AY'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE SPORTS AND PASIPAS GEORGE GREME GETS, second Baron Wolverton, is the eldest of that eminent financer who, as head of the great bankingouse known by his name, was during his long career, alike in the loose of Commis, the brandroom chair of a great railway company, nd in the Cis, no less conspicuous for the sense and high integrity governed i actiune chan for the unobtrusive disinterestedness widely-solicited opinion and advice upon social, pilical, or monetary importance. Born in 1824, was at Rugby in Dr. Arnold's time, there proceed to University College, Oxford-devoted cara geas of arch marked assiduity to the active ubles of er in bis fer's house, and entered public life as Shaftesbury is 1857. He retained his seat, and, singuough ithout a test, through the four succeeding Parliaand ability tried and proved) was chosen as Whip to the party Mr. Brand resignation in 1867, and was appointed Secretaries to the Treasury under Mr. Gladstone's following year. The duties of the post held by Mr. int, their exercise calls for such a display of erties, api movir faire, that when one remembers apare measts carried through Parliament during his tenure BAILY'S MONTHLY MAGAZINE 09 SPORTS AND PASTIMES. LORD WOLVERTON. GEORGE GRENFELL GLYN, second Baron Wolverton, is the eldest son of that eminent financier who, as head of the great bankinghouse known by his name, was during his long career, alike in the House of Commons, the boardroom chair of a great railway company, and in the City, no less conspicuous for the sense and high integrity that governed his actions than for the unobtrusive disinterestedness with which he gave his widely-solicited opinion and advice upon questions of social, political, or monetary importance. Born in 1824, the subject of our memoir-who was at Rugby in Dr. Arnold's time, and from there proceeded to University College, Oxford―devoted the earlier years of his life with marked assiduity to the active duties of a partner in his father's house, and entered public life as Member for Shaftesbury in 1857. He retained his seat, and, singularly enough, without a contest, through the four succeeding Parliaments, and (his ability tried and proved) was chosen as Whip to the Liberal party on Mr. Brand's resignation in 1867, and was appointed one of the Joint Secretaries to the Treasury under Mr. Gladstone's Government in the following year. The duties of the post held by Mr. Glyn are so important, and their exercise calls for such a display of judgment, patience, tact, and savoir faire, that when one remembers the important measures carried through Parliament during his tenure of office, or the many jarring interests that had to be reconciled-the objections that had to be met, the little sorenesses that had to be smoothed over-his success, and the respect and liking in which he was held, prove him to have been well qualified for those responsibilities. When on the death of his father-who had been summoned to the Upper House in 1869 as Lord Wolverton-Mr. Glyn, in 1873, of necessity resigned his important offices, he carried with him from the House of Commons the regret of every one who remembered his genial manners, and his untiring vigilance and energy in the interests of the party with which he was identified. Lord Wolverton well fills the rôle of a country gentleman, more VOL. XXVII.-No. 184. F 2 [June, particularly that of a hunting man-to which sport, like other members of the family, he has always been passionately attached. He was entered early with the V.W.H. and the Old Berks; was well known in Essex and with Baron Rothschild, and is now Master of the celebrated Ranston Bloodhounds, carrying the horn himself, and justly promoted from whip' to huntsman. As there has been some controversy as to the origin of this pack, we may mention here that in 1871 Captain Roden of Kells, in the county Meath, sold Mr. Glyn five couple of bloodhounds, which, with subsequent purchases, were the foundation of the establishment at Ranston, now consisting of sixteen couple and a half. There are ten couple of Lord Wolverton's own breeding; and by the time these lines meet our readers' eyes, those who have the opportunity may see some halfdozen of these magnificent hounds at the Crystal Palace Dog Show, and judge for themselves of their breed and quality. Lord Wolverton is a genuine sportsman-perhaps prefers 'calf' to fox-hunting-rides courageously, and is warm-hearted, generous, and genial in his nature-indeed, expansive as is the circle of his relatives, friends, and acquaintances, he is held by one and all