AN IRISH MEMBER ON RACE MEETINGS.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1882, 8 May 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

AN IRISH MEMBER ON RACE MEETINGS.

Mr Powor in moving the rejection of a Bill, introduced in the House of Commons by the member lor Glasgow, was somowliat acvoro on the sober tastes of our countrymen noith of tho Tweed. Tbo Bill had for itsobjectthesuppression of certain race meetings in the neighborhood of London, and Mr Power is reported to havo said : — Tho effect of tho measuro which had been introduced by a member calling himself an u Advanced Liberal" would bo to deprive the London tradesmen autl artisans of participation in a noblo sport unless they chose to go to tho expense of a long journey from the metropolis. If the Bill was passed, the honorablo member for Glasgow, who was a man of expansive mind, would probably propose noxt session to extend tho limit, and to put an end to racing at Punchestown and on the Curragh of Kildare. (" Hear, hoar, " and laughter.) Ho very much doubted whether tin 1 scones of dissipation and excess which were .said to form part of these suburban nice meetings had any existance; but if they had the ordinary laws of tho country quite sufficient for their suppression nnd for the punishment of thoHO who took part in them. Ho objected strongly to the principle of the Bill, which was, in short, that a national sport should bo suppressed in particular localities, because the personal convenience of certain porsons resident thorein was interfered with. He found among the lists of stewards of some of these suburban race meetings, the natr.es of noblemen and gentlemen, who, he felt sure, would not under any circumstances countenance any proceeding that could have the eflect of lowering tho noble sport of horso raoing. It was an extraordinary fact that the people who complained of tho race mooting in question should have to go to Scotland for an advocate. It was true the people of Scotland were not lovers of sport, and were little adapted for it. (a laugh.) They wore more adapted for agricultural pursuits and statistical societies. (Laughter.) They wereaccustoraed to anairof melancholy, and lived in a country famous for the production of snufF, whiskey, and thistles, and if any one doubted the patriotism of the honorable member for Glasgow, let him remind him that when away from his own country he lived in Thistle Grove. (Renewed laughter.) If fantastio notions such as those on which the Bill was founded were to become the law of the land, why should not the honorable member apply it first to the city he so worthily ropreaonted. He would read a few lines from a letter which described a Glasgow mob. The writer said : "I havo attended a Magna Charta meeting in London ', I hare seeu the member for Stoke address his constituents ; I once saw a prize-fighter near Birmingham ; but the people were aristocrats compared with those I saw yesterday. I did not think such a horrible looking ccowd could be collected. A Glasgow mob is par excellence, the worst mob in the world." Swearing in Englinh is very bad, but in Scotoh it is awful. (Laughter.) Only one respeotable man lived in Ruthdrglen, and he was hanged for murder. (Renewed laughter.) An English mob on the other hand was a good-hnmored mob. It was plainly against the frequency of race meetings that the Bill was directed. Some people were bo constituted that it annoyed them to see others amused ; while aome took pleasure in tho annoyance ofothors. The Puritans of old hated bear-baiting, not because it gave pain to the bear, but because it gave pleasure to the spcctatoro. (Laughter.) Why had not the hon, member turned his attention to a bettor occupation than the drawing of the Bill, such, for instance,

, vi the framing of some vexatious question for her Majesty's Government? (A » 1fl "gh.) The hon. member had begun at 5 tho wrong end, Let the peeple bo edui^ted to refrain from vice, to learn aol^-restraint, to enjoy rational amusements free from excess. There was ample t&ope in that vaat city for the exertions of the" clergymen and the philanthropic legislator. Ho hoped tho House would not, b; r pasiug the Bill, put a tax on tho rational arausemout of tho poor, and he bog^d to movo that it be read that day vhreo months. (Hoar, hear.)