Swaffham Courfing Meeting.

Marquis Townfend's Ever-November, by greyhounds which green, against Mr. Galway's Hafty, 1 gui.

Mr. Woodley's Win-it, againftty, the Wiltfire, Berkshire, LinMr. Motteux's Light-foot, I and 2 bye.

colnshire, and Yorkshire Societies, under the following reftrictions: That the greyhounds which Mr. Maynard's Ifinglafs, againftftart for the fame fhall be entered Mr. Holt's Brittle, 1 and 2 bye. Mr. Parfons's Moggy, against Mr. Copper's Xcellent, 1 and I bye.

Swaffham Courfing Meeting.

39

nagement and direction of Mr. Hamond, who may chufe any place in Weftacre, or Walton Field, as he thinks proper.

That all the winning grey. hounds of the matches for the cup, on the first Westacre day, fall run again the next day on the Smee, under the direction and management of Mr. Forby, who may fix on any place he thinks proper, which has hitherto been included by the meeting on the Smee day.

be entered the name of every greyhound fhall be put on a piece of paper, and all of them put into the cup, and then drawn out fingly till the number left is reduced to fixteen. In like manner, fhould there be more than eight, and less than fixteen, the tickets fhall be drawn out fingly till the number be reduced to eight, which eight shall be deemed the greyhounds entitied to ftart for the cup. The fecretary shall then cause the tickets to be drawn fingly out of the cup, the fift That the winning greyhounds and fecond to run together the on the Smee, shall run again the first match; the third and fourth next day in Narford, Narborow, the second match; and fo on till or on the Smee, as fhall be agreed they are all drawn out of the cup. to by the majority of the fociety That if any of thefe greyhounds prefent, in the field under the dithus drawn to run together, be rection and management of Mr. fo difabled between the time of Forby; and the two winning drawing the tickets and running greyhounds fhall run the next the matches, as to pay forfeit; day at Weftacre, under the dithe greyhound receiving the for-rection and management of Mr. feit, fhall be deemed the winner Hamond; and if the judges fhall of his match, and the perfon pay-not think the race a decifive one, ing the forfeit, fhall produce another greyhound to run againft the reputed winner, for one guinea, but the fubftituted greyhound is to have no chance for the cup, though he wins his match.

they fhall direct and order a second, and, if neceffary a third, till the winner can be fully afcertained.

That, as it is neceffary to have every courfe determined, three pro-judges fhall be appointed, by the majority to determine the race.

That every greyhound duced for the cup fhall be (bona fide) the property of the gentle- That any member of the Wiltman who runs him, and who muft fhire, Berkshire, Lincolnshire, not enter more than one grey- and Yorkshire Courfing Societies, hound, fhall have liberty to enter a greyThat every owner of the greyhound for the cup, on paying hound entitled to run for the cup one guinea and a half entrance, hall pay one guinea entrance to and declare the greyhound to be the fecretary, and fhall be obliged (bona fide), his own property. to bet one guinea more with his antagonist.

That all entrance money fhall be depofited, with the treasurer, as a fund for the purchase of a cup the following year.

That all matches for the cup fhall be run the first time on the arft Weftacre day, under the ma

Lately died, in the 78th year of his age, Mr. John Goose*, 65

* The correspondent who communicated the above, has favoured us with a few ingecharacter, as alfo an epitaph, which we nious lines to the memory of that eccentric have readily given a place to in our poeti cal Department of the prefent Number.

years

it is alfo true that man
no right wantonly to injure or
torment any other animal.

There can only be one fatisfactory reafon given, for the practice of man's taking away the life of other animals even for food, and this is the condition of other animals is not made worfe by the exercife of this fuppofed right.

Were man to confine himself for food to fimple vegetables, and

OBSERVING, in a late Num- leave the other animals to the of your admirable per

formance, a few obfervations on brutal treatment to horfes and oxen, it led me into the following train of reflections on the fubject, which, if they may be found worthy of infertion, by fo doing you will confer a particuJar obligation on one who is a fincere well-wisher and

CONSTANT SUBSCRIBER.

Egham, Oct. 20, 1795.

course of nature, it is certain that
many would be produced, and as
many would perish, and the fcarcity
of vegetables would cause them
to perish, even at a more early
age than they are now put to death,
and with lengthened mifery. For
animals muft fare worfe, when
man ceases to concern himself about
their fubfiftence. Amongst other
evils which they would in this
cafe fuffer, a moft material one
would be the lofs of the winter's
provifion, now collected for them
by man, and of fo much foil as
would then be appropriated to
the growth of additional vegeta-
bles for the ufe of man.
though, then, a real injury would
accrue to animals by man's ab-
ftaining from the ufe of their
fleth for food, yet does it not fol
low, that becaufe benevolence
will warrant the taking of their
lives, they have no rights to be re-
Spected, but may lawfully be used
in whatever way man pleases.
No, that fame benevolence which,
under the circumftances ftated,
warrants the taking away of ani-
mal life, imperiously forbids every
wanton violence, and every fport-

THE public mind has been much occupied by the difcuffion of the rights of man, in which much progrefs has been made, whilft not the fmalleft attention has been given to the rights of other animals. It has been faid that human liberty confifts in one man doing whatever does not injure another man; and it is af firmed that one man has a right to do whatsoever does not injure another man. Were man the only being in this fyftem capable of happiness and mifery, this would not only be the truth, but the whole truth of the cafe; but as there are innumerable beings, befides man in the fyftem, to which we belong, capable of plea-ive injury..

