292 



Exorbitant Price of Public Books. 



neighboarhood, would, I am con- 

 vinced, disgrace even nations which, 

 in the pride of civilization, we brand 

 with the epithet of barbarous. 



In the present case, one of a parcel 

 of sheep, driven by two men, and 

 accompanied by a person, in what 

 I believe is termed a chay cart, having 

 the appearance of an opulent master- 

 butcher, was accidently ridden over 

 by a hackney coach. One of the legs 

 of the poor animal was dreadfully 

 crushed and lacerated, notwithstand- 

 ing which, the master with the utmost 

 saiiff froid ordered one of the drivers 

 to proceed with the flock, and the 

 other to follow as fast he could with 

 the wounded animal ; and the harm- 

 less creature, evidently suflering the 

 most excruciating torture, was accord- 

 ingly goaded and urged forward on 

 three legs, with the blood streaming 

 from the wounded limb. 



Amidst the crowd collected on the 

 occasion, I found it impossible to 

 learn the name of the butcher ; but 

 I was happy to observe, that he drove 

 off followed by the hooting and execra- 

 tion of the multitude, who evinced 

 an universal feeling of horror at his 

 brutality. 



Whether it be owing to the evident 

 supiueness of the police on such 

 occasions, or the reluct.ance of some 

 magistrates to convict on Mr. Mar- 

 tin's Bill, or from whatever other 

 cause I know not, but it seems to me 

 that instances of wanton cruelty to- 

 wards animals in the streets and 

 neighbourhood of the metropolis, 

 have of late greatly increased. For 

 example, it is no uncommon occur- 

 rence for a group of idle lads to be 

 seen lounging about the door of some 

 public-house, having with them one 

 or two bull terriers, trained to fighting, 

 which they set upon the dogs of 

 passengers. 



^pn7l6, 1824. A.C. R. 



To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 



SIR, 



IT will be recollected, that previ- 

 ous to Lord Bexley (then Mr. 

 Vansittart) retiring from the office of 

 chancellor of the exchequer, he pom- 

 pously announced from his place in 

 parliament, an intention of publisiiing 

 all documents and works belonging 

 to the public, in a form that should 

 render them much more accessible 

 than they are at present. This inten- 



[May r, 



tion, so worthy of an eidightcned go- 

 vernment, was hailed with satisfaction 

 and gratitude by all, and more espe- 

 cially by those, like myself, whose 

 ability to purchase is but little com- 

 mensurate with their wishes. I am 

 not aware, however, that in any single 

 instance has the design ever been 

 carried into effect. 



It has always appeared to me, Sir, 

 that the people of this country are 

 entitled to have all documents and 

 books, of a public nature, at a price as 

 little as possible exceeding the actual 

 cost of publication; and for this plain 

 and simple reason that all such docu- 

 ments and books are, and must neces- 

 sarily have been, already paid for out 

 of the national purse. I do not sec, for 

 example, why a certain number of 

 all Acts of Parliament might not be 

 thrown off in a cheap form, for such 

 of the public as have a mind to 

 purchase ; this would seem • to be 

 essential to the purposes of good go- 

 vernment, that the people may become 

 acquainted with the laws under which 

 they live. On the contrary. Acts of 

 Parliament are in the hands of very 

 few; and, were it not for the informa- 

 tion contained in such abstracts as that 

 given in your useful miscellany, many 

 would remain ignorant of even the 

 titles of our new laws. At any rate, 

 voyages of discovery, public surveys, 

 and enterprises of every kind, under- 

 taken by order of government, ought 

 to be published for the beneSt of the 

 people, and nothing charged beyond 

 the cost of the materials, printing, 

 agency, &c. The admiralty, and all 

 other public boards, are paid for 

 framing the instructions; the officers 

 and men are paid for executing them ; 

 it is part and parce lof their duty: 

 whatever notes or journals are kept, 

 ought to be reckoned the property of 

 the country ; and that they are so re- 

 garded is evident, from the circum- 

 stance that, on the return home from 

 expeditions, officers are compelled, on 

 reaching a certain latitude, to deliver 

 to the waptain every document in their 

 possession. The people at large, 

 therefore, have a right to expect that 

 the information contained in these 

 documents should be communicated 

 to them on the most moderate terms, 

 and in the most authentic shape. In- 

 stead of this, what happens? The 

 commanders' journals, lor which the 

 people have paid their money, and 



paid 



