A Special Meeting was held at Chelsea House, Cadogan Place, on Wednesday, July 25th.

The Stewards submitted to the Meeting the list of fixtures for 1884, as finally fixed.

Mr Craven enquired if the Lessees of Liverpool Races had given any notice to the Stewards of their intention to enclose the Course, and whether the Stewards had since granted a licence. The Stewards replied that they had received no official intimation on the subject.

The Stewards informed the Meeting that His Grace the Duke of Richmond had handed over the management of the Private Stand at Goodwood, to the Stewards. They proposed that for the future members of it should be elected in the same manner as to the Stands at Newmarket, viz., proposed and seconded by a member of the Jockey Club and ballotted for. The number of members to be limited.

The Stewards gave notice of their intention to have a list of persons warned off Newmarket Heath forwarded to Clerks of Courses at the time of their meetings, to enable them and the Stewards of their meetings to know such persons as should be excluded under Rule 5 (iii).

The other business was of a private nature.

A Meeting was held at Newmarket, on Wednesday, September 26th.

Ld Cadogan brought forward the motion of which notice had been given by the Stewards, viz.

To alter the second paragraph of Rule 50 to read as follows, the words in italics shewing the alterations—

If a person be so excluded for any fraudulent prac tice in relation to a particular horse wholly or partly belonging to him, such horse shall, at the discretion of the Stewards, be perpetually disqualified for all races, and the owner or owners of such horse shall, if so ordered by the Stewards, return all money or prizes which such horse has won in any race at any meeting. which was carried unanimously.

Mr Craven brought forward the motion of which he had given notice, viz.—

Rule 4, section iv, to add-But this rule shall not apply to races of two miles and upwards (not being handicaps) to which at least 200 sov. are added, and which shall be run for by horses not under five years old. Ld Suffolk seconded, and the Stewards opposed the motion. On being put to the vote, there appered for the motion, 4, against 16; the motion was therefore lost.

Mr Craven then moved

To alter Rule 8, first paragraph, to read as followsThe Stewards shall appoint an adequate staff of officials for every meeting, and the Stewards of the Jockey Club shall appoint the handicapper at each meeting, but in no case shall that official have any interest in the meeting, either as Shareholder, Manager, or Lessee, and in the second paragraph, to add in fourth line, after the words Clerk of the Scales, the word "Handicapper."

Gen. Owen Williams seconded the motion.

Ld Cadogan said the Stewards were prepared to accept the proposed rule, omitting the last clause of first paragraph, and to read as follows--" And the Stewards of the Jockey Club shall appoint the handicapper at each meeting." This alteration was accepted by the mover, and carried unanimously. The addition to the second paragraph was considered unnecessary.

Mr Craven's motion, seconded by Ld Falmouth, viz., to add to Rule 12, "when a Cup is advertised to be run for, it shall in all cases be given, even if walked over for," was carried unanimously. Some discussion having arisen as to the definition of a "cup," it was agreed that, on the rule being brought up for confirmation, the meaning of the term should be added to the general definitions, "a cup under these rules means a piece of plate or prize other than money."

Mr Lowther moved to strike out Rule 25 (The Stakeholder), and Rule 26 (Nomination Fees), of the Rules of the Jockey Club.

Ld Cadogan stated on behalf of the Stewards, that they approved of the principle of the motion, and were prepared to take steps to carry out the proposed alteration in the event of its meeting with the approval of the Club, but it would be necessary to ask for an adjournment in order to consider how the increased charge on the funds of the Club should be met. This suggestion was agreed to by Mr Lowther, and approved unanimously.

A Meeting was held at Newmarket, on Wednesday, October 10th.

The rules passed at the last Meeting were read over and confirmed.

On reading over the alteration to Rule 8, first paragraph, Mr Craven stated that, having conferred with the Stewards on the subject of his notice with reference to the appointment of handicappers, which was carried at the last meeting, he

now proposed, with the consent of the Club, to modify that motion, so as to provide for the licensing instead of the appointment of handicappers by the Stewards; he therefore moved to added to Rule 8, second paragraph, fourth line, the word "handicapper" after "Clerk of the Course," and to add the following paragraph

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Any complaints against the above-named officials shall be made in writing to the Stewards of the Meeting only, who, if they think fit, shall forward the same to the Stewards of the Jockey Club." The was confirmed unanimously."

