The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-05-22 00:00:00

THE CHAIII'I(iI4SHIP

The famous American pugilist. John Heenan, in a
letter published in the Times of Tuesday last, respecting
the possession of the belt, says :—" As the belt may be
said to be equally owned by both of us, I will agree to
run Sayers a footrace from 100 yards to five miles for
the atakes and belt, or I will row him for the belt, I
will swim a mile with him for the belt, or I will take
r hold of hands and jump fruit a housetop with
him for the belt. If all theme offers will not do, I will
agree in two months to be ready to fight the four best
men that can be produced in England, beginning with
Sayers, at intervals of 30 days aptrt, for the belt. I
was told. if I won it I could have it, I would rather
fight for it than anything else : but I sou willing. under
the present state of public feeling. to accept of belt of a.
If that be denied me, and through the exceptional action
of the British authorities I be denied the privilege of
another meeting. I shall have no alternativi but to go
I borne, refusing all English testimonials and subacrip-
! Hone, and shall hereafter feel at liberty- —nay, justified
Iby all the equities of the late transaction—to sign my-
self 'The Champion of the Wmid.'"

Tom Sayers, in a letter in the Tildes of yesterday,
replying to the above letter from Heenan, says :- "The
belt, Sir, I have fought hard to obtain,—stri•ing for
that prize I have within the last three years defeated
some of the best men of my couutry,—and, without
intending to east the slightest slur on my gallant oppo-
nent, I say that no American citizen, nor fertigner
from any other land, however flowery and sunny. shall
bear it, or the buckle of it, from Old England while niy
arm and heart are capable of defending it. lam as
really as Mr. Heenan to fight again, and repudiate with
indignation the insinuation that I ant not.
On Friday afternoon Toni Sayers and .5. C. Heenan,
the Benicia Boy, accompanied by their respective backers,
met at the office of the referee (Br a. Life), in the
Strand, with a view of deteru g whether or not ionic
definite arrangement could be come to, so as to nettle
the long vexed question, caused by the unsatisfac*