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Monthly Review

1800-Jul | review of "A Letter to the Right Hon. William Windham, on his Late Opposition to the Bill to Prevent Bull-Baiting: By an Old Member of Parliament [Sir Richard Hill],"Monthly Review; or Literary Journal, 32 (1800-Jul): 328-9; Digitized by Google, Online at Google Books.

Letter to William Windham on the Bull-Baiting Bill

Sir Thomas Hill

review-Monthly Review

Art. 50. A Letter to the Right Hon. William Windham, on his late Opposition to the Bill to prevent Bull-baiting: By an old Member of Parliament. To which are annexed, some Letters and Extracts on the same Subject. Also some Verses on Hunting; with an Address from a Salopian Bull, and the Author's Apology: attempted in humble Rhyme. 8 vo pp. 47. 1s. 6d. Cadell jun. and Davies.

That a member of the British Senate, a most accomplished, intelligent, and humane gentleman, should, in his place in that august assembly, at this day, stand up the advocate of bull-baiting, was matter of very general surprise. The accounts of the horrors of this savage practice, and of the frequent tragic accidents to which they have given rise, as affixed to this epistle, are shocking to the mind. The days of this pastime, we trust, are drawing to a close: but, should this outrage on the sense and feelings of the public, this violation of the quiet security of neighbourhoods, this sport fed by the writhings of torture and the convulsions of agony, revive under the auspices of the Right Hon. Secretary at War, we ardently hope that the legislature will take the subject again into its consideration, and we shall have no apprehensions about the result.

If Parliament, in defiance of the learned remonstrances and ingenious representations of the uniform opposer of peace, whether among men or among brute animals, should put an end to this manly recreation, surely there will be left amusements enough to call forth spirit, to try courage, and to exercise resolution. The lower classes among us are very much behind in regard to civilization, when compared their equals of Scotland, and other countries; in some of which, we find libraries, cabinets of natural history, galleries of paintings, parks, and gardens, open to all without exception; and this is an indulgence which cannot be granted in this country, on account of the mischievous turn of the inferior orders. The farther civilization of this valuable part of our fellow-subjects is an object, which well deserves the consideration of such humane persons as the benevolent author of the pamphlet before us.