1156 
cheers (that's not in our national character, being 
rather a silent people), but >v« took them to our fire- 
sides, placed them at our right, and held them as 
members of our own family for years and years, 
without even oskhu, for their names, or inquiring 
whether they were aristocrats or democrats. 1 here is 
somewhat of rebuke intended here. Shall we say 
undeserved ? 
The vacant seats are filling up. Sir Joseph 
Taxton had a walk over for Coventry. Captain 
gtuart has been elected for Bedford, after a struggle. 
Colonel Dickson, of Croom Castle, is standing for 
the county of Limerick. Mr. Norris is candidate 
for Abingdon. Marylebone has not yet made up 
its mind,°but holds caucus meetings, as we hinted 
in our last. 
In spite of the war-fever, the country does not 
neglect the arts of peace, and the Smithfield Cattle 
Show exhibits no falling-off when compared with 
its predecessors. 
THF. MULTITUDE OF COUNSELLORS. 
Never was there such a conflict of advice ! It used to be 
said that there is wisdom in the multitude of counsellors, 
hut the proverb has certainly lost its vitality now-a-day. 
The war has produced a perfect Bnbel of opinions, directly 
opposed one to another, and a cloud of facts that are entire 
contradictions. The columns of the Times have teemed 
with letters from correspondents that convince us there is 
but one hope for the army, until we read an answer the 
next day, which equally convinces us that, instead of the 
path of safety, it is the sure road to destruction. The 
climate of the Crimea has been a fertile theme for contro- 
versy. One writer asserts the cold to be such that you pull 
off your frozen foot with your boot, and skin your finger 
with your glove ; another protests as positively that the 
winter in the Crimea is as mild as at Naples— in fact, that 
it is no winter at all, but only an early spring. One writer 
recommends sheepskins ns the best garment ; another 
looks upon them as worthless and unwenvable ; and a third 
and a fourth differ whether the wool is best worn outside 
or in. The mode of encamping for the winter has been 
contested with equal obstinacy. Some prefer wood ; others 
iron ; others, holes dug in the earth. The champion of 
wood declares that iron will freeze our warriors to death, 
and holes kill them with rheumatism. The advocate for 
i ron holds wood in utter contempt, as letting wind through 
and being liable to bum, and he also protests against the 
cave) theory ns promoting typhus fever ; while the holder 
of the hole system triumphantly points to the customs of 
the Wallachs for refutation of the predicted dangers. 
Then there is the diet for the campaigners : how various 
the doctrines I Beef and beer, says one ; soup and mutton, 
shouts another ; soup enuses dysentery, declares a third ; 
beer is as had as water, protests a fourth ; brandy in abun- 
dance, with tobacco ad libitum , exclaims a fifth ; brandy 
unfits men for cold, and tobacco disables them from active 
work, roars a sixth. 
If Ministers were to pay heed to newspaper advisers, 
they would go mad. The correspondents of the daily 
press remind us of the two equal mechanical forces, which 
produce the equilibrium of perfect rest. If their advice 
were even entertained, nothing at all could be done. The 
army would starve, or perish from cold, or be swept away, 
because their very zealous friends cannot agree how to feed, 
e'othe, house, or arm them. 
But these contradictory counsels serve for something 
more than a laugh. They point a moral— Modesty. Let 
us agree not to pronounce opinions too hastily upon the 
conduct of those who, being in receipt of the best infor- 
mation, must better know how to act than we can possibly 
do, wanting their means of knowledge. 
A WARNING. 
The war is popular with the democratic and revolutionary 
party and press in England, entirely because they hone it 
will kindle an European conflagration, in which red re- 
publicanism will be triumphant and Kossuth, Mazzini, 
and Louis Blanc reign instead of Frederick, the Pope, 
and Napoleon; Ernest Jones taking the place of 
Victoria Guelph in Buckingham Palace. The Leader, 
whose cleverness makes its principles the more to be 
feared, dares the open avowal that it looks upon 
the war as leading directly to European revolution ; 
and it advocates the arming of our own population, 
that they may wrest their rights— meaning, by rights, 
the establishment of democracy. The opinions of the foes 
to the existing order of society are important in this 
respect, that they teach us what to avoid. If they desire 
or applaud the adoption of any course, because they 
believe that it will promote their own destructive desires, 
it should make all who hold principles that are anti- 
destructive pause and think twice before they give help or 
countenance to objects sought by persons only for such ends. 