The addition to Rule 22, "when a Cup is advertised to be run for it shall in all cases be given, even if walked over for," was confirmed, with the following inserted in the general definitions

"A Cup, under these rules, means a piece of plate or any prize not given in money."

Ld Cadogan brought forward the following motion, of which the Stewards had given notice, viz., to alter Rule 19 as follows-after the words "which has run," to add "in any country,"

which was carried unanimously.

Mr Lowther brought forward his adjourned motion, viz., in the Rules of the Jockey Club to strike out Rule 25 (the Stakeholder), and Rule 26 (Nomination Fees), and in doing so expressed his conviction that the steps the Stewards had taken towards meeting the increased charge on the funds of the Club would be found to be adequate.

Ld Cadogan thought that that might eventually prove to be so, but was doubtful whether the increased receipts might not better be applied to the increase of added money to races; he also feared that if these fees were to be abolished throughout the country, many old established race meetings, where there was no gate meney to help to pay the expenses, would be placed in a position of extreme difficulty. He called attention to the fact that Mr Lowther's motion referred only to Stakeholders' fees and to nomination fees, and not, as appeared to be believed in some quarters, to entrance moneys to stakes paid by owners of horses. He repeated that the principle of Mr Lowther's motion was entire unobjectionable, but doubted whether it would be advisable to carry out the proposal until they had further and more reliable experience of the effect of the steps they had taken for the providing for the extra expenditure which would be incurred.

Ld Bradford agreed.

Sir John Astley also concurred that the proposal would be very injurious to old established open meetings, and expressed his opinion that any increased revenue would be better applied to the increase of money added to races; and, on its being put to the vote, there appeared—

For the motion
Against

The motion was therefore lost.

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Mr Lowther then withdrew his motion on the same subject in the Rules of Racing.

A Meeting was held at Newmarket, on Wednesday, October 24th.

The Duke of Rutland presented a petition, numerously signed by the inhabitants of the town and county of Leicester, against the closing of the Old Race Course there.

Ld Cadogan explained the circumstances under which the. New Race Course had been made and sanctioned. A meeting on the Old Course had been, by special request, allowed for this year, as Her Majesty's Plate had already been advertised for it; but on the understanding that no further meeting should be held on the Old Course, which was a very objectionable one. The Stewards had, moreover, communicated with the Managers of the New Course, who had, at their suggestion, consented to give at least one open day's racing in the year.

Ld Howe stated that the Chairman of the Old Race Committee had been for some years in search of a new course, both on account of the badness of the old one, and also because the Corporation wished to convert the present one into a People's Park.

Ld Cadogan said the petition should have the careful consideration of the Stewards, and a reply should be sent to His Grace.

The alteration of Rule 19, passed at the Second October Meeting, was confirmed.

Mr Lowther brought forward the motions of which he had given notice, and which were seconded by Mr Craven, viz.

Rule 38 of Rules of Racing.

Sub-section (vi).-To leave out "through the Stewards of the Meeting, and with their consent, and that of the Stewards of the Jockey Club, and not otherwise." This was opposed by Ld Castlereagh, but carried on a division by 14 to 9.

Sub-section (xii).-To be altered as follows:-If the Stewards decide an objection, or the Stewards of the Jockey Club an appeal, to be frivolous they may order the person making it to pay a fine not exceeding £20 to the Bentinck Benevolent Fund.

This was agreed to in principle, the Stewards recommending that, instead of a fize, a deposit should be made by the objector, to be forfeited if either the original objection or the appeal should be deemed frivolous, and they undertook to bring up the motion in an amended form at the next meeting.

Mr Alexander called the attention of the meeting to the resolution passed at the meeting in the Houghton week, 1882, relative to the owning of horses by jockeys, and hoped it would be more strictly acted upon.

Mr Craven presented a petition from Mr Bennett, the breeder and owner of the mare Brilliancy, praying that since the passing of the alteration of Rule 50 the disqualification of the animal might be removed.

The Stewards said they would take the matter into consideration.

A question having been put to the Stewards of the Jockey Club (Mr Lowther acting for Ld Cadogan), whether the winner of a private sweepstakes would be considered a maiden, they decided in the affirmative.