1132 
the field. 
Catholics harmoni- 
rjr»^^^,“ 8 To“c;- m memo ra t. «h» .,le»did 
victory of Iukerman.” 
There arc few who will not subscribe to this 
tcntiment.^ » n i re ] an d has proved a failure, 
compared with that of 1853 Atthe fourtecntb aimual 
meeting of the Royal Flax Society, held at Belfast, it 
was demonstrated very clearly that the trade cannot 
rrct on without Russian flax. Fears were expressed 
lest the Government should put a stop to the under- 
hand trade via Prussia. Out of 80,000 tons hitherto 
imported, we have taken GO, 000 from Russia. So 
we are driven to encourage in secret, the trade of an 
enemy whom we are fighting openly. 
Mr. Perry's case grows worse instead of better, and 
we fear that it is now almost beyond the reach of 
explanation. His assertion that he wanted to draw 
the money for investment in an American line, is 
rendered dubious by the fact that the line named is 
not in existence. The Mayor of Windsor has been 
provoked into publishing a letter from Mr Perry, 
dated from Paris, the 10th of November, in which he 
makes the following extraordinary statement— 
" I have certainly been the most lucky man possible. A 
eentlcman here, an American, who is enormously rich, has 
Binned an agreement, which is also signed by the American 
Embassy, giving me one-half of all lie possesses, viz., laud 
to a very large extent, containing mines of gold and copper, 
besides timber, with which he has taken an agreement to 
supply the Emperor for the French navy. I now keep my 
carnage with him, and am going to take a fine hotel, private, 
in Paris with him." 
The subscribers to the Defence and Testimonial 
Fund will now probably direct that their money be 
paid to the Patriotic Fund, and all the more readily 
that it is quite clear Mr. Perry can be in no need of it. 
War and natural causes of mortality have vacated 
some seven or eight seats in the House of Commons, 
which have now to be filled up. Sir Hamilton Sey- 
mour declines Marylebonc, and the reason is obvious. 
Sir Hamilton is a diplomatist, and to go into Par- 
liament now would necessitate strong pledges ; those 
pledges might be on the wrong side. Sir Hamilton, 
therefore, wisely prefers waiting for the next em- 
bassy. Meantime the electors of Marylebone are 
about to hold a meeting to select the best man — a 
mode of proceeding greatly to be pieferrcd to the 
ordinary form of electioneering. 
Intelligence from America announces that the 
autumn elections have exhibited an overwhelming 
strength on the part of the “ Know-nothing ” party. 
This will have the inevitable effect of diverting the 
stream of our emigration from America towards 
Australia* 
In Spain, the tumult thickens. Espartero and the 
Ministers have perfected their resignations. The 
poor Queen is lost upon the stormy sea of politics, 
and sadly wants a pilot. Some people expected that 
Espartero would put himself at the head of the 
National Guard, and march upon Arragon to quell 
the rising tumult there. The peaceably-disposed of 
the nation look to him for security. 
The obituary of the week includes Mr. Lockhart, 
formerly editor of the “ Quarterly Review he died at 
Abbotsford. As the son-in-law of Scott, and the 
occupant of the highest critical chair in the kingdom, 
Mr. Lockhart was a notable man. Would that we 
could add that the manner in which he fulfilled his 
office excited admiration of him when he was alive, 
or regret for his memory now that he is dead. 
GOOD CHEER. 
The army is to pass the winter in the Crimea. 
It 
litia cannot be sent to Malta or Gibraltar without 
an Act of Parliament, even though they go of their 
own free will. The Times at first said that money 
was wanted to carry on the war, and that a loan was 
in the wind. But “ undoubted authority ” next day 
meets this with a flat contradiction, and says that 
no money is wanted ; and that, if there was, there 
would be no loan. Mr. Gladstone adheres abso- 
lutely to his scheme for makin g the co untry pay 
the price of the war year by year. But will Mr. 
