FOR PEACE AND WAR. 93 



country. In a great, energetic, and wealthy community, we 

 might expect great things, such as that from which arises 

 the absorbers of general horse stock in these kingdoms; 

 but, where so great a majority of our general horses is 

 supplied by poor farmers in Ireland, we must be careful, if 

 we are wise, to put suitable stallions in their way, for it is 

 sure that demand Avill beget supply, and that a widespread 

 scarcity will induce to higher prices, and consequently 

 greater inducement to breed. And any legislation calcu- 

 lated to ease the holders of horse stock from taxes, would 

 assuredly be a material step in the right direction, as 

 fostering and promoting a desire throughout the farmers 

 and breeders to deal in more extended operations for 

 suppl3dng the national want. There is an imperial neces- 

 sity ; why not facilitate operations towards its removal by 

 imperial countenance and aid ? Let the government legis- 

 late for a national stud of stallions, to be let under licence 

 to the general holders of stallions, with their assured 

 dientiel throughout the breeding districts in Ireland and 

 elsewhere, and by way of a start, buy up all the sires in 

 private hands, keep the useful ones and shoot the others. 



Abolish all warranties from the seller, and let the good 

 old rule of caveat emptor be the guide of the purchaser. 

 The breeder has his sunken capital, the many chances 

 peculiar to his venture against him, before he can produce 

 a marketable animal. It is apparent that I allude here to 

 the breeder of general stock ; for the racehorse breeder 

 comes to market with his yearlings ; whereas the other 

 cannot, in a general way, find a customer before three, and 

 with the army contractors not now before four ! We have 

 seen in the above extracts from The Times, what grievances 

 the horse breeders may be, and are, subjected to by the 

 present system of Horse Warranty — a pernicious, ineffec- 

 tual, and corrupt system ; unfair on the seller, and, too 

 often, unprotective and abortive towards the buyer. 



