To show how largely men's minds--and perhaps women's too--were filled with the lottery mania, if we may so call it, in the days of which we are writing, we will introduce a Southern scheme from the "Petersburg Intelligencer" of 1816, copied in the "Salem Register," September 11 of that year. Some of our readers may think that it is not a bad idea. _From the Petersburg Intelligencer._ MATRIMONIAL LOTTERY. On the 21st day of December last, I was passing through the state of South Carolina, and in the evening arrived in the suburbs of the town of ----, where I had an acquaintance, on whom I called. I was quickly informed that the family was invited to a wedding at a neighboring house, and on being requested, I changed my clothes and went with them. As soon as the young couple were married, the company was seated, and a profound silence ensued--(the man of the house was religious.) A young Lawyer then arose, and addressed the company very handsomely, and in finishing his discourse begged leave to offer a new scheme of matrimony, which he believed and hoped would be beneficial. And obtaining leave he proposed: That one man in the company should be selected as president; that this president should be duly sworn to keep entirely secret all the communications that should be forwarded to him in his official department that night: and each unmarried gentleman and lady should write his or her name on a piece of paper, and under it place the person's name whom they wished to marry; then hand it to the president for inspection, and if any gentleman and lady had reciprocally chosen each other, the president was to inform each of the result; and those who had not been reciprocal in their choices, should have their choice kept entirely secret. After the appointment of the president, the communications were accordingly handed up to the chair, and it was found that twelve young gentlemen and ladies had made reciprocal choices; but whom they had chosen remained a secret to all but themselves and the president.--The conversation changed and the company respectively retired. Now hear the conclusion. I was passing through the same place on the 14th of March following, and was informed that eleven of the twelve matches had been solemnized, and that the young gentlemen of eight couples of the eleven had declared that their diffidence was so great that they certainly should not have addressed their respective wives, if the above scheme had not been introduced.----> Gentlemen under 20 and ladies under 15 were excluded as unmarriageable. You will be pleased to let the public hear of this scheme, and I hope it will be productive of much good, by being practised in Virginia. _A Married Man without Children._