COMMENCEMENT OF HUNTING IN SHROPSHIRE.

E have had some WE very ing the first week in Septemgood cub-hunting; killed ber, with six or seven very

twelve brace of foxes, commenc- good runs. There are some ex

cellent performers that hunt regularly with the Shropshire hounds. The first that I must place on the list is Mr. John Hill of the Citadel (brother to Sir Rowland), whom I consider to be equal to any of the Meltonians: he is always mounted on the right sort of horse, and a young beginner should look to him and get some of his stud if he can. Next to him is Mr. Leicester, of Rowton; Captain Owen, of the Wood House, Dr. Wynn, of Shrewsbury, and many more, all equally good. There is also a young man of the name of Clay, V. S. of Shrewsbury, who I have seen do the thing well on a good-like looking chesnut mare. But the best horseman I ever saw is Will Staples, the huntsman; few are so good, and

THE NEW GAME ACT.

BARRABBAS.

As we are desirous of laying before our readers the whole of this most

important Statute, "to Amend the Laws in England relative to Game," which received the Royal Assent on the 5th of October, and which we have gone through clause by clause, we shall, without comment, proceed to give the several enactments, either substantially or literally, according to their consequer.ce.

The Act contains 48 clauses; the first of which refers to, and recites the titles of, all the Statutes passed relative to Game from the 13th of Richard II. to the 59th of George III. these are to be repealed from the 31st of October inst., and the new Act to commence and take effect from the following day, namely the 1st of November.

Definition of Game.-The second clause defines what shall be deemed Game: the enactment runs thus-" That the word Game shall, for all the purposes of this Act, be deemed to include hares, pheasants, partridges, grouse, heath or moor game, black game, and bustards; and that the words lord of a manor, lordship, or royalty, or reputed manor, lordship, or royalty,' shall throughout this Act be deemed to include a Lady of the same respectively."

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Time for Killing. The third enactment relates to the days and seasons during which game shall not be killed. As regards the former, any person detected in killing or taking game on a Sunday or Christmas Day shall, on conviction thereof, forfeit a sum not exceeding five pounds, together with the costs of conviction; and as regards the latter, if any person whatsoever shall kill or take any Partridge, between the 1st of February and the 1st of September; Pheasant, between the 1st of February and the 1st of October ;

Black Game (except in Somersetshire, Devonshire, or the New Forest, Hants), between the 10th of December and the 20th of August succeeding;

Grouse, or Red Game, between the 10th of December and the 12th of August succeeding;

Bustard, between the 1st of March and the 1st of September every such person, on

conviction thereof before two Justices of the Peace, shall pay for every head of game so killed not exceeding one pound, together with the costs of conviction.

Laying Poison. In this clause there is also a penalty for laying poison to kill game, which is thus alluded to:-" And if any person, with intent to destroy or injure any game, shall at any time put or cause to be put any poison or poisonous ingredient on any ground, whether open or inclosed, where game usually resort, or in any highway, every such person shall, on conviction thereof before two Justices of the Peace, forfeit and pay such sum of money, not exceeding ten pounds, as to the said Justices shall seem meet, together with the costs of conviction."

When Possession of Game deemed illegal.—The fourth clause imposes a fine, not exceeding twenty shillings, upon any person licensed to sell game having in their possession any bird of game after the expiration of ten days (one inclusive and the other exclusive) from the respective days in each year on which it shall become unlawful to kill or take such birds. A like penalty is also imposed upon any person, not being licensed, detected in the act of buying or selling, or knowingly having in his possession, any bird of game, after the expiration of ten days as aforesaid.

Game Certificates.-The fifth clause enacts that nothing in this Act shall affect the existing laws respecting game certificates.

Law of Trespass.-The sixth clause allows every certificated person to kill game, subject to the law of trespass. There is a proviso as to gamekeepers, which states that " no game certificate on which a less duty than 31. 13s. 6d. is chargeable under the Acts relating to game certificates shall authorise any gamekeeper to kill or take any game, or to use any dog, gun, net, or other engine or instrument for the purpose of killing or taking game, except within the limits included in his appointment as gamekeeper;" but where any gamekeeper shall be detected so killing or taking game beyond such limits, he may be proceeded against under this Act as if he had no certificate.

Landlords Rights.-The seventh clause, which is an important one, we give verbatim :"And be it enacted, That in all cases where any person shall occupy any land under any lease or agreement made previously to the passing of this Act, except in the cases hereinafter next excepted, the lessor or landlord shall have the right of entering upon such land, or of authorising any other person or persons who shall have obtained an annual game certificate to enter upon such land, for the purpose of killing or taking the game thereon; and no person occupying any land under any lease or agreement, either for life or for years, made previously to the passing of this Act, shall have the right to kill or take the game on such land, except where the right of killing the game upon such land has been expressly granted or allowed to such person by such lease or agreement; or except where upon the original granting or renewal of such lease or agreement a fine or fines shall have been taken; or except where in the case of a term for years such lease or agreement shall have been made for a term exceeding twenty-one years."

