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to impose on the Gambling itself or on the persons permitted to gamble, the Licensees had induced the belief that the profits were less than had been anticipated, and that the monthly License Fee was too high. Acting on this belief, and considering that suppression of Crime and not Revenue had been the object of Licensing Gambling, there was no reason for continuing the Fee at such a rate as to prevent the Licenses being held by persons of position. Those who then held them being men of this class, it was desirable to retain them,
and in order to do so the License Fee was lowered.–
After sufficient time, however, had elapsed to enable the working of the Gambling houses to be tolerably well ascertained, it was found that the profits of the Gambling houses were much greater than was supposed, or than the Licensees themselves were willing to admit. Notice was then given that the Licenses would be withdrawn unless the holders were willing to pay as high License Fees as other persons of equal weight and standing in the Colony would do, this being necessary to avoid