Wild scenes at Dulverton public meeting (post 1957?)

M.P.s TO OPPOSE ANTI-HUNT BiLL

HUNTING horns were blown, whistles blasted, and there: were wild cheers at Dulverton on Saturday when a public meeting passed a resolution urging M.P.s to oppose what speakers termed "the anti-hunting Bill," due to have its second reading in Parliament today. Only two people voted against the resolution, and later the League Against Cruel Sports protested against " the disgraceful way" in which these two were treated. The meeting was organised by the Devon and Somerset Staghounds Committee.

The Town Hall was packed, and in the Square a large crowd, unable to get in, heard the speeches relayed over loudspeakers. Mr. E. Du Cann. M.P. for Taunton, and Mr. James Lindsay, M.P. for North Devon, pledged their opposition to the Bill. Mr. DuCann hinted that the Bill may not come before parliament this week because he and Mr. Lindsay might adopt filibustering tactics to delay the presentation.

Mr. Du Cann said he was sponsoring a Private Member's Bill on compulsory land acquisition. It was a very important and interesting subject, he said.
" I have a great deal to say on the matter, and so has my triend, Mr. Llndsay.

' ONLY HUMANE WAY'

Both M.P.s said hunting was the only humane way of keeping deer down without extemlinating them. Brandishing a copy of Sir Frederick Messer's Bill, from which he read passages, Mr. Du Cann said "It is a miserable Bill - an extraordinary document. It is a bad Bill and I think that you can count upon it that it will not see the light of day on Februray 21."

Mrs. Cicely Norman and a party of supporters from Ilfracombe arrived too late to get seats. Mrs. Norman is the branch chairman of the League Against Cruel Sports, and the chairman, the Hon. Mrs. Herbert. invited her in.

Mrs. Norman asked Mr. Lindsay if he were prepared to respect the majority view as he had promised at Ilfracombe. Her closing comment: "I have heard a lot of balderdash and drivel, but never more than tonight" was greeted with uproar.

MINORITY RIGHTS

Mr. Lindsay said he thought Mrs. Norman was misconstruing something he had said. He did not recall saying anything about hunting, and added he did not see how they could find out what the majority in favour of hunting was in North Devon.

"It is a complete perversion of democracy to say we have to have a majority," he said. Minorities had a right to exercise their wishes.

In reply to another question, Mr. Du Cann said Mrs. Norman caused a great deal of irritation by misleading other people. People on Exmoor were outnumbered and misunderstood, but, he said. " the right view will be held."