THE GAME QUESTION FROM A NATIONAL POINT OF VIEW.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1407, 19 August 1878, Page 3

THE GAME QUESTION FROM A NATIONAL POINT OF VIEW.

To the Editor of the Globe.

Sib,—Doubtless many of your readers, like myself, would be much pleased on reading your able and interesting remarks on the above question in last Saturday's is3ue. With your permission I will beg a small space to make a few additional ones, believing it of vest importance to this country whether judicious measures are adopted or not. You very justly observe that stringent game laws would not bo calculated or likely to add to the increase and protection of game, but the reverse, and would lead to what is commonly called poaching—

Its rather hot Sir Grey-crop fat When on our freehold ground we see, The hare so fleet, nor venture shot Nor hold our guns like Britons free ! And I am quite satisfied in my own mind that such laws will not be passed, much less enforced, or even allowed to disgrace the statute book of this country. In tho first place, those who may consider themselves the upper ten, and who from selfish motives are in favor of battuo butchery, have not the power and instruments to do it with, or ever will have, which I will explain further on. Secondly, because the middlo class (the bono and sinew of the land) are so numerous and so independent, that they will not bo coerced into assisting to'return men to make laws which are at once so opposed to their interest and feelings, but will use their power by manly opposing tho passing of all measures that they believe would be injurious to tho country at large. This tiny may do by returning such men only as will truly and honeetly represent their interest and wishes in Parliament. Tho rea.onthat such all-powerful and would-be-

rulers will not be able to force such measures on the people in this country is, that they lack that abominable and cruel weapon—the six months' notice to quit, which is so much resorted to in the old country for upholding the present game laws—which are a disgrace I to any civilised country in tho nineteenth century. The effect of such laws at the present time is to create, prosecute, and brand as poachers ten thousand annually, which has a very demoralising effect on the lower class, the rural population especially. And it must bo borne in mind that all offenders against the game laws are prosecuted at the ratepayers' exponse; also their maintenance in gaol and their wives and families in the union, which certainly too often is the ease. A man there is liable to a fine of £5 for oven knocking a rabbit down on his own land ; here, I believe, he would render himself liable to a fine of £SO for turning one up. To punish and brand a man as a poacher for destroying noxious animals on his own land cannot be right, and should not bo lawful, as a man should ceriainly be at liberty to do what he likes with his own, so long as he does not cause injury to others. And the terra poacher hero is certainly misapplied. He only takes what is his own, and that to check injury to his crops and provide a little food for his wife and family. But however demoralising the effect of the Game Laws may be in the old country to the lower classes, I am satisfied they are still more so to the higher, which I may allude to at a futuro time, for as the poet says—

They make laws and (break laws, and priests pray ye bo forgiven ; After tempting ye, they sentence ye with the aid of hemp to heaven.

Men heie will not be compelled to poach to eke out a precarious livelihood and provide a little fresh meat for their wives and families as at home, various kinds of employment being so numerous, and wages high, with fresh meats, &c, so plentiful and cheap, which necessarily will be the case for many years to come, if men do occasionally go after game it will he for the love of a little adventure, ' sport and pastime, much for the same reason that young Hodges runs after the hounds in the old country, where he is at once looked upon and condemned as an idle lawless fellow, by such as are mounted and clad in scarlet. But. who supposes for a moment that Hodges follows the hounds because he wants a bit of fox. No, indeed, but should opportunity occur, ho would probably knock a rabbit over, take him home, cook and eat him, which would constitute an offence against the Game Lawe, and brand him as a poacher for life. The law of trespiss, with summonsing and fining, for all legitimate and moderate game preeerving in this country is quite sufficient, and the farmers are certainly the best judges as to what amount of game it is desirable to keep, and how that shall be protected. They do not require outside protectors, and will not tolerate the intrusion of keepers or police. And who can blame them. But they will bid defiance to such, and act in direct opposition to the wishes of some of the members of the acclimatisation society, fee. This you justly observed, and to my knowledge, in more than one instance, it has been the case, for since keepers have been appointed some havo turned from protectors to destroyers, and will probably continue so to the end. Farmers, as a rule, are led tetter than driven, and must certainly be allowed to know a little of their own business, and what is to their interest or not, and will act accordingly. And I am prepared to prove that it costs the country as much to produce one pound of hare or rabbit as it does ten punds of beef or mutton, to say nothing of sheep improving the land, &c, which game do not. From what I have r?ad, I believe the rabbits alone in this island aro doing at least £IOOO per week damage, which sum would pay for the erection of five comfortable houses, where most needed, and what an improvement that would be to the country generally. It is said of lords and 'squires that there is a nobler thing than rearing game, viz., rearing homes for the poor to dwell within. Again— Frincos and lords may flourish or may fade, A breath can make them, as a breath hath ' made But a bold peasantry, their country's pride, When once destroyed can never be supplied. Since rabbits were mado game, and policemen gamekeepers, a gun tpx imposed, and battue shooting become pretty general, the rural population has decreased twenty percent, in the old country, and thousands of acres of land have not been half as well cultivated or so productive as formerly. Sheep have decreased two millions, and are decidedly worse in quality ; horses and cattle also show a similar falling off, which I am satisfied is principally caused by the injudicious legislation, and increase of game, which we here should carefully guard against—at the same time bearing in mind that a merciful preventive is more just than a just punishment: For game is no man's property like horse, cow, pig, or «heep, It feeds on land of various men, on others' gangs tae sleep. Yours, &c, NEW OHUM. Ohristchurch, August 14th.