Star.
London, England, 1818-02-19 00:00:00

GANZ LAWS.

Mr. G BANKES, in the motion which he was
about to make, expected the support, not of those
Members alone who were anxious to protect the
Game of the country, but of those also who were
solicitous to diminish the number of offences connect-
ed with the unlawful destruction of Game. Most of
these offences would be got rid of, if the Legislature
could effectually prevent the buying and selling of
Game ; for it seldom happened that poachers killed
Game for sustenance, or for the mere gratification

of their own.tastes. As the law stood at present, all
persons, qualified and unqualified, were forbidden to
sell Game. Unqualified persons were also virtually
forbidden to purchase Game, but there was no such
restriction on qualified persons. His wish was to put
all persons on the same footing in this respect; and
by the Bill, for which he was about to move, to enact
that all persons, qualified or not, should be liable to
the same penalties for buying Game as those inflicted
by the existing law on unqualified persons so pur-
chasing it. The Honourable Gentleman then moved
for leave to bring in a Bill for the further prevention
of the offences connected with the unlawful destruc-
tion and sale of Game.

Mr. CURWEN thought the proposition of the
Honourable Gentleman quite inadequate to the at-
tamment of the object in view. It would only go to
make the Game Laws still more odious than they
were. He was by no means one of those who thought
this not a fit subject for legislation. On the contrary,
he was fully impressed with the advantages of in-
creasing the inducements to Gentlemen to reside in
the country, by protecting she game for their amuse-
ment. But while the present oppressive and unjust
code of laws existed on the subject, it was in vain to
think of putting an end to the crimes which they
generated. At present the right of Game was con-
fined to landed proprietors. Now it was well known
that in this country the proportion which commercial
property bore to landed property, was as 7to 1. He
could see no objection to making Game private pro-
perty, up to a certain extent, and to doing away all qua-
lifications not founded on property. Severe penalties;
were never productive of the effect intended by them.
While the plundering of a farmer's field of turnips
and such articles was felony by law, the practice was
Etel, as the punishment was toe severe to he in-
tec7; but as soon as it was reduced to a moderate
fine, the practice entirely ceased. Ile strongly re-
commended the Honourable Gentleman not to con-
tent himself with so inefficient a proposition as that
which he had just made, but to go to the root of the
evil, and endeavour to reform the whole system of
the Game Laws. As to making the purchase of
game penal, the only consequence would be, that the
smaller culprits would be punished, while those of
more importance would escape. For instance, such
an individual as the Lord Mayor of London must
have game: he would not purchase it himself, bat
others would purchase it for him and this would
take place, whatever Statutes the Legislature might
think proper to enact.
Mr. WARRE was surprised that his llonourable
Friend could imagine that in the present state, tem-
per, and constitution of society, any legislative mea-
sure could effectually prevent the sale of game. But
two years ago, an Honourable Member brought in
a Bill on this subject, the enactments of which were
so severe, that it was deemed expedient to repeal it
last Session. The Honourable Member who had just
sat down had given his Honourable Friend good,
counsel, although it would be no easy task to set
about reforming the whole system of. the Game Laws.
On this subject he had that morning met with a pas-
sage in Mr. Justice Blackstone, which he would read
to the House. It was as follows :--" Though the
Forest Laws are now mitigated, and by degrees
grown entirely obsolete, yet from this root has sprung
a bastard slip, known by the name of the Game Laws,
now arrived to, and wantoning in, its highest vigour:
both founded upon the same unreasonable notions of
permanent property in wild creatures, and both pro-
ductive of the same tranniy to the commons—but
with this difference, that the Forest Laws estabsbed
only one mightylllinfer thrift'. ghout the land ; the Game
Laws have raised a little IsTunrcid in every manor.'
Mr. G. BANICES explained, and professed himself
wholly incompetent to execute the task which the
Honourable Member for Carlisle wished him to un-
dertake. All he desired was to make the Game Laws
something better if 'he could. The omission which
the proposed Bill tended to supply appeared to him
to be a casual one, and easily to be remedied.

Sir C. BURRELL thought the Bill proposed by
the Honourable Gentleman would be beneficial, by
putting the rich and the poor on an equal footing. It
had been most justly said by Mr. Fox, that with Out
a violation of the laws of property, he could not see
how the Game Laws could be much altered at present.
After a few words in explanation from Mr. WA aft;
a division was called for, when there appeared, for.
the motion 60—against it 28—Majority 32.