Gladstone be supported in this by a majority of the 
Parliament ? We doubt it. The country could 
not endure more income-tax, while there is a mani- 
fest want of more money ; and there remains only 
the old system of borrowing, which, after all, i 3 
more justifiable in present circumstances than was 
any war-loan ever before contracted. 
will probably be a winter of inaction, for the same 
cold that will benumb them will freeze the Russians. 
The country is now considering how it can make the 
gallant men, who have fought so bravely, as com- 
fortable in their winter quarters as the position will 
permit. It is a noble effort, and all should help it 
who can. A Mr. Kingscote has suggested that 
yachtsmen should betake themselves to thcBlack Sea, 
boarded with comforts, and such luxuries as can 
be easily conveyed, and that the country gentlemen 
should give some of their game, which Messrs. Gunter 
have undertaken to preserve in their delicious fashion, 
in cans for transmission ; and that with interchanges 
of good offices they should spend a cheerful winter with 
the troops, keeping up a continual communication 
between the yachts and the camp. The idea is ad- 
mirable ; it has been eagerly seized. The Duke of 
Marlborough has presented 100 head of his fallow 
deer, and game is pouring in. We make known the 
movement here, because our readers are the very men 
who can most aid it ; for all have their preserves, 
which might be thinned a little without detriment; 
or, if not game, a poultry-yard or a piggery ; and from 
them a welcome contribution might be made, which 
will cheer many a brave heart during the Christmas 
days and January frosts on the heights ofBalaklava. 
THE WINTER SESSION. 
What does it mean? Militia — Loans — or Taxes? 
The ministerial papers say militia only. The mi- 
5P0BT AMD SPORTSMEN. 
♦ 
[It is necessary to explain that under this title it is designed 
to present a weekly summary or sketch of the sayings and 
doings of the sporting world generally, the various divisions 
of which are embraced in the subsequent departments. 
This will enable the reader, who does not care for the 
minuter details, to obtain a general knowledge of what is 
going on in the sporting world, without the trouble of explor- 
ing each of its l-ecords.] 
Having bid adieu to flat-racing — inasmuch as the 
season is now over — we find ourselves amidst hunt- 
ing, shooting, and coursing. In these sports is en- 
gaged the genuine sportsman. There is, however, a 
great difference between a sportsman and a sporting- 
man — the former cares for nothing in the shape 
of betting, whilst the latter could almost live 
on the excitement attending the rise and fall of the 
horses engaged in their respective races. It is this 
excitement, in many instances, coupled with the 
love of “filthy lucre,” that causes many very ques- 
tionable movements to be recorded in connection with 
racing. The genuine sportsman, on the contrary — 
we mean that class of the community who are accus- 
tomed to range hill and dell with their pointers, to 
sound a whoop with the greyhounds, and who ride 
hard and well to the hounds — delights to witness a 
struggle with the thorough-breds, regardless of the 
result iu a pecuniary sense of the word. We are 
sorry to state — and there can be nodisputingthefact — 
that we are gradually losing some of the best patrons 
of the turf. This is to be regretted, as the sport of 
racing, unconnected with the disgraceful movements 
alluded to, is a noble pastime, and does much to en- 
courage the breed of the horse. 
Touching the question of breeding and the encou- 
ragement given to breeders, we will briefly revert to 
the order recently issued by the Inspector General of 
Cavalry to officers having authority to purchase and 
supply cavalry- horses for the Government. The order 
instructs the authorities to endeavour to purchase 
four-yr-olds for £23. 5s. each. This price, in our 
opinion, is not sufficient for such a four-yr-old as 
would be found good enough for the wear and tear 
of active service. In fact, neither the farmers nor 
breeders can afford to sell their animals at this price. 
