The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-29 00:00:00

CRUELTY TO A IiORSE.

•
BRIGHTON, Dec. 28.—Today, at the Town ball, Mr.
Robert Ilobden, proprietor of the Artillery Baths, in
the King's-road, appeared before the Alayor, charged,
at the instance of the Royal Society for the Prevention
of Cruelty to Animals; with having caused a certain
horse to be cruelly ill-troated and tortured, by working
it in a mill with raw wounds upon its shoulders and
brea3t.

From the evidence it appeared that defendant supplied
his baths with sea water by means of the mill in ques-
tion, which was situated in a dark subterranean vault,
opening on the sea beach.
The case was proved by defendant's own servant and
other witnesses. The former stated that his master
kept only one horse for this particular work, and that
it had been in their employment since May, 1851, to
the present time, often as long as seven or eight hours a
day. Witness had frequently Complained of the condi-
tion of the horse, and had told his master that it was
impossible that he could do his work properly with a
horse in the state this had been in for nearly two months.
Both shoulders were raw, and there was an open wound
on the breast into which the collar had worked to a con-
siderable depth. It, was also sworn that the food given
to the animal had been reduced from three bushels of
corn per week to two bushels, and that in consequence
the horse was in a very bad condition.
Mr. Lamb, solicitor for the defence, endeavoured.to
attach all culpability in the matter to the defendant's
servant, but

The Mayor said he believed everything this witness
had stated, adding that he could find no extenuating fea-
ture in the case, and his judgment was, that:l;lr, llohden
should pay the full penalty of 51, and- costs. _

CAMP OF THE LIGHT DIVISION, DEC. 11.
' The failure of the means of transport has con-
tinued to eneross a large share of attention among
the British.eroops in camp, and is still a serious
difficulty both as regards feeding the men and
horses, and also in. respect to carrymeeon the siege
Operations. When the carts failed, dependence
,was placed upon bat. horses'; the greater number
of these aro now so footsore end worn out as to be
• unable to move, and the Men themselves have to
be sent in to .Balaklava from the camp to- bring
out rations. .4. certain proportion of each regiment
is sent into the town every morning. The weight
carried does riot exceed 20 or 22 pounds of biscuit
and pork, and yet so weak are the •men that many
fall out, unable to march 14 miles and to carry his
burden 7 miles, while others have to be taken into
hospital on their return to camp on account of
illness. The 99th regiment, attached to the 2d
Division by general orders of the 6th December,
and 3ith regiment, have been prevented from
taking their share in the work at the trenches, and
so: relieving their comrades. who aro suffering from
prolonged exposure and labour, because, if brought
te) camp, there are no means of bringing food to
thene, they Lave therefore been detained end en-
camped at Balaklava. The Cavalry-Division has
also been brought as near Balaklava as possible,
and an excellently protected position has been
found for it in a deep mountain dell close to the
little village of Kadikoi near the _entrance to the
port. The dell is nearly triangular in form, the
mountains. rise • precipitously upward on ee
sides, the small plain enclosed by them is soft
and when first occupied was -covered with
grass, and excepting at the entrance communi-
cating with the 'village is sheltered on all sides
from high winds. At one of the angles opposite
to the opening to Kadikoi is a_ narrow winding
gorge, and along this mountain pass is a road leading
up to the plateau on which the allied army is -en-
camped. There could not be a more favourable
position for a cavalry bivouac in a -cold season.
Bat at present its most favourable aspect is the
facility afforded by its nearness to the port for ob-
taining the necessary hay and corn for the horses,
and the rations for the men. When reflecting on
the very serious evils which have been experienced
from a comparatively short prevalence of bad wea-
ther, and those too in•the very first and most es-
sential article of food, we have indeed reason to be
grateful for the verylong reason of propitious wea-
ther which preceded it. At the same time it is
difllcult to •avoid the consideration whether such
evils are a necessary consequence of the change in
weather, whether the exercise of a certain amount
of forethought and precaution might not have ob-
viated their occurrence. WO have ocular probf
around us that they are not inevitable ; we see the
beneficial effects of a different system pursued else-
where. And it happens from no want of forewarn-
ing. Attention was called to the unprotected state
of the British right long before the fatal sth of
November; and had that warning been heeded—
had a simple breastwork been then constructed, alai
a few guns mounted such as are now placed in front
of the 2d Division—much bloodshed might have
been prevented, and "many very valuable lives
spared. In like manner the formation of commis-
sariat depots was suggested, and had these sug-
gestionsceanrraiendd
hiTetrosese,ffwecetn,
ldmbuyeaselodsnsinogf
haf ev,e bnoet
been
ebfeemn
avoided. But many of the most
obvious exigencies have not been provided for.
No arrangement has ever ever been made, nor is
even now made, for shoeing the public horses, and
this circumstance alone has led to many being dis-
abled. In Bulgaria, after along time had elapsed,
and much inconvenience endured, native farriers
were brought, and a price fixed at which the bat
animals could be • shod. No such plan has been
adopted in the Crimea, nor any alternative provided.
It was only.only on the Bth inst. that the follow-
ing appeared:—