The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-07-11 00:00:00

DJRCIIESTER CATTLE STARVING CASES.
RE MLNFIELD.

To tlio Editor of tie Standard.

Sta,—A letter having appeared in your journal which
entirely misrepresents the facts of the above proseou•
tions and the result of defendant's appeal, I ask your
permission, in the interests of my clients, to state that
at the last quarter sessions the convictions of the
magistrates at petty sessions were quashed on • pare
technicality (the wording of the magistrates' "oertifieste
of cmvictionl, and not on the merits. The evidenol of
the oases was not submitted to the oourt owing to the
alleged Informality. The defendant did not leave the
court with a verdatlof "not guilty," but merely with
a decision in his favour on the alleged legal clerical
error. Finally, notice was given at the time that the
Court of Queen's Bench would be appliel to for •
reversal of the chairman's decicon on such alleged
technical error, and the necessary steps to that end are
now being taken.
Tice defendent, though he failed to inform you of the
above essential fasts, has thought proper in these:pend-
ing cases, to impute unworthy motives on the put of
the convicting body, and also of my clients, • course
into which I decline to follow him.
Besides the above important omissions, the defendant
has concealed from you that a oenviotion for a like
offence was recently recorded agiinst him, which con.
viotion he has not appealed against, and that by
arrangement with his counsel, several unheard oases
against him were postponed until the appeal firstly re.
ferred to had been disposed of.
I am satisfied the public will suspend their judgment
until the defendant sludllay before the wart of quarter
sessions those fasts on which he seeks to establish his
innooanc%—l ant, sir, year obedient servant,
T. It SCARBOROUGH, Solicitor to the Royal
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
10, Spring-gardens, Charing-cross, July 8.

CHARON OF CSUILTT TO ANIMALS! AGAINST • CLICHGT-
XAN.—At Guildford Sessions, July lst, The Rev.
Sepsoer Neville. rector of Ocikham, Surrey, was charged
with starving six ostUe and V sheep.—Mr. Harris.
barrister, instructed by Mr. Colons. dee:retort to the
!_oili!.ei for the Preventtou of Cruelty to Animals, ap.
to prosecute ; awl bit. Petohett, Instructed by
gn. E. Gooch, for the defendant.—P.S. Bedford
stated that he went, in company with P.C. Pike and
Mr. Cherry, to the defendant's premises. Four horses,
two colts, two sows, three heifers, and V *hoop were
in a meadow where there was scarcely a blade of grass.
A mare and two oolts were in a miserably low condition
and lousy, and the bay colt staggered whelk it walked.
Ho then went into an open shod, and found two cows
and thri.o heifers, there teeing nothing for them to eat.
nor any bedding. Ile saw • man come up with a quan-
tity of nettles, weeds, Sta., for the horses ; and swim
brown meal, peas, and barley straw for the cows. Tufty
next went to an Italian rya field, and saw some sheep,
Five ewes were very poor. and one hail a broken leg ;
the others were not very poor.—ln cross-examination
the witness said the animals had awn been well
wmrishod, and their condition was mush better.—
William Dews, in the employ of defendant, said the
animals were in a very bad condition, th gave them
hedge trimmings, barley straw, and meal and bran
mixed; about 321 b of food a day between them. A
paper was then read as follows " Allowancie of meal
bran 30, bruised 14, meld 20; to last about fear days."
There were 34 animals altogether, and this allowed
them about a capful each,—Mr. Cherry, veterinary
surgeon, give evidenoe as to the miserable condition of
the animals, and said the food allowed was not nearly
sufficient for thein.—Another veterinary surgeon, Mr.
Evershed, said the horses were in perfect health, butia
a miserable oonlition from the want of proper toed.
He saw the sows and heifers, and they were very poor,
but not so bad as the others. They had not sufficient
food, but enough to keep them from suffering.—lt was
then agreed to confine the charge to the horses, and the
Bench adjourned to view a number of the stook which
were outside the (butt—Mr. Young, an officer of the
society, also spoke to the miserable condition of the
anicsals.—The Bench said they did not think there was
sufficient evidence to convict, and dismissed the ease,
without calling on Mr. Patchett for the defence.
Tau CASI or Ma. Dimfakm.—la this Gate Mr. Colam
reminded the Bench the% this was the day to which the
ssiatences In 13 cases was deferred, audits the oonvictioes
were recorded, he apprehended the Bench must inflict
some fine.—Tke Bench inflicted the nominal fine of a
farthing in each ease, the Chairmen remarking tbat
Mr Denham had had quite enough. The case was,
therefore, disiniutedi—Mr. Calant said the Society had
paid the mats.

The Bawd fears thet there is no prospeel of the
appeal in the Bennett ease being hoard before Norm.
her.
The 91 of September is filed upon as the probable
date of the amembling of the regular and reserv., forces
at the great camp for military a:cruises in Berkshire.
The report of the Commindoners on the Contagions
Diseases AM will be reedy this week. It recom-
mends the repeal al the AM. al ISA and the remmet-
moat al the law a/ 1864.