§ MR. O'DONNELLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If he will lay upon the Table of the House a Return of the number of prosecutions for cruelty to animals in England during the year 1881, and especially the number of prosecutions for the cutting, wounding, and maiming of cattle, sheep, horses, dogs, and cats during that year; and, if he can state the number of pigeons or doves, and similar harmless creatures, which have been shot and often cruelly mutilated, for alleged purposes of sport combined with bets and wagers for profit, at Hurlingham and similar places during the same year?
§ SIR WILLIAM HARCOURTWith regard to the first part of the hon. Member's Question, I may inform him that he will find the information he requires in the Judicial Statistics already laid upon the Table of the House. With respect to the second part of the Question, I am disposed to doubt whether it is serious or not. If it be serious, I can only say that I have no information from which I can state the number of birds and harmless animals which are killed either in England or Ireland.
§ MR. O'DONNELLsaid, that, in order to supply the information which appeared from the right hon. and learned Gentleman's reply to be wanting, he begged to give Notice of his intention to ask for a Return of the number of cases of cruelty to animals in England and Ireland during the year 1881, with particulars as to places and other details as to the seriousness of the offences in each case in both countries. He should also ask the right hon. and learned Gentleman if it were true that during the last three years the number of cases of prosecution for cruelty to animals in England had nearly reached the total of 20,000?