Al

It

Rights of Brute Creatures.

41

It may be proved, that animals neceffary, fhould be inflicted with would gain nothing by being trembling, and life taken with freed from the knife of the but. folemnity. I object, therefore, cher, but furely it can never be to every institution which makes proved that they can gain no- "killing a pleasure," as tending thing by being freed from every to blunt our fenfibilities, and to violence and injury, not effential harden our hearts; and of this to the fimply taking away of life. kind appear to be the amufements The rights of animals, which of hunting, fishing, and shooting; ought to be refpected and ac- understanding thefe terms, as de knowledged by man, confifts infcriptive of thefe occupations, "being exempted from every evil, which is not occafioned by felf-defence, or unneceffarily attendant on putting them to death," or in other words, in general refervation and exemption from voluntary injury.

He who admits there rights of animals, mufl allow, that whatever lengthens the pains of death, or accompanies them with terror to animals, ought carefully to be avoided. Some fowls are put to death in a very lingering and cruel manner, becaufe fashion, forfooth, requires them to be placed with their heads on, upon the table, as turkeys, &c.* The baiting of bulls previously to their being put to death, is an atrocity at which a humane man hudders. The observation of every individual will furnish him with innumerable examples of the wanton violation of the rights of brates. To promote benevolent fentiments, and a deteftation of every fpecies of cruelty, it is indifpenfible, that pain, though

*If our Sports are deftructive, our gluttony is more fo, and in a more inhuman manner! Lobfters roafted alive, pigs whipped to death, fowls fewed up, are teftimonies of our outrageous luxury. I know nothing more fhocking or horrid, than the profpect of one of the kitchens of thefe human favages, covered with blood, and filled with the cries of creatures expiring in tortures. If we kill an animal for our provifion,' fays the excellent Plutarch, let us do it with the meltings of compaffion, and without tormenting it.'

GUARDIAN, VOL. 1. No. 61:

only fo far as they are followed for amufement or pleasure.

As I am now attacking general cuftom, the delights of grave parfons, and pious laymen, in which no harm was ever imagined, I expect oppofition and, contempt. That oppofition I, invite; and, that contempt I brave; convinced that custom fanctions every enormity, from the baiting of bulls, to the mer. chandize and murder of Africans. I wish to call the attention of your readers on the fubject of our treatment of brutes, a clafs of beings which fhould be pecu-* liarly guarded from injury of this life, as we allow them no hope of another. Futurity offers no reftitution to the brutes which. perifh. Chriftians, I plead the caute of fuffering creatures, who, cannot appeal to law, whom nature has made dumb, and who therefore, want an advocate! This is not a fubject unconnected with religion-by the treatment we give to brute animals, our future deftination may be judged of-for-let us call to mind who

it is that fays, "they fhall have judgment without mercy, who have fhewed no mercy ;" and by whom it is declared, that " a merciful man is merciful to his beaft.

LAW REPORT.

DOCTORS COMMONS.

Adultery.

COOK V. COOK.

HIS was a fuit inftituted by

BELTON VU. BELTON.

THIS was a fuit instituted by Charles Belton against Phoebe, his wife, to obtain a sentence of divorce a menfa et thoro, for adultery with Benjamin Williams.

It appeared, by the depoficions of a great number of witnefles, that the plaintiff had been married to the defendant for upwards of ten years, and that his conduct towards her had been uniformly that of a tender and affectionate husband. In the month of Auguft, 1793, the plaintiff became acquainted with Mr. Benjamin

TJohn Cook againft Mary his Williams, who from that me

wife, to obtain a sentence of divorce a menfa et thoro for adultery with Charles Halfey.

Several witneffes proved the marriage of the parties, and that they had four children.

was in the conftant habit of coming to his houfe, and enjoyed his hofpitality and confidence.

In September last, the plaintiff confented that the defendant fhould go to Margate for a few weeks, accompanied by Mr. Williams. They accordingly fet off for that place, but neither of them ever returned to the plaintiff's house.

Two female fervants proved, that the defendant and Mr. Williams had flept together in the fame bed for feveral nights.

The depofitions to prove the charge of adultery were then read. It appeared that Mr. Halfey was an officer in the navy, and had for many years been an intimate acquaintance of the plaintiff, at whofe house he lodged while in town. The plaintiff The plaintiff having occafion to go to Holland, to tranfact fome business, left his House and family to the care ofa his fuppofed friend, Mr. Halfey. He was abfent about two months, and on his return found that his wife had eloped with Halfey.

Two female fervants at an inn on the Kent Road, proved that the defendant and Mrs. Halfey came there and ordered a bed, in which they slept together. They paffed for man and wife.

The defence to this fuit was a plea of recrimination and cruel treatment, but there was no evidence to fuftain this p.ca.

The judge pronounced fentence of feparation from bed and board during the natural lives of the parties.

The learned Judge pronounced fentence of divorce from bed and board, during the natural lives of the parties.

Divorce.

A fuit has been lately inftituted by a lady of confiderable fortune against her husband, to obtain a fentence of divorce a vinculo matrimonii, upon a charge of impo

tency.

It was ftated, by the counfel for the complainant, and admitted by the advocates on the other fide, that the lady's fortune upon her marriage was upwards of 5000l. and that the defendant, at that time, poffeffed only a small leafehold eftate.