THE TOTALISATOR.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9161, 19 July 1895, Page 6

THE TOTALISATOR.

Not content with tha summary rejection of the Estates Company Lottery Bill, followed by the overwhelming majority against the member for Parnell : s proposal to legalise consultations, the House has gone on to assail and condemn the totalisator. The attack took the form of a motion yesterday by Mr Carnell that with a view to reduce the number of race meetings it is desirable that clause 45 of the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1881 be repealed. This, of course, was equivalent to a motion for the abolition of the totalisator. The question was not discussed, but was affirmed oh a division by 35 to 24. The motion came on rather unexpectedly, and the House was not a very full one, otherwise it would have been, in all probability, talked out with the halfpast 6ve adjournment. Some prominent friends of tiie machine were absent at the time, and it would have required only some ten minutes' talk to kill the motion. They are rather sorry thoy did not prevent this expression of opinion by the House. " ; ' , ■ ■■

Following up his victory, Mr Carnell gave notice of a question as to whether the Government would bring in a Bill this session to give effect to the declaration of the House against the totalisator. It is not eousidered likely that the answer of Ministers will be either favourable or very encouraging, and it is* certain that if such a measure should oomo before the House it would be very vigorously oppoeed in all its stages.