The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-05 00:00:00

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PARLIAMIINTART INTRIALIGIINCE.

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HOUSE Of LORDS, Parrott, Mama& e.
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COMM 151 lON.
'rte Royal Aeon was given by CMIMISI4.4OO to the Twenty
Excheener Bill. the Anneal Indemnity Bill, and
tae Transfer I. Aide Cernasidomers were the Lsard
Chsainglor, Masenaisol Wimetester, and Lord Melville.
COIN LAWS.
Earl DARNLEY pranntod a petition frau the Inhabitants of
die awn of Colo"; in the county of Lancaster, against the Coro
Erants-Le4 oR the bible.
Lord MELVILLE gave notice, that on Monday next liesheeld
we for' the ampolntmentof a Comoilttee, to coseider the Laws
egmecting the Eleedoi of Scotch Peers.
CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION.
The Earl of LAVDERDALI presented a potitiOn Tram ties
'tonal) Catholics of Maronern, in this county of Cork, against the
Bill relative to Irish Illegal Associations.
• SMALL DEBTS.
Lord lENYON presented • petitiorr-frorn the Mc :hints of
Ersiorth, in the openly of [Annan. praying for some alteration in the
Leos for the Recovery of Smell Debts.
Lord HOLLAND presented a petition of a similar nidewerledle
the Merchants and Bankers of the Borough of New Widow
Lord CA LTHORPE presented a petition from the DatMtMof
Chamber of Manufactures and Cetrimcrce in the city
of Dlr-
ham, praying for a Reduction jostle Dudes on Iron. The
Lord aatd, that of the petition,

