the Great Exhibition may suggest a substitute for round hats. P.P.-ism is already attacked on the frontiers by skirmishing parties. Have you ever heard of the curse of Cromwell? - Hibernice, “ a perpetual itching, without the power of scratching.” The Sunday Times of the 23rd ult. throws out hints which menace the ring with a loss of the remedy for a prevailing epidemic : “ SCRATCHING. " As considerable misunderstanding exists with reference to the power of scratching, as affects the nominator or proprietor of an animal, we will first quote that portion of the law which bears upon the question, and then proceed to state what we believe to be the custom. "Under the head of “Rules and Orders of the Jockey Club,' and the section. As to Nominations,' we find " " Rule 20. When a person takes a nomination for a stake in which the forfeit is to be declared by a particular time, and does not declare forfeit by the time fixed in the article, he shall thenceforth be considered to have taken the engagement on himself, and his name shall be substituted for that of the original subscriber.' “This merely alludes to A permitting B to make use of his (A's) nomination; and if by the time specified B do not declare the forfeit, then he releases A from all responsibility, and becomes himself liable for the stake. " But the question arises-How do the nominator and owner of a horse stand involved as regards the Chester Cup, or any other of the great handicaps ? “ The nominator of a horse has not the right of scratching him, which power is yested solely in the proprietor, who, if he order him to be scratched, fixes the minor forfeit on the party naming ; but if he declare acceptance with the animal, which is his exclusive right, then he becomes alone responsible for the stake or stipulated forfeit. "In the instance of the Great Ebor Stakes last year, the gentleman who named Clothworker, not being in default for either stake or forfeits, though at that time 'a notorious defaulter in bets,' the nomination held good at York, though it would have been vitiated at Goodwood. " It would have been an act of obvious justice to have voided the nomination in toto, had the gallant captain, who so nobly redeemed his reputation by not merely paying in full, but by offering to disburse every farthing of the interest which would have accrued on a legal transaction, been in default for either stakes, forfeits, or bets, but not so had default arisen after the acceptance of the owner, as then all subsequent responsibility was assumed by Mr. Parr. “ To tell the round unvarnished tale,' our laws of racing are in a most disgraceful state of crudity and contradiction, and that which is a rule in the provinces is not so at Newmarket, or wisy warsy, as our friend Liston had it in one of his popular characters. They have been made piecemeal-a bit now and another bit then ; and the consequence is, that they are as patched as Peter's coat in the Tale of a Tub. “ There can be no propriety, either, in annulling a nomination in the event of the decease of the party, provided the owner shall have previously accepted, as the motive for cancelling arose from the non-liability of executors to make stakes good, and the injustice of enabling the representatives of a deceased party to run a Plenipo or Flying Dutchman, but to decline making good a contract for Vaut Rien or Outcast. In these days of the industry of all nations, it would be but following the fashion were the Hon. Jockey Club to set their house in order, and favour the British turf with a code of laws for its regulation, uniform an intelligible, the exact reverse of the present one, which is discrepant and incomprehensible.” I cannot more appropriately sum up the inquiry which forms the subject of this article, than with the subjoined “ Prospectus" of a society that it is forthwith proposed to incorporate. The document—which was first published, I believe, on the 22nd ult.-professes to be “ The Preliminary Prospectus of the Junior Tattersall's Association and Company, provisionally registered pursuant to Act 7 & 8 Victoria, cap. 110." It recites, that the capital shall be £600,000, in 30,000 shares of £20 each ; and then proceeds to set forth, in manner following, the objects and regulations of the “ Company" and the “ Association”--two bodies, as it will be perceived, by no means identical : The above is the title of a company proposed to be formed, and for which a considerable sum of money has already been expended. In order to meet the requirements of the law, so that the promoter may be legally able to issue shares, the term " Club" was obliged to be omitted in the provisional registration; but it will, of course, be apparent that this association and company will closely assimilate Tattersall's, excepting that it will be immensely larger, inore popular, and command an universal subscription list, both at home and abroad. Without much order in construction, an endeavour is made to point out (suggestively) some of the offices, emoluments, and general commercial conditions likely to exist, and to be supporting the company's claims and operations. 