1180 
the field. 
a now virtue in the Czar. In repl/ to a speech made 
by the Rev. II. Stowell, Mr. Bright said that the 
Emperor of Russia had remitted the duty upon 
l.iblU and was therefore, protanto, a subscriber to the 
Bible Society. “ There had been some reference made 
to him whom tlw'j were bound by law to regard as 
an enemy. The Czar had remitted all duties upon 
Bibles and was therefore a subscriber to the Bible 
Society to the extent of about .£300 or .£100 per 
annum, and be was not quite satisfied that it was 
judicious to speak, in such terms as had been ex- 
pressed that evening, with respect to a contributor to 
the Bible Society." 
The “ sympathy ” with the Russian prisoners, as 
the maudlin lionising mania is called, is certainly 
proceeding to very disgusting extremities. Last week, 
there was a ball at the Brighton Pavilion, in aid of 
the Patriotic Fund. The Russian officers, on parole 
at Lewes, had the impudence to be present— and an 
eye-witness testifies to the almost incredible fact, that 
many of our “sympathising” countrywomen danced 
with them. Bo these officer-mad simpletons know 
that these men arc of the same school with those 
brutal zealots who stabbed and bayonetted our 
wounded heroes at Alma and the Inkennan ? 
News from India states, that envoys from Dost 
Mahomed and Kokan had arrived in Peshawur, to 
ask for the assistance of the British Government 
against the Russians— the Affglian chiefs having de- 
cided on an English, in preference to a Russo-Persian, 
alliance. Lord Elphinstone was in Bombay, suffering 
from a sun-stroke. Lord Frederick Fitzclarcnce, 
U.C.H., Cominander-in-Chief at Bombay, and the 
second son of William IV. and Mrs. Jordan, bad 
died. 
From letters received by the Government from 
Major Herman, her Alajestys Consul at Tripoli, we 
learn, with the deepest regret, that Dr. Barth, the 
enterprising African explorer, has died at Meroda, 
about 100 miles E.N.E. of Sokatu. No date is given, 
but Dr. Vogel communicates circumstantial evidence 
which leaves little doubt as to the fact. Mr. Henry 
Warrington, an Englishman accompanying Dr. 
Vogel's expedition, bad also died at the well El 
Dibla, some hundred miles to the south of Biliua 
Dr. Vogel himself had suffered a severe attack of 
fever. 
A most brutal murder has been committed in the 
metropolis, under very mysterious and extraordinary 
ircumstances. The murderer is Emanuel Barthe- 
lemy, a Frenchman, who has already been before the 
public as the survivor in a duel, fought at Egham 
about three years ago, with a man named Courhet. 
It will be remembered that great suspicion was at- 
tached to the conduct of Barthel6my in that transac- 
tion — it having been discovered, upon examination, 
that the pistol used by Cournet was rendered useless 
by the introduction of a piece of rag into the breech 
of the barrel. In the absence of any direct evidence, 
however, Barthelemy got off upon that occasion with 
ten months’ imprisonment. It is understood that 
since that time he has been following the business 
of an engineer, and that in that capacity he became 
connected with Mr. Moore, soda-water manufacturer, 
Warren-street, New -road. On the evening of Friday 
the 8th, he went to the house of Mr. Moore, accom- 
panied by a woman. Shortly afterwards, the servant 
heard a scuflle ; and, on hastening to the spot, saw 
Barth61emy deliberately shoot Mr. Moore through 
the head. In attempting to escape through the 
garden into the New-road, he was prevented by a 
Mr. Collard, a neighbour, whom also he deliberately 
shot in the abdomen, of which wound the unfortunate 
man died in the hospital. A man named Madden 
then attempted to apprehend him ; but he attacked 
him furiously with the empty pistol, “gouging” 
him in the face, and cutting off the upper part of 
his ear. Finally he was overpowered, and taken 
into custody. The police have not yet apprehended 
the female who accompanied the murderer, but they 
speak confidently of being able to do so. Some 
curious discoveries also have been made in a house 
at Chelsea lately inhabited by the prisoner. In- 
quests have been held upon the bodies of Moore and 
Collard, and verdicts of “ Wilful murder ” recorded 
against Barth6\6my. The career of this man appears 
to be traced out in blood. He was one of the red 
republicans, and escaped from Fiance in December, 
1848, after killing a gendarme upon a barricade. 