the -
ndeghani. ,
Noble limiest, . n he concurred in the prayer or in- , _ _
Which *oaten that the most beneficial effects would reselt from the
reduction they hoped for. Ile was glad to find that his Maesty's ,
Ministers had confirmed the hetet of the country by reducing the,
duties on Foreign Iron. He hoped they would, also, at no vergn
distant period, find it couvenient so remove the restrictions ea other
articles, winch ware primary articles of manufacture—losid on din
talk.
SCOTCH JUDTCATURE BILL.
On the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR, the HaulAIR Irito a Ommnittee on the Scotch Judicature Bill. ".
A Noble Lord, whose name we could not learn, said, drat he
Intended to make some observations on the Bill, bet he would dr I
Let tbeniuntil the second reading, robe understood it was intended',
tel ilethe several alterations, reef which he might have isisneelf
MedLORD CHANCELLOR said, that whet be proposed to
ob.. to let the Bill go through the Committee, pro Amur, and '
9/1 Vretinenday next lie would appoint a day, when it was most
• stemeeniest to their Lordships, to have it again committed.
The Earl of LAUDERDALE moved the insertion of a clause,
that Copies of all Aete of Sedenent of the Court of Session should
be transmitted in both Houser of Parliament.
Lord MELVILLE did not see any objection to the motion of
the Noble Eitel.
• The Repot was then received.
IRISH UNLAWFUL ASSOCIATIONS BILL.
' On the motion of' the Earl of LIVERPOOL, the House went
lidos Committee on the Irish Unlawful Associations Bill.
ELLENBOROI.IO/1 said, he felt very strongly on the
of the Bill, and should certainly conceive it his doty to op-
ton the third reading whenever that might be.
Earl of LIVERPOOL—On Monday next.
Report was then received, and the Earl of LIVERPOOL
▪ Oiled the third reading of the Bill en Monday next.
SPRING GUNS BILL.
t ;•=SUFFIELD moved the Order of the Day for the second
of the Spring Guns Bill. The Notile Lord assured the
narielose, that he would tummy but a short time io discussing the
subject he hail the honour of bringing before their Lordship,. But
ktioshould net act with proper respect to them and to liimsilf, If he
ffid not endeavour to lay before them, as precisely as possible, the
editing laws on the matte-. Ile had previously stated that there
k .tae distinct law, and that the only one wan gathered by analogy
inference from the practice of the Cones. He would then
trtaiewcoref the eases whtoich
lid
dowers: sbuypmanedy te<i)f btare fiurii7nauttgoli'ties
in the law in this country. His object in bringing the Bill
.1 their Lordships was to prove, in the filet place, thst the ma-
jpeity of earn of setting spring guns were illegal ; secondly, that
• when supposed to be legal, they were not borne out by morel jos.
tier, which ought to be the foundation of all law; and thirdly, to
prohibit theirs:seas a mean of preserving game. The first mobs
would quote was that of Beare against Lord Cawdnr's ganiekesper,
sod was found reported in II East 608. The gamekeeper shot the
gaintir's dog. because h was treepassinic on his Lordship's grounds.
- Into plaintiff brought an action, and, as it was ruled by Lord Ellen-
gh that the act of the defendant was not justifiable, he mom
derniges. Another case, and it was a cue directly in point,
dal that of James e. Whatley. It was tried at the Warwick As-
ia in 1817. The boy James was in the act of cutting a stick in
the defendant's hedge, when he was shot and severely wounded by
a wing gun. He brought his action, and recovered damages. It
was then held by the Judge that no man could retaliate by an injury
out of all proportion with the darnagemstained. The next case he
would quote was that in which a machine culled a dog-spear was
to placed es to allow hares to run through, but to catch and kill the
pursuing dog. In that case it was ruled that roman could do indi-
*city what he could not do direotly, and damages were accordingly
given. The Noble Lord then quoted a variety of other cases in
snppert of his argument. He complained that large quantities of
game were preserved in the neighbourhood of poor persons, wbo
were naturally tempted to become poachers. and that this game was
we preserved only for purposes of unnatural slaughter—in order to
glee three or four days'. shooting to their proprietors to enable them
to boast of tha cumber they had killed in a day. It was true that,
in all eases of trial, it sal necessary to prove that due notice had
been given, but he should be sorry to stand in the situation of a I
man who was obliged to prove that this notice had been given, and
to stand in the jeopardy in which be must staid who could not prove
it. The maxim he had quoted was, that no man was justified in
doing indirectly what he would not be justified in doing directly.
Ali knew, or all At least believed, that no man would willingly
put his gun to his shoulder and shoot a person whom he found
trespassing on his ground. But he (Lord Suffield) wished rather
that the law would allow them so to do, as they would certainly
consider before they fired, and ascertain if the trespasser had tres-
passed by design and not by accident. There would be then more
thanees for his life. If it were necessary to have a law to put
lithehors to death, it would be better at once to enact such a law,
OM to allow the present system to continue. In the nu-
Fa cases that had occurred of deaths by means of
g guns, nineteen out of twenty had been accidental.
e wculd not mention instances of these accidental occur-
rences, because by so doing he must necesserily wound the
feelings of many. In one particular instance, a Member of the
other House. who represented a county, had begged him not to
state a circumstance that had occurred. From this request, as
well as :tom his own feelings, lie would decline mentioning any
instances. It was said that it would be doing away with ell objec-
tions, to prevent the use of these instruments by day, and to allow
went only by cat' ht; but how many cases might occur in which
. • trete:len ty night go over a hedge without any evil intention. A
fried of his had informed him, that in riding a short time since
long a road at night, his hat fell off, and he very fortunately
croght. it ; bet on looking up. he saw written over him, " Spring-
core set here," and he then thought bow dangerous his situation
mot Seen. If his hat had fallen over the hedge, he must either
have gone on through the snow and storm, and left his bat behind
bun, or he muss have risked his life in the endeavour to regain it.
It we. a maxim of the law of England, that it would be better to
let a guilty person eseepe than an innocent one suffer. Now, it
was proved that ninetecnout of twenty sufferers in this way were
iormoont, and on this principle these instruments ought not to be
allowed. It was no argument to say that notices were more fre-
q.:ern:l posted than snring.guns ante used ' • nay, this was an argu-
ment in support of his measure ; laminae, by so frequently crying
Wolf!" when there was no wolf, the cry would lose its effect,
end persons would become more hardy and in greater danger.
,i-le /new an instance in which the entice was thus couched—
, " ZlT:rig-guns, no joke." If it were desirable to preserve game,
it could be properly done without the use of spring-guns.
He knew that in many parta of the country such was the case.
At all events, they could never be so necessary as to warrant
the sacrifice of heron life. There was only ire point more for
them to notice. Pelson) who were iu the habit of setting spring-
guns for the preservation of their lives and property stood under
very different circumstances from those who used them merely to
presence game. lie thought the former justifiable in so doing, be-
cause is preserving their houses from attack they defended them-
e:l7a ageing those who would be committi:g e felony by invading
them, and subject by law to punishment foe a capital offence.
The Earl of ORFORD asked in what case the Noble Lord
- woad sanction the use of opting-goes ?
Lord SUFPIELD replied, that he meant to introduce a clause
10:0 the Bill, entitling persons to use spring.guns for the preserve-
den of boon fide property.
The Bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be corn-
trim&
The Howe then adjourned Cl'. Monday.

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