249 
MARCH 18 .J 
THE FIELD. 
^^T^nS.-ACT^ON’S -REPLY TO RANGER. 
T ??r -1,, vour contribution to “ The Field" of the 4th 
5 in which you have so unjustly aud unexpectedly 
instant, »“ ,, v 
attacked the flJd 
management of the _ 
Craven hounds, you 
/!.. . “ The sport 
;Sh these hounds 
1,08 boen anything 
but good, taking the 
season tl.roagl.nm, 
and the most san- 
truiiio well-wishers 
of tho>o hounds have 
been disappointed. 
Bd'oro you had at- 
tempted to draw 
undeserved obloquy 
upon the manage- 
ment of an estab- 
lishment of which 
you know nothing 
but by the vaguest 
reports, you should, 
in common honesty, 
have k made yourself 
acquainted with the 
more minute detuils 
of dial management. 
What is it that could 
liavo so marvellous- 
ly raised these well 
wishers’ “sanguine 
hopes?” Could tho 
hoped-for more than 
lmuian exertions of 
three men, strangers 
to a country which 
has ever been ac- 
knowledged to bo 
ono of the worst 
scenting and most 
difficult districts in 
England to kill foxes 
in, have raised their 
expectations? Did 
they imagine that u 
pack of hounds, un- 
healthy and crippled 
for years by that 
curse of dogflesh — 
kennel - lameness — 
would he restored to 
vigour as if by a 
magician's wand ? 
How can brilliant 
sport be sanguiuely 
hoped for with all the 
earths open in the 
country, or imper- 
fectly stopped, after 
daylight ? The usual 
complement of sound 
and steady hounds 
to hunt four days n 
week with is fifty 
couples. How, then, 
can about thirty-five 
couples be expected 
to be equally efficient 
for the same number 
of days in a flinty and 
woodland country ? Who among us would think of comparing 
tho relative chances of sport in a bad scenting, intricate, 
woodluud country, and a rich vale? Who but the most 
impenetrable of pretenders would compare tho brilliant 
sceuling season of last year to the drying, frosty atinosphero 
•< LUCY/’ — Drawn by II. K. Browne. 
land glittering sunshine of tho present? To compare such 
opposites would bo about as absurd as to placo in analogy 
the wilds of Siberia with tho Vale of Cashmere. “ Fairplay’s 
a jowel,” tin axiom, “ Hanger,” which you seem to have 
forgot tho meaning of. You should recollect that hunts- 
men and whippors- 
in havo many uu- 
^ | fore seon and insur- 
mountable difficul- 
ties at times to un- 
dergo besides those 
1 have enumerated 
above, and of which 
you can be informed, 
if you are particu- 
larly ambitious of 
further knowlcdgo 
ou the subject. You 
should recollect that 
huntsmen and whip* 
pors-ln have n credit 
to maintain in their 
profession, us woll us 
u living to get. Thou 
why indulge, upon 
more hearsay, in 
mischievous and un- 
just inuendoos. 
Tho Craven hounds 
did not coiuineuco 
cub-liunting till tho 
second week in Sep- 
tember, owing to tho 
lateness of tho har- 
vest. During cull- 
hunting they had 
excellent sport, and 
killed twclvo brace 
of foxes. From No- 
vember up to the 
lull'd frost tlio wea- 
ther was too dry for 
much sport, with tho 
exception of a few 
excellent days. After 
tho frost broke up, 
when tho land wus 
rotten and saturated 
with wot. they hud 
the best threo weeks, 
according to tho as- 
sertion of several old 
sportsmen, that they 
had almost over wit- 
nessed In the Craven 
country, the hounds 
nourly always killing 
their fox. Since that 
time, owing to tho 
drying winds nnd 
hrilliarft sunsl ino, 
the scent has been, 
j of course, but intllf- 
ilbi'oiit. Bofoio ibis 
letter appears In 
print, they will, 1 
hope, have killed 
their thirty brace of 
foxes, wuntiug only 
I threo to mako up 
that number; and 
‘hey have run 
thirteen brace to 
ground, which were 
left. 
Act jeon. 
Bcnham, March 12, 1854. 
