"l WOULD NOT CURSE A DOG THUS." 63 



used to carts in the country was at once cried down. 

 If it was absolutely necessary to put a stop to the 

 system in London, it certainly must have been con- 

 sidered a nuisance there, and a dangerous one. Now 

 there might be perhaps more danger and nuisance 

 occasioned by their use in London than elsewhere ; 

 but certainly not to that extended degree as to make 

 it advisable to prevent it there, and leave such densely 

 populated towns as Bristol, Manchester, Liverpool, 

 Birmingham, and many others, subject to nearly the 

 same dangers and annoyances. If compassion to the 

 animal, and to save him from ill-usage, bore any part 

 in the consideration of those who stopped the system 

 — which I do not believe it did — there is no more 

 reason an animal should be ill used in one place than 

 in another. If it was thought it brought on canine 

 madness, the inhabitants of such towns as I have 

 mentioned can never be grateful enough for being left 

 to its effects ! A dog tied under a cart can be very 

 little if any more nuisance in London than in any 

 other town. If drawing carts or waggons they 

 are likely to cause horses to start in London or 

 in any town, they are much more likely to do so 

 in the country ; for whoever knows any thing about 

 horses knows that the same objects that he passes 

 without in any way noticing them in crowded streets 

 will make him fly out of the road in the country. 

 Let ten horses on a country road meet two dogs 

 running along in a rattling cart or waggon with some 

 great hulking monster riding in it, I will venture to 

 say nine out of the ten start and are really frightened 

 by its unusual appearance. It was stated by a sapient 

 and merciful Member, that dogs drawing enable many 

 men to get a living by carrying small goods about 



