Mr. Martin, of Galway, rose to move for leave to bring in a bill to extend to other animals the privilege and protection which the House, under a bill which he had brought in, had afforded to cattle. To this bill he did not apprehend much objection, as it merely would extend the principle of the bill for preventing cruelty to cattle, to dogs and cats, and monkies, and other animals. [A member asked Mr. Martin whether he included rats!] No, he did not mean to include rats. Gentlemen must have read in the public papers many horrible instances of cruelty perpetrated upon animals with impunity; and one in particular, of an unfortunate dog that went into a shop, and was scalded with a kettle of boiling water, and sent out to die in the streets. In other instances, dogs had been rubbed with oil of vitriol, and sent out to perish in excruciating torments. Without pretending to more sen- 131 sibility than other gentlemen, there was no man who heard him, he imagined, who would not wish the same protection to be applied to other animals, as to cattle. Another object he had in view, was to make cruelty to cattle a misdemeanor. It was an offence that might be often tried with advantage before a jury and a bench of magistrates; and though a fine of 5l. or imprisonment for three months, on summary conviction before a magistrate, might be punishment sufficient in ordinary cases, there were some atrocities that would deserve more signal punishment. Only a few weeks ago, a set of ruffians had amused themselves with driving some worn-out horses into a fire; and he himself remembered a case in which a wretch had lighted a fire under a horse, and actually kept it up until the bowels were burned out. The hon. member quoted several instances in which barbarities of a very horrible description had been perpetrated upon animals: and concluded by stating that his object was, to make such conduct misdemeanor.
§ Leave was given to bring in the bill.