414 RACING CAREER OF SIR W. H. GREGORY. 



it was resolved — " That the unanimous thanks 

 of the Jockey Club be rendered to his Grace the 

 Duke of Richmond, K.G., for his Grace's inde- 

 fatigable exertions and eminent services in the 

 House of Lords, whereby many obsolete statutes 

 which threatened destruction to the best interests 

 of the Turf have been repealed, and the remaining 

 laws in regard to horse-racing put upon a safe and 

 satisfactory footing." Of this salutary Bill Lord 

 George was the principal instigator, and his let- 

 ters to Sir William Gregory, from which I shall 

 make two extracts, are full of interesting in- 

 formation. They show in the clearest light 

 Lord George's masculine and fearless character, 

 and also his profound sympathy with the sports 

 of the people. 



The first ran as follows : — 



" Harcourt House, 

 Cavendish Square, yVor. 17, 1843. 



" Though I have no apprehension that these 

 rascally informers will succeed in their suits, I 

 cannot consider them otherwise than as serious. 

 Construed as the Judges have heretofore construed 

 the 9th of Queen Anne, there is no doubt but 

 that bettinsf on horse - races comes within the 

 meaning of the Act. It is vain, therefore, to dis- 

 guise from ourselves that these vagabonds have 

 prima facie the law on their side. On ours we 

 have the difficulty of proof, and the indisposition 



