1823. 



Doncaster Retolutiont on the Game Laws. 



103 



With' that enthusiasm which prompts 

 all the inventors, or revivers, of any 

 new or useful art, M. Clias's ambition 

 looks forward to the formation of a 

 grand and extensive gymnasium, wor- 

 thy of the great nation to which he 

 now dedicates his abilities, where 

 every species of useful exercise might 

 be taught and practised, and inspi- 

 ring confidence in action, and com- 

 parative security in danger. 



Such, however, is the nature of liis 

 plans, that they may be accommo- 

 dated to schools of every description, 

 and even introduced without inconve- 

 niency or trouble into the most private 

 domestic establishment. His objects 

 are not alone confined to improve the 

 physical energies of young men; he 

 professes, also, to remedy many of 

 those evils and deformities which are 

 the consequences of the neglect of ex- 

 ercise in mature age. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



FROM the number of papers in- 

 serted in your Magazine on sub- 

 jects of the greatest interest to the 

 public, I am induced to send you the 

 resolutions lately entered into by. a 

 considerable proportion of the coun- 

 try-gentlemen in the neighbourhood 

 of Doncaster. Few towns in England 

 have within the same range so many 

 mansions, belonging to estates of about 

 3000/. a-year, and upwards; and the 

 possessors are as much addicted to 

 field-sports as persons of the same de- 

 scription in other parts of the country. 

 They apj)ear, however, to view our 

 game-laws in their proper light ; and, 

 by the insertion of their resolutions in 

 your Magazine, I am inclined to think 

 that country-gentlemen in general will 

 be induced to investigate them with 

 more attention. 



The evils introduced by these laws 

 are often talked of, but they are by no 

 means duly appreciated. It is not 

 merely the number of convictions an- 

 nually that would startle every person 

 of humanity: the months of confine- 

 ment prior and subsequent to these 

 convictions; the expense attending 

 them ; the ill-blood excited in the 

 lower classes; and their demoraliza- 

 tion, by introducing them to greater 

 violations of the law, are circumstances 

 highly deserving of the attention of the 

 legislature. 



We complain much of the expense 

 of the poor-laws ; though, by the way, 



I may observe, that it has amounted 

 to its present enormous height by the 

 payment of labour out of this fund, and 

 not by the provisions for proper ob- 

 jects, under the good laws of Queen 

 Elizabeth ; yet no inconsiderable part 

 of this sum will be found to arise out 

 of the game-laws. When a poacher 

 is seized by a lynx-eyed country squire, 

 no consideration can arrest his wrath ; 

 and in a very short time the parish is 

 put to more expense than all the hares, 

 partridges, and pheasants, on his estate 

 are worth. The unfortunate wight is 

 sent to prison ; the wife and children 

 to the workhouse. I was told not long 

 ago of an instance of this kind, where 

 two poachers were taken up, and the 

 consequence was, a couple of women 

 and a dozen children became charge- 

 able on the parish. 



Two grounds, then, for a repeal of 

 the game-laws present themselves, — 

 humanity and expense. In opposition 

 to them is pleaded the amusement of 

 the country-gentlemen. I am not in- 

 clined to detract from the utmost 

 weight that can be given to this latter 

 argument ; though, if I were inclined 

 to dwell upon the disputes between 

 country-gentlemen themselves on the 

 real or pretended encroachment on 

 their mutual rights by each other, it 

 would seem that their amusements out 

 of doors are not a little embittered by 

 the family bickerings to which they 

 are continually giving rise. But it 

 may be doubted whether they will 

 sufl'er at all in their amusements by 

 the proposed measure, of making game 

 saleable in the market, and every man 

 of landed property having a right to 

 kill game on his own estate. Land- 

 lords may make what terms they please 

 with their own farmers; and, when it 

 is the mutual interest of both parties 

 to preserve the proper quantity of 

 game on the land, more persons will 

 be interested in its preservation. The 

 eye of the farmer will see farther than 

 that of the gamekeeper. 



But, be this as it may, I could wish 

 that the country were well informed 

 on the amount of the tax imposed upon 

 it for this supposed benefit of the 

 country-gentlemen. 



DoNCASTRIENSIS. 



Resolutions. 

 We, the undersigned proprietors of 

 estates in the county of York, have wit- 

 nessed with deep regret the deinoralization 

 of the lower orders, occasioned by the ha- 

 bits of poaching, and the calamitous events 

 which 



