THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 225 



further opposition to frightening the 

 game in la belle France — barring always, 

 as the Irishman says, in the few instances 

 of the wealthy Seigneurs, who may be 

 selfish enough to preserve the game on 

 their estates, for their own amusement 

 and for their table. 



Our own House of Commons, however, 

 has given us a bill — but then, such a 

 bill ! A greater curse surely was never 

 inflicted upon us poor sons of guns, who 

 dehght in puUing a trigger. If this said 

 Game Bill is not revised (I had almost 

 written rescinded), in five years hence we 

 shall not have a bird left to fire at. 



I would ask, has this celebrated bill 

 effected the purpose for which it was 

 enacted ? namely, — the annihilation of 

 poaching. Has it not, on the contrary, 

 materially assisted the poacher in carry- 

 ing on his nefarious traffic, by affording 

 him an open market for his spoil ? No 

 l3 



