§ Order for Second Beading read.
§ Motion made, and Question proposed, "That the Bill be now read the second time."—(Sir John Astley.)
MR. GOLDSMIDsaid, the hon. Baronet owed it to the House, if he un- 1491 derstood the meaning of his own measure, to explain its object. It was impossible the Bill could be allowed to pass without material alterations in Committee, and he trusted they would receive an assurance from those who had it in charge that such Amendments would not be resisted.
§ SIR JOHN ASTLEYsaid, he was much obliged to the hon. Member for the opinion he entertained of him. He evidently thought him (Sir John Astley) no more fit for his position in that House than any menial position outside. He knew his brains were not as clear as those of his hon. Friend, and if they were of the same calibre, they would be useless or worse to him, because they would only stir up small matters in his mind which would interfere very much with the comfort of his life. Some people thought, because he was fond of racing, he was now trying to legislate for racehorses, but that was not so. His Bill was intended to prevent the administration of arsenic and other deleterious drugs to horses, which, was frequently done to improve the appearance of the animals, but which injured their constitution and eventually killed them. He had been urged by a large body of his constituents to bring in the Bill, and he thought it his bounden duty to do so. He hoped his hon. Friend would vote for the measure, and he really thought his only reason for objecting to it was to get him (Sir John Astley) on his legs.
§ Motion agreed to.
§ Bill read a second time, and committed for Wednesday.