ThesewerethemainActsforpunishingpoachersthatwerepassedduring
thelastphaseoftheancientré；gime。Howlargeaparttheyplayed
inEnglishlifemaybeimaginedfromafactmentionedbythedukeofRichmond
in1831。(41*)Inthethreeyearsbetween1827and1830oneinsevenofall
thecriminalconvictionsinthecountrywereconvictionsundertheGameCode。
Thenumberofpersonssoconvictedwas8502，manyofthembeingundereighteen。
Someofthemhadbeentransportedforlife，andsomeforsevenorfourteen
years。Insomeyearstheproportionwasstillhigher。(42*)Wemustremember，
too，whatkindofjudgeshadtriedmanyofthesemenandboys。’Thereis
notaworse-constitutedtribunalonthefaceoftheearth，’saidBrougham
in1828，’noteventhatoftheTurkishCadi，thanthatatwhichsummaryconvictions
ontheGameLawsconstantlytakeplace；Imeanabenchorabraceofsporting
justices。Iamfarfromsayingthat，onsuchsubjects，theyareactuated
bycorruptmotives；buttheyareundoubtedlyinstigatedbytheirabhorrence
ofthatcaputlupinum，thathostishumanigeneris，asanHonourableFriend
ofmineoncecalledhiminhisplace，thatferanaturae——apoacher。From
theirdecisionsonthosepoints，wheretheirpassionsarethemostlikely
tomisleadthem，noappealinrealityliestoamorecalmandunprejudiced
tribunal；for，unlesstheysetoutanymatterillegalonthefaceofthe
conviction，youremovetherecordinvain。’(43*)
Thecloserelationofthisgreatincreaseofcrimetothegeneraldistress
wasuniversallyrecognised。CobbetttellsusthatagentlemaninSurreyasked
ayoungman，whowascrackingstonesontheroadside，howhecouldliveupon
halfacrownaweek。’Idon’tliveuponit，’saidhe。’Howdoyoulivethen？’
’Why，’saidhe，’Ipoach：itisbettertobehangedthantobestarvedto
death。’(44*)Thisstoryreceivesillustrationafterillustrationintheevidence
takenbyParliamentaryCommittees。ThevisitingJusticesofthePrisonsin
Bedfordshirereportedin1827thatthegreatincreaseincommitments，and
particularlythenumberofcommitmentsforoffencesagainsttheGameLaws，
calledforaninquiry。Morethanathirdofthecommitmentsduringthelast
quarterhadbeenforsuchoffences。TheReportcontinues：——
’Inmanyparishesinthiscountythewagesgiventoyoungunmarriedagricultural
labourers，inthefullstrengthandvigouroflife，seldomexceed3s。or
3s。6d。aweek，paidtothem，generally，underthedescriptionofroundsmen，
bytheoverseersoutofthepoorrates；andoftenintheimmediatevicinity
ofthedwellingsofsuchhalf-starvedlabourersthereareabundantly-stocked
preservesofgame，inwhich，duringasinglenight，thesedissatisfiedyoung
mencanobtainarichbootybysnaringharesandtakingorkillingpheasants……
offenceswhichtheycannotbebroughttoacknowledgetobeanyviolation
ofprivateproperty。Detectiongenerallyleadstotheirimprisonment，and
imprisonmentintroducestheseyouthstofamiliaritywithcriminalsofother
descriptions，andthustheybecomerapidlyabandonedtounlawfulpursuits
andalifeofcrime。’(45*)Mr。Orridge，GovernoroftheGaolofBurySt。
Edmunds，gavetotheCommitteeonCommitmentsandConvictions(46*)thefollowing
figuresofprisonerscommittedtotheHouseofCorrectionforcertainyears：
Hestatedthatthegreatincreaseinthenumberofcommitmentsbeganin
theyear1815withthedepressionofagricultureandthegreatdearthof
employment：thatmenwereemployedontheroadsatverylowrates：thatthe
commitmentsundertheGameLawswhichin1810werefive，in1811four，and
in1812two，wereseventy-fivein1822，ayearofgreatagriculturaldistress，
sixtyin1823，sixty-onein1824，andseventy-onein1825。Somemenwere
poachersfromtheloveofsport，butthemajorityfromdistress。Mr。Pym，
amagistrateinCambridgeshire，andSirThomasBaring，amagistrateforHampshire，
gavesimilarevidenceastothecauseoftheincreaseofcrime，andparticularly
ofpoaching，inthesecounties。Mr。Bishop，aBowStreetofficer，whosebusiness
itwastomixwiththepoachersinpublic-housesandlearntheirsecrets，
