102 England's horses, 



If the legislature interposes there are onlj^ t^vo concur- 

 rent and practicable sources open for beneficial utilization 

 in the breeding and improvement of Avar and general horses, 

 good mares, and suitable stallions, and, if it don't, FascUis 

 descensus Averni ! 



The next consideration is for the holders of our general 

 brood mares. Penalise the consumer as much as 3'ou like, 

 but foster, protect, and cherish the producer by all the 

 encouraging and sustaining legislation you can cast around 

 him. Let the buyer take care of himself — as it is just and 

 reasonable he should — but let the country take care of the 

 breeders and farmers ; the horse-dealers and " customers " 

 are quite match enough for each other, and long odds as 

 outsiders may think it upon the successors of Solomon and 

 the House of Togarmah, I may truthfully say the respect- 

 al )le men of the London trade are far " more sinned against 

 than sinning." Lords, bishops, lawyers, parsons, doctors, 

 sailors, and soldiers have all to be satisfied and kept in 

 good temper too often contrary to justice, reason, and 

 common sense, because men will only see with their own 

 eyes sometimes. Licenses, heavy rents, immense provender 

 and wages accounts have to be paid ; servants (the harpies) 

 have to be tipped ; veterinary surgeons have to be feed ; 

 "deadims" and "roarers" have to be put onto the live 

 and sound ones ; breeders demand prices never heard of 

 before, and, in this expensive and exceptional state of 

 things, West End dealers, who must provide the creme de 

 la creme of the equine race for their stables, are too often 

 pronounced by selfish and unthinking gentlemen extor- 

 tionate in their demands. It is now a good time, we come 

 upon, for consideration of all these things, for where can we 

 expect redress in such matters if not from our present 

 House of Commons, so aptly termed " The 'Squires Parlia- 

 ment"? If, happily, legislative efforts be made, let us. 