POST OFFICE ABSURDITIES. 
The nation is so largely indebted to Rowland Hill for 
his bold and sweeping refornu in our postal arrangements, 
that we cannot stomach existing absurdities, that have 
either escaped his observation or remain as a sop to 
Cerberus, and the empty heads that reign and pass away, 
like the line of Banquo’s issue, with every change of go- 
vernment. Our readers will scarcely deem it. credible 
that, in this great commercial country, in the age ot 
the march of intellect, in the month of March, 1854, a 
newspaper passes free through the post to all parts of the 
United Kingdom, except within three miles of the 
Post Office, St. Martin’s le Grand; yet such is the 
fact. Every newspaper passing through the post within 
that circumference is charged one penny'. What is the 
consequence? No gain to the Government ; because the 
newsvendors send their papers to be posted at the nearest 
office to the three mile barrier. For instance, there is an 
Office in Brompton, about 100 yards west of Slcane-street, 
without the line of demai'cation, nnd another office about 
100 yards on the London side of Sloaue-street— conse- 
quently leaving a distance between the two of 200 yards. By 
the former a newspaper can travel to any part of London 
post free, but by the latter you incur the tax of one penny, 
though the newspaper stamp is ostensibly for free conveyance. 
Can anything be more absurd? Again: there is more diffi- 
culty in getting a letter to or from Hammersmith, Bromp- 
ton, &c., than there is to the remotest corner of the United 
Kingdom. If you require a letter to go by the evening 
London Mails to the provinces or abroad, it must be 
posted before two o’clock in the day, even in Brompton, 
scarcely two miles from Charing Cross ; but if you walk 
200 yards east of the Post-office in Brompton to the Post- 
office in Knightsbridgc, you can post your letter until half- 
past five, or, with an extra stamp, until six. A letter 
will reach Birmingham, if not Liverpool, in less time 
than it will arrive at its destination over three 
miles west of the Post Office, fc>t. Martin’s lc Grand. 
It is strauge, but no more strange than true. Then the 
difference of charge for letters and newspapers to or from 
France. A letter to or from Paris is here charged 10d., 
but there 16 sous, barely eightpence of our money. A 
% newspaper from Paris is here charged one penny, to Paris 
hut five centimes — scarcely half the money. So that if 
you invariably pay the postage of letters in France to or 
from this country, you will save 20 per cent. The differ- 
ence in newspapers is cent, per cent., — a monstrous abuse, 
which requires immediate correction. There are many 
other discrepancies in our postal arrangements which call 
or searching euquirv, and we have felt it our duty to place 
these facts before the public, and the Committee of the 
House of Common^, to that end. 
HOME NEWS. 
Tiie Court. — Her Majesty and the court left town for 
Osborno ou Saturday, for tho purposo of reviewing that 
poriion of the fleet destined for foreign service. A detailed 
account of the inspection will bo found in another part ol 
our journal. During the week the Royal Family have 
availed themselves of tho genial weather, to enjoy then- 
usual exercise in tho delightful country around Osborne. 
The Marquisof Lansdowne received a soloct circle atdiuner 
on Saturday evening. The guests included the Earl and 
Countess of Clarendon, Viscount aud Viscountess Palmerston, 
Sir Hamilton Seymour, &c. ... 
The Earl of Selkirk has arrived in town, from his seat m 
Kirkcudbrightshire. 
Her Royal Highness tho Duchess of Kent, attended by Lady 
Fanny Howard, visited tho Duke mid Duchess d’Aumale at 
Twickenham on Monday. 
The Marquis of Anglesey continues to improve in health. 
His lordship took a drive in the parks, on Sunduy, with his 
daughter, the Viscountess Sydney. 
The Earl and Countess Cowpcr have left town, lor 
Pansluingcr, where they intend staying until after the Easter 
holidays. _ . „ , 
The Countess of Chesterfield and Lady Evelyn Stanhope 
have arrived in Dover-street, from Bretby Paik. 
The Earl Spencer and Lady Sarah Spencer have 
returned to St. Jamcs’s-palace, from Althorp Park, North- 
amptonshire. . 
