§ VISCOUNT HELMSLEY (Yorkshire, N.R, Thirsk)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what instructions the Metropolitan Police have to deal with cases of tight bearing-reins in the streets; and whether, in view of the discomfort and cruelty to horses involved in this practice, especially when waiting, he will give orders to the police to pay more attention to it than they do at present.
§ MR. GLADSTONENo special instructions have been issued in respect of bearing-reins to the Metropolitan Police The police intervene in what appear to them to be obvious cases of cruelty, but the use of a bearing-rein is, of course, not necessarily cruel, and there would be great difficulty in satisfying a Court as to what degree of tightening of the rein aggravated discomfort into actual cruelty.
§ VISCOUNT HELMSLEYAs there are frequent cases which cause great offence to horse lovers, will the right hon. Gentleman give orders to the police to interfere?
§ MR. GLADSTONEI will certainly call attention to it, though I have no reason to believe that the police neglect their duty in the matter.