NIMROiy'S NORTHERN TOUR. 13 



of a person, who I am quite sure had no more to do with it than 

 I myself had.) 



Nimrod. " For shame ! How can you speak 90 disrespect- 

 fully of a person of such respectability, and one of your own 

 county too ?" 



Guard. " D n 7 em, there's nought they won't any on ? em do 

 to get money ; he was the man, as sure as you are on this 

 coach \ :) v 



Here our conversation on this subject dropped, and it was time 

 it should drop. But see the mischief these turf robberies have 

 occasioned in lessening the respect of the lower for the higher 

 orders of society ! Neither does it stop here. It is true, the 

 character of a country should not be implicated in isolated cases, 

 originating in individual motives of recklessness or of avarice ; 

 but the character of England is at this time suffering in the eyes 

 of the whole world from the almost every-day exposure of the 

 villany practised at our principal race-meetings, to which no 

 final check appears te have been as yet given, or even attempted 

 to be given from that quarter from which it would be most effec- 

 tual. I have every reason to believe that the noblemen and gen- 

 tlemen who compose our long-established, and, hitherto, highly- 

 regarded Jockey Club, have, from time to time, adopted rules and 

 regulations to restrain villany and reward integrity, but still, 

 year after year, these robberies occur. It can only be inferred 

 then, that they must act more vigorously than they have as yet 

 done, if they wish the turf to regain its respectability, which is 

 now so rapidly decreasing. In fact, if they refuse to do so, it 

 will soon come to this, that whoever enters upon it largely must 

 adopt one of two alternatives he must either rob or be robbed. 



But to return for a moment to my conversation with the guard 

 of the Wellington coach. Perhaps as strong a proof as need be 

 produced of the absolute necessity of a reform in the racing 

 world, and that without such reform noblemen and gentlemen of 

 character will become shy of supporting it, may be found in the 

 remark made to me a few months back by a gentleman who was 

 for many years a leading character on the English turf, but who 

 has retired from it, as he entered upon it with an unblemished 

 reputation. " Upon my word," said he to me, in Calais, where 

 I accidentally met him on his return to England ; " if I had 

 horses engaged in great stakes now I should sometimes be almost 

 as much afraid of winning as of losing them so much suspicion 

 being attached to racing in these days." I have often thought 

 how many painful moments would have been spared to Mr. Bat- 

 son if he had taken the hint given in the article on the Turf in 

 the Quarterly Review, of putting Plenipo into his pocket, rather 



