The Press.
London, England, 1855-10-20 00:00:00

Xabl anb V olkt.

JEWISH MODE OF KILLING CATTLE.
AT the Mansion-house on Tuesday the case for the
prosecution of two Jewish butchers by the Society
for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals was heard
before the Lord Mayor and Sir Peter Laurie. The
court was crowded, and many Jewish gentlemen of
influence, among them Sir Moses Montefiore, were
present. The case was stated by Mr. Bodkin, and
defended by Mr. Ballantine. The evidence was di-
rected to show, that whereas by the method of the
Jewish butchers, the tax beiug first tied in a peculiar
manner and having its throat cut, it took from ten
to fifteen minutes to kill the animal; by the ordinary
manner of striking the beast on the head with a pole •
axe, and then touching the brain with a cline, it took only
about five minutes. As to the degree of pain suffered
by the animal, the opinion of the common slaughter
men was that sensibility was almost instantly de

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stroyed by the blow of the pole-axe and by touching
the brain, while the death-struggles of the creature
lasted some minutes when its throat was severed.
The medical evidence was not very conclusive. Dr.
Pavey, lecturer at tiuy's Hospital, stated that the
cutting of the bullock's threat was succeeded by
syncope, but that "after that there was another flow
and violent convulsions, during which the animal ap-
peared to attempt to recover its sensibility." Dr.
Edward Lloyd, senior physician to the ltgyal Dis-
pensary, stated that " utter the blow with the
pole - axe, he believed death took place imme-
diately the cane touched the spinal cord; the
body was convulsed after that,operation, but there
was no pain." Mr. Ballantine, who represented the
Jewish Society for the defence, characterised the
present charge as one evincing a lamentable want of
discretion upon the part of the Society fur the Pre-
vention of Cruelty to Animals, and appealed to the
magistrates for a judgment which should put a final
stop to such absurd prosecutions for the future.
SIR PETER LAURLRI after consultation with the
Chief Clerk, delivered the following judgment :
The question before me is, whether the mode of slaugh-
tering cattle for food, as described in the evidence given,
is cruelty within the meaning of the section of the statute,
which enacts, " that if any person shall cruelly beat, ill-
treat, over-drive, abuse, or torture, or cause or procure to
be cruelly beaten, ilkreated, over-driven, abused, or tor-
tured, any animal, every such offender shall fur every such
offence forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding M." The
Jewish mods of slaughtering, founded ou their religious
abhorrence of blood and the prohibition against blood in
the Mosaic law, has existed above three thousand years.
And while I admit that no religious obligation will justify
any legal cruelty to animals, I am of opinion that no cruelty
has been proved to be inflicted, either in fact or within the
meaning of the act, which was passed to prevent wanton
cruelty and the infliction of pain to animals without a
lawful and justifiable object, The Jewish male of slaugh-
tering oxen is that adopted by every Christian butcher in
slaughtering calves, sheep, and pigs ; and were 1 to hold
their mode to involve the offence of cruelty, no botcher,
whether Christian or Jewish, could carry on his trade. I
should be interfering with the ordinary and usual business
of life, and, above all, meddling with matters of faith and
religious opinion on the subject of ceremonial observances,
which we are all bound to respect so long as they do not
involve any breach of the common law.

WOMANBEATING.
WILLIAM MICHAEL Vi'ALsiuw, described as a brick-
layer, was charged at Westminster, on Monday, with
assaulting Ann Burrows, at 30, Pond-place, Chel-
sea :

The complainant, a respectable-looking young woman,
stated that on Saturday evening the defendant came to her
house at about eight o'clock, and said he wanted her hus-
band to go out and have a glass of ale with him. She told
him that her husband had not yet returned from his em-
ployment, and the defendant went away, but returned be•
tween eleven and twelve o'clock with his wife. Cow
plainant's husband fell asleep in his chair, and, considering
it was time to go to rest, she said so, and went upstairs to
put her infant to bed, supposing that dining ber absence
defendant and his wife, who were opposite neighbours,
would leave. She had scarcely got the infant out of her
arms when, to her surprise, defendant entered ber bed-
room, and upon her inquiring what business he had there,
he said, " Hush," and still udvanced. She endeavoured to
get rid of him and escape from the room, when he shuck
her a blow on the head, and when she got upon the stairs
he kicked her. She fell down in her struggles and cut her
head, but did not charge defendant with being the im-
mediate cause of the injury.
She apprehended improper liberties from him, as he
had made overtures to her a short time previously.
The prisoner was fined 41. or biz weeks' imprisonment,
and bound over to keep the peace for six months. •
In reference to tl•e subject of woman-beating, Mr.
Jardine made some remarks at Bow-street on
Tuesday. A powerful woman, Caroline Gilder, was
brought before him for smashing the windows of a
lodging house, and being sentenced to pay the
damage suddenly rushed on the complainant like a
tiger, clawing her face, knocking out one of her
teeth, and swearing, with awful imprecations, that
she would take her life. When torn from her prey
the magistrate said
A great deal of public indignation was frequently, and
not unnaturally, excited by the published details of smelts
eommitted by men on women, It would be only right,
however, if the other side of the question could be mos-
atonally exhibited, in order that those who sympathised
exclusively with the weaker sex, might learn something o
the provocation to which the men in too many instance
were compelled to submit. Here, this very dm y, out s
nineteen charges before him, there were no fewer than fif-
teen against women, fur drunken and disorderly conduct,
and this was by no means an exceptional case—it was a
thing of almost daily occurrence. He often wished that
people had an opportunity of examining the records of the
London polimeourts, and noting therefrom how much
more rapedliy these chargers were on the increase against
women than against men.
He ordered the prisoner to find ta►q sureties to, keep
-"el in. default committed her to siz

THE •ARCHITEOTORAD MUESLI! COM MI TTEE has
accepted an offer from the Government Department
of Art at Marlborough-house, to contribute the gum
of 1001. to their institution for the ensuing year
nder certain conditions.