The Prize Fighting Mania.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2909, 28 May 1888, Page 3

The Prize Fighting Mania.

In the Honso of Commons on Monday night, Mr Howell asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention had heec called to the sudden outbreak and rapid increase of pugilism in this country recently under the designation of sport, boxing, prize fighting or other euphemistic terms ; whether this combativeness was in accordance with the law of the land; and whether newspaper reports of these encounters

are legal, and if illegal, whether the MGomm-am will institute proceedings w agaiust all those who take part in such practices, whether as principals or accessosies, and against newspapers which contained reports of them ? The Home Secretary said his attention had been called to a certain amount of increased interest recently displayed in pugilism, Laughter. Prize fighting as distinguished from boxing or sparring with gloves, was illegal, A concourse of persons attending a prize fight in this country was an unlawful assembly, which the authorities ought to prevent or disperse. Newepaper paragraphs, the object of which was y. to promote prize fighting or to incite persons to attend a prize fight in this country would, he apprehended, be illegal. But speaking generally, a mere narrative in a newspaper of a past prize fight in this country would

not be. The Government would continue to use their best endeavors to prevent those different breaches of the fllaw. Mr Howell: I wish to ask the right lion, gentleman whether the publication of a challenge to a prize fight would not come under the law ? Hear, hear. The Home Secretary: Really it does not belong to me to answer questions of law, but if the lion, gentleman wishes to know my private opinion, I should think that it wouid. Hear, hear.