Those who arc acquainted with him say that he had 
killed six men previous to the tragedy lately con- 
summated. During his stay in London, lie has been 
a constant attendant at a celebrated fencing-school, 
where he was remarkable for his skill in the use of 
weapons of defence. II is trial for these murders will 
probably not take place before next January. The 
unfortunate man Collard, having left a family unpro- 
vided for, public subscriptions liave been opened on 
his behalf. His poor wife, unable to support the 
mental shock, has died since the murder, making the 
third victim of this diabolical act. The motive of 
the murder has not yet been made public. 
WHAT ARE WE FIGHTING FOR? 
This question is often asked, and it ought to be clearly 
answered. - . . . 
The republican and revolutionary party say, we light to 
revolutionise Europe, to restore Kossuth, Maznm, and Louis 
Plane, and dethrone Francis Joseph and Napoleon the 
Warlike men of peace say, to protect Turkey and the 
Turks against the invasion of Russia. 
In truth, we are fighting neither for the one nor for the 
other. England does not desire the reign of red-republi- 
canism, either abroad or at home, and the Government of 
England ought not to leave this in doubt for an hour. The 
most explicit declaration should be made, ‘that with then- 
consent, this shall not be turned into n revolutionary 
Let us also thrust aside the sham that we have under- 
taken the war from a chivalrous devotion to Turkey. 
England is not Quixotic, and docs not desire to be the 
policeman of nations. If she is to fight the battles of 
the oppressed Turk, she would he much more bound to go 
to war for the emancipation of the slaves in America. 
Lot the honest truth be proclaimed :— we are fighting for 
no other purpose, nor do wc need other just ification, than 
to beat back the growing power of Russia, which threatens 
the independence of Europe. 
Within a century this Power has come into existence. 
Within a little more than half a century it has cast its 
shadow over the half of Europe. It has laid its hand upon 
territories four times as large as itself ; it has almost se- 
cured the Baltic in the north ; it had quite secured the 
Black Sea in the south. It had gorged Poland, Georgia, 
Circassia ; it had partially swallowed the Principalities; it 
was preparing to suck in Prussia, and, serpent-like, was 
first covering her with its slaver; it had awed Austria with 
the weight of its hand, held out in seeming friendship to 
snatch her from a danger, but with design not to relax the 
grasp ; Sweden has been bullied into silence, and Denmark 
bribed into neutrality, while Finland and the Aland Isles, 
audaciously seized, were converted into fortresses whence, 
at any moment, Russia might blockade the ports of Prussia 
and Sweden, close the Baltic, and menace even the shores 
of Great Britain. 
This is the true cause of the war. It is to beat back 
this aggressive and threatening Power that the war lias 
been undertaken. It is for this we are fighting, and we 
must continue to fight until security is obtained— until the 
Baltic and the Black Sea are protected against the possi- 
bility of further encroachments. 
Whoever would divert us from this object is a public 
enemy. The revolutionary party, in their endeavour to 
make it a revolutionary war, are only playing the game of 
Russia. They would sever France and Austria from us, 
and leave us alone to fight the world leagued against us, with 
the just rebuke that by aiding red-republicanism we had 
become the foes of social order. To promote the Kossuth 
policy would not only be to ally continental Europe against 
us, but to destroy unity at home ; for there is no man who 
has read history, who regards religion, or loves virtue, who, 
if he must submit to despotism in some shape, would not 
prefer the despotism of Russia to the despotism of reil- 
republicanism— who would not rather be ruled by Nicholas 
than by Louis Blanc or Ernest Jones. 
SP0BT mV SPORTSMEN. 
— ♦ 
“ Pray, wliat is a gentleman without his recreations?” 
We recently remarked that the present system of handi- 
capping steeplechasers was highly censurable, inasmuch as 
the flat-racers were favoured by the adoption of such light 
handicaps that a bond fide hunter had but a poor chance 
of success; and, as a natural consequence, farmers and 
others would not enter their horses as they were wont to 
do : hence the decline of one branch of our field sports, 
which, if carried out with fairness and honesty, would do 
more to improve the breed of horses than any other sport 
extant. As we announced a fortnight ago, the steeple- 
chasers already out are a sorry lot — we may now add, a 
very sorry lot. We miss the short-legged and well-topped 
racing-like hunter ; and in its place we find a ricketty, 
weedy, leggy animal, ’ycleped “ steeplechaser” — to all ap- 
pearance scarcely fit for a lady's back. They manage, how- 
ever, to get over their fences, and with nine stone they can 
dispose of a first-class hunter carrying the same weight. 