toldtheCommitteeontheGameLawsin1823thattherehadnotbeenemployment
forthelabouringpoorinmostoftheplaceshehadvisited。Perhapsthe
mostgraphicpictureoftherelationofdistresstocrimeisgiveninapamphlet，ThoughtsandSuggestionsonthePresentConditionoftheCountry，
publishedin1830byMr。PotterMacqueen，lateM。P。forBedford。
’InJanuary1829，therewereninety-sixprisonersfortrialinBedford
Gaol，ofwhomseventy-sixwereable-bodiedmen，intheprimeoflife，and，
chiefly，ofgeneralgoodcharacter，whoweredriventocrimebysheerwant，
andwhowouldhavebeenvaluablesubjectshadtheybeenplacedinasituation，
where，bytheexerciseoftheirhealthandstrength，theycouldhaveearned
asubsistence。Therewereinthisnumbereighteenpoachers，awaitingtrial
forthecapitaloffenceofusingarmsinself-defencewhenattackedbygame-keepers；
oftheseeighteenmen，oneonlywasnotaparishpauper，andhewastheagent
oftheLondonpoulterers，who，passingundertheapparentvocationofarat-catcher，
paidthesepoorcreaturesmoreinonenightthantheycouldobtainfromthe
overseerforaweek’slabour。Iconversedwitheachofthesemensingly，
andmademinutesoftheirmodeoflife。ThetwofirstIwillmentionare
thetwobrothers，theLilleys，incustodyunderachargeoffiringonand
woundingakeeper，whoendeavouredtoapprehendthemwhilstpoaching。They
weretworemarkablyfineyoungmen，andveryrespectablyconnected。Theelder，
twenty-eightyearsofage，married，withtwosmallchildren。WhenIinquired
howhecouldlendhimselftosuchawretchedcourseoflife，thepoorfellow
replied：’Sir，Ihadapregnantwife，withoneinfantatherknee，andanother
atherbreast；Iwasanxioustoobtainwork，Iofferedmyselfinalldirections，
butwithoutsuccess；ifIwenttoadistance，Iwastoldtogobacktomy
parish，andwhenIdidso，Iwasallowed……What？Why，formyself，mybabes，
andmywife，inaconditionrequiringmorethancommonsupport，andunable
tolabour，Iwasallowed7s。aweekforall；forwhichIwasexpectedto
workontheroadsfromlighttodark，andtopaythreeguineasayearfor
thehovelwhichshelteredus。’Theotherbrother，agedtwenty-two，unmarried，
received6d。aday。Thesemenwerehangedatthespringassizes。Oftheothers，
tenweresinglemen，theiragesvaryingfromseventeentotwenty-seven。Many
hadneverbeeningaolbefore，andwereconsideredofgoodcharacter。Six
ofthemwereontheroadsat6d。perday。Twocouldnotobtaineventhis
pittance。Onehadbeenrefusedreliefonthegroundthathehadshortlyprevious
obtainedaprofitablepieceofjobwork，andonehadexistedon1s。6d。during
thefortnightbeforehejoinedtheganginquestion。Offivemarriedmen，
twowithwifeandtwochildrenreceived7s。，twowithwifeandonechild
6s。，andonewithwifeandfoursmallchildren11s。’(47*)
Ifwewishtoobtainacompletepictureofthesociallifeofthetime，
itisnotenoughtostudytheconstructionofthisvindictivecode。Wemust
rememberthatasortofcivilwarwasgoingonbetweenthelabourersand
thegamekeepers。ThewoodsinwhichTomJonesfoughthisgreatfightwith
ThwackumandBlifiltocovertheflightofMollySeagrimnowechoedona
stillandmoonlessnightwiththedinofadifferentsortofbattle：the
noiseofgunshotsandblowsfrombludgeons，andbrokencursesfrommenwho
knewthat，iftheyweretaken，theywouldneverseetheEnglishdawnrise
overtheirhomesagain：abattlewhichendedperhapsinthedeathorwounding
ofakeeperorpoacher，andthehangingortransportationofsomeofthe
favouriteDonQuixotesofthevillage。AwitnessbeforetheCommitteeon
theGameLawssaidthatthepoacherspreferredaquietnight。Crabbe，in
thepoacherpoem(BookXXIofTalesoftheHall)whichhewroteat
thesuggestionofRomilly，takeswhatwouldseemtobethemoreprobable
viewthatpoacherslikedanoisynight：
’ItwasanightsuchbolddesirestomoveStrongwindsandwintrytorrentsfilledthegrove；
Thecracklingboughsthatintheforestfell，Thecawingrooks，thecur’saffrightedyell；
