Star.
London, England, 1810-05-09 00:00:00

CRIMINAL LAW.

Lord HOLLAND expressed a wish to more the second read-
ing of the. Criminal Law Amendment Bill on Titunday.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH t.hserved, that the sullk!ct was one
of great 'moment, and wished that furitur time might be Elven
• Ibr its consideration. ,

Lord HOLLAND asoented, and Friday se'nnight was agreed
upon, for which day the lands were ord.:red to be summoned.

CRUELTY TA ANIMALS.

The House resolved itself into a Committee on the
Bill for more effectually preventing Malicious and
Branton Cruelty to Animals.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH observed, that upon
further cons;Aering the expressions used in the Bill,
be thought the words 46 cut" and 4;4 Wound" too inde-
finite. The word, 44 cut" might be applied to a cut
with a whip, and might be cause-of much vexation
to individuals, from charges bebig *made against them
under the Bill. The word 44 wonnd" was also liable
to objection, as not being sufficiently definite. He
therefore proposed that the expression should be, kill,
stab, or maim. _

Lord ERSKTNE was disposed to agree to the
amendment which his Noble and Learned Friend. ap-
peared to think necessary to render the Bill sufficiently
definite. He at the same tithe pressed upon their
Lordships the necessity of addiiting some measure of
this description, in order to prevent those acts of
cruelty upon animals, which were unfortunately too
frequently committed. He .-ssured their Lordships
that neither the trunk nn the table, nor five trunks l:ke
it, would hold all the letters he had received, stating
instances of cruelty towards animals. His Lordship
read a letter which hashad received the preceding day
stating two instances of great cruelty, but in which
the parties could not be convicted, because malice
against the owner.s of the animals could not be proved.
He was aware, that to render punishable cruelty
committed with malice towards the animal, was com-
mencing a new mra in legislation, and therefore he
wished to proceed cautiouslf There was a moral
sense amongst mankind, which led them in general
to use animals with kindness, and he, was persuaded
that if the Bill passed, it would greatly tend to the im-
provement of morality.
Lord ELLENBOROUGH could not help difTer-
kg in some degree with his Noble and Learned
Friend. He had strong objections to making a new
sera in legislation upon this point. He was of opinion
that the moral sense of mankind was sufficient, as it
hitherto had been, for the protection of animals ; and
it was to be observed that in no country under the sun
was there any system of legislation for the protection
of animals, except so far as related to the interests of
man. He was not therefore prepared to approve
altogether of the principle of the Bill ; but at any
rate it was incumbent upon the House to render its
enactments so definite and certain, that it might
not be rendered an instrument of vexation and op-
pression. It was with this view he had moved his
*amendment ; and he must also object to the Bill being
extended, as it was at present, to sheep and swine.—
Those were animals very apt to trespass ; and the
previsions of the Bill, if applied with respect.to them,
might lead to great oppression. A pig might get
into a cottage, and bed eating the cottager's potatoes ;
the cottager might strike the pig with a shovel, and
for thus wounding the pig Might, under the Bill, be
imp: isoned for a-month. There were other cases of
oppression-which might arise out-of such a Bill, and
it was therefo're necessary that it should be very cau-
tiously and. definitrly worded. With respect to acts
of cruelty committed publicly upon animals, these
were earere lues law-es, and the parties committing
them were liable to indictment.
The LORD CHANCELLOR, in not oppos:ng
the progress of the Bill in its pre.amt stage, wished it
to be understood, that he might not thereby be consi-
dered as precluded from saying Content or Not Con-
tent, to the passing of the Bill, according to the shape
in which it came out fern: the Committee. In looking
at this Bill fort the protection of animak, he could not
help :asking, why, as the ox w.ts mentioned, the bull
was not also included ?
The Earl of LAUDERDALE was decidedly
hostile to the Bill, conceiving that the moral sense of
mankind was amply sufficient .for the protection of
animals, an] that nothing could be. more d;mgcrotis
than attempting to eofor:e principles of morality or
humanity by legislation.
Lord RED ESDA LE olijected altogether to Irgis-
Feting upon the principle now assumed. The
however, was deiieiznt in the vcs y object which it
sought, as it did not extend its- protection to aninials,
which it might have been supposed v. ould have natu-
ral/4- come under its provisions. Thus, for instance,
the bull was not mentioned, although it was well
known that balls were cruelly used by being baited,
whilst, at the same time, bull-baits were a great terror
And annoyance to the ncighWurhood in which they
took place.
Lord ERSKINE lamented the ttirn which the disk
eussion had taken, and which could not have been
e pected after tae support his Bill had experienced in
the last Session, or atter the manner in which the se-
cond reading had been agreed to only on the prece-
ding day. The omission of the boil might be called
a bull in leg ; but there ha 4 been strom; objec-
tions upon this point, and he had thought it better to
-Id thr Min— modify the Bill in
- Noble and
he trusted
at the Bill
aid when an

