The Statesman.
London, England, 1824-02-18 00:00:00

GAME LAWS.

Mr. STUART WORTLEY said, he rose in consequence
of the notice he bad given, for the purpose of moving for
leave to bring in a Bill to amend and alter the present laws
for the preservation of game. In stating the grounds upon
which he called upon the House to sanction 'the measure,
he expressed his wish to condense his observations as mach
as possible, as he was aware of the important motion
which was about to be brought under the consideration
of the House by a Noble Lord this night ; but at the same
time he most be permitted to say, that there was no sub-
ject more important to the morals, comfort, and religion
of the country. than that which he, was about to touch
upon.—(Hear.) Speaking as an individual upon the (lame
Laws, he could not say that be had ever found much diffi-
culty in preserving his game, although he was a preserver,
and had been for many years; but be attributed that to
his living in a country where the game was very plentiful.
It was, however, due to his brother preservers to adopt
some measure by which the laws would be put en a footing
of preserving the game more easily, and at the same time
not to extend the principles of preservation farther than it
was carried at present. The mode in which it was proposed
to do this appeared to him to be very simple. Hitherto
game bad not been celled " property," In the/legal sense
of the word,•althottgb it we's certainly protected by certain
levee peculiar to itself. The principle upon wiliChlis Bill
was bottomed, was, that of making 'game prnpertt 'to aa
large an extent as om its peculiar nature it was possible
...(heer), and giving to every man who owned lends a
poverty in the rinse upon such lends as far ai pessiblet
It would follntr,' of course, as a consequence.' thee
time. who owned the game, should ' bare the 'power
Hit • disposing, of it ; for in ' the present state of
ellelety,'it was badness' toibink that, whativer laws were
sidle, the gamewoeld not be sold 'and the' markets 'lap-
piied:4--(Hear.) Indeed, after the Report which bad been
made to rhd beds., be wondered tbere could be ant delicacy
on'the sitbjest, for, in 'fact, the 'sale of gates wane (Toffee
the sower goon day. And it could not•be said that tbls
violatioa (tithe law was attribittable to-any pirate in-par:
tinier. This contraband trade In fraini Would' be' nearly
per an enerto. if 'game was made-the property of those in
whew lands It • was found.' And • be could not bee .the 'bad
mnseqeencir which sornatentlemet tintehind 'to fete ivitnld
result trawl this eimetenent; betide' rlfht of s'ellloo
the game Weald be strictly confined' te•tbbse who
eensed. The Blll'wouid also aboltsb'eti filstinedorts as to
the right of shootierumsa a manse awn lied. orituffitiing
,others to shoot thereon. He would put the law In this

