EXPERIMENTS ON LIVING ANIMALS. [To THE ED/TOR OP THE SPECTATOIE.1
SIS,—In a recent letter by Miss Frances Power Cobbe in the Spedator, she well and properly animadverted on the "present inaction of the great and rich Society" (the R.S.P.C.A.), "on this burning question," and on the "remarkable speech and vote of the President," who "made it his duty to come forward as the active opponent of a measure intended to prevent the most heinous of all forms of cruelty." Miss Cobbe only expresses a very strong and very widely- spreacl feeling of just indignation at the conduct both of the said Society, now "falsely so called," as to this matter, and its President ; and one which I so deeply go with, that I ask you to allow me a little of your space to say what I think about it.
This "rich " Society has recently sent out begging-letter advertisements week after week for more funds, of which for one, hope that not one farthing will be given to it. By its conduct, it has disgusted and alienated from any connec- tion with it various important country branches,—as, for in- stance, those of Birmingham, Hampstead, Cheltenham (ladies), Cirencester, Gloucester, Tunbridge, Tunbridge Wells, not one of which will now remit their subscriptions and donations to it, but keep them to spend themselves for the general object, and so to know how their money is spent, and not to have it abused to the upholding of what they abhor. Perhaps it is for the like reason that several others of the many independent associations will have nothing to do with the London Committee.
Let the public give to their own branch associations every- where, and the more the better, in so holy a cause ; but I say again, let them not remit one single penny-piece to the Society in Jermyn Street, or its Secretary, for their wretched cause of action or inaction, call it which you will.
I must not make my letter too long, but there is a further serious point I should be glad, with your permission, to say a few words on another wpek.—I am, Sir, Sm., F. 0. Moan's.
Nunburnholme Rectory, Haton, York, September 12th.
[Our correspondent in his just horror of vivisection forgets too completely the great work this Society does in another direction. It disregards the cruelty of curiosity too much, but it limits the cruelty cif brutality. Any suspension of its activity would, in London alone, triple the mass of animal suffering. Every drover and driver fears the Society.—En. Spectator.]
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