The Secretary at War has also sanctioned the pur- 
chase of five-yr-olds at £32, and seven and eight- 
yr-olds at £40. This figure is somewhat nearer the 
mark; but a good four-yr old is surely worth more 
than £25. 5s. Let our Government calculate the 
expense, trouble, and risk of rearing and feeding a 
horse, and we think they will be induced to offer 
higher sum3 ; that is, if the object to be attained 
is “ to procure a really constitutionally-sound horse, 
fit for immediate service.” Officers in command and 
in search of horses are to report on the first of every 
month what pro- 
gress . they have 
made in procuring 
them. We sin°: 
cerely trust they 
will meet with suf- 
ficient numbers • 
but we fear they 
will be obliged to 
improve their 
prices. If a seven 
or eight-yr-old i 3 
worth £40, surely 
a four-yr-old i 3 
worth more than 
£25. 
The breeders of 
the north com- 
plain sadly of the 
few demands they 
have had this sea 
son for their huu- 
ters, owing to the 
absence of several 
of their best customers, the officers in the Crimea. 
Some, alas ! poor fellows, will never ride across coun- 
try again. Let us, however, hope for the safe return 
of others, still in existence, to grace the hunting-field 
There is an abundance of foxes this season in all 
parts of the country ; and several extraordinary good 
runs have already been recorded. As will be seen by 
Tiie Field of last week, the long-disputed question 
between the Essex and Herts hunts has at length 
been ably settled by Lords Yarborough and Redesdale; 
than whom two better sportsmen never crossed the 
country. The fall which Sir Richard Sutton ex- 
perienced last week in the field was not, we are 
happy to say, of a very serious nature, and he is now 
at work again. Sir Richard is something like “the 
old ’Squire," — he is not easily deterred from following 
his favourite sport. Our Melton Mowbray correspon- 
dent speaks highly of the superior turn-out of the 
Quorn this season, the stud consisting of seventy 
first-class horses. The worthy Baronet, we understand, 
is better satisfied with this country than he was with 
the Cottesmore, where he frequently drew the covers 
blank. Sir Richard then wished himself back again 
to the Burton Hunt, where he never had to complain 
of the want of foxes. The miscreants of Cottesmore 
have again been destroying the foxes by wholesale ; 
the present excellent master is therefore always likely 
to draw the covers blank. 
The late grouse season did not produce so much 
game as did that of the preceding year ; in fact, 
it is some time since the moors swarmed with 
all kinds of moor game to the extent they did in 
1853, consequently the returns of the “great days” 
of this season have not equalled those of last year. 
The disease by which vast quantities of grouse were 
destroyed, has again shown itself. The proprietors 
of the moors, however, obtained a considerable rise 
in their rentals, in consequence of the great demands 
for shooting-ground by sportsmen who had given up 
visiting Scotland. The complaints previous to the 
memorable year 1853, of the gradual decrease of 
moor game, coupled with the fact that the pro- 
prietors would not lower their rentals for the right 
of sporting, caused a remarkable falling-off iu the 
number of those gentlemen who were accustomed 
to rent their sport from year to year. This season, 
however, several veterans again revisited the Scotch 
grounds ; but have returned, in many instances, dis- 
appointed with their sport, and the high figure at 
which it was purchased. Lovers of grousing do not 
object to give large sums for first-rate shootiDg, hut 
they do object to pay exorbitant prices for the right 
of traversing the Highlands iu search of a scanty 
supply of game. The salmon rivers are also failing 
in their supply ; nor will this be wondered at, so 
long as such foul modes of capture are allowed 
to be resorted to by cowardly fellows, who, 
we are sorry to state, are scattered near every 
favourite water — not only in Scotland, but m 
England, Ireland, and Wales. The breeding season 
for home game (pheasants and partridges) was most 
prolific ; but the broods were thinned by the heat 0 
the weather and dryness of the soil. Moreover, t 
harvest was late ; and, such being the case, the bn •> 
became wild and strong before the gunners could 
at them. These circumstances have operated agam s 
the filling of large bags. Hares were scarce, but tji 
sportsmen (not the pot-hunter) cares but little 
the rolling over of “ puss” when he can get a s p' 01. 