There is, of course, here and there a good-looking hunter 
in the steeplechase class capable of carrying a fair hunting 
weight over four miles across country ; but the generality 
of them cannot go the pace with a flat-racer. It seems to 
us that the respective handicappers now handicap more for 
the cluss of horses just described than for a perfect hunter ; 
that is, if we may judge from the light standard of weights 
already published. In our opinion, no horse should be 
handicapped at so light a weight as 9st. — a weight more 
suited for a flat-racer than anything else. The standard 
should be higher ; for instance, we would allow no first- 
class winner, aged, to carry less than 12st. 10lb., nor would 
we admit the worst description of animals, aged, under 
lOst. ; for if they cannot run well up with this weight, they 
have no business in a steeplechase. Again, under existing 
arrangements, the “run in" very frequently exceeds half- 
a-mile, thereby giving a racer ample time to catch and pass 
a hunter before the latter reaches the winning-post. These, 
with other partial conditions, convince the farmer or coun- 
try gentleman that, however good his nag may be, his 
chance of success will he but a poor one. The present 
system of handicapping is bad; and unless a competent, 
paid public handicapper be appointed, and his name pub- 
lished with the conditions, stceplechnsing will soon 
be ranked with the “ things that were.” Under 
the present system, some obscure Mr. A., although proba- 
bly of locul reputation, is fixed upon by a committee to 
handicap the horses, and, with considerable diffidence, con- 
sents of course to use the best of his judgment in dis- 
, charging his duty. Fortunately for Mr. B., who intends to 
I start a horse, Mr. A. happens to be his cousin or particular 
I friend, and, on the strength of the anticipated favour, Mr. 
B. puts his “ cousin ” on at 100 to nil, should his na* he 
good enough to win. Consequently, an owner who has n 0 j 
the pleasure of Mr. A.'s acquaintance, has 71b. or 101b 
more put on his horse. Moreover, the exact distance <,f 
the ground or course is scarcely ever given, the word 
“ about four miles " being too frequently introduced in i| ie 
programmes. In some cases, the “about four miles ' 
turns out four-and-a-half miles, and in others three-and-a- 
hnlf. The exact distance should always be announced, j a 
order that the competitors may be trained to the distance. 
We tender these few remarks for the consideration of all 
steeplechase committees, believing that it they were ob- 
served there would he less cause for complaint by owners 
and others interested in the sport. There are many abuses 
existing in the management of steeplechase meetings, and the 
question naturally arises — how will you reform them ? \v c 
say, let a clever and disinterested sportsman be appointed 
public handicapper— a gentleman possessing a thorough 
knowledge of all matters connected with the moves practised 
in the steeplechase world, and who could devote all his tim e 
to the different chases that take place in England, Ireland, 
or any other country where English hors -s are engaged. 
Let the committees select a hunting country for the race, 
with some good rasping fences, about a mile from the start- 
ing-flag, and not within the last mile of the winning-post ; 
and also reduce the distance of the “run in," so that 
hunters, whose style of fencing may enable them to keep 
up to the last fence, may have a chance with other horses, 
whose success alone depends on their speed during the last 
hulf-mile. There should never be less than thirty-five 
leaps in a four- mile race. If these suggestions are adopted, 
the farmers will again take an interest to breed and run 
their horses in steeplechases and hunters’ stakes. Abuses 
also exist in the managing and conditions of hunters’ stakes, 
which, by the bye, are fast declining in all parts of the 
country. ’ The following letter lias been forwarded to us for 
publication, and, as it bears upon the subject, we willingly 
give it a place : — 
Sir, — I read with pleasure “Sport and Sportsmen" last 
week, containing some capital remarks (evidently written by 
a practical sportsman) on hunters’ races being run away with 
by flat-racers. It is quite a treat now-a-days to read good 
practical suggestions — for scarcely a day passes over without 
a lot of trash from the “ prophetic goose-quill sportsman" 
meeting one’s eye. In fine, the “ valuable" hints and stric- 
tures throufn out by these tailors on the condition, &c. of 
the “noble hanimal,” are really laughable. There is, how- 
ever, a class of the community about as learned as them- 
selves in these matters, and who eagerly swallow all they 
see in print, and exclaim, with the scribbler, “It is an abuse." 