1. The company is to be a distinct body from the association of members form ing either of the four classes into which it is proposed to be divided. 2. Each of the four classes to be governed by laws laid down by the company, but administered by a chairman, his deputy, and subordinate officers, each to be elected by and out of the whole body of each class. 3. Every member of each class to be balloted for by the members of the class he is proposed for. 4. As far as needful, beneficial, &c., Tattersall's Jockey Club Regulations and Laws to be followed. 5. No officer nor servant of the company will be allowed to be a member of either class; nor may he have any transactions, directly or indirectly, with the anticipations or results of any sporting transaction, under a fine of £ , or a dismissal from the service. 6. It is proposed to have both a metropolitan and a suburban establishment, the former on a scale far exceeding any west end club, the latter to embrace from 200 to 300 acres of freehold ground; at the exterior or surrounding which the Metropolitan Junior Tattersall's race-course is to be laid out and organized, and the interior farmed. Any attempt to enumerate the many advantages that thousands in town, the provinces, and abroad, may enjoy from such a society formed in London, would almost be as possible as to state the commercial advantages to be derived from it and the suburban establishment conjointly ; yet in order to draw attention to the commercial affair it will be endeavoured to detail some of the offices from which emoluments are proposed to be derived, viz. :- 1. From interest of capital by shareholders. 2nd , 6 00 , 4th , 2 0 0 , ditto. ditto. 6. From commission on all kinds of stock, bought, sold, or exchanged. ditto. 10. A Registration ditto. 11. An Assurance 12. Guarantee ditto. 13. An English and Foreign Corresponding office. 14. A Veterinary establishment. 15. Letting Stables, Coach Houses, Kennelling, &c. 16. An Electric Telegraph from and to each class, so that by numbers, and these being testified by reference, business may be effected between any two parties of different classes without the parties coming personally in contact. 17. The payments of all official appointments; and those to be on a similar scale to commission in the Army: all sales or exchanges to be effected through the select committee of the company, and by a rigid investigation of the fitness of the party to succeed the seceder, the latter to be compelled to faithfully fulfil the duties of his office till a satisfactory appointment in his stead be made. 18. From fines which are sure to be incurred. 19. From the profits of the Assembly Room of each class. 20. From the Chambers of 1st and 2nd class. It is proposed that the membership of Tattersall's shall not be an objection to the membership of the “ Junior Tattersall's ;" and that, as at Tattersall's, the verdict and judgment of the Judical Committee of the Junior Tattersall's sball be final and without appeal to each and all of its members. It is also proposed that at certain periods of the day, or on certain days, a common area shall be open for members of all classes to meet and transact business as upon the Royal Exchange, to be made known by the ringing of a bell; for which purpose a building having a quadrangle would be desirable. Members, like the Royal Yacht Club members, may have distinctive and classified buttons, and for which the dies are prepared. The promoter is humbly of opinion, if this company be formed a great boon will be conferred on honourable men, who, nevertheless, cannot get admission to Tattersall's; a higher tone to middle men would ensue than now exists; whilst a great moral change would be the result to those who would eagerly fill the 3rd and 4th classes. We will say nothing of the construction of this advertisement, but go at once to the views it puts forward. These being too obscure in the original for my perception, I sought a personal explanation from the promoters of the scheme. From this I gathered that it was proposed to establish an institution for the better transaction of racing business generally, and betting especially. That the enterprise is conceived in good faith, and with the wish to serve the interests of a popular sport, I sincerely believo ; that it exhibits an astounding inexperience- a perfectly marvellous ignorance of the matters with which it desires to deal, I apprehend “ all who run may read,” as well as most of those who bet. The relations of our racing interests are so wholly peculiar and and so absolutely opposed in their spirit to the existence of an imperium in imperio, that founding a “ Junior Tattersall’s" within the limits of the bills of mortality would be received by the dignitaries of the turf with some such welcome as their ladies might accord to the appearance of a “ New Harmony" on the site of the Green Park. That the prospectus relates to a chimera—visionary–Utopian-utterly hopeless - must be said in candour, and I trust may be said without offence. Let those who are interested in it ask the worth of this opinion from any one conversant with racing and its state and statistics, and they will be satisfied that it is not