19 MARCH 1870, Page 13

The Government, through Mr. Bruce, has announced its inten- tion

of dealing with the Game Laws. Mr. Wykeham Martin on Wednesday proposed the second reading of his Bill, which gives the feathered game to the landlord and the ground game to the tenant, "any contract to the contrary notwithstanding." He -agreed, however, to withdraw those words, and indeed all words but those in the preamble. Thereupon Sir G. Grey observed that the House would have to draw its own Bill, and pass in Committee -a Bill which had never passed a second reading. Mr. Bruce Acknowledged that this was final, but promised a Government Bill for the three kingdoms intended to put tenants in a better position. It will be hot work fighting that Bill, but a reasonable -compromise is surely not impossible. Shootings let for, say, 20d. per acre. Fix a price, say a shilling an acre, at which any tenant may buy the right to kill ground game, and reserve the landlord's right to shoot too if he can find any, and we shall have ?little more quarrelling. County members had better remember "in the debate that next election they will not know how tenants vote.