MR. SYKESasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether his attention has been called to a judgment given by Mr. Turner in the County 1116 Court, in which he held that no person was justified in shooting a dog whether mad or not, but that it was the duty of the police to capture the mad dog and bring it before two magistrates, and who, if they were satisfied the dog was rabid, would give an order for its destruction?
MR. ASSHETON CROSS,in reply, said, that his attention had been called to this subject by the Question of the hon. Member, and he could only hope that the law was not in such a state as it was represented to be by the learned Judge; but that he could not answer for. If the law were such as it was stated to be, he should be exceedingly sorry for the police; it would be cruelty to keep the dogs in misery, and he should not like to be the magistrate before whom they were brought. For his own part, he might say that he should give no directions to the Metropolitan Police to act in accordance with the decision referred to.