The Government are very dilatory in producing their Vivisection Restriction
Bill. We had hoped that Mr. Cross, who, in spite of the unaccountable delay in the publication of the Commissioners' Report, has had the complete evidence before him since the be- ginning of the year, would have been able to produce his measure before this. We are glad, therefore, to see that the powerful Society formed for "the Protection of Animals Liable to Vivisection," with the Archbishop of York, Lord Shaftesbury, and Sir Frederick Eliot working heartily at their head, are doing all in their power to spur on the Administration. We referred last week to this Society's admirable summary of such of the evidence taken before the Commission as goes to prove the necessity of restric- tion, and may add now that at a large meeting held this week, the Committee resolved that "the language of the Commission might have been stronger in condemning the abuses of vivisec- tion," though they recognise the importance of its work, and warmly press on the Government the urgency of the need for legislation. The Committee adopt the suggestion made for the complete exemption of " the household animals," dogs and cats, from liability to vivisection, and wish this exemp- tion extended to horses, asses, and mules. And they concur heartily in the view that the measure proposed will not satisfy the requirements of the case, " unless it results in putting an end to all experiments, not merely involving torture, but anything at all approaching thereto." We suppose it may be, in part at least, due to Lord Shaftesbury's warm sympathy with this movement, that we have to attribute the admirable commentary of the Record on that strange misrepresentation of the Commissioners' Report which crept into the Times' leader of this day fortnight.
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