164 MARQUIS OF QUEENSBERRY. 



that part of Mr. Tailby's country which Mr. Coupland has 

 claimed for the Quorn ? I had not then declined it, although I 

 had offered to do so, but on the contrary, at the suggestions of 

 what I was led to believe was the wish of the people in that 

 part of the country, and being in ignorance of how matters 

 really stood, I applied to the covert and land owners for the 

 purpose of proposing myself as a person willing to undertake to 

 hunt this country, being under the impression that it was to all 

 intents and purposes vacant. 



* I now find it is not vacant, and therefore I withdraw at once 

 as it would be absurd for me to apply for a country which is 

 already claimed as belonging to another hunt. 



' I take this opportunity of giving notice to the land and 

 covert owners to whom I have applied that I do now withdraw, 

 and of stating that it was never my intention when applying to 

 them to start such a radical theory, and one that would be so 

 entirely against the conservative laws of fox-hunting, as the 

 idea that they, the land and covert owners, could establish a 

 pack in a country which already belonged to another hunt. 



' If there are any who are of opinion that the country does not 

 belong to the Quorn, the matter can be easily decided by referring 

 to the fox-hunting committee at Boodles. If decided in their 

 favour they may then do as they like themselves with their own 

 country. May I be allowed to say, as a looker-on, and a 

 sincere well wisher of peace and unity in all hunting countries, 

 that under the last named circumstance it would be a matter 

 of courtesy to give Mr. Coupland the first offer of it.' 



Such was the Marquis of Queensberry's view^ of the situation. 



What happened was as follows : A meeting was convened 

 for the 30th of November 1871, at Leicester, of all the principal 

 landed proprietors of the entire 'Quorn Country,' to take its 

 future into consideration. 



The Leicester meeting proposed that the question should be 

 referred to the committee of masters of fox hounds at Boodles. 



In the meantime, however, a meeting had been held at 

 "Wistow, in the Billesdon side, at which it had been decided that 

 the coverts of that side remain at the disposal of Mr. Tailby, 

 who had consented to continue to hunt that side and draw^ 

 them, and so the question was left in abeyance. 



