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Gentleman's Magazine

1809-Jun | review of "The Speech in the House of Peers on the Second Reading of the Bill for Preventing Malicious and Wanton Cruelty to Animals [1809-May-15], Gentleman's Magazine 27 (1809-Jul) 545-549; Digitized by Google, Online at Google Books.

Speech-Cruelty to Animals Bill

Lord Erkine

review, Gentleman's Magazine

75. Cruelty to Animals. The Speech of Lord Erskine, in the House of Peers, on the second Reading of the Bill for preventing malicious and wanton Cruelty to Animals. Taken in Short Hand. Phillips.

At a time when Europe is in a manner covered with the blood of man, from the sanctioned cruelties of War, it refreshes the spirit to find that a distinguished Individual, who has filled the highest dignities of the State, and retired from the bustle of public life, till the Country shall again require his assistance, by calling his great and universally-acknowledged powers into action; it refreshes, we say, the spirit, to see such and individual stand forth to enforce the duty of being merciful to beasts; as an advocate for that part of the animal world who are daily and hourly the victims of a wanton hand or a hardened heart. And we cannot but give our most unqualified approbation of the Bill, and of the admirable principle upon which it is constructed. That principle, indeed, is so well describe, and our own opinion the the Speech itself and the humane objects it embraces so well expressed, by the Advertisement prefixed to the pamphlet, that we shall here present it to our Readers.…

It is injurious to the excellent train of argument which, link by link, forms the chain of this well-connected and eloquent Speech, to give partial extracts; and yet the scanty limits to which we are confined by the nature of our publication will not allow us to go into detail. The whole Speech to be duly felt and understood, should be before the Reader; and the Readers ought to be as numerous as there are enlightened minds and feeling hearts in the country. The Speech begins with the Noble Author's general proposition, namely the humane consideration of a subject "which," he says, "has long occupied his attention, and which he owns, is very near his heart." His Lordship thus continues his Address to his Brother Peers of the Realm:…

The illustrious Speaker then proceeds to fortify his opinions by the sentiments of others; and quotes the arguments of the excellent Cowper, author of "The Task;" of Mr. Jones, in his Theological Works; and Mr. Young, of Trinity college, Cambridge, who published an excellent treatise on the subject. The Noble Lord might have enumerated a great many more of our Poets and Moral Writers; such as Johnson, Hawkensworth, Thomson; as well as the living Authors: amongst the latter of whom certainly none have expatiated more on this subject than the Author of "Sympathy," both in his poetical and prose writings. Indeed, nearly a third of a volume of the "Gleanings" of that Writer has been consecrated to this subject; and Mr. Bingley has collected, and brought under one point of view, the natural, moral, and domestic History of the brute Creation, with a view not only of proving their valuable or interesting qualities, as they respect ourselves and each other, but to impress upon our minds the moral and divine obligation we are under to treat them in life and at death with becoming humanity.

After tracing other branches of our duty, which, when subject to frequent violation, has been recognized and inculcated by our Laws, and the breaches of them repressed by punishments, his Lordship ask, why such punishment should not be extended to the case immediately under his consideration? and then proceeds to state the preamble which is as follows:…

The succeeding parts of the Speech from p.7 to 18, exhibit, in all the points of view of which the subject is susceptible, and in a style for which our British Cicero has long been celebrated, and cases that bear upon the question; and then goes into the second part of the case; which, although it occupies but a small space, and is of the utmost importance, we must defer for the present, having already indulged ourselves beyond our usual bounds; because we have considered it our bounden duty, in our public capacity, not to garble a question of such undeniable importance to the interest of Humanity and of general Nature. We share therefore resume the subject in our next.

In the mean time we cannot but express our regret, that, in the discussion of this Speech in the Lower House, there have been found more than one dissentient voice; and that voice, the most violent, the most able, and, next to the Author of the Speech, perhaps one of the most eloquent that can, alas! be NOW heard in that House, namely, that of the celebrated Advocate for Bull-baiting, has opened, full-mouthed, upon the present occasion. But we shall go more at length into this, in our farther view of this great subject: surely few, in the whole compass of moral, discussion, can be greater than the unnecessary cruelty of man to animals which administer to his pleasure, his consolation, and to the very support of his life, in the present forms of Society at least.

(To be continued.)