Star. — 1819-03-15 (London, England)

TOR. THZ STAR. 'llllll-4 iyeg leave) through the Mediuiti of your to ex. Omit my astonishment that any person tbrtelent &Slid, for- a moment, maintain an opinion so 'contrary to reason as that which has been given In opposition to Mr. BRAND'S most excellent motion *dative to -the Amendment of the Game Laws. If. any thing could' deter Gentlemen from being induced to remain on their estates, it would be the robberies, and, I may add, murders, that are now so frequently committed, and decidedly the greater part of which, *by men that are either poachers, or have begun their career of infamy by associating with this deteitable race of miscreants, who, step by step, are led on from their nightly depredations to enormities of the darkest hue.  The grand object, therefore, ir to effect a coin- ' plete supprmion of this vice, by means which will not put the life of a fellow-creature in competition with that of a head of game :—and how is this to be effected? Make the crime subject to a moderate penalty, or punishment, and' the hardened offender among his associates will easily raise the payment for the one, and despise the danger of the Wier.— Make it more severe, and he will only become the more desperate, which has been already too frequently proved fry the many murders committed since the late Act ! Bow, then, is it possible effectually to complete the suppression of poaching, except Iviendering it no longer of avail to those who If game is made private property, and consequently a legally attainable commodity, would any sensible person deal with a contraband vender of it, subject to a heavy penalty, when, by , sending to a farmer, or poulterer, lie could purchase it at the same price, and without any risk of information ? Would a poacher find it worth his while to continue his nightly depredations, when the market was already so will supplied, that he could not get a fair price for his booty—and would not the mania for same in a great measure cease, when there no longer existed a difficulty in procuring it? What then would be the ultimate success? The poacher, instead of coming to the gallows, might. probably end his days in the workhouse, and the rising generation would avoid, as a pest, the adopting of so unprofitable a trade.  I will not insult any Englishman so mirth as to insinuate that he values the preservation of a few birds before the morals of the people around him ; or the private recreation of himself and friends before the welfare of his country. Brit even admitting that in a few instances tills might unfortunately be the case, still he will have little difficulty, if game is made private property, in forming arrangements to preserve as well as evir, if not to ameliorate his' diversions. Surely he may reserve what he pleases in the drawing up of the lease to his tenantry : and 'as tip the leases at present in, existence, the new Act may be so framed as not to operate upon them until ther shall hav•terminated, and may require to be renewed ; and then let them be subject to whatever contracts may be made between the gentleman and the farmer : and could net the one make it the interest of the 'other to promote his divenion by preserving a good stock of game? Unquestinoably this might be arranged as a mutual accommodation. But, notwithstanding, people will object, and why ? because they have an ambition, inherent in them from their forefathers, to -value the -game on their 1 ,estates as a miser would his gold; and because, under the present system, there may be occasional opportunities of extending a despotic command over many of their inferiors, on whose property they have no right whatever.—l am, Sir, your obedient humble servant, AN OLD SPORTSMAN, The Lord of Manors, and a well-wisher to my Country.