Star.
London, England, 1828-02-15 00:00:00

• SALE OF GAME.

The Marquis of SALISBURY said, that this Bill, of
which he was about to move the second reading, was
precisely the same as that he had brought in last year;
and be should not, after the discussion which then lock
place, have thought it necessary to trouble their Lord-
ships with any observations upon the subject at pre-
lim', had sot Pis Noble Friend announced his intention
to resist the further piogress of this Rill until after the
appointment of a Committee, for which he meant:to
move. It had become necessary, however, in come-
quence of this resolution of the Noble Baron, lot him
boldly to state the reasons why he objected to a Corn.
critter. He had himseif oved for the appointment
of a Committee some year, ago. and with some d.fficul-
-11 obtained it. In that Committee he had completely
established the fact that the market for game was abun-
dantly suppled. It _Was fully proved that the supply
was sometimes so exceasive, that great quantities of
game were thrown away, because it would not fetch a
remunerating price; and therefore unless somebody
was prepared to say that an alteration had since taco
place in this respect. that the mai ket was not now suf
hcoently supplied, he mast contend, that it was pale:3
h unnecessary to go into the Committee. He had an"
^ther objection, which was, that it they appointed a
t"itnittes to ambtacc the %bole subject of the Wok

Laws, and the Committee proceeded, as it Must do, to
collect evidence from all parts of the country, it would
be utterly Impossible to bring in any 1311 this Session.
Considering. the state of the country, it was imperative
upon their Lordships to do something, and all parties
agreed that the measure he now proposed must be one
part of whatever was to be done. It was advisable then
to make an experiment, which could have no bad result,
for the markets could not be better supplied than they
were now, and from which good might be expected,
in as much as respectable traJesmen would prefer get-
ting the Game they required from a regular and authci
rised source to dealing with poachers. He had no d rubt
that the Bill would produce benefit to the Agricultural
classes, and he called upon their Lordships to try it at
least as a temporary measure. .
Lord WH A R NC Ll ITE was opposed to the principle
Of the measure, which he contended would not advance
but retard any general improvernetit. and would in the
meantime produce the worst effects it adopted, leaving
all Other pa:ts of the Game Laws as they now stood
f-Ic 1; far six years attended to thii subject witkrut
success. F. r ib.ee years in the House of Commons.
wh ch was at length prevailed on to pass aIS lf. Tass•
Bill tacit Lordships rejected. He did not hope &ler
having been sn lang unsuccessful elsewhere to ace stn .
plish any thing in this, the first Session in which he had
the honour of aseit is their Lordships' House. But he
_
entreated them not to pass a measure relating to a sub
jest of so much imam tence which would have the eller. t
of rendering any 'f, crier AI measure more difficul.. The!
were askew to make game saleable in the hands of cer
lain persons, to t,et rid of one ki d of mon-poly
cteaang another. The great landawner onl. was to
have the pi iv lege of seltir,g game. Toe 3+. 6i. peg.
:teed was to go into his pocket. Ile was to say in effect '
to the small lendowtesr, his neighbour, 4, the game will
eat. your crop, hus I alone must sell it What feelings
would this-i elektly to excitePT What, upon the prin
ciples of human nature. could the small landowner be
expected to do in such a state of things ? What but one
of two thinks—either to destroy fhb game as fast as he
could, or to sell it in violation of the law. If it were a
real step towards making the right of game coexten-
sive with the right of land, he would agree to it, but he
could not agree to the proposed partiai and unjost law.
He was not surprised at the popularity of the present
Bill. The inhabitants of the great toss ns, who would have
game upon their tables, cared about no other refor m,of
the Game L tws. And there was another class of perso'is
Class of landed proprietors who apps. ved of this
mea we, ht a t they were anxious to obtain, by the sale
of ganse, a territtuer Anon for the expense of pre.ei vaig it.
How was the dreadful state of seciety now existing to be
put an end to by this MI? Will it send .inomSame to
market? He believed that as mucti game Was now kille.t
upon every Manor as that ma nor was computed to Afford,
and all that aas killed was of course used somewhere.
But he had no doubt that a greater demand would
spring up; the moment they got rid of impediments.
to bringing it to market: Ie was true enough, that
tinder a prohibition smuggling was sure to be carried
on; but this W4S equally the ease under a 'mono.
poly, and the misfortune of this Din was, that while it
put down a prohibition it instituted a monopoly. I'be
present law, over us and oppressive as it was, had been
tolerated by the lower clseses of 'freeholders: it was
looked upon as a remn ,nt of the feudal law—they
s iew.d it as contributing to the amusements of their
sui.eriors—they knew that tire game taken was con•
sumrd in hospitality or given away, and therefore it
was hat the la a, was tole, ated ; but if the game were
to be sold, anather class of feelings would quickly spring
up. He wished the great landowners to adopt a just
and equal law betweets themselves and their inferiors.
His Lordship could not conclude without adverting to
the terrible state of society which now exis ed, and im-
ploring the House to consider how much the comfort,
happiness, and morals of the country depended upon an
amendment of these laws. On the Northern Circuit, se•
viral gamekeepers had been ca.nvicted of murder at the
last Assizes. He did not know whether .hey had suffered,
but he referred to the occurrence for the purpose of
noticing the dictum of the Learned Judge, that game
keepers had no right to carry a gun for the purpose 01
protecting game.. This d: crime had undoubtedly a
tendency to increase the evil. Poachers had organized
thetwelves into gangs so powerful as to defy resistance
Qa the 3lst of December last, a fine clear moonlight
night, a gang rf forty poachers trent to the house of a
Gentleman i his pot of the country (Sir J. Ramsden);
they made no secret of their intention—to take game,
from his preserve. Sir John had no adequate 1. ice to
resist them. He approached them while they were
carrying on their operations with fifteen inen, and the
moment they were apprised of his approach, lie heard
the leader of the gang direct his followers to draw the
shot out of their guns and load with ball. Hearing this
he very wisely re:ieated. An incident of the sam
nature occurred to Sit George Armitage, another Gen-
tleman of the neighbourhood. He did not ask them to
adhere to his, plait—he only asked them to inquire. He
did not wish lot the Committee so much with the view
of c'.llecting evidence, although he should have some
evidence to off,r, as to collect together in a room the
persons ebony interested in the question, where they
could consult together upon it in a more satisfactory
and useful manner than in that Hause.

