1809.) 
gards animals, which from age to age 
have lived in an unreciaimed state, de- 
voted to the use of man and of each 
other, may serve to reconcile the mind 
to that mysterious state of things in the 
present fallen and imperfect condition of 
the world, 
This state of wild animals is further 
strikingly illustrated, by the view of such 
of themas have been spared from the 
human huntsman, or the more numerous 
tribes ef animals of prey. They are 
Swept away by the elements in hard win- 
ters, retiring as most of them do, to a 
solitary, protracted, and painful death. 
Old age, my Lords, even amongst 
men, is but a rare blessing; amongst 
such brutes, perhaps, never. Old age 
can only be supported in comfort by that 
aid and tenderness froin others, arising 
from the consciousness of those ties of 
nature, whichit has not pleased the Di- 
vine Providence to dispense to the lower 
world ; but which, as the greatest of all 
blessings, it has communicated to man, 
When the brutes have fulfilled their du- 
ties to their young for their protection, 
they knew them no more, and die of old 
age, or cold, or hunger, in view of one 
another, without sympathy or matual as- 
sistance, or comfort. 
It is the same, to a certain extent, with 
regard to those reclaimed animals de- 
voted to man’s use for food, whose fa- 
culties, asfar as our observation is ca- 
pable of a just comparisan, approach 
nearer to human reason, The old age 
even of such animals, for the reasons 
adverted to, would seldom be satistac- 
tory. When they pass, therefore, from 
lite to death, ina manner which gives 
them no fore-taste of their doom, and 
consequently no sense of pain or sorrow 
in tke road to it, the ways of God are 
justified to man. 
The Bill, therefore, as it regards wild 
animals, could not easily have been 
framed for practicable operation, except 
_ by sanctioning as it does the principle of 
the preamble, which will, I trust, insen- 
sibly extend its influence to the protection 
of every thing that has life; by bringing ha- 
bitually into the view of the mind the du- 
ties of imperfect obligation whichit incul- 
cates; and with regard to animais bred by 
man, or reclaimed for food, it will directly 
protect them against the cruelties which 
are generally committed on them, viz. the 
unmercifully driving them and beating 
them on their passage to fairs angi mar- 
kets, and against unnecessary sufferings 
1 =the hour of death. 
» Montury Mae. No. 186, 
Lord Erskine’s Speech on Cruelty to Animals. | 559 
Before I leave this part of the subject, 
{ think it right to advert to the practice 
of bull-baiting. I did not intend to have 
touched on it, but as I find that some 
who support the principle of this Bull, 
feel a difficulty as it regards this practice, 
it becomes necessary to consider how it 
will be aifected hy its operation. 
A Bill was brought into the Lfouse of 
Commons, whilst I had the honour of a 
seat there, to repress this practice, but 
not upenthe true principle. The framers 
of it were, [ am persuaded, actuated 
by motives of humanity; but they mixed 
with it very laudable objects of human 
policy, which rather obscured ihe prin. 
ciple of protection to the animals, One 
great object of the -Bill, and it was lau- 
dable on that account, was to put an 
end to sports, which led away the ser- 
vants and labourers of manufacture and 
husbandry from the service of their mas- 
ters. 
The attack upon bull-baiting coming 
inthis questionable shape, it was defended 
as politic, by talents capable of defending 
any thing; bat talents (1 am readv to 
admit) posssessed by a person of as hu- 
mane and feeling a mind as ever distin- 
guished any mman—a man, besides, of a 
must beautiful genius, and whom I have 
always esteerned and honoured.* The 
truth is, my Lords, that the matter was 
never fairly presented to his heart, and 
his intellect had got a wrong bias upon 
the subject. I shall not, however, come 
in contact with my excellent friend in his 
different view of this subject. 
This Bill says not a word about ball- 
baiting. TI only include a bull in my ca- 
talogue of protected animals. ‘They, 
therefore, who support the practice, may 
still support it successfully, if they can 
convince a Court and Jury, and the 
other Magistracies of their countrymen, 
that it does not fall within the description 
of wilful and wanton cruelty ; and if that 
shall be the general feeling of courts 
and magistrates on the subject, the prac- 
tice will cease to be supported. 
As to the tendency of barbarous 
sports of any kind or description what- 
soever, to nourish the national character- 
istic of manliness and courage, the only 
shadow of argiment I ever heard upon 
such occasions, all I can say is ths: 
that, from the mercenary battles of the 
lowest of beasts (viz. human boxers) 
np to those of the highest and noblest 
that are tormented by-man for his de- 
* SuppSsed to be Mr, Windham. 
4D grading 
