HL Deb 18 June 1841 vol 58 cc1572-3
The Earl of Chichester

moved the committal of the Dog Carts Bill.

Lord Portman

opposed the bill, as he did not see the necessity of extending the operations of such a measure into the rural districts; and in the large towns it would not be necessary, as the Municipal Corporations Act would enable the authorities of those places to forbid dogcarts by by-laws if they thought proper. Yet, of all those towns, the only one that had made a by-law against dog-carts was Oxford, probably in order that the riding of the students should not be impeded. But he objected to the bill on principle, as it was excessively severe, for it would be a great hardship to fine a baker, for in- stance, who might have a dog under his cart, while he went to serve his customers. As for hydrophobia there were no grounds whatever for assuming that this bill would tend to check that terrible malady, for he would ask the noble Lord whether he could state, as a fact proved by experience in this or any other country, that hydrophobia had been caused by over-working clogs? Further, the whole structure of the bill was absurd: for instance, it would make the person working a dog in a cart guilty of misdemeanor; now misdemeanor was an indictable offence, and yet a subsequent clause ordered that the misdemeanant should be carried before a justice of the peace. He moved as an amendment, that the bill be committed that day three months.

The Earl of Wicklow

observed that in the former stage there was not a single dissentient, for humanity strongly demanded that dogs should be rescued from the brutal treatment we had long seen inflicted upon them by their inhuman masters. He therefore hoped his noble Friend would not persevere in his opposition.

The Marquess of Salisbury

said, it would be most cruel to fine a baker, as this bill proposed, who should leave a dog to take care of his cart while he went to' serve a customer. He thought this was going too far. However, he would support the general principle of protecting dogs from the cruelty of their masters.

The Marquess of Normanby

suggested to his noble Friend the propriety of postponing the further progress of this measure until next Session.

Bill postponed.—Adjourned.