L rd FALNIOUTH opposed the Amendment. It
could produce no good result. The argument of the
Noble Baron went to give new rights to every man pos-
.essing the sm4llest piece of land, or even a garden.—
He did not pledge himself to support the Bill in its
future stage:, but would vote for the second reading.
He lamented as much as any man the increase of crime,
but he must see his way clearly belote he assented to
any alteration of the law.
The Duke of RICHMOND spoke in favour of a
Committee. He objected to the law of qualification as
it now rt.rod.
The Earl of CARNARVON thought a Committee
de.irablt; but could not agree to reject the present Bill.
All parties agreed upon the expediency of legalising the
sale of game, and if this alteration was not so extensive
as might be requi:ed, it might be gord as far as it went.
The privilege of sale was no: confined by the Bill to'
the great landowners, it was extended to ail who pos•
sessed land to the extent of 1001. a year. Of which
Jeteription there were perhaps not less than 100,000
in the country. This could hardly bs called a nion
A clause might be added to the Bill to give a limited
quallication to occupiers of land in certain cilcurn-
stances. They should proceed to um iivel the system
of the G4MC Laws by degreest by permitting the sale

Eit I I DARNLEY would vote for the second reading,
but he at the same time was anxious for a Conimittee upon the ge-
neral subject. .The wan. of employment, to which allusion had
been made, arose in a great degree from the influx of Irish labour.
eraorho, starving in their own country, threatened to overrun this.
The House had on this circumstance an additional motive to give
their earnest attention Cu that great subject upon *filch be had
given notice of a motiou—..the wretched mate of the population of
Iceland.
•
The Marquis of SALISBURY, in reply,.said.tb it
his Bill did nut, as had been stated, confine the right of selling
game to the large landowners. Ile was out Solicitous that any
Hill he proposed to their Lordships should be a popular one.' What'
he leas most anxious for, was -to prevent the fierce and dreadful
contests now perpetually occurrhig all. over the country. Ho
agreed that, many of the offences agaia,t the Game Laws were to
he ascribed to the want of employment. It was lamentable to lire
the moiler in which the labouraog classes weir too freqiently
treated by the parochial officers; and he intended, if no other Noble
Lord took up that subjtct, to propose a liill to• give parochial
officer& she means of acting with greater justice towardisunmar.
deal labourers.
Lora CLIFDEN should vote in favour of the MU and also of
the Conamktre. It was of the utmost importance to do away with
a state of things whirl, was gradually trainiug the rural population
of the country fur a servile war.
After some desultory conversation, in which the Marquis of
I..ANSDOWN, the Alarquis of SALISSIVAIi, and other Noble Peers'
took part,

Lord WII A R NCLI FFE moved chit instead of now, the Bill
be read a second time ou the 24 of March. _

The ilouse thelvdivided on the question. that the word as new"
stand part of the licsolutium
Gntects . . .
2tion Consents . . .
Majority in favour of the Dill

Y 4
-2

Lord WI3AIt N C LI FFR said that many of the Noble Lords
who had voted tur the second reading- of the Bill were desirous'
that a Committee upon the general subject should be appointed, he
would proceed forthwith to move, that a Select Committee be ap-
pointed to take into consideration the Laws relating to Game,
and to report their opinion thereon to the House. •

After a few words of conversation betaeen Lord Fatmourn,
Lord TNYIIIIIIII3I. the Marquis of &Lissom- and Loth WMAILIKILItft,
t►e bar was cleared ,for a division.— Duriog our exclusion from the
House, we understood that the motion was agreed to wit►out a di-
vision, and the Committee appointed.
The House then Adjourned =Sarni o'CLocx.
lIGUSE OF COMMONS.

