The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-28 00:00:00

SUNDAY, 'MARCH 28, 1819

even supposing the Sinking-Fund to be all taken
and apPed to the current service of the year.
We may here further notice that the motion of Sir
M. M. Ridley for a reduction of the number of the
Lords of the Admiralty, (a question upon which
Lord Walpole is stated by the Government papers
as having been unfortunate& too late to loeV,) was lost
by a majority of 81 instead of 91 as given in our last
paper. We regret the issue of this question the
more, as the expence of such an establishment was
openly defended by the ministry, not itn the ground
of any public utility derived from to services of
these supernumerary gentlemen, but.because they
constitute a part of that influence derived from pa-
tronage which is asserted to be necessary fur con-
ducting the affairs of state.
We come now to the last—but we fear very ten-
der subject in Norfolk. We mean the Game-Laws.
A motion has been submitted to parliament having
for its object to make game private property, and
to give to whoever is at the expence of rearing and
feeding it upon his own -lands a right to kill and
dispose of it as the regular produce of his soil. It
is not easy to imagine what rational objection can
be urged against this proposal. The Game-Laws
arc the stratest feature of our more barbarous
times that now remains amongst us,. They savour
from beginning to end of that feudal vassalage
which has, in almost every other point, been swept
away by the progress of our social improvement.
Moralists are quite puzzled' under_ what class of
guilt to rank the crime of a man killing a hare or
a pheasant upon his own ground, and when prey-
ing upon the fruits of his own labour; and politicians
are not less so in assigning any just principle upon
which fifty times the amount of property is re-
quired as a qualification to kill a-partridge as to
vote for a Knight of the Shire; and why, after
maim a qualification, and paying for a licence,
and gnaw through every necessary preliminary of
enabling him to Ellthese.macred animals, a person
is yet forbidden to sell them. The plain history of
the fact seems to be this ;-..that our great statesmen
have never deemed skis sot of gam worthy their at-
-tention as a subject of legislation.but have contented
themselves with sharing the manly exercise, ancLen-
ioying the amusement it affords in the fields ; whilst
its further management and control has been left
as a hobby-horse to be rode by rural lords and
squires. This may be easily believed when we find
in one statute on game, viz. 5 Anne, c. 14, no fewer
than six places of gramma, to say nothing of
bad English. Let us not, however, be supposed 'to
undervalue the preservation and protection of any-
thing which can give a tone and relish to society in
the country, and innocently supply the place of
those polluted indulgencies and corrupting scenes
which abound in London. We are fully sensible
of the inestimable advantages which accrue both to
their neighbourhoods and themselves from the resi-
dence of gentlemen upon their own estates in the
country, and would willingly make every reason-
able sacrifice to promote these blessings. Man,
moreover, is naturally a hunting animal. The
chace is the uniform delight as well as employ-
, meat of uncivilized life; and we never wish to see
civilization itself carried so far as to obscure and
obliterate the very first propensities of nature. But
why may not its abuses be corrected, and its best
and proper qualities be preserved? This we think
would in a very great degree be effected by the
measure now proposed ; and we are the more con-
firmed in this opinion by seeing the name of Mr.
Coke amongst its supporters; because we believe
that no man living either loves the preservation of
-game, for the amusement of his friends, more, uses
it more nobly, or understands the whole subject
and its bearings so well. That many lamentable
circumstances do arise out of the present system no
man can deny. The very circumstance' of the pri-
vileges of killing game being so limited, augments
the propensity to do so, and gives a zest to poach-
ing; and the total prohibition of selling it, makes it
at once an article of higher ambition and relish at
' our tables, and thus adds a direct incentive to clan-
, destine sale and purchase. Then come the horrible
and cruel expedients often had recourse to as the
, means of preservation. One of these Mr. Coke, in