mates or STAIN.
Lord NUGENT said, that in laying before the house
the grounds of his metion, he artist be understood ari not
interfering at all with the vote to which the house bad
come the other night on the Address ; butt he could not
acquiesce in the terms of the Address, which stated that
the result of our policy was a sdhject for congratulation.
He thought that policy was ill suited With the high tone
this country ought to have assumed, and that our con-
duct had been most insincere, and at variance liiat our
principles. He could not but persuade himself oar &re-
dact had been most hostile to the cause which We ',tanned
to support= that it was such as called for the reptriaelnis of
every friend to liberty, arid for the contempt of tfroser
powers *Web bad so unfortunately triumphed againit it,.
and that the result had been injurious to our interests.
He could not conceive that Spain had been allowed to fall
almost without a blow—not ruined by the liberality of
this country, but by our moral professions. If he faihd in
making out a case for the papers, he should fail in what,
even where be to succeed, would not in any respect con-
tradict the words of his Majesty's Speech, that in the
neutrality which his Majesty had determined upon last
year, lie consulted the best interests of his people. Last
Session we expressed our disapprobation of the unjust
and violent aggression then meditated by France. We
were prepared for the Ministers declining to take ant girt;
although in that quarrel were involved questions most
essential to us and all free States—questions of principle
on which the independence of all free States entirely ex-
isted. But we were not prepared for a gratuitous surren-
der of commercial advantages by this country. If we
were not to take the more generous part, which might have
appeared to some persons to have better suited the ancient
character and policy of this country, we were not at least
to become partizans with Francs. How far we bad so
done would be seen. The vain lamentations on the other
side of the house over the cruel fate of Spain, and those
evils which we had so mainly contributed to bring upon
her, were a most flimsy pretext to disguise from our own
people this fact, that out of forbearance to the unpritteipled
spoliators of the Continent we consented topart with many
most material grounds of our own national prosperity. It
was not his intention to advert to any transactions which
took place last year at Verona ; to many concessions there
made in point of principle—to the abandonment of those
real effective means which we possessed of giving a sup-
port worthy of England to the Constitutional system in
Spain, to which we gave our solemn sanction in 1812.
He did not ask now whether a tone might not have been
held at Verona, which might have saved Spain without in-
soiving this country in war ! or whether at any time it
was tit or becoming in England to sand hy—as we did at
Paris afterwarJe —patient spectators of the insolent dia.
regard with which on that occasion his Christian Majesty
treated us ; these things were decided last year, and be
did not now question the decision. That was considered
the fit policy of this country, he was ready to admit, by
the great bulk of Englishmen. All he wish. ito add now
was, that what was foreseen at Verona as a possible case,
which if it did occur would form a ground for interference,
had actually occurred. We had not only not taken part
against France, but assisted her ; we Lad in return been
attacked by her in some of the most important interests of
our trade, and in the honour of our flag. with impunity,
and, for any thing that we beard from his Majesty's Minis-
ters. without remonstrance. The possible case was fore-
seen, that if this war on the part of France took place, it
would be a war of annexation : and that was proposed
to be the inevitable ground for the interference of this
country. By various acts es well as declarations of the
French Government, we were dived on our owttease for
interference. No sooner bad the Duke d'Angonleine been
made snare of the real increasing ditficolties of his poli-
tical position in Spain ; no sooner' had he been made
aware of the exorhitant views of the body 'be bad himself
appointed. than ity.a public Edict he declared his ohject to
be the takint the Goiettrinerit of Spiim into his own bands;
that was the Edict of Andujir iistied about the beginning
of Aug. last. The Duke d'Angourenie declared the power
of the Spanish Regency to be at an end, and chained
from all civil as well as military authorities obedience to
himself: He (Lord N.) did not blathe the Duke d'Angeti-
kme for this declaration. He was free to cottsider the
Edict was founded on humanity, and that it was called far
by the most immediate amenity; bit at the sated time
it was a deilaration as stiong as terms could make it, that
the real object of the war was the 'virtual attekkition ppf
Spain a; a province of France. This was not a mire nide
declaration. The proclamation of Andujat had scarcely
been issued, when, in point of fact, the Frendh 114 wit.s
hoisted be the will of every town; here•undotilitedly one
could not praiie the good filth of the French bridge. .It
would be reeollectethat in erdsaing• the Pyrendies tile
Mike d'Angoaleme had issued a proclanlitton promisink
to the Spanish nation that no fiats should be seen on walls
of a town which should surrender; but no sooner had the

' subsequent "edict got into grneral crenlations. thvn. the
whole appearance of the an:need. objtets of
.thewai lei r;.:
changrii; and the Duke d'Angauletni *tone rietnaPrilje
Viceroy of Spain 'rider the Vrerieh Matrart.:, But :tap
British Gotliomkat bad deatied; iethe Pigtail note' of
iristractiods to tite'Duke of 'Welhigadt.: that''" conac what
would," to a WAt SO • begat by Pranabiallibletity ivould
nerer be it *arty. That writ a .strong Obraie.!aud be 0;64
N.) •reenchtbeivii the 'cheeis with Ojai illat",dtaratt h
was rectifediait ear btthe houhe :.,liliolougie 0416
mitith'afte'r the declaration so' profattrict 'd : teslat' 141 p .
eetprise—whit must heel, bean tilt scrip ie:of poo'rt!%e
Reed; betrayed' Spain:-to see our MiqTater echieliffP.tP
her government. threw himself into the ands'"b ot,atla
, Dula d'Angolltnie. into the French beadVertersi., al
bilt:
Hiatt too witl a .Idiatiaiiou stating , Ofirioods;: its"
conduct Of ' his to bean act'irliishba.f bilak4°!l IL
sok
Sfaniih Chriaibt the adtdinfatVitiort of',llslle iinainsii
of ' Spain f-Frbor Hui • moniatieDot. OkW. A Itturi,lollg;
dtaiii4 Ijinivelf trcian' the Goveietaatll.9o - .1-.4-er
' taiftib: of • hostility &id -bete made bf ii coda rai st
the Constitutional Oorernment—not formerly declared—