The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-09 00:00:00

GAME BILL.

On the motion of Lord ALTHORP, the order of the
day for the House resolving itself into a Committee on the
Game Bill was read. The House having then resolved it-
self into a Committee,

Lord ALTHORP said, that if this Bill bad been passed
at an early period of the year, it would, of course, have
come into effect before the shooting season. At present it
was hardly possible to expect that it could be in operation
by that tinie. Still, however, he should wish to try the
experiment of the Bill during as large a portion of the
shooting season as possible ; and he should, therefore, move,
that in the clause relating to the time of the Bill coming
into operation, there should -be inserted Words to the effect
that it should come into operation on the 20th d iy after it.
had passed.
The Marquis of CIIANDOS and several other Members
urged the Noble-Lord not to press this amendment, as they
feared the arrangements consequent upon such a change of
the law could not be made within tbe limited time.
Mr. PORTMAN and Mr. G. 1.. A MB strongly pressed

' ,he necessity of a speedy charge in a sys.cm uni ;1y
After a very protracted converssfsubject,
rAou on-this subjethev
admitted to be defective.
amendment was agreed to.
On the chase for inflicting on persons who should lay
• nets on Sundays, and should use poison for the purßases of
tlestroying game, a fine of 51.
Colonel SIBTHORPE contended, that the punishment
ought to be increased for each offence, and tired a pro-
tricted imptianrnent for the third offence; and he pro-
posed an amendment to that effect.
Mr. PORTMAN objeled altogether to imprisonment,
which he bad alseilvs found in cases of this sot t more inju •
rifus than beneficial.
The amendment was negati'ed.
On the motion of Lord ALTHORP, an amendment was
introduced, inflicting a penalty not exceeding 101. u; on
eter7 person, who, between the Ist February and the lst
September of every yea-, killed a will duck, a widgeon, or
a teal.

On the clause helve recd regarcFng taking out gatr
certificates,
Mr. If; C'OLBORNE Asa-red upon the frequent evasion
of the payment of the duty; it would be unjo,t to inflict a
penalty upon a poor :nan, who had not taker, out a gamet
certificate, when rick men every day Went out to sport in
properly provided. He suggested, that if the Game Gerti-
tioate Duty were farmed like the Post-horse Duty, it would
set private vigilance to work, and remedy the evil to a
considerable extent,

Mr. I,:,;OULBURN adverted to the difficulties and dis

putt!!! that itonld inevitably grow out of such an arrangement.
The Marquis of CHANDOS suggested that all gam!
certificates should lie taken out before the Ist Septetnhe:
in ever?, year. _

Lord ALTIIORP sail, that such an arrangement would
deprive persons eche happened to be abroad in September
of the power of sporting at all.—(Hear, bear.) He knew
very well that many gentlemen made it a practice never to
take out a certificate, and he bad considered the subject
eery attentively, but had been unable to see how that
practice could be guarded against. The difficulty was
this. If gentlemen took out a certificate at all, they
usually took it out in that part of the country in which
they resided. If they went to another part of the country,
no one could tell, whether they .had a certificate or not ;
and it was not very likely, that on- the grounds of their
friends, or on grounds on which they had permission to
shoot, they would be asked if they had a certificate.
Lord MILTON said, that he knew numbers of gentle..
men who always shot without a certificate. It was diffi-
cult, be admitted, to guard against this practice. He
should he disposed to make the penalty for sporting with-
out a certificate heavier on all persons who paid a certain
amount of assessed taxes—that was to say, upon gentle-
men ; for he thought the offence much greater in such
persons than in persons of a lower class.—(Hear, hear.)
Perhaps it might be advisable to have the certificate re-
newed in some manner, when the person who took it out
went into another part of the country.—(Cries of " No,
no.") He merely threw this out as a suggestion.
After a few words from the Marquis of Chandos, Mr.
R. Trevor, Mr. H. Ross, Mr. Goulburn, and Mr. Mar-
tin, the clause was agreed to.
Several other clauses were then agreed to without
discussion.

On the clause giving landlords the power to permit persons
;o enter lands for the purpose of killing game being lead,
_ _ .....

Mt. HUNT remarkeCi that this -Clause was- calcu-

lated to place the tenant in a worse condition than
he was at present. As the Bill authorised the sale of
game, landlords might give this permission to persons to
go and kill game upon the farm of a tenant for the pur-
pose of selling it, and the tenant would have no remedy
against them for the trespass.
Lord ALTHORP thought that though this clause
might be thus taken advantage of by some landlords in a
few rare instances, to the injury of the tenant, it would lie
a still greater injustice to the landlords to deprive them of
those covenanted rights which they at present possessed.
Mr. ROBINSON thought that there was some weight
in the objection of the Hon. Member fir Preston, but he
did not see how it could be remedied.