Thescenesabovethewood，thefloodsbelow，Weremix’d，andnonethesingiesoundcouldknow。
“Loudblowtheblasts。”theycried，“andcallusastheyblow。”’
Suchanencounterisputintocoldarithmeticinanofficialreturnlike
’AnaccountofthenineteenpersonscommittedtoWarwickGaolfortrial
attheLentAssizes1829forshootingandwoundingJohnSlinnatCombeFields
intheCountyofWarwickwhilstendeavouringtoapprehendthemfordestroying
gameinthenightwiththeresultthereof：——
Above14andunder20yearsofage11
Above20yearsofage8
Capitallyconvictedandrepreivedwith——
Transportationforlife7
Transportationfor14years9
ImprisonmentwithhardlabourinHouseofCorrectionfor2years1
AdmittedtoEvidence2
Sevenpeasantsexiledforlife，nineexiledforfourteenyears，andtwo
condemnedtotheworstexileofall。Inthatvillageatanyratetherewere
manyhomesthathadreasontorememberthedaywhenthepleasuresofthe
richbecamethemostsacredthinginEngland。
Butthewarfarewasnotconductedonlybythesemethods。Forthegentlemen
ofEngland，asforthegeniuswhofoughtMichaelandGabrielinthegreat
battleinthesixthbookofParadiseLost，sciencedidnotspread
herlightinvain。Therewasacertainjoyofadventureinanightskirmish，
andamanwhosawhiswifeandchildrenslowlystarving，towhomoneofthose
goldenbirdsthatwassleepingonitsperchtheothersideofthehedge，
nightafternight，tillthedaywhenitshouldpleasethesquiretosend
ashotthroughitspurplehead，meantcomfortandevenrichesforaweek，
wasnotverymuchafraidoftrustinghislifeandhisfreedomtohisquick
ear，hislightfoot，orattheworsthispowerfularm。Sothegamepreservers
inventedacoldandterribledemon：theystrewedtheirwoodswithspring
guns，thatdealtdeathwithoutwarning，deathwithouttheexcitementofbattle，
deaththatcouldcatchthenimblestasheslippedandscrambledthroughthe
hidingbracken。Themanwhofellinanaffrayfellfighting，hiscomrades
byhisside；itwasagrimanduncomfortedfatetogooutslowlyandalone，
lyingdesolateinthestainedbushes，beneaththeunheedingsky。Itisnot
clearwhenthesediabolicalengines，asLordHollandcalledthem，werefirst
introduced，buttheywereevidentlycommonby1817，whenCurwenmadeapassionate
protestintheHouseofCommons，anddeclared，’Betterthewholeraceof
gamewasextinctthanthatitshouldoweitspreservationtosuchcruelexpedients。’(49*)
FortunatelyforEnglandthespringguns，thoughtheyscatteredmurderand
wounds。freelyenough(Peelspokein1827of’dailyaccidentsandmisfortunes’)，
didnotchoosetheirvictimswithsoniceaneyeasaJusticeofthePeace，
anditwasoftenagamekeeperorafarmservantwhowassuddenlytripped
upbythislurkingdeath。By1827thisstateofthingshadbecomesucha
scandalthatParliamentintervenedandpassedanAct，introducedintheLords
byLordSuffield，whohadmadeapreviousattemptin1825，tomakethesetting
ofspringgunsamisdemeanour。(50*)
TheBilldidnotpasswithoutconsiderableopposition。Tennyson，whointroduced
itintheCommons，declaredthatthefeudalnobilityinancientFrancehad
neverpossessedaprivilegecomparablewiththisrightofkillingandmaiming，
andhesaidthatthefactthatCokeofNorfolk(51*)andLordSuffield，both
largegamepreservers，refusedtoemploythemshowedthattheywerenotnecessary。
MembersofbothHousesofParliamentcomplainedbitterlyofthe’morbidsensibility’
thatinspiredtheproposal，andsomeofthemdefendedspringgunsasalabour-saving
machine，speakingofthemwiththeenthusiasmthatamanufacturermightbestow
ontheinventionofanArkwrightoraCrompton。OnememberoftheHouseof
Commons，aColonelFrench，opposedtheBillwiththeargumentthatthehonest
Englishcountrygentlemanformed’theverysubjectandessenceoftheEnglish
character，’whileLordEllenboroughopposeditintheotherHouseonthe
groundthatitwascontrarytotheprinciplesoftheEnglishlaw，whichgave
amanprotectionforhispropertyinproportiontothedifficultywithwhich
itcouldbedefendedbyordinarymeans。
