
been already used.
It appears, too, that the trick of selling slightly soiled playing-cards, as waste-cards, was largely practised to the de-
triment of the revenue. consisted of cards so
frauds
Cards wrapped were not to
for exportation,
These soiled cards
damaged
in the process of
manufacture as to be rejected by the cardmakers. They were purchased for a few pence per pound, chiefly by Jew speculators, who sorted them and disposed of them at a cheap rate. In order to put a stop to the system, all
" persons disposing of cards, commonly called waste cards," were required before sale to " mark the back or plain side of every painted or pictured card in such manner as to I
the
same
be used in play." In the reign of George III. no unfit to
than
less
irliament • i
>
cards and dice. ds,
perm,
abuse
and
wm
to
—
to
All this legislation additional d I
impose
circumvent the evaders than suspected fchi
c.
It
tore
apered with, !
plan Wl
i.
The
A uew I
ar the
when
mi it
and after
t!
was suspect
which the