§ MR. MACDONALDasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If his attention has been called to a report in "The Birmingham Morning News" of the date of Monday the 19th instant, headed Cock-fighting Extraordinary, and following which is the description of a cock-fight which took place or is stated to have taken place in the Grand Stand of the Aintree Racecourse, near Liverpool, on Wednesday the 14th instant (presumably), at which it is stated a considerable number of gentlemen were present; also to another account of a cock-fight said to have taken place at Sutton Coldfield (presumably) on Saturday the 17th instant; whether he has taken means or given instruction to find if the extraordinary allegation made in respect to the cock-fight said to have taken place on the Aintree Racecourse Grand Stand is true; whether he has followed a similar course in respect to the one alleged to have taken place at Sutton Cold field; and, whether he will direct that every effort be made to discover and bring to punishment all the promoters, aiders, and abettors of these exhibitions, if the accounts 1447 be true? Would the Home Secretary take means to obtain the real instead of the fictitious names of those who promoted these disgraceful exhibitions?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS, in reply, said, his attention had been called to the accounts of the cock-fights in both places. He believed that the accounts in each case were substantially true, with this exception—that as regarded the one stated to have taken place at Sutton Coldfield it did not take place in Warwickshire, but over the border, in Staffordshire. [Mr. NEWDEGATE: Hear, hear!] He was happy to say that he had found it unnecessary to give any positive instructions in the matter, because the county authorities in both places had taken the most active steps to find out the offenders, and to a considerable extent they had succeeded. At Aintree the police interfered while the fighting was going on; they found about 100 persons assembled, and took names from many of them. Some of the names given were fictitious; but a telegram informed him that 13 of the offenders had been identified, and every precaution would be taken to insure convictions.
§ MR. MACDONALDgave Notice that he would move an Address to Her Majesty, praying that the names of those persons convicted should be printed and laid on the Table of the House.