Manor Rights, &c.-The eighth clause provides that this Act shall not affect any existing or future agreements respecting game, nor any rights of manor, forest, chase,

or warren.

The King's Forest Rights.-The ninth clause declares that nothing in this Act shall in any way alter or affect the prerogative or privilege of the King's Forest rights, &c.

Rights of Common.-The tenth clause, also, declares that nothing in this Act shall affect any catile-gates or right of common. This clause further provides, that "the lord or steward of the Crown of every manor, lordship, or royalty, or reputed manor, lordship, or royalty, shall have the right to pursue and kill the game upon the wastes or commons within such manor, lordship, or royalty, or reputed manor, lordship, or 10yalty, and to authorise any other person or persons who shall have obtained an annual game certificate to enter upon such wastes or commons for the purpose of pursuing and killing the game thereon." "That

Where landlords may authorise killing Game.-The eleventh clause: where the lessor or landlord shall have reserved to himself the right of killing the game upon any land, it shall be lawful for him to authorise any other person or persons who shall have obtained an annual game certificate to enter upon such land for the purpose of pursuing and killing game thereon."

Where occupier liable to penalty for killing.-The twelfth clause is important: "That where the right of killing the game upon any land is by this Act given to any lessor or landlord, in exclusion of the right of the occupier of such land, or where such exclusive right hath been or shall be specially reserved by or granted to, or

doth or shall belong to, the lesser, landlord, or any person whatsoever other than the occupier of such land, then and in every such case, if the occupier of such land shall pursue, kill, or take any game upon such land, or shall give permission to any other person so to do, without the authority of the lessor, landlord, or other person having the right of killing the game upon such land, such occupier shall, on conviction thereof before two Justices of the Peace, forfeit and pay for such pursuit such sum of money not exceeding two pounds, and for every head of game so killed or taken, such sum of money not exceeding one pound, as to the convicting Justices shall seem meet, together with the costs of the conviction."

Gamekeepers, and their powers.-The thirteenth clause enacts that lords of manors may appoint gamekeepers to preserve or kill game within the limits of their manors, lordships, or royalties; such gamekeepers to be empowered to deprive all persons, not authorised to kill game, of any dogs, nets, or engines they may have in their pos

session.

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Deputations.-The fourteenth clause declares it to be lawful for any lords of manors to appoint and depute any person whatever, whether acting as a gamekeeper to any other person or not, or whether retained and paid for as the inale servant of any other person or not, to be a gamekeeper for any such manor, lordship, or royalty," and to authorise them to kill game, &c.

Gamekeepers in Wales. The fifteenth clause refers to regulations respecting appointments of gamekeepers in Wales. The power of making such appointments to vest in persons "who shall be entitled to kill the game upon any lands in Wales of the clear annual value of five hundred pounds, whereof he shall be seized in fee or as of frechold, or to which he shall otherwise be beneficially entitled in his own right.”

Registry of Appointments.-The sixteenth clause enacts, that no appointment or deputation of any person as a gamekeeper, by virtue of this Act, shall be valid, unless it be registered with the Clerk of the Peace for the county, riding, division, &c.

Sale of Game.-The seventeenth clause enacts, "That every person who shall have obtained an annual game certificate shall have power to sell game to any person licensed to deal in game, according to the provisions hereinafter mentioned: provided always, that no game certificate on which a less duty than 31. 13s. 6d. is chargeable under the Acts relating to game certificates, shall authorise any gamekeeper to sell any game, except on the account and with the written authority of the master whose gamekeeper he is; but that any such gamekeeper selling any game not on the account and with the written authority of such master may be proceeded against under this Act in the same manner, to all intents and purposes, as if he had no game certificate whatsoever."

Dealing in Game.-The eighteenth clause relates to dealing in game, which as it cannot be too generally known, nor too perfectly understood, we also quote entire : " And be it enacted, that the Justices of the Peace of every county, riding, division, liberty, franchise, city, or town shall hold a Special Session in the division or district, for which they usually act, in the present year, between the fifteenth and the thirtieth days of October, and in every succeeding year in the month of July, for the purpose of granting licences to deal in game, of the holding of which Session seven days notice shall be given to each of the Justices acting for such division or district; and the majority of the Justices assembled at such Session, or at some adjournment thereof, not being less than two, are hereby authorised (if they shall think fit) to grant, under their hands, to any person being a householder or keeper of a shop or stall within such division or district, and not being an innkeeper or victualler, or licensed to sell beer by retail, nor being the owner, guard, or driver of any mail coach, or other vehicle employed in the conveyance of the mails of letters, or of any stage coach, stage wagon, van, or other public conveyance, nor being a carrier or higgler, nor being in the employment of any of the above mentioned persons, a licence according to the form in the schedule (A) annexed to this Act, empowering the person to whom such licence shall be so granted to buy game at any place from any person who may lawfully sell game by virtue of this Act, and also to sell the same at one house, shop, or stall only, kept by him: provided that every person, while so licensed to deal in game as aforesaid, shall affix to some part of the outside of the front of his house, shop, or stall, and shall there keep, a board having thercon in clear and legible characters his christian name and surname, together with the following words, (that is to say,) licensed to deal in game;' and every such licence granted in the present year shall begin to be in force on the first day of November in the present year, and shall continue in force until the fifteenth day of July one thousand eight hundred and thirty-two, and every such licence granted in any succeeding year shall continue in force for the period of one year next after the granting thereof."