It is one of the advantages of a free press that wc learn 
what our enemies are thinking, doing, or contemplating. 
We learn from the lied Republican journals what to avoid. 
If they advocate the arming of the people that it might 
enable them to make a revolution, prudent men will avoid a 
course which the foes of real order believe will bring about 
s;ich a result. 
University College, London. — At the session of Council 
on Saturday last the Longhridge prize of £40, for general 
proficiency in medicine and surgery, was awarded to Dr. F. 
O. Clarkson, lately a student of the college, and now of 
Paradise-row, Darlington. 
Central Association in aid of the Wives and 
Families of Soldiers. — By the appointment of the Gover- 
nor-General of India, the 10th of July last was observed 
throughout the Indian dioceses as the day of humiliation, 
on which occasion collections were made in all the churches 
in aid of the wives and families of the soldiers employed in 
the present war. In tho Madras diocese the amount 
collected was rupees in, 097 10 2, the equivalent of which in 
English money is £957- •is. fid. 
THE FIELD. 
SPORT K m SP ORTSMEN. 
"Prav what is a gentleman without his recreations?’’ 
Although we are on the eve of Christmas, the weather is 
such ns to allow the hounds to be worked nearly every day 
in the week. Sly Reynard, ns well as the horses, have hut 
little time to rest, and if the frost does not set in, there will 
be but few sportsmen able to meet “my lord" at the cover 
side. The Times correspondent who suggested the pro- 
priety of fox-hunters sending their spare hunters to the 
Crimea has, we think, but a poor chance of seeing lus 
suggestions carried out, as all the available hunters are 
wanted in order to allow their masters to follow the hounds 
as often as their inclination tempts them. It is no easy 
matter for a 12st man to keep himself well horsed in such 
weather ns this during the whole season, and unless 
the weather changes the fields will be considerably thinned. 
As illustrative of this fact, a well-known master of hounds, 
who woiks his country admirably with a stud of up- 
wards of fifty horses, was once applied to by Ins stud- 
groom to allow him “just to prepare the Horncastle nag 
for the Newport Pagnell steeplechase as he was sure that 
“ nothing could touch him." The reply was I can t even 
spare one of my horses, or you should have him Hie 
fact is, that no hunters can he spared for our cavalry, but 
there are plenty of horses in the country that would make 
admirable chargers. What our Government should do 
would he to give our farmers the same price for their cattle 
as the foreigners give them. If they will do this, there 
need be no fear of a scarcity of horses for our cavalry ; 
but, as we stated last week, the farmers cannot afford to 
sell’ their nags at Government prices. 
The Essex Union Mounds had a capital thing a few days 
ago, when they pulled the sly-’un down at Purleigli Lodge, 
after two hours and twenty minutes. The pace was very 
fast. The Squire then took his friends to Slough Mouse, 
when a brace of foxes were set on foot, and after another 
two hours of good hunting, the hounds were stopped— 
both rider and horse having had enough. The Pytchley 
hounds, on the 22nd ult., had also a severe forty minutes 
run, when they ran their fox to ground at the Broughton 
earths. The hounds slipped away so quickly for eighteen 
miles, that not more than half the field ever saw a hound 
the whole day. The Belvoir hounds had a fine run of one 
hour and a-lialf, with scarcely a check, on the 24th ult , and 
killed near Norton Disney. The Berkshire experienced, a 
few days since, a splendid run over a beautiful hunting 
country— the meet being at Cokethorpe Park— and after 
one hour and three-quarters running, the fox crossed the 
Thames, the majority of the field being obliged to resort 
to Tadpole and Radcott bridges. Lord Portsmouth has 
scarcely been absent from the field a day this season. Mis 
lordship, however, missed “the best thing" on the 23rd 
ult., when slyboots led them about thirteen miles to and 
fro, over an open country. The hounds, we understand, 
worked beautifully, and independent of the huntsman 
(Turner) and the first whip, there was only one gentleman 
up at the finish (Mr. Bent), who got off well, and kept his 
place over an awkward country. Although the fox-hunter 
cannot spare any of his horses for the war, he is leady 
with his purse to help our brave fellows in the East The 
Warwickshire Hunt Club has set an example which we 
I'ope will he followed throughout the country, viz.:— “ That 
o ball shall take place this winter, and that a donation 
e presented, in lieu thereof, to the Patriotic Fund," which 
enerally amounts to about 250 guineas. We have already 
bserved the names of many a good fox-hunter in the list 
f subscriptions, and we have no doubt that their gold has 
ot gone unaccompanied with their hearts best wishes. 
