GAME PRESERVES. 141 



Evidently a man has a right to foster and increase the 

 natural stock of wild game upon his own land, that is, in a 

 degree to domesticate it ; and the law should protect him in 

 the enjoyment of the results of the labour and pains he has 

 taken for this purpose. The exceedingly indefinite and unde- 

 fmable character of such property, however, makes the attempt 

 to preserve it inexpedient, and often leads to injustice ; and 

 when the preserve is sustained at the expense of very great 

 injury to more important means of sustaining human life in 

 a half-starved community, the poacher is more excusable 

 than the proprietor. 



That this is often the case in England I more than once 

 saw evidence. A picture, drawn by the agricultural corres 

 pondent of the London Times of Nov. 11, 1851, represents a 

 scene of this kind, more remarkable however than anjsthat 

 came under ray notice : 



; At Stamford we passed into Northamptonshire; obtain 

 ing a glimpse of the Marquis of Exeter s finely wooded park 

 and mansion of Buiieigh. This magnificent place, founded by 

 Queen Elizabeth s Lord Treasurer Cecil, with its grand old trees 

 and noble park, is just the place to which a foreigner should 

 be taken to give him an idea of the wealth of our English 

 nobility. 



&quot; The tenants on this estate* are represented as being in the 

 most hopeless state of despondency on account of the present 

 low prices of agricultural produce, and as they were com 

 plaining vehemently, the marquis offered to have the farms 

 of any tenants who desired it revalued. Only one on this 

 great estate accepted the offer. There have been no farms of 

 any consequence yet given up, and for those which do come 

 into the market there are plenty of offerers, though men of 

 capital are becoming chary, and will only look at very desira 

 ble farms. The estate is said to be low-rented. Small 



