7 AUGUST 1880, Page 2

The Hares and Rabbits Bill passed its second reading yester-

day week without a division, the Conservatives declaring, how- ever, that in thus passing it, they only intended to put on record their admission that the Game-laws needed grave amendment,—a very odd way of making such an admission as that. Colonel Stanley intimated that if great "limi- tations " of its principle were not conceded in Com- mittee, there would be nothing for it but to use all the forms of the House to prevent its passing. The Bill was heartily supported by Lord E. Cavendish, who, on landed questions, is not usually too loyal to the Government. Mr. Bromley Davenport declared that the landlords, having been told by the House, the other day, that they were to have no rent, were now to be told they should have no amusement. In 1872, it was said there were only twelve bad landlords in England, and yet all this legislation was for their benefit. The Government were reversing the precedent of Scripture, and instead of a city being saved because there were ten righteous men in it, a class was to be destroyed because there were twelve unrighteous men in it.