560 
PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE. 
right in saying that we should have larger prizes in order to secure the 
services of first-class horses. (Hear.) 
Sir R. Reel said there was no doubt the amount of money now given in 
Queen’s Plates did not afford the same inducements to gentlemen to run 
their horses as it did when Queen’s Plates were first established. That 
was the practical object for which those plates had been established; but 
he believed that since they were established the breed of horses in this 
country had in no way deteriorated. Tn Ireland there was a want of good 
stallions; and Admiral Rous fairly put it that if gentlemen would club 
together in Ireland and this country to keep good stallions, there would 
be no reason to fear a deterioration of our stock of horses. (Hear, hear.) 
But he differed from the lion, member for North Warwickshire (Mr. 
Newdegate) in one particular. That hon. gentleman said that no one 
would think of riding twenty or thirty miles now. Why he himself, only 
so late as Saturday last, rode thirty miles, and his horse displayed both 
ability and endurance. (Hear, hear.) After the ride he probably felt 
much better than the horse (a laugh), but yesterday the horse came out 
of the stable perfectly fresh. He believed that his noble friend at the 
head of the Government was disposed to take long rides (hear, hear), 
and there were other gentlemen, also, who preferred that sort of exercise 
to the railways. A sum of about £3500, divided into thirty-six or 
thirty-eight prizes, was at present given in Queen’s Plates; and though 
it was true that one horse in Ireland and another in England had won a 
great number of these prizes, and that in some cases there had been a 
walk over sometimes, that was not a reason for making a great alteration, 
which would entirely do away with that enjoyment, to maintain which, 
he thought, public encouragement should be given to race meetings. 
His noble friend at the head of the Government authorised him to say 
the Government would consider the matter with the Master of the Horse, 
who, he believed, regulated the weights. His noble friend did not 
authorise him to say that the weights would be increased, but that the 
Government, with the Master of the Horse, would consider whether an 
alteration might not be made as regarded the weights and distances in 
races for Queen’s Plates, with the view of testing, to a greater extent, the 
capabilities of the horses. For himself, he did not share the* opinion that 
those heavy weights and great distances were as desirable as some gentle¬ 
men appeared to imagine. However, that was to be considered. He 
hoped his right hon. and gallant relative (General Peel), who was very 
conversant with the subject, would inform the House whether, in his 
opinion, the breed of horses in this country had deteriorated. He knew 
that the Government of France and other Governments had purchased 
some first-rate sires in this country. The Baron, and other stallions, had 
been purchased here by the French Government; but in this country we 
did by private enterprise what in France was done by the direct action 
of the Government and by other means. (Hear.) In his opinion the 
English breed of horses was able to compete with any that could be 
brought against them; but his noble friend at the head of the Government 
was ready to assure the hon. gentleman that with respect to distance and 
weight the question would be considered, in order to see whether any 
improvement could be made in conducing to the objects for which these 
plates were originally established. (Hear.) 
General Reel .—I disagree with the opinion that the breed of horses in 
this country has deteriorated. I have been for at least forty years a 
breeder of this class of horses, and, if my authority is worth anything, it 
is certainly opposed to that of Mr. Dickenson. (Hear, hear.) The hon. 
member’s proposal is that the grant for Queen’s Plates should be put an 
