THE GAME LAWS.—A case was reported, under our Petersfield head, last week, affording another illustration of the oppressive nature of the atrocious Game Laws. A poor woman, the wife of a fisherman, was entrapped into the statutable offence of buying game, by a gamekeeper, and was then prosecuted by the tempter, and sentenced to pay a fine, which being beyond her husband's means, she was dragged away from her family to the county gaol, to pay in person the penalty she could not expiate in purse. By means of the paragraph in the Independent, the case was brought to the notice of the benevolent and right-hearted member for Athlone, John Collett, Esq., M.P., and we are happy to record that the honourable member immediately affected the poor woman's liberation by forwarding the amount of fine and costs to the county treasure—Mr. C. Bridger. Mr. Collett has expressed a desire to be informed of all similar cases of oppression that may occur in the county. We long to see the publication of the evidence taken before Mr. Brights Committee, being satisfied that the atrocities that will be there brought to light will awaken such a spirit of public indignation as will speedily put an end to the remnant of a feudal barbarism hitherto perpetuated by the Game Laws.

London Evening Standard - Tuesday 12 May 1846

INFORMERS UNDER THE GAME LAWS

     Mr. COLLETT gave notice that on a Thursday next he should ask the right honourable the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether her Majesty's government had had their attention directed to, and if so, whether they had caused any inquiry to be made into the circumstances of the following statement, which had appeared in the Hampshire Independent of Saturday last, May the 9th:—

"At a petty session held in the Town Hall, Petersfield, on the 7th of April, 1846, Capt. Lyons and Sir Charles Taylor presiding magistrates, Thomas Silvester, charcoal-burner of the parish of Liphook, deposed on oath as follows—'That Police-constable Hale, No. 76, in the North Hants constabulary came to me, when the following conversation took place between us:—Police-constable: Have you any work now to do?—Silvester: I have nearly done up all the work I had in hand, consequently, I shall be glad to get another job.—Policeman: I can tell you how to earn 5l.—Silvester: In what way and how?—Policeman: I have got a pheasant and a hare in my house. If you will take them to Bridger, the fisherman at Petersfield, and get him to buy them, and afterwards lay an information against him, in the event of his being convicted I will guarantee you the 5l. from Sir Charles Taylor, of Hollycomb House, near Liphook.—Silvester: If you can't recommend me a better job than that, I would sooner go into the union house than become an informer.'"

He (Mr. Collett) was desirous also of asking, in the event of there being any foundation for the statement, whether or not Police constable Hale, No. 76, still continued to be employed in the North Hants constabulary force, and also whether or not Sir Charles Taylor, Bart., still continued in her Majesty's commission of the peace for the county of Southampton?


(See also
19-May-1846
19-May-1846
20-May-1846
13-Jun-1846
22-Jun-1846)