The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1885. ENGLISH GAME LAWS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1339, 12 May 1885, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, MAY 12, 1885. ENGLISH GAME LAWS.

The Game Laws of England are u blot upon the civilisation of tlie ninetoeth century. Englishmen niaj sing " Britons never shall be slaves," but while these cruel laws digrace the pages of the British statutes half the song is but a vain boast. These laws are made by the aristocracy to protect their means of amusing themselves, and they are hideously and revoltingly cruel. For instance, if a poacher should happen to be shot dead while poaching the man who has murdered him escapes punishment. In the eyes of the British law it is almost as heinous a crime to kill a hare, or a rabbit, or a grouse, or a partii'lge, as to kill a humtn b?inc In fad, we are not sure but that the English landocracy would feel more indignant at witnessing the former thaa the latter. From the English News Letter to hand we gather that Thomas and Jamrs Wilson were engaged recently in cutting down wood, and one morning Jnmeß found a rabbit snared beside where he was working. No nooner had he taken up the dead rabbit than a gamekeeper and a policeman jumped out of the neighboring thicket, pounced upon himself and bis brother, and dragged them before the Ashford Petty Sessions Court, where a Bench of landowners sensentenced each of them to 21 days' imprisonment with hard labor. It was proved that Thomas was hard at work, that he was some distance away, that, in fact, be had not seen the rabbit before he was arrested : yet he was sent to gaol for 21 days because his brother took up a dead rabbit. It wai shown also that the gamekeeper and policeman were lying it wait purposely to watch the Wilsons, and the general impression was that they bud snared the rabbit themselves so as to lead them into the trap. Now, whatever excuse there was for convicting James there was none whatever for imprisoning Thomas, who was engaged at his work and had neither hand, act nor part in it. If James Wilson had killed a man, and it was proved that Thomas Wilson had no hand whatever in the murder, as it wai proved thta he had no hand in taking the rabbit, he would have walked out of the Court a free man. That he was sent lo gaol in this instance was disgraceful. On the same day a man who had kicked his wife nearly to death was let off with a sentence of 14 days. The matter will in all probability be brought under the notice of the Government, but when Government and Parliament are chiefly composed of landlords it is not probable that the Wilsons will meet with much sympathy in that quarter.,- r