The debate on the Hares and Rabbits Bill, on Thursday
even- ing, revealed that though Mr. Brand and many of the Liberal landowners are disaffected to the Bill, that disaffection is more than compensated by the disposition of those Tories who depend for their seats on tenant-farmers, to favour the Bill. Mr. Brand (M P. for Stroud) of course made the Bill's interference with liberty of contract the chief point of his attack ; and to defend himself against the charge of indifference to the farmers, lie declared himself willing to exclude hares and rabbits from the category of game altogether,—a remedy which, by multiplying trespassing, would be almost worse than the disease. Colonel Ruggles-Brise, Mr. Pa, and Mr. Rodwell all spoke more or less for the Bill, though the first of these did so evidently with the utmost reluctance ; and on the Liberal side the speeches of Mr. J. Howard, Mr. Lefevre, and Mr. Whitbread produced a great effect. Motions to adjourn the debate, begun soon after midnight, were defeated thrice by very large majorities ; but at last Mr. Gladstone gave way, Sir Stafford Northcote being most anxious to have it clearly understood that he would not have anything to say to mere obstruction.
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