§ MR. CHARLEYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to a case of cruelty to a horse, heard by the Borough Bench at the Malton Petty Sessions on Saturday, March 19th, in which the maximum term of three months' imprisonment with hard labour, under the Statute 12th and 13th Vic. c. 92, s. 18, was inflicted on John Tomlinson, plumber, of York, for having on Good Friday been guilty of gross cruelty to a thoroughbred horse by overdriving it till its fetlock joints were doubled over and broken, and its hoofs came off, and, after its feet had been thus mutilated, continuing to drive it until it dropped; and, whether he will consider the desirability of increasing the punishment in cases of such aggravated cruelty?
MR. BRUCE,in reply, said, he was far from thinking that this man had been adequately punished. If in all cases the utmost punishment that the law allowed were inflicted, he believed a stop would speedily be put to this species of cruelty. It was not his intention to bring in a Bill this Session to alter the law, but he would consider the subject.