The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1874-12-24
CAME LAWS
a

or tie manly out door pastime the
pursuit Of it affords, the fact stares us
10 the face that ere long regard must
be had to the subject Of game and the
means for its preservation. The indis-
criminate slaughter practiced almost
everywhere, the unreasonable shoot
ing, the persistent hunting which kills
the goose that lays the golden egg is
fast depopu!ating our fields and forests,
and, unless some or all Of these evil
practices can be efficiently crushed,
the time is not far distant when good
! days shooting will be possible only to
those with means and leisure 10 seek
/ it in distant areas Of unsettled or
sparsely settled land
The immensity Of the amount Of
game annually killed in Great Britain
aud that, too, over country almost
every practicable foot of which is IN.
der cultivation or pasturage is a mar.
vel TO an American. When it is re.
msmbered that Of rabbits, the only
kind of game which interieres with a
farmers crops and therefore are not
allowed to breed and multiply as much
as they otherwise would, about 49,
900 tons are annually killed and eaten,
il will be evident chat with such pro-
lection to game as is afforded it in this
country the food production wrought
by the feroe nat'yoe might become, in
the United States, almost beyond com.
putation. The most radical opinion
in this country does not attribute TO
feathered game any serious damage 70
the crops. Indeed, it is somewhat
Win partridges and pheasants here as
with quail with US, that is, they are
held rather TO help than to harm the
farmer in this, that they pay their way
in the injurious insects they destroy.
| refer TO the function Of the quail in
the wheat bearing region Of America
in which it is said to keep in subiec
ton the wevil However this may be,
the fact is that the quantity OF game
here is enormous, as is evidenced by
the shops where it is sold in the price
it brings and the frequency IN which il
is seen along every roadside where the
traveller goes. That this abundance
should exist in country where ami
NAL food is not common to the laborel
and where, therefore. game is con
stantly poachcd, is proof Of the etfci
ency Of the legislation.in the form o
game laws. propose to give YOU
readers some idea of what these are il
principles and details.
The game laws of Great Britain are
derived frop the common law and from
statuatory provisions made to give ;
protection not afforded by the common
law, The right to kill the ierae natura
! wild amin lals is attached to the soil
/ This right is guarded as is the right to
pasture OF plough the land, To xii
the game upon it is as much a lega
use as any other use. While the land
lord has only qualified or conditional
ownership in the game on his land th'
right Of killing it on his land is hii
solely, and is unqualified except in th'
operation Of such general regulations
as determine the times and the meth
DDS Of capture. The killing Of game il
use of the soil which may be separ
sted from the tillage or the pasturage
and as such may be sold separately o
retained separately. In other words
|, owning q hundred acres can rent
you the shooting, or / cat rent you thu
land and retain the shooting. But il
all cases the presumption of law is tina
tie agricultural use is the dominan
use, or, in other words, If rent yol
tic shooting on my hundred acres, yo'
are bound 10 keep the game so ia
killed off that they shall not injure m.
crops aud this though there be not
word about II IN the lease
II own land in which you, in com
mon with others have the right IT pas
tufage, tie right to kill the game be
longs to TO me. Again. Il give you
the sight TO shoot game on my land
fgF pleasure, the game killed belongs
t. me; il Tor profit and il is 10 express
q, the game is yours. II for pleasure
you cannot delegate your privilege
II for profit, you can can convey
e. yau the right 70 kill icaihercd gam'
and retain the ured game, bat il
that ease the disUnction must be clear
~ expressed Bot ID any case you
right 10 kiIi game thus acquired IS bel,
sahseryient 10 the farming uses q IL
land loa cannot tfample my whea
o. meadows. etc.
2ad TIE ownership u game i