Читать книгу Fair Italy, the Riviera and Monte Carlo - W. Cope Devereux - Страница 16

[D] The grand Cathedral is still in progress, under the auspices of the gambling fraternity.

[E] In my former work, "The Cruise of the Gorgon," my object was to expose the iniquity of the East African slave-trade, and our mode of suppressing it; and it is now my object to draw attention to the immorality of the Monte Carlo gambling principality, with a view to the exposure and suppression of its evils, for the benefit of those who, for health and pleasure, resort to these lovely shores of the Mediterranean.

While these pages are passing through the press, the author is greatly gratified to see the noble exertions Italy is making, both in her Parliament and through the press, for the suppression of this gambling principality—recounting the many terrible suicides so frequently occurring there. But, a still more hopeful sign is the action recently taken in our own House of Commons as evidenced by the following extract from the Morning Post of Feb. 12th, 1884:—

"A question is to be put to Lord E. Fitzmaurice to-morrow by Mr. Anderson (Glasgow) on the subject of the recent tragedies reported from Monte Carlo. The hon. member will ask whether her Majesty's Government will make friendly representations to the Governments of France and Italy, with the view of inducing them to unite for the suppression of the public gambling tables in that principality; and whether her Majesty's Government will also make friendly representations to the Government of France regarding the continuance of public gaming tables at Aix les Bains?"

Italy, however, would do well to set the example by the abolition of her State "Lotto Banks;" and we in England would do well to suppress the little "Monte Carlos" at our West End, and so called Proprietary Clubs and Stock Exchanges.