A Merry Ti7?ie m the Midlands, 257 



I wonder what will become uf all this class of 

 animals when Mr. Taylor's (the member for Leicester 

 forsooth) Act passes the House of Commons,, by which 

 lie intends to put a stop to sport in general^ and hunt- 

 ing in particular, he being of the opinion " that the 

 preservation of wild animals for sport is unjust to the 

 farmer, and demorahsing to the labourer^ and injurious 

 to the whole community.'" He must be a far-sighted 

 legislator, this Mr. Taylor^ but better fitted, in my 

 opinion^ to represent Colney Hatch than the chief 

 town of one of the grandest hunting countries in the 

 world. Is this wise representative of a midland county 

 borough aware that it has been estimated by a very 

 competent judge that at the present time there are 

 no less than 342 packs of hounds in the United 

 Kingdom; that employment is found for at least 1000 

 professional huntsmen and whips, 5000 grooms and 

 helpers, and 3000 earth stoppers and other employes ; 

 that 100,000 horses are at work, with 30,000 good 

 men and true to ride them, and that the annual, ex- 

 penditure is not less than £700,000 per annum for 

 maintenance of the hunting establishments, besides 

 the annual cost of the horses and many items of ex- 

 pense incurred by those who, differing from the 

 honourable member, consider hunting a manly and 

 invigorating, as well as pleasant and agreeable pas- 

 time ? Of course there must be a difference of opinion, 

 but at the next general election I shall certainly 

 require to know the views of the candidate in respect 

 to this question, before I plump for him. 



Of the other merry doings in the pleasant town 

 of Rugby, and of the sport with two other celebrated 

 packs, namely, the Atherstone and the North War- 



17 



