THE PLOT AGAINST OLD ENGLAND.
THE pillory of Parliamentary Committees or Running Rein trials; produces as little effect on the genteel vateriens of the turf an a hanging does on the vulgar pickpockets who crowd around the, scaffold. The "makers of books," the "hedgers," and the "lee., venters" of Epsom and Newmarket, are as industrious in their vocation as if the finger of scorn had never been pointed at it, The "Old England" of "the Derby" is the object of darker plots; and conspiracies than the Old England of the Duke of Newcastle.. John Gully, after more than thirty years' experience of the race-. course generation of vipers, has been all too late awakened to the conviction that there are shocking blackguards among them. He protests they are the most unscrupulous persons he has had to deal with—worse even than electioneering-agents or private- bill jobbers in the House of Commons. They have turned Day himself into a worker of deeds of darkness.
The foul play of the turf is the lowest depth of swindling. The. clever conveyancers of the St. James's Club do not bribe the con- fidential domestics of their victim to look into his cards for them. It is only burglars who bribe the porters of warehouses to leave, the doors unlocked, and only gentlemen of the turf who bribe grooms to "doctor" the horses intrusted to their care. The turf gambler is a cross breed between the swindler and the burglar.. Sir James Graham's object in expelling the keepers of roley-poleys and wheels of fortune from the race-course has been much mis- taken: it was to save these unfortunates from the contamination of the gentlemen-gamblers--an attempt to establish out of doors, a classification analogous to that which has been introduced with advantage into penitentiaries. Sir James, in his official capacity, hearing of the shocking demoralization of the felons at Norfolk. Island, resolved, so long as he remained in office, the recruits for that station should he spared the finishing-lesson of the race-.
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