Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-04-21

FErDALIsN IN ENGLAND-Iate English papers
contain reports of two cases which strkingly illus
trate the stupidity Of the unpaid English magstra-
cy and the folly and oppression of that other relic
OF feudalism, the English code of game laws They
are cited in view of the proposal to add still further
to the power of the magistrates in question: by Civ
ing them substantially supreme control the
funds of the payers, to show to what manner of
men 1t is proposed to intrust such responsibility
and to expose the iniquity Of the laws retained on
the satutebOok for the sole purpose of guarantying
the selfish pleasures of the territorial aristocracy by
securing to them the exclusive property in wild
creatures.
The first of these cases that of boy fourteen
years old, accused of having been out with dog,
Tor the purpose OF taking game 1t was proved that
he was riding one horse and leading another and
was followed by three dogs-a spaniel greyhound,
and what one of the witnesses called "a stump-tail
sort OF lurcher." The evidence clearly showed
that he rode straight on turning neither to the right
nor to the left and was so occupied with his horses
that lie had no time opportunity even if he felt
disposed, to engage in poaching. The three dogs,
after the manner of all dogs at leisure rambed about
freely; and, having started hare they gave chase,
and the "stump-ta sort of a lurcher" caught it.
against the statute in such case made and provid-
ed, and carried it few minutes but dropped it on
hearing the cries of woman working in the field.
The bench considered the evidence very clear"
and fined the boy twenty shilling, though there was
no evidence to show that he had set the dogs on or
had tried to profit by the sinful act of the stump
tail sort of a lurcher" a
The other case was that of laborer, charged with
unlawiuliy using wire-a species of snare-for the
purpose of taking game The sole witness said that,
having noticed that pheasant. had been caught in
wire, he lay in wait near it to ~atc and presently
the accused, who had left off working in neghbor-
ing field to take lunch and looked at the wire
for some minutes, but without touching it or the
bird The prisoner said in his defense that having
heard bird utterng, he went at luncl-hour to see
what it was The magistrates had no doubt about
The intention of the defendant" and sent him to
prison for month, in default of payment of a fine
OF twenty shillings. 1t not even limited that he
had set the wire, and the bird was caught when he
saw it, and he did not even touch it. By what act,
then, was his unlawful intention, which the magis-
trates punished, indicated?
Perhaps it is well that few innocent persons
should thus suffer- in order that the eyes of the peo
pie OF England shall be more surely and quickly
opened to the monstrous enormity of the laws gov
erning such cases. and the still more monstrous stu
pidity of those appointed by the Government gratui
tously to administer them. Meanwhile, let English
meddlers with American institutions learn to see
and reform abuses at home before extending their
telescope philanthropy to our far happier land.