Game Laws 



sometimes it was permitted to the informer, 

 who shared the penalty ; sometimes the power 

 of enacting laws was reserved to the State ; 

 sometimes it was delegated to the supervisors. 

 In 1879, by the influence of the Society for the 

 Preservation of Game, a complete act was 

 passed, entitled "An Act for the Preservation 

 of Moose and Wild Deer, Birds, Fish and 

 other Game," which for many years was vigor- 

 ously enforced by that Society, and became the 

 model for like laws in many other States. 

 This law made the possession of game during 

 the close season the offense, and not prima 

 facie evidence of killing, and also it removed 

 from the various local supervisors the power 

 of making laws upon this subject. 



These two essential features of law cannot 

 be too strongly insisted upon with all law- 

 makers. Under this statute hundreds of pro- 

 secutions were made and convictions had in 

 the markets of the great cities. The bidding 

 for game by wealthy cities is the incentive 

 to unlawful killing, and the closing of the 

 markets stops the poacher's business more 

 thoroughly than the conviction of an occasion- 

 al poacher. When the law permitted game 

 killed in other States during the open season 



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