present spending, but totally unfit for prefervation by falt. This muft materially affect our fea-ftores. The faving in the article of manure a most important confideration) would also be great, from the convenience, with which the farmers' carts might take it, from flaughtering houses fituated without the town. Inftead of only two markets, north and fouth of the town, more might be established, if held neceffary; and the slaughtering houses might be made to furround the market. The conveyance of carcafes to town, could be no great object of inconvenience, fince, on the present plan, they are occasionally obliged to be conveyed to a confiderable diftance, and every butcher already poffeffes fome kind of vehicle. I am convinced I shall be joined by thoufands, when I affert, that any member of the Legislature, who will take this public matter up earnestly, will deferve well of the country. I am aware, however, in this cafe, of the appearance of acting in direct oppofition to my publicly profeffed principles, by defiring to instigate the civil government to an interference with the private concerns of the people; the grand fource of all mischief in every country; but where apparent natural rights aggress upon others of equal validity, they become of them felves selves void, and their exercise may lawfully be fufpended, for the general good. In the present state of things, I think the following additional regulations might have the use of strengthening those old ones, already in force. A fteady man, at a respectable falary, ought to be employed in Smithfield, as inspector of the market; whose business it fhould be, to prevent, or report, all acts of cruelty and danger. Drovers ought to be men of fteady and good character, and well paid; and the ftrictest scrutiny occafionally made into their conduct; their refponfibility in a service of fair and adequate emolument, would infure their good behaviour. General orders should be issued by the magiftracy, to the officers of all the different parishes, strictly enjoining them to apprehend bullock-hunters; and it must be made the drover's duty to point them out: and lastly, as the moft effectual of all remedies, mild methods of driving fhould be infifted on, upon pain of difcharge, and incapacity of fervice ever after. Many acts of cruelty to poor animals, destined to the flaughter, are overlooked, which it is damnable infamy to tolerate. As a pregnant inftance, how often have I feen with an aching heart, the wretched calves, their poor tender limbs stiffened, and rendered almost useless, by the length and jolting of their journey, precipitated head, head, fides, or heels firft, as it might happen, from a high waggon, down upon Smithfield ftones; and the barbarous, unthinking, twolegged brutes, powdered or cropped, fans-culotte or in pantaloons, who generally surround the waggon, to fee fo charming a spectacle, fhouting loud in proportion to the violence of the distreft animal's fall. Did these good chriftians never in their lives, get a fevere and stunning fall upon the ftones? Dozens fuch to them with all my foul! it might perhaps put them in remembrance of the propriety, of the humanity, of throwing a trufs of straw, or of placing some slide, or convenience, to break the fall, for the poor harmless calves. Conftant habits of bufinefs amongst cattle, renders even mild men infenfible of their miferies. There is a great deal of needless cruelty practised among butchers. Would it not be practicable to put blinds upon a bullock, previous to giving him the fatal stroke? Would it not tend to use and expedition? This occurred to me, from having feen several oxen escape after having received a blow, when they have been with much difficulty and danger recovered, and tied up again; and have not fallen at laft, under perhaps a dozen ftrokes, which they strove to avoid with the strongest appearance of agitation and conscious terror. I fhall quit thefe difagreeable details, with remarking remarking upon the mistaken humanity of those tender-hearted persons, who turn adrift a poor dog or cat, which they choose not to keep, inftead of fairly putting them out of the reach of want and mifery. Who do they expect will entertain a poor forlorn ftranger, when they are fenfible themselves would drive back fuch an one from their door? In general, these poor outcasts are seen starving about town, and dying by inches; or are torn to pieces by dogs, for the strange amusement of men, whose minds, in their prefent ftate, are fcarce fuperior to those of brutes. What a perverfion also of fuch as one would fuppofe the common feelings of humanity, and the obvious dictates of reason, that we can behold an unfortunate and forsaken animal, exiled perhaps from the hofpitable board, and comfortable hearth of its late owner, expofed to all the horrors of famine, wet and cold, and to the constant apprehenfion of infult and torture, pining for the loss of its happy home, and looking pitifully up into the face of every passenger, for mercy and affiftance-I say, that we can behold all this, and instead of affording the poor fufferer at least a look of compaffion, can make sport of its fufferings, and even heap additional miferies upon its devoted head, by endeavouring, with an industry we refuse to the better occafion, to wound, maim, and worry, and by all poffible means means to embitter the miserable remnant of its existence and yet this is the leffon which our youth are taught! Let us not regret a small additional trouble which we may incur, by doing justice to beasts, through which we reap fuch immense benefits, were it only, because it is natural for us to expect justice ourselves, both here and hereafter. Virtus in actione confiftit; and when we give up ourselves to the suggestions of mean and fordid indolence, life becomes a ftagnant pool, and we defeat its firft and grandeft purposes. Nor let any one suppose this subject to be trifling, and of no importance; it has exercised the abilities of fome of the greatest men, both of ancient and modern times: nor yet let us despair of inculcating into the fufceptible minds of Englishmen, the inferior duties of humanity; fince we know they have long fince found admiffion into the hearts of fome of those nations whom we style barbarous and favage. The Afiatics, in general, but particularly the Arabians, have been long renowned for their kind and merciful treatment of beafts; thefe laft feldom or never correct their Horfes, either with whip or fpur; but caress and reason with them, as animals which they perceive to be endowed with a large portion of the reasoning faculty. Hence, in a great measure (as has been already obferved) the fuperior docility, generofity, and VOL. I.. M affection |