Dona fide grievances, in which the genuine sportsmen are in- 
terested, are scarcely ever alluded to by these “gents'— 
unless the “betting sportsman” is concerned. There can bo 
no doubt that the decline of hunters’ stakes in various parts 
of the country is in some measure attributable to the 
facts asserted in The Field. If a farmer lias a good 
promising half-bred, lie will not devote either his time or 
purse to get him fit to run ; for these preliminary matters 
are not done for one flimsy, or two either. Moreover, the 
stake scarcely exceeds 50 sovs. ; and besides, he knows that 
Mr. Smith, the neighbouring brewer or wine merchant, in- 
tends to purchase a flat-racer a few months or weeks previous 
to the time of meeting, and is aware that if he should be 
beaten by a nearly broken down flat-racer, the value of liis 
hunter will be considerably reduced. I write from experi- 
ence on this point. I knew a swaggering young farmer, al- 
though a good sportsman, who had bred a fine slashing 
hunter, worth 250 guineas. He prepared him for the hunters' 
stakes, and was continually boasting of the speed and capa- 
bilities of his nag at the market ordinaries, at one of which I 
happened to be present. Ho was continually boring the 
company about his horse. “ Such a stunner never was seeu. ' 
I thought that I had nothing good enough to beat him, so I 
resolved (all on the quiet) to look out and purchase an old 
flat-racer up to my weight. I heard of one which was an- 
nounced for sale by auction at a neighbouring market town. 
I attended, and the “ old stick" was knocked down to mo f»r 
£10. He was heavy-looking, and nearly, if not quite, 
thorough-bred. I showed him out with the hounds three or 
four times, and we either bungled through or tumbled 
at the fences. He was then, of course, a hunter, and 
I got a certificate from the huntsman, aud entered him, 
amidst much laughter, for the stakes. The reputation of 
the farmer’s nag was so great that few horses were entered. 
I rode my “old stick" in the race, and won the first heat 
easily, but pulled up lame, my nag having caught a sinew 
with his shoe. There was half-an-hour between each heat ; 
and I ordered the lad to keep him moving, in order that ho 
should not get cold and stiff. I gave him a sharp preli- 
minary canter, wanned his blood for him, aud off we started 
for the second heat. I was told during the race by the 
young farmer, that ho never went for the first heat, which I 
believe, for at the distance lie put on the steam, aud wc raced 
ncck-and-neck home, I being just fortunate enough to land 
my “old stick," who was now pronounced “an out-and- 
outer,” by a neck. As we rode in to be weighed, my rival 
fairly cried ; aud, although the conditions of the race could 
not dispute my being the victor, I felt so hurt to see the 
mortification of the owner of a horse, bred, reared, trained i 
and ridden by himself, that I think if wo had had to run the 
race over again I should have allowed him to win it. His 
remark at the ordinary after the race was a truthful one-— 
" It's not," he exclaimed, “ the vally o’ the stake ; but to be 
beat by a d — d old cripple like that ! I'll gie ower racing- 
My nag weant fetch so much by a hundred alter this 'ere g" 
Farmers and others know that they are likely to have the 
prize grasped from them in the manner I grasped the one 
j ust stated ; aud this accounts for the decline of hunters' stake'. 
Tho question is, how will you sweep away these abuses, nn< 
increase the interest and number ofBtartcrs for these tru y 
sporting spins ? Permit me, Sir, to offer these few BUgg*®‘ 
turns : — Lot the distance be three miles, and do away wi 1 
heats; let them carry weight for age ( 12 st. for aged), "n 1 
penalties for winning; allow no horse that has ever run 111 
a flat-race to be entered ; confine thorn to horses bred vithiu 
forty miles of tho place of meeting, aud to those known 
have been in tho possession of the party at the time <>f cm> > 
not loss than twelve months; let a certificate be produce, 
signed by the huntsman, whippers-in, and Bis gentlemen ac- 
customed to hunt the country in which resides the owne> " 
the nag intended to be entered, certifying that Mr. So-and-so 3 
horse has been hunted regularly with So-and-so’s hound?, 
aud is, in every sense of the word, a hunter. 
