134 THE HORSE. 



This Association, it appears, was instituted in the year first 

 named, 1823, founded on the act alluded to, bearing date of two 

 years previous. 



This enactment runs thus — 



" Be it enacted by the people of the State of New York, 

 represented in Senate and Assembly, that from and after the 

 passing of this act, the training, pacing, trotting and running of 

 horses, upon regulated courses and upon private property, in 

 the county of Queens, is hereby declared to be exempted and 

 freed, for and during the period of five years, from the passing 

 of this act, from the provisions and penalties of the act, entitled, 

 ' An act to prevent horse-racing, and for other purposes.' " 



There are farther clauses to this act, but as it is my object, 

 at present, only to fix dates, it is unimportant to refer to these. 



On page 415 of the same volume, I find the following 

 notice, taken from a Glasgow paper; evidently showing that, 

 although there might as yet be no regular trotting-courses or 

 public purses given, the art of making and training trotters was 

 already well understood ; — 



'"' The public were informed of the speed of two American 

 trotters, the property of Mr. Aldridge, and it seems two others, 

 lately arrived, are superior in speed, and equal to IT miles an 

 hour. They are the property of a gentleman named Bening- 

 borough ; one of them was matched to do eight miles in half an 

 hour on the Cambridge road, on Thursday, and to carry 11 stone, 

 154 lbs. The horse is an iron gray, rat-tailed, and is sixteen 

 hands high. The match was for 100 sovereigns at a week's 

 notice, and the horse did his — 



min. sec. 



First mile in . . 3 30 



Second " . . 3 29 



Third " . . 3 26 



Fourth " . . 3 36 



mm. sec. 



Fifth mile in . . 3 32 



Sixth " . . 3 50 



Seventh " . . . 3 40 



Eighth " . . 3 52 



making the whole eight miles in 28m. 55s. 



" The horse broke once in the sixth mile. The other horse 

 was matched to trot 17 miles in one hour on the same road, for 

 200 sovereigns." — Glasgow Herald. 



I can find no farther mention of these horses, either in the 

 English or American sporting publications of that date, unless 



