Lotteries and raffling as part of the Christmas festivities in Jamaica, continued:

In December 1876 this notice appeared in the newspapers:

Although A. Mordecai & Co. had optimistically advertsied items suitable to raffle or for lottery tables, there were no lottery tables or raffling publicly in Kingston, or anywhere else presumably, in 1876 and 1877.

Many of the advertisements from this period refer to 'cosaques'.These were what became known later as 'Christmas crackers'.

They were called 'cosaques' at first because the sound they made was thought to be like the sound of 'Cossack' whips. The Cossacks were famous horsemen from Russia.

Cons. Office, Kingston,

23rd December, 1876

The following is published for general information.

As it is an offence punishable by Law to expose for sale any goods or other things, by any method or device whatsoever, depending upon or to be determined by any lot or drawing out of a box or wheel, or by any device of chance, the Constabulary will lay information before the Justices, against all persons who may set up or keep such lotteries. (13 Geo.III, c.10, s.1.)

By order

T. ALEXANDER

Inspector

An editorial piece on the front page of the Gleaner on Boxing Day 1876 painted a gloomy picture of the current season; although there were other economic reasons for the gloom, and no mention was made of the ban on raffling and lotteries, their absence can only have deepened the dismal feelings:

December 26, 1876, page 1

Gloomily comes Christmas upon, us in this present year. The feeling of depression which pervaded the last months of the previous half year, has been intensified by the occurrences subsequently in our world. The extremely low price, in the principal markets of the world, of our chief staple export during two years, has told fearfully upon everyinterest and upon every class in the Island. And although an extraordinary bound, an almost miraculous leap, has been made in the opposite direction, its effects for good have not yet been apparent. True, so far as Kingston is concerned, the past fortnight or three weeks, with their usual influx of strangers from all parts for the races and the holidays, have exhibited more liveliness of trade. But, to the close observer, the fact stared him in the face, that, beyond the strangers who must necessarily have brought money to spend, there was no one else who shewed signs of plethora of cash. All Kingston proper, it may be said, had little to spare, beyond what was required for the ordinary calls of every day living. It would seem as if, all of a sudden, a whole community, has become pauperised. We may have reason to hope, however, that the cloud of gloom which now broods over commercial affairs will soon be removed and that the very remunerative price at which our sugars are selling will continue for some time, and enable us to recoup past losses.

If there had been lotteries and raffling tables the whole community might, surprisingly, have appeared far less pauperised!

1877 was another unsatisfactory year it seems and on Christmas Eve an editorial writer commented: 'The world, it is true, goes at such an “express speed” in matters of business, that it may miss the excitement of sensuous and sensual gratification which used to distinguish the Christmas holidays of forty or fifty years ago. The John Canoing of the day, and the Masquerade of the night, in those days gone by, are no longer here; but we have still the spirit of life left with us to enjoy ourselves.' And there were still no lotteries to liven things up!

At the end of December '77 the Gleaner diplomatically noted 'It has been suggested to us that the law which prevents lotteries at this season of the year is objectionable, because the lotteries, as they existed in this country, were but innocent amusements, and that nothing can supply the place. If

so, the remedy lies in the Legislature; and the Police are not to be blamed for carrying out the law as they find it. There is much to be said on both sides of the question.' But as it turned, out the remedy lay with the new Governor, Sir Anthony Musgrave, who responded to a petition about a proposed 'drawing' -

The Gleaner felt that this response disclosed 'a spirit of liberality on the part of His Excellency the Governor, in striking contrast with the narrow views that formerly prevailed in the Executive'.

Apparently on the basis of this response, raffling and lotteries were able to flourish at Christmas for two decades, until new and restrictive legislation on gambling was passed by the Legislative Council, in 1899.

Colonial Secretary’s Office

JAMAICA, 4th December, 1878

SIR – The petition which accompanied your note, dated the 28th of November, addressed to the private secretary, supplemented by the enclosures in your letter of the 2nd December, has been laid before the Governor, and His Excellency has desired me to say in reply that the order to which the petitioners refer as having been rigidly carried out for some years, is probably a warning which was issued by the Police in the early part of 1876 in consequence of an expression of opinion as to the strict legal construction of the old, but still extant, Lottery Law, which had been forced from the Government, by a formal representation, as to the legality of the practice of holding lotteries; but that more recent order, which the Governor saw occasion to issue, in the course of this year, may not interfere

with such harmless drawings as you apparently contemplate.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your obedient servant,

EDWARD NEWTON, C.S.

Governor Musgrave >

Local businesses quickly got back into the swing of providing wholesale the items which retailers used for their raffles and lotteries, as the advertisements below illustrate.