The National Register.
London, England, 1819-03-29 00:00:00

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ONDAY,

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even supposing the Sim
and applied ti) the cr
We may here further
_ _ _ _

M. M. Ridley fora reds
Lords of the Adrniralt:

Lord Walpole is stated by
as having been unfortunately
by a majority of $1 iusteaf
paper. We 'egret the
more, as the expence of
openly defended by the
of any public utility LI(

. .
these supernumerary gentl
constitute a part of that inP
tronage which is asserted
ducting the affairs of ss

We—come now to the
A motion has been subr

for its object to make
to give to whoever is at .ex pence
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 r ttional objection can
be urged against this proposal. The qame.Lawe
are the strongest feature of our more barbarous
times that now remains amongst pa. 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 jug principle upon
which fifty times the amount of..property is re-
quired as a qUalitication to kill a partridge as to
vote for a Knight of the Shire and why, after
proving a qualification, and payhag for a licence,
and going through every necessary preliminary of
enabling him to ill/ these sacred 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 this sot of gam worthy thtir at-
tention as a subject of legislation,but have contented
themselves with sharing the manly exercise, and en-
joying the amusement it affords in'the fields; whilst
its further management and control has been left
as a hobbv.ho: se 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 false gramma, to sly , flotilla: 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 corrupring scenes
which abound in London. We are fully sensible
of the inestimable advantages which-accrue both to
their neighbourhoods and themselves from tat 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.
ment of uncivilized life; and we never wish to see.
civilization itself carried so far as :is obscure and
obliterate the very first propensities of nature. Bat
why may not its abuses be cerrtcte.d, and its best
and proper qualities be preserved? This we third(
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
the course of his argument, mentioned in the House
a Commons: and though we have very long been

11ARCH 29, 1819
inking-Fund. to be all taken
:urrent service of the year.
notice that e motion of Sir
4
liction of t number of the
lty, (a question upon which
d by the Go4rnmeat papers
lately too cite tove.e,.) was lost
stead of 91 a* v'en in our last
le issue Of ti question the
of such an e . lishment waa
e ministry, riot on the ground
derived trorri the services of
gentlemen, be; because they
at influence detived from pa-
rted to be riersary fur con-
!state.
the last--tint Game-Lases.
,mitted to parliament having
game privas property, and
it the expence of rearing and'