The Burneston (Yorkshire) Coursing Meeting is fixed 
w the 27th and 28th of this month, under the stewardship 
f Capt. Russell, Messrs. Read, Outhwait, Green, Hutch- 
ison, and Thompson. The committee have issued their 
onditions of the meeting, from which we extract the fol- 
nving, believing that if other officials would observe them, 
liere would be less grumbling on the part of owners of un- 
uccessful dogs : — 
“ Double nominations will be guarded throughout. 
“ No dog to have more than one natural bye, and the lowest 
og to have the first. If more byes than one, the highest dog 
o have the next. 
« The nominator of any dog found loose during a course 
o be fined 10s. ; if belonging to the owner or nominator of 
ither dog engaged in the course, the course to be decided 
gainst him. 
“ Wlieu two dogs are left in the last tie, the owner or 
iwners shall not be compelled to run them to decide ; but, 
liould they agree to divide, or draw one, and declare the 
ther tho winner, the odds laid against either dog winning 
hall be put together and divided accordingly." 
Ye are aware that it is difficult to please all parties, yet 
t cannot be denied that the dissentients have, in many 
nstances, good cause to be displeased, not only with the 
onditions, hut with the decisions of some of the judges. 
l'he following fixtures arc for next week : — 
Place. County. Judge. Date. 
'illinjf Lancashire Mr. R. Curwcn 12 
itouniftlnstown .. Meath Mr. Owens 12 and 13 
ioiithiuhmter .... Essex Mr. Tibhett 12 and 13 
1uint.ni Lincolnshire .... Mr. Watson 13 and 14 
'* ii] nd Salop .. Mr. Warwick 14 
' ilcd. •iiian Lanark Mr. Nightingale 14, Ac. 
Utcar Club Lancashire Mr. A. Bennett 14 and 15 
ihiflball Salop Mr. Warwick.. 12 
Wc learn, from the Inverness Courier, that two poachers 
lave been fined £5. Ids. fid. for fishing with lights in the 
river Nairn. The sheriff-substitute, of Nairnshire, gnve 
;liem a suitable admonition, and impressed upon them the 
fact, that they had been guilty of no trifling offence. It 
would be well if the magistrates of England would treat 
the poacher in fishing-waters with the same severity as the 
poacher after game. Wc should then have a more plentifu 
and, consequently, cheaper supply of fresh-water fish in 
the market. At the recent meeting of the Tay proprietors 
it was resolved to recommend the various fishing proprietors 
to close the season on the 2fith of August, instead of the 
Htli of September. The Earl of Mansfield was of opinion 
that the fish caught after the 26th of August were bad ; 
and Mr. Condie observed that it was well-known that the 
tacksmen did not get sufficient fish to pay their working 
expenses between the 25th of August and the present 
statutory period. It is evident, therefore, that there can 
he no objection to that part of Mr. Marshall’s proposed 
hill touching the time at which the season should close. 
The Duke of Richmond, who was once opposed to the 
shortening of the season, is now an advocate for it ; and 
as his grace is a large proprietor on the Spey, his opinion 
will have great weight. At the meeting in question it 
was resolved to levy 7$ per cent on the rental of the 
fishings (,£9,000), for the purpose of enforcing the Act of 
Parliament intituled “ An Act for the Preservation of 
Salmon Fisheries in Scotland,” and other laws regulating 
the salmon fisheries. Mr. Buist’s report was read, in 
which was stated — 
“In consequence of proprietors ami clergymen exerting 
themselves in their respective districts, in the vicinity of tho 
Tay and its tributaries, poaching had been diminished, and 
larger numbers than usual, of spawning fish, were seen 
on the shallows. The closing, on the 26th August, 1853, of 
the fishings above the Earn, had done much good." 
