MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON RACING.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 190, 11 August 1880, Page 4

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON RACING.

The following is from (be Parliamentry report of the N,Z, Times of Friday last:—The interrupted debate on the Wellington Racing Club Bill was resumed by Mr Hutchison, who was speaking when the debate was interrupted last week. Without having anything to say against races, the hon gentleman said their advent was always preceded by the arrival of a large camber of queer people, whose ooly occupation seemed (o be drinking [brandy and soda, and " making a book," while the races themselves created au excitement that upset our plodding industry to the injury of business generally. Sir Willinm Fox was half ashamed to have to take part in a question of this kind. Here at the end of the session, when they had most important measures to consider, the high roaJ was blocked up by a Bill of this kind. It wr.s said by a foreign writer that the English were very dismal in their sports, and this indeed would seem to be true at the end of a dityV raciog. When returning home the husbands were sullen, the wives tirod, and children cross and crying. And they called it manly spori 1 A lot of counter jumpers and boys and girls went to see a lot of wizen boys riding b mile, and tbey were told Una was manly sport ! It was said, (00, that these recss improved (ha breed of horses; well, if is did it did not improve the breed of men. Bui; he denied that it io2proveci the breed of hcraes, for they; had growing up among them a lot of weedy animals such r.s were described by Shakespeare us hollow pampered jades of Asia, who, at their basts could cos do more than thirty > miles a day. Why, the breed (;ot worse every day. And who wetfe the patrons of these races. Why, they would find they were patronised by all the rogues aud drunkarJs of the place, as well as that Boction of the thfc community called the demi monde. That was why h9 would not visit a racecourse, for he w&s sure to mcct 1 \ plenty of bad company and very little £bo<lif he did so. It was one commoa saturnalia, where for a few days the: whole people seemed to have entirely: departed from their ordinary habits. As forthe Bill before the House, it was a -most' dishonest one, ; and he! moved that it be read that day oix months, Mr Ireland seconded the amendment and, in so doing, to a great' extent bore out the remarks of Sir Williaas Fox as to the evils of horse racing. Mr Levin, the member in charge of the Bill, replied to the remarks of the various speakers. He reminded the House that the Bill came from the Upper Chamber; He was not thereto cay whether horse-racing was right or whether it was wrong. His business was to fulfil a trust which had been reposed in hitn on behalf of the people of Wellington. .With regard to the remarks of Sir William Fox, he had not always held his present-opinion on the subject of- horse-raoing. He (the ; spesker') had read in the Wellington Independent of 1857 that Sir William was a steward — and a prominent steward — of the Jockey .Club* aridw

more than that, he believed h8 had himself sported tbe silk, and sent borßea of his own breeding to the winning post. (Loud laughter.) The hon. gentleman then proceed to defend tbe Bill from the aitacka which bad been made upon it, and he expressed a hope that it would pass the House.