Dealers Certificate.--The nineteenth clause enacts that persons licensed to deal in game must take out a certificate, with a duty of 21.

Lists of Dealers. The twentieth clause authorises collectors of the Assessed Taxes to make out a list of persons who have obtained licences to deal in game; such list to be open to public inspection on payment of one shilling.

Proviso as to Partners.-The twenty-first clause contains this proviso: "That persons being in partnership, and carrying on their business at one house, shop, or stall only, shall not be obliged by virtue of this Act to take out more than one licence in any one year to authorise them to deal in game at such house, shop, or stall."

Licences when void.-The twenty-second clause enacts, "That if any person licensed by virtue of this Act to deal in game shall, during the period of such licence, be convicted of any offence whatever against this Act, such licence shall thereupon become null and void."

Penalty for killing without Certificate. The twenty-third clause refers to the penalty for killing game without a certificate; this is fixed at a sum not exceeding five pounds, together with the costs of conviction: the penalty to be cumulative.

Destroying Eggs, &c.-The twenty-fourth clause also cannot be too well known, namely: "That if any person not having the right of killing the game upon any land, nor having permission from the person having such right, shall wilfully take out of the nest or destroy in the nest upon such land the eggs of any bird of game, or of any swan, wild duck, teal, or widgeon, or shall knowingly have in his house, shop, possession, or controul any such eggs so taken, every such person shall, on conviction thereof before two Justices of the Peace, forfeit and pay for every egg so taken or destroyed, or so found in his house, shop, possession, or controul, such sum of money not exceeding five shillings, as to the said Justices shall seem meet, together with the costs of the conviction."

Selling Game without Licence.The twenty-fifth clause declares a penalty against persons selling game without a licence, and against certificated persons selling game to unlicensed persons: the penalty in both cases is two pounds for every head of game so sold or offered for sale, with the costs of the conviction.

Exceptions.The twenty-sixth is a clause of exceptions in favour of innkeepers, &c.; and is as follows: "That it shall be lawful for any innkeeper or tavernkeeper, without any such licence for dealing in game as aforesaid, to sell game for consumption in his own house, such game having been procured from some person licensed to deal in game by virtue of this Act, and not otherwise."

Purchasing from unlicensed persons.-The twenty-seventh clause has reference to the preceding, and enacts a penalty of five pounds for every head of game purchased by a person not licensed to deal in game of any one except such as are specified in the 18th clause.

Penalties on licensed persons buying from those unauthorised to sell.-The twentyeighth clause imposes a penalty against individuals, being licensed, and buying game from any person not authorised to sell; or shall sell game without a board affixed on the outside of the shop; or shall affix such board to more than one house; or shall sell game at any other place than his house where such board is affixed; or, not having a licence, shall assume or pretend, by affixing such board to be duly licensed to deal in game; every such offender, on conviction, to forfeit not exceeding ten pounds, with the costs of conviction.

Selling by servants.-The twenty-ninth clause enacts that the buying and selling of game by any person or persons employed on the behalf of any licensed dealer, and acting in the usual course of his employment, and upon the premises where such dealing is carried on, shall be deemed to be a lawful buying and selling.

Trespassers.-The thirtieth clause relates to trespassers upon lands in the day-time in search of game. This every farmer should be well acquainted with; we therefore give it verbatim: "And whereas, after the commencement of this Act, game will become an article which may be legally bought and sold, and it is therefore just and reasonable to provide some more summary means than now by law exist for protecting the same from trespassers; be it therefore enacted, that if any person whatsoever shall commit any trespass by entering or being in the day-time upon any land in search or pursuit of game, or woodcocks, snipes, quails, landrails, or conies, such person shall, on conviction thereof before a Justice of the Peace, forfeit and pay such sum of money, not exceeding two pounds, as to the Justice shall seem meet, together with the costs of the conviction; and that if any persons to the number of five or more together shall commit any trespass, by entering or being in the day-time upon any land in search or pursuit of game, or woodcocks, snipes, quails, landrails, or conies, each