Mr. Buist, in referring to the artificial propagation of 
salmon, remarks: — 
“ When the scheme was first proposed, he had a good deal of 
misgiving as to its practicability, utility, and beneficial results 
to the fishings. Having, however, the honour of being ap- 
pointed on the committee, he was determined, so far as lay 
in his power, to give the scheme fair play, and all the sup- 
port lie could lend in his department, for carrying it out to a 
successful result. When Mr. Ranisbottom came here in 
November, the superintendent supplied him with some of 
the most intelligent men for carrying on the operations of 
finding the parturient fish, attending to the spawning, and 
filling the spawning-beds. All this was done most success- 
fully during the last half of November and the month of 
December. By the 22nd day of December the spawning- 
boxes or snimon-nests were all filled, and contained about 
400,000 ova or eggs. All these were, with great care, watched 
and protected from frost and other dangers in winter, and by 
the end of March and beginning of April the young brood 
began to make their appearance. They have siuco been 
nourished and fed, and are now a fine, thriving, healthy 
colony of young fish, some already near the size, and getting tho 
silvery appearance of smolts. Unless greatly stunted and 
retarded in their growth by the rigours of winter, there is 
i-easou to believe they will be ready to join with their 
brethren of the river, and go along with them in their 
journey to the sea, and will then return as well-grown grilses. 
So far, therefore, as concerns the practicability of artificial 
breeding of salmon, that has been demonstrated without a 
doubt. As to its utility, that has also beeu partly shown ; 
because, by the experiment, it appears that the eggs of 
salraou can he transported to other rivers, to stock the 
barren, or improve the breed in others not so favoured ns 
the Tay.” 
Prav what do those long-winded “authorities” on the 
salmon, who pooh-poohed even the idea of attempting to 
rc-stock our rivers by artificial means, say to the opinion 
of Mr. Buist, who is fully qualified to given correct one ? 
These “ eminent naturalists," at the first onset, threw cold 
water on the movement, and all but ridiculed its promoters. 
Time, however, has shown the fallacy of their p.-esumptivc 
arguments. 
We briefly noticed in The Field of last week a fatal 
accident which had happened to a person in Yorkshire, by 
the accidental discharge of his gun. We have now to 
record another fatal catastrophe which has occurred at 
Manchester through the bursting of a gun, which was 
represented to be of the cheap class. From the evidence 
adduced, it appears that no more than the ordinary charge 
of shot and powder was used, and that the exterior showed 
no such defects as would lead the observer to imagine that 
danger was to be apprehended. The fault rested with the 
gun-barrel, which was dangerously constructed, and wc 
have no doubt that flaws in the interior of the barrel were 
observable. Scarcely a week passes in the shooting-season 
but we read innumerable cases similar to the one referred 
to; and, considering the number of these dangerous 
weapons which are constantly being sold by ironmongers 
and others, who really know nothing of them, our only 
surprise is that accidents are not of more frequent occur- 
rence. A few remarks, by way of caution, to inexperienced 
sportsmen, will not, we trust, be deemed misplaced ; and 
having had considerable experience in guns, and every- 
thing relative thereto, we can advise thereon with confi- 
dence. The articles in question are frequently taken 
round the provinces and sold at low figures, and are 
eagerly snapped up by parties who cannot detect a good 
gun from an indifferent one. By an experienced gunner, 
however, they are easily detected. The barrels are stained 
to represent the best twisted iron, whereas the iron is really 
the very worst metal that can be found for the purpose ; ti e 
locks are constructed with bad mainsprings, and with tum- 
blers that go off, after a little using, when at half-cock 
with as much ease as at full-spring; the “furniture is 
highly-coloured, in order to prevent the observer from 
detecting had burnishing and still worse engraving; the 
stocks are made of green wood, and the varnish is rubbed 
on so thickly that it peels off in large cakes when exposed 
to foul weather. In the inside of the barrels, near the 
breach, may be seen large holes, from one to two inches 
in length ; and even the interior of the breaches themselves, 
generally speaking, are so formed that it is a miracle they 
are not blown to pieces from the effects of the first .dis 
charge, — in fine, the works arc let into the gun-stock so 
carelessly, that the workmen fill up sundry niches am 
cracks with a composition, which is not observable un i 
the gun be taken to pieces for the purpose of cleaning or 
repairing; in a word, they are made expiessly for snlc, 
and not for wear. Serious and fatal accidents are con 
tinually occurring by shooting with them ; and un 1 
the Government punish the makers of these life-destroyers 
with severity — the generality of whom unblushingly P ul 
on the safety-proof mark — we feel convinced the unthinking 
public will still continue to purchase, and accidents ot a 
frightful nature will as assuredly follow. Our renders wi 
probably remember the accident that occurred to Sir Clam i 
Scott, through shooting with a gun made of steel baric n 
which burst in a similar manner to the one at Man 