Lord ALTHORP said that there wac nothing in the
dame which would enable a landlord to let the game on
the farm of a tenant.

The ATTORNEY-GENERAL observed that he had
never seen a lease which gave a vested right to the land-
lord in this respect, which he could transfer to another for
the-purpose of sale.
After a tew words from Sir T. FREMANTLE and Mr.
NYAsoli, the clause was agreed to.
Several other clauses were then agreed to.
On the clause giving tenants the power of appointing
game-keepers being read,
Lord ALTHORP, yielding to the suggestion of the
Marquis of Chandos, said, he had no objection to fix the
qualification, to enable the holders of land to possess such
a power, at SW acres, instead of so many pounds per
annum, as had been in the first instance proposed.
Mr. BENETT thought that 200 acres would, at least,
he a sufficient qualification.
_ _

A❑ HON. illtututta was of opinion, that all such quali-
fications were perfectly unnecessary, and that they should
be done away with.

Mr. HUN T did not think the qualification too high,
and it appeared to hiun, he said, that the diminishing the
quantity of game was the true way to put an end to
poaching.

Lord-MILTON had the greatest possible objection to
the vesting in any person holding land the power of ap-
pointing gamekeepers. He agreed with the Hon. Member
for Preston in the opinion that the quantity of game en-
couraged poaching. Altogether he entirely disapproved of
this clause.

Lord ALTHORP observed, that there must be some

limit in respect to qualification, and it appeared to him that
this was a very reasonable one. He thought that it was
the very object of the Bill to give to small proprietors the
power of protecting game, and he approved therefore
of their possessing the privilege of appointing game-
keepers.

A long, but desultory, conversation took place upon the
clause between Lord Milton, Mr. Curteis, Mr. Briscoe,
Mr. Hunt, Mr. Maherly, and Mr. A. Sanford, when
Lord ABliti,
hiorapndcointswenatsedcatrhriedat the clause might be omitted.
The question was then put, that the clause be struck out
of
Several clauses were carried without any discussion.
Upon the CHAIRMAN putting the clause empowering
Magistrates to license persons to sell game,
Sir THOMAS FREMANTLE moved as an amend-
ment the introduction of a sentence which prohibited the
granting of licences to the keepers of inns, taverns, licensed
victuallers, and the drivers and guards of stage-coaches.
After very protracted discussion, the amendment was
agreed to,—that is, innkeepers, coachmen, guards, carriers,
and nigglers, are excepted from the sale of game qualifi-
cation.

The other clauses of the Bill were then gone through,
and the Chairman having reported progress, asked and ob-
tained leave to sit again on Wednesday.

DUCHESS OF KENT'S ANNUITY BILL.

Lord ALTHORP moved the second reading of this
Mr. HUME regretted _that he was not in the House
when this grant was proposed, or he should have objected
to it, and have been one of the minority. Ministers wet e
not observing those principles of economy which were ex-
pected from them, but by such votes as this they were
bringing royalty into disrepute. He was sure half the
sum proposed (10,0001.) would have been sufficient. The
grant was one which would not satisfy the country.
Sir C. FORBES defended the grant, and said his only
objection was, that it was too little, and came too late. It
was not creditable to the country that the young Princess
should have been left so long to be assisted by the bounty
of her uncle.

The fill was then read a second time, and ordered to be
comtnitted to-morrow.
WINE DUTIES' BILL.
Lord ALTHOrtP wished to take the second reading of
this Bill now, with the understanding that the discussion
should be taken at the next stage.
Mr. ROBINSON objected to taking this Bill at such'
an hour. Ile had strung objections to the Bill ; and if it
were read a second time now, he could not hope for an
opportunity of discussing it in a full House.
Lord ALTHORP postponed the second reading to Mon-
day.

The Vestries Bill was read a second time and ordered
to be committed on Monday week.
Mr. WYSE moved for leave to bring in a Bid to esta-
blish a national system of education in Ireland.
Captain JONES opposed the motion, and tie pile; y
was cleared for a division; but the Non. Member, at ti e
recommendation of Mr. RICE, and other Members, with-
drew his opposition.
Leave was then given to bring in the Bill.
On the motion of Colonel TRENCH, a Committee was
appointed to inquire by what means the Hot se of Com-
mons might be rendered more commodious and less un-
wholesome.:

The other orders were then disposed of, and the tip use
adjourned at Twenty Minutes to Three o'c'ock.

- - -
Upwards of 1,0007. was expended in gilding
and refitting one of the City barges, before she u as deemed
fit to take her station in the grand aquatic dt,,) on the
opening of London bridge.