1835 A BIRD'S-EYE VIEW 251 



to put a stop to the detestable practice of ' crossing 

 and jostling,' by resolving, ' That when any match is 

 made in which crossing and jostling are not men- 

 tioned, they shall be understood to be barred ' — a rule 

 which, commendable as it is, shows that the practice 

 had been customary before ; and it was very dear to 

 the heart of Mr. Denis O'Kelly (owner of Eclipse), who, 

 having negotiated for a match with a noble lord, 

 and having been unable to come to terms, observed, 

 with tears in his eyes : ' Be Jasus, me dear, had it 

 been cross and jostle, I'd a brought a spalpeen from 

 Newmarket that should dhrive his lordship's horse 

 into the bushes and keep him there for a fortnight.' 



The next innovation, whether introduced into the 

 ' Calendar ' by the Jockey Club at the suggestion of 

 Mr. James Weatherby or by Mr. James Weatherby 

 on the suggestion of the Stewards or some influential 

 member of the Jockey Club, was a master-stroke of 

 policy, eminently calculated to spread the authority 

 and prestige of the Club all over the country, 

 wherever a copy of the ' Calendar ' was accessible ; this 

 was the publication of ' Adjudged Cases,' with a 

 notification that ' with a view to promote the uni- 

 formity of decisions, as well as to prevent the trouble 

 of application to the Stewards of the Jockey Club, on 

 points already decided, we intend, with the consent of 

 the Stewards, to publish occasionally such adjudged 

 cases as may be useful as precedents.' We have 

 Been that from the first the Jockey Club had in- 