It has been stated that her Majesty has been pleased to 
signify her intention to confer the Order of the Garter, 
vacant by the death of the Marquis of Londonderry, upon 
the Earl of Ellesmere. 
The Duchess of Gloucester — It is with much grati- 
fication we learn that Her Royal Highness is progressing 
towards recovery. 
The Countess of Mount Edgcumbe has succeeded \ is- 
countess Jocelyn as Lady in Waiting. 
FASHIONABLE WORLD. 
On Wednesday evening, the Earl and Countess of 
Clarendon gave a grand banquet, at the private residence 
of the noble Secretary for Foreign Affairs, in Grosvcnor- 
crescent. There were present — His Royal Highness the 
Duke of Cambridge, his Excellency the French Ambas- 
sador and the Countess Walewski, the Duchess of Suther- 
land, the Earl of Cardigan, the Countess of Newburgh, 
the Earl and Countess of Bessborough, Lord and Lady 
Raglan, Lord Brougham, Lord Burghersb, Sir Hamilton 
and Lady Seymour, Major the Hon. J. Macdonald aud 
Mr. Norman Macdonald. 
The Countess afterwards held her first reception for the 
season. The company included the lending members of 
the corps diplomatique nnd nobility at present in town. 
Mis Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge remained 
until the close of the party, at an advanced hour. 
The Earl of Derby has taken the large mansion injSt. 
Jumes’s-squarc, for many years occupied by the lute Eurl 
of Dartmouth. 
The Hon. li. Somerset, son of Lord Raglan, lias arrived 
from Hanover, to take leave ol Ins noble mid gallant 
father. Mr. Somerset is attached to tho household of his 
Majesty tho King of II anover. 
Tho " Earl of l’owis, tho Countess of Powis, and tho 
Ladies Herbert, who arc staying at Wnlcofc Hall, near 
Ludlow, come to Berkcley-squuro early in the ensuing 
month, for the season. 
Lady Hall rff Llnnovor, held her first assembly tins 
season, on Tuesday evening, at her Mansion in Great Stan- 
hope-street. The guests wore about three hundred. 
Lord William Paulett and Major the Hon. J. Mac- 
donald will be on the stall of Major-General his lloya 
Highness the Duke of Cambridge, with the army destined 
for the East. 
Jjitrlinmentarff. 
iIoxdat.— Lobds.— L ord Brougham 1«I<1 on the table a Hill, which 
- read the first time, fur tho asshnllatlor. of tho law of kngWid to 
it of Scotland, In certain respects, relative to Wills of cm hang . 
Phe Earl of Derby referred to the document published In the Af. 
terstiurij Journal, purporting to bo an ofllclul answer hum the I-.m - 
■or of Russia to u speech of Lord John Hussoll In the House ..f min- 
us It appeared ft oin this document that, through unreserved com- 
ntciitions inude to Sir Hamilton Seymour, the British c.ovoniinent 
t no right to express the least surprise ut the course pursued by Kus- 
with respect to Turkey. The noble Earl referred to -e comments 
do by a morning paper upon tilts document, and complained Of the 
ray a I of State secrets, which ought to be known only to tlu L sm- 
all d tho Sovereign. How had this newspaper become pussivui 01 
nature of this answer? Tho more serious au«H°n» ' ,, ' VLr ^'; te- 
ed to the statements inude by the Government in l °'\ *“ 
ic hooks. Tho Government then said that Mkmn ami rd - 
anew were given by Russia that she had no " 
•r, although at the some time they were ln «*•*“* . « m'S? 
nSSimt, IIMI tiler, tuiil been .imilnr commiinlcntloiis m.do 111 
>1 when the Emperor of Russia wiis In this country? 
ho Karl of Aberdeen -aid that the correspondence referred to had 
been orbited in the papers laid on tho table. Hi consequ lice of Its 
" P ti,o ■ Government did not at first think It proper, or co.ims- 
it with that respect and delicacy which they were bound to obseivc 
tarda a Soverdgt i with whom they were still In el lance to produce 
j 0rs which hail Hie character ds scribed by the noble earl. 
llbecu made to the comments made by the Twin upon the docu 
