SECOND READING. (Hansard, 24 March 1892)

THE EARL OF WHARNCLIFFE

My Lords, I have been requested to lay this Bill before your Lordships for Second Reading, and I think I had better just state in a few words what the progress of it in the other House of Parliament has been. It was introduced in 1887 for the first time, and the Bill then provided that no one should kill hares between 12th March and 12th August in any part of Great Britain, the penalty being then £1 and costs. That was supported by one side of the House and carried by a majority; but subsequently the Bill was blocked. It was again brought in in 1888, 1889, and 1890; but in 1890 the principle of the Bill was carried by a majority of 109, that is to say, 239 to 130. In 1891 the Bill provided that the close time should be left entirely to 1636 the County Councils. This was an alteration of the original conception of the Act; but it was carried by a majority of 61 in a House of 191. It failed, however, to get into Committee on that occasion. The Bill as it stands at present simply provides that during the months of March, April, May, June, and July, it shall be unlawful to sell or expose for sale in any part of Great Britain any hare or leveret under a penalty of £20. The Bill does not apply to foreign hares, and there are some other minor details of no importance. My Lords, I have been sometimes asked whether it would not be difficult to discriminate between English, Scotch or Irish and foreign hares, and it appears that experts are of opinion that there would be no difficulty. I cannot state that as my own opinion because I have had no opportunity of testing the difference between the two kinds of animal; but certainly if my information is correct that will not prevent the Act being carried into force if it is once enacted. Your Lordships will observe that by the passing of this Act there is no restriction imposed upon owners of property in this country or those who hold farms with the right of shooting; they are allowed to carry on just the same as before under the provisions of the Ground Game Act, and the only restriction placed upon them is that they cannot kill a hare and expose it for sale. I think I may mention incidentally that, as we all know, hares at those times are really not fit for consumption, and should the hare have young which are left behind, where they are deposited, it is impossible that those poor creatures should live when their mother has been killed at the time when she is teeming with milk and ought not to be destroyed, and is not fit for human food. Another curious fact is that English salesmen complain of the great diminution in the number of English hares—not that you could expect any other result to take place from the passing of the Act; but the curious thing is that they are almost all doe hares that are killed, and hardly any buck hares are brought into the market at this time. That shows that it is the doe hares that are the sufferers, those which we ought to protect just at the time they ought not to 1637 be shot. With regard to foreign hares it must be remembered that a great many of them come into this country which have not been shot during this time, but have been kept frozen and brought over here in a frozen state. It is not therefore the continental dealers who suffer in favour of the English dealers, because they have opportunities of introducing hares which we have not in consequence of the difference of climate. My Lords, I have spoken on the subject to the noble and learned Lord who leads the other side of the House, and he is aware that this Bill is not a contentious Bill in any way; it has been passed by both sides of the Houses of Parliament, and the noble Lord is aware that it is a compromise, and, being such, we can only hope that your Lordships will accept the Bill as it stands and let it pass without any amendment. I may say that as regards my own part of England I find there is a great dissatisfaction created by the killing of hares and their diminishing numbers. In my neighbourhood near Sheffield there are a great many packs of harriers that afford enjoyment to neighbouring farmers and small occupiers. I am constantly being asked to allow these small packs to go across my grounds that they may get a day's hunting, and I always tell them I shall be very happy to allow them if they will find the hares; but in consequence of the Games Acts they cannot, and great dissatisfaction is expressed accordingly. I think therefore that this Bill is a remedy for that dissatisfaction, and perhaps in a political aspect it will be a wise thing if your Lordships will give a Second Reading to the Bill and let it be passed.