6o HORSE-RACING IN ENGLAND 



received that appellation, and founded in 1776, 

 though not named till 1778 ; the Oaks and Derby, 

 established under the auspices of the popular 

 twelfth Earl of Derby in 1779 and 1780 respec- 

 tively; the Two Thousand, established in 1809; 

 and the One Thousand in 18 14. 



And here a little digression, perhaps, may be 

 allowed for the purpose of dealing with some small 

 questions which invariably recur, as often as the 

 anniversary of the Derby comes round. First of all, 

 there is no provision in Magna Charta (for reasons 

 which need not be discussed) for the ' adjournment 

 of the House ' over the Derby Day ; nor, if the 

 House fails to adjourn, is it likely (to judge from 

 past experience) either that the earth would open 

 and swallow up the sitting members, or that a 

 House would be obtained with which any import- 

 ant business could be done (unless, of course, 

 under very exceptional conditions). The fact is 

 that the adjournment of the House on the Derby 

 Day was first moved by Lord G. Bentinck, May 

 18, 1847 ; ^'^s moved b)' the Government from 

 i860, when Lord Palmerston declared that to 

 adjourn over that day was ' part of the unwritten 

 law of Parliament '; was abandoned as a Govern- 

 ment motion by Sir Stafford Northcote in 1879; 



