Daily national Democrat. [volume] (Marysville, Calif.) 1858-1861, 1859-02-09
Dogs.

One of the Aldermen Of the First Ward, de-
hvered himself of an able and eloquent
speech, at the last meeting of the Council, on
the Dog Question. His effort wns made in
support of an amendment to the Dog Tag
ordinance. which he himself offered, to the
effect that all owners of "noxious and furious
dogs" permitting them to run at large, should
be subject to prosecution, and that any per-
son killing an untagged dog should be enti'
tied to a premium Of fifty cents. The elo
quent member stated in a very forcibe man
ner that "noxious and furious" dogs were so
prevalent in the streets of this city and in the
yards Of private houses unclaimed, that it
was scarcely safe for grownup man to pass
through certain quarters of the town on his
ordinary business, and positively dangerous
for children to perlmbulate the streets at all.
He painted in glowing colors the dreful pic
ture of an innocent and tender child the hope
and joy of its doting parents, being set upon
by an inhundn cur and literally "chawed up
before assistance could reach 1.-THE agony
of its parents upon the discovery of the ca
lamity and the fearful sympathy of tender
hearted neighbors and friends. When he
finished this graphic portraiture of suffering,
there was scarcely dry eye in the house.
He then went on to consider the financial as
pect of the question. The whole annual
revenue derived from the present taxation of
dogs, he said did not amount to more than
one hundred and fifty dollars "and l will
venture to say" continued the Alderman,
with q startling emphasis of tone, fully COM
mensurate with the importance of the sub
iect, that there are no less than thousand
dogs in this city to-day making n revenue,
were they all provided wish tags, to the
enormous amount of fire thousand dollars per
annum. "Sir," he continued, "it is evident
that there is some radical defect in our pres.
ent dog system. Every dog without q tag
should die, die ANONYMOUSLY, and until the
penalty of death is inflicted in every instance.
the nuisance will never be abated Sir,
trust | shall not be accused Of inhumanitv-|
There is no man who has greater respect
for dogs than l. But, sir, when they become
instead of the friends the enemies of the hui
man species, swapping and snarling at the
heels of honest and respectable pedestrians,
and frequently throwing the gravest of our
citizens completely off their dignity by sud-
denly rushing out upon them from an obscure
corner or some quick turn in the streets, even
assailing ministers of the gospel and learned
doctors of law and medicine, most frequently |
from behind, to say nothing of their furious
onslaughts upon the rising generation, sir, l
think, sir, it is time, sir to declare pdr against
them-war with gun, club and pistol-war
with strychnine and arsenic-war till the
last NANCY cur expires" Here there was
demonstration of applause which was speedi
ly suppressed by the Presiding officer) lie
went on: "Sir, shall not undertake to say |
that there are no respectable dogs in this city
without tags; (Sensation.) but this will say
that there ShomLd be none. Let the tag hence
forth bea mark of canine responsibility,
badge of honor to the cur, poodle, terrier,
hound or mastitf that wears it. Let him be
never SO inferior looking animnl-let him
be of never so mean breed or so humble
an origin-nay, though the globose tick
should infest his shaggy hair and the agile
flea disturb his nocturnal slumbers-the mo
ment the eye of the observer shall fall upon
the insignia upon his neck, let him say, "this
is true and honest quadruped -" another
demonstration of applause, suppressed as be-
fore. by the hammer of the presiding officer).
We cannot pretend to give anything like a
full report of this able effort. Suffice il to
say, it settled the fate of caninity on this
peculiarly canine ground once and forever
and the contemplated ordinance will un-
dCnbtedly pass.