On this date in 1844, the Van Buren newspaper, Arkansas Intelligencer, carried coverage of a debate between former President Martin Van Buren and Kentucky lawmaker Henry Clay over squatters on public lands. During his argument, Van Buren included his opinion of game laws. He claimed that God had given dominion to humans over the animals and the only reason citizens break the game laws was because the government made the laws in the first place. If these types of laws did not exist, then people would not poach.
Arkansas Wildlife History 