lightly given. But with the principle of the plan it is very different. Whether people ought to wager upon horse-races, or whether they ought not, is a question with which we need not trouble ourselves here. That they will bet, I take it is a proposition pretty well settled. My counsel has always been against the practice. Suppose we assume it a bad habit. It is not on that account a good consequence that betting from being a jeopardy of money should be a positive parting with it. Betting is bad but robbery is worse. Let us have the least of the two evils. In lieu of a monster “ Junior Tattersall's,” with a capital of Six Hundred Thousand Pounds, were a company organized, with a paid up capital of Ten Thousand Pounds, made securely available for its liabilities, having for its Directors persons of known respectability and responsibility; and for Managers men of standing on the turf, and of practical experience in its details, such an enterprise might fairly appeal to popular patronage and for public support. As a speculation it would be quite as legitimate as any existing system of trading in chances and hazards—as, for instance, underwriting and insurance of any description- and certainly a more secure investment than either. It can traffic by as honest means and on as honourable principles as any establishment devoted to speculative enterprise. It would tend to the extirpation of those dens of infamy and plunder, now of necessity the resorts of such as will have a stake, or to an interest,” as they call it, on such and such a race—the “Racing Clubs” and “ Betting Offices” that pollute our streets, our lanes, and alleys. The data of betting round are sound and safe when skilfully and systematically carried out. If individuals in the ring realize large fortunes by book-making, why should not a commercial company do the same? A Betting Bank of Deposit can make no bad debts, and it can secure the same result for its customers. Should such a Company ever be formed, it shall command the poor assistance my advocacy can give, and I think I may promise it the countenance and custom of all those who are not wise enough to eschew a wager, nor so foolish as to prefer the security of a “ leg's" credit to that of a Company's capital...... Thus shall it come to pass that inasmuch as Old England proscribed Lotteries, Young England straightway proceeded to Bank its bets; and thus the saying of Mrs. Trollope shall be fulfilled—which the reader will find at the head of this homily. 167 PASSAGES IN THE LIFE OF TILBURY NOGO, ESQ. ; THE ADVENTURES OF AN UNSUCCESSFUL MAN. BY FOXGLOVE. CHAP. VIII. “ Benedick.-Suffer love. A good epithet ! Much ADO ABOUT Nothing. Our dinner party at the villa, as we called it par excellence, consisted of Bloomsbury, Sharpes, Cripps, and myself, with the addition of Jack Raffleton, whose good humour and good spirits enlivened us considerably. Many a sly hit and inuendo were pointed at my devoted head, and the most sacred feelings of my bosom (all arisen since morning) appeared to these worldly spirits only to furnish an endless subject for bad puns and impertinent remarks. * Nogo ! let's go to the Windsor ball to-morrow night ; there's always a good ball during Ascot week. All the First will be there, and we shall have some fun,” said Bloomsbury, heating an already much in. flamed countenance with a third bumper of his own most execrable chainpagne. Why is it that a wine-merchant should always think it necessary to consume his wares in such profusion? The sorcerer imbibes not tho philtre of his own compounding, and the apothecary most religiously eschews the mixture he has himself made up. “Besides,” added Bloomsbury, smacking his great lips with a relish that could hardly be feigned, “ we shall have all the people who live about here, and Mrs. Cotherstone made me promise to bring some dancing men.” “ Nogo! a glass of wine !” “ Nogo! your good health !” “ Nogo! you'll go!"—the latter from Jack Raffleton—burst upon my tingling ears. Í blushed. How could I help it? I swore I hated balls, and never danced- did not think I should go Heaven forgive me! I had promised her that very afternoon that nothing earthly should prevent my being at the ball and claiming her hand for the very first waltz. In short I was over head and ears in love ; and the whole of that glorious June evening, despite of a most elaborate dinner, despite of the rallying of my companions, despite of the many bumpers of claret, so grateful to the throat parched and fevered with the excitement of a day's racing in that tropical weather—despite of all, I sat as one entranced. I saw, heard, felt nothing but Kate Cotherstone. I ate strawberries, but their fragrance only reminded me of winding paths through gardens of roses, and I thought of the bliss of an evening stroll with Kate Cotherstone. The ruby wine sparkled in my thin crystal goblet, and bore my spirit on its blushing wave to the clustering vineyards of sunny France, the joyous region of Bordeaux (an imaginary district, which, if truth must be told, the innocent liquor before me had never visited), and I thought what a paradise it would be with Kate Cotherstone ! |