Mr. S. RICE prvsentni a Petition from certain Catholic In-
habitants of Galway,. praying for leave to bring in i Bill to enable
them to bold certain Corporate Office.—ltilerrcti to a COOlMittet.
Mr. IIY NO presented a Petition from the Most Noble John
Duke of Bedford, praying for !core to bring in a Bill for the im-
provement of Covent Garden Market.—lteferreik to,a Committe

Islr. BAN KES presented the Report of the. Dorsetskire J,Ainatle
Asylum Cunanuttee, and a 11.1 l WAS ordered to be brought iu founded
thereon.

Mr. 1108110 USE presented a Petition from the parishes of
St. John the Evange is; and Sr. INl.iry'‘, Lambeth; prrying for
Lave to bring hi a Bill for building a New lirldge.—Referred to a
Committee.

Mr. LYTTLETON presented a Petition from Plynioulli pray.
mg leave to bring to a Bid for the eat Ahlishratent of Public ait.ib.—
ltrferrctl to a Committee.

Alt. ithletonan WOOD presented a Petition from co rtain Uni-
tarians of -Collumption, praying fur a liepeal of the Test and Cor-
poration Ant..
Air. J. SMITH said, that be had a Petition to present from the
Catholic Body at Ireland, in favour id tile claims of the Protestaut
Dissenters, wiaich were shortly Income under the consideration of
the House. The Petition was signed by nearly three thousand
persons, composing the greater part of the wealth and ii.iluence of
the Catholics ut Irel.n.i. The Hon. !domainr rail that he felt the
utmost satisfaction at the truly genuine Christian sentiments ex-
pressed in the Petition. It called upon the House to remove all
distinctions of whatever kind, between his Alajesty's subjects on
accnunt of 'religious differences, upon the ground that every man
had a right to follow the dictates of his own conscience upon such
nutters nicely and without prejudice. In that sentiment be agreed.
and be believed that it of late rp.ide great progress amongst all
thinking men, whilst the opposite prinCiple hadbeen the occasion of
the deel.est miseries which could afflict Mankind, and bad caused
the shedding of oceans of human blood. He had, upon a former
occasion, stated to the House that the ,Protestsin D►ssenters did mt
intend to mil up their own cause with that of the Catholics, but
that they wished to sue them, lu common with all classes of Chris-
tians, relieved from the disabilities under which they laboured. Of
this Petition he could say the same.. There had been no union or
understanding between the two bodies; it was • spOntineOUS *Mu t
on the part of the Catholics of Ireland, which, in his judgmeni, did
them much honour.

Upon thr motion that the Petition be printed.
Mr. A. DA WSON said that the Petition was of great import-
ance, Inasmuch as it shelved that the prejudices of the Catholics
agaimt Protestant Dioseetter4 was fast fading away and becoming
extinct. It ought nut only to be printed, but circulated also
thr.,ugto every town in the empire, for he was sure that it would
tend ;0 liberalise the British seorld. If religious distinctions vette
put an end tot and Abe Catholics admitted to bold political power,
they should be at no loss to make up able Administrations, to, find
a Chancellor of the Exchequer, or 'a First Lord of the Tte,swy.
They should then have oil the talent of the Country open to them;

Mr. HOBHOUSE raid, that in presuming to offffs
himself to the House upon this occasion, he was per-
fectly aware that he stood in need of all—indeed of
mute than the usual indulgence, which he was bound
to say, and most gratefully to acknowledge. had fre-
quently been bestowed ticoo.him by the House. For,
however often similar votes to that which' he was About
to m,ise had been proposed—however often that Haute
had been called upon to record the national gratitude
for services done by land and by sea, he was princely
aware that, except upon one occasion—that in whi:h M •.
Sheridan 'waved a vote of thanks to the. English volun-
teers—such propositions had always Troteeded from
his Majesty's Ministers. At the same time 'it had cif en
struck his mind that it would be preferable to see such
a measure occasionally moved by some Member of Par-
liament not connected with his Majesty's Government.
Surely if these vote! were of any value, it was because
they were the unaffected expressions of national pais
tude. And it was not to be concealed that although
the sentiment was one which must meet a ready ecl o
in the bosoms of all also heard it, yet a Minister of the
Crown always came forward mantling ui on a c,rtain
eminence. and secure of a certain influence, which those
who were usually opposed to him could not command.
He thought also, that for the sake of these who were
the objects of the national admiration and gratitude, it
would be wiser and better Ili it the usage should le
occasionally departed from ; because if these who core-
manded our armies and flirts were to be subject to the
vicissitudes of those who struggled afti-r power for that
which was to crown their character, their looms, and
their final renown—if the reward of then gallantry and
skill was to await the change+, the tricks, arid'aise ins
trigues of Cabinets, then he who was a hero one day
might look to be an adventurer the next--(Hear, best).
He intended most studiously to- avoid every thin 4
which could open this discussion to Tarty, feeling's.--
He must suppose that his M jc •ty's Governmentiaawvi
.s all Gentlemen who weie Members of Parliemert.
meant to stand by the Gallant Officer who fou4ht the
battle of Navarin, and not to leave him without theassu: I
national reward-of his bravery aml triumph. It we' bus
intention to separate entirely, the service rerformed b 3
that G illant Officer, from the policy w ich sent him
.out. He would not, thereore. let shoe one `so'able
_which he thought calculated to excite angry discussion,
a...t0 mix the question of policy with the items d ate and
distinct object of his motion. Upon a former night lie
stated to a Noble Lord that he thiaight there were pre
c. dents in cases where this course had been .olasei wed,
,when there was even a chance of a difference of opinioa
EIS to the policy which sent the soldier to the field to the
sailor to the sea.• He had extracted from the dehale
upon the Copenhagen expedition, from the speech of
Lord Liverpool, these words:—" If the ex: edition *etc
as unjust and unnecessary as I think it is just and- elect.-
vary; or if it were as impolitic and *ionise. as I. think it
poli is and wise, stilt I should contend that that was nn
ground of opposition to a vote of thanks to thole-who
ably and skilfully execu'ed the services which t',e es pr.
dentin lequiied.”--s(Heae, !var.) These were the woe s
lot Lod Liverpool, and lie .hd not see ho.v it was
aible for-any I lonourab e Merntra toe cafe the woe
and just distinCton v hi-1r they consteyed. 111,-cri IEO
same qu soon. Mr. Percival said. he kaptd their use
would Ina teethe its thanks to tie Offi et.; because they
nad to perlotti a painful and a heart bre dc:fig duty?'
Lord Castle.edgli said it w:ts due to t! e Army to lot k
'oily at ,fie ex, cution of th see vices *it o 1 Inch it es
charged ; but not only was it due to t •e Army a iu
Navy, but also to those Gentlemest in the House satin
opposed his Majesty's Government u, on the policy of
the measures, who mast bt desirous of acknow:edging
their thanks to the gallantry of the ai.srsy, but who
wouist not be ab:e to do so if they did not srp,rate the
Isct flout the ptlicy which dictated it. His ofject,
then, was to give such an opportunity 70 rho e vhu
disapproved cot the Treaty of London—(Wert, hear.)—.
'At the tine to which he had alluded; pansy feeling lan
nigher than perhaps at any other period, at to the merits
of the- Co, enha en expedition. Lied Sidmouth de•
scribed it as 6.-an outrage." Lord Granville said it was
an ete: nal disgrace." /4r: Wyndharns;u:nd Dr.li —ia
niece called it a " lastiak monorucmtsttfdts,epaCe.":—
Others used still strouger..fanguageArt ongst v,hont
were Mr. Sheridan, Mr. Tiefeey, Mr..Whitbread, and
others no: necessary to tneia ion,' who described it as a
base and treacherous Bit did this prevent a tote
of thanks? 1.1 the Hotrse!tif Ltirdathe4 was no division,
wid only two objections from Lards Holland and G:ey,
which was, that the navy was n' t engted, and there.
fore ought not to be thanked. Tlie Ike Lord Moir',
wins sig, ed that Eotest against the t xiod.tion, which
wa, headed by the present Duke of Gloucester, said,
"it was not for Officers sent upon an expedition to judge
of its policy.; it 'as only their duty to execute the sets
vice ordered; and if they did it with skill, success, arnl
ability, they were' fairly entitled to thanks." It Was
tide. that is the House of Commons t• ere 'was a strong
discussion and diviskin. But the groundOt the division
Was tin canvas that uiged in the Lords, that therehad
been no N'avel:actrou entitling the Navy tcrthatiks. This
hoe ell; that the: e Wits no • difference.• Of opiniOn enter.