t: •
Friend, he Ovid hot agree with hint as tell-tht ear-
•

, . .
dieney.ot introducing
.this flSw priliciphi. the le-
Olation 'of the country. - .
The LORDCHANCELLOR proposed that Lord
•
Walsingham. shotrid _leave the Chair, :.nd that'the'l
Committee should sit ag,tin on another day, and the
Lords be sumtuoned. . . .
This was agreed to, and Cie dininittee appointed
for this day se'nnight.
Adjourned till to-morrow (this day).

• --->

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

The Earl of Essex's Estate Bill went through a Committee.
The House went into a Committee on the Act, relating to
Herrings, which is near expiring.--,s resolution was agreed to
for reviving the same.
A Person from the Excise Office presented an Account of the
Duties on Spirits, which was laid on the table.
Mr. INTTLEFON postponed his motion which stood for this
day respecting Captain Foskett till Thursday next, and the mo-
don on the sinne subject, which stood for Thursday, until that
day se'nnight.
The Irish Stage Coach Bill was postponed till Friday.
'the Stage Coach Eill went , through a Committee, and the
Report was received, and ordered to be taken into further consi-
deration on Monday se'nnight.
The Howse went into a Committee on the necessity of making
compensation to S6atch Extractors.—The resolution to that effect
was agreed to. ,

The Report of the Dill for abolishing Commissary and Inferior
Courtsin Scotland was brought up and agreed to.
Mr.'SHAW I.I.:VEVRE presented a Petition. from certain
Inn-keepers, respecting the WU now before Parliament, for teir
relief. The Honourable Gentleman stated, that he shoulfl nfove
that this Petition, and some others on the same subject, should
be referred to a Committee.—The Petition was then laid on the
.; .

A Message from the Lords announced that their Lordships
had agreed to several Private Bills.
Mr. WHARTON brought up the Bill for enabling his Ma-
jesty to grant an annuity to the Duke of Brunswick. It was read
a first time, and ordered to be read the second time to-morrow.
He likewise brought in a Bill for granting additional annuities
to discharge the Exchequer fund; and a Bin for bringinc the
duties on Hawkers and Pedlars; under that of hackney-coachmen.
They were both read a first time, and ordered for a second read-
ing to-morrow.
He then brought up Papers relative and supplementary to the
Navy Estimates, pursuant to an Order of the I louse. They were
ordered to lie on the table. _ _ _

Mr. CIiOKER, pursuant to Order, brought up copies of
Disratches between 1-Ord Hawkesbury and Mr. Villiers.—Or-
iered to ie on the table.

Lord ARCHIBALD HAMILTON gave notice of a motion
for expunging from the Journals the Resolution relative to laird
Castlereagh's intended exchange of a Writcrship for a Seat in the
House, on Friday, the lbth.
Mr. CANNING moved for various Papers relative to Spain.—
Ordered.