in a common bond of affection and esteem. He was a yeoman bold in the Dorset cavalry when Lord Ilchester commanded that corps; he has too, in addition to his other work, done good service at the Railway Clearing House, of which he is now Chairman, in succession to his late father, the founder of that most useful institution. Lord Wolverton married in 1848 Georgiana Maria, the eldest daughter of the Rev. George Tufnell. And now, having touched upon some features of interest in his Lordship's career, as banker, politician, and huntsman, we may apply two not unfamiliar lines, and say— 'Nor was it e'er one's fate from him to find. A deed ungentle, or a word unkind.' MR. GERARD STURT ON THE HORSE QUESTION. THE decline of our horse supply is a grave question that demands the attention of thoughtful men. Mr. Sturt, the Member for Dorsetshire, in addressing the House of Commons, treated the whole matter as a joke. Whether his language or his demeanour were consistent with the dignity of a legislator it is not our purpose to inquire, but they appeared to afford considerable amusement to an audience the majority of whom did not know a horse from a handspike. In speaking of the witnesses who had testified to the diminution in number and degeneracy in the quality of horses, Mr. Sturt said that 'No single witness escaped without being bowled over, spiffli'cated, and hung up to dry,' a sally which brought down the whole House. We have had the pleasure of meeting and conversing with several of these gentlemen since they underwent that treatment, and they appeared to be remarkably well after it. The process of bowling over, spifflicating, and hanging up to dry' seemed only to have confirmed them in their previous opinions. Says one: The 'scarcity of horses in Ireland of any size, combined with quality, is 'still greater than it was when I was examined before the Committee. The farmers of County Dublin, Kildare, and the eastern parts of 'Meath have given up breeding. The old-fashioned Irish shortlegged breed of mares is extinct: the foreigners have got them all. 'Screen used to be the great colt fair in Meath, but there was a 'great falling off this year. At Cahirmee fair you could easily walk through the green, which used not to be the case. There were very few horses at Ballinasloe, and those double the price of what they were ten years ago. At last Ballinasloe and Mullingar fairs you could not buy ten good troopers, where in previous years you 'could get forty or fifty easily. If a sudden war broke out, the 'army would have to go on foot; at least, it could not be mounted 'from Ireland.' Says another: 'Fifteen of us met on the third day of last Ballinasloe fair and compared notes. We each wanted to buy about thirty horses, if we could get them, and we found that 'we had only got fifteen horses amongst the whole lot. The Irish 'horses of the present day are small and deficient in bone; they have plenty of blood, but have not substance sufficient to carry more 'than ten or eleven stone. The foreigners have bought up all the 'fine roomy mares out of the country, and have only left the weedy ' ones to breed from.' Says a third: I have attended fairs all my ' life, but there was not one fair in England last year worth going to. 'I remember, some thirty-five or forty years ago, when 57. was paid for the use of a loose box for one night during Stourbridge fair, but 'that fair does not now exist. At Oundle fair the horses used to be 'sold with the condition that they were to be taken away at once, to make room for others. Oundle fair has died away to nothing. Upon one occasion John Elmore was at Rugeley fair, without any 'intention of buying, as he was full of horses at home. However, 'he was tempted to purchase sixty!!! At this year's Rugeley_fair 'no one could have found three horses worth taking away. The 'mares to breed from do not exist; they have been bought by the ' foreigners.' Again, another, who knows Yorkshire well, says: 'How can there 'be nice horses when there are none bred? There are plenty of 'daddy longlegs, but if you chance to see a well-shaped one, with 'substance, you must give whatever they ask and be thankful. This ❝ week, at Northallerton, there was not a good animal in the fair, ' but there were four German agents on the lookout to buy mares. The London carriage-horse dealers, without an exception, are 'forced to buy three-fourths of their horses abroad.' As for poor Mr. Church, the manager of the London General Omnibus Company, he is obliged to buy all his horses abroad, and in the year, since he gave his evidence before the Committee, he has been |