GROUNDS OF RESPONSIBILITY. 1G3 



129. Slaughter-houses. — " No person shall keep any house 

 or place for the purpose of slaughtering or killing any 

 horse . . , without first taking out a license for that purpose " 

 from the Sheriff. A board with the words, " Licensed for 

 slaughtering horses, pursuant to an Act passed in the session 

 of Parliament in the thirteenth and fourteenth years of the 

 reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria," must be placed over the 

 gate of slaughter-houses for horses, under penalty of a fine of 

 £5, and a further penalty of £5 for every day the board is not 

 so placed, (ft) A description of the horses slaughtered is to be 

 kept in a book for the purpose, under a penalty of 40s. ;(6) 

 and no one can simultaneously hold a license to slaughter 

 horses and exercise the trade or business of a horsedealer.(c) 

 Under the General Police Act, 1862, police commissioners 

 may license slaughter-houses, (f?) and make bye-laAvs for their 

 regulation ;(e) and where such slaughter-houses are provided 

 by the commissioners, no other places within two miles beyond 

 the boundaries are to be used for slaughtering. (/) 



2. Civil Liability for Accidents. 



130. Grounds of Responsibility — The law protects the 

 personal safety of individuals against negligence, and the 

 gross disregard of it, by other members of the public. The 

 remedy of jury trial is peculiarly applicable to this class of 

 cases, as furnishing the best means of deciding whether there 

 has been negligence, and if so, what amount of damages 

 should be given ; but, in the majority of cases, evidence 

 is led before either a Sheriff or Lord Ordinary, who are 

 judges both of law and fact, subject to the right of ordinary 



(a) 13 & 14 Vict. c. 92, § 3. 

 (6) Jhicl. § 4. 



(c) Ibid. § 5, amended by 41 & 42 Vict. c. 79, sched. 1. 



(d) 25 & 26 Vict. c. 101, §358. 

 (c) Ihid. § 360. 



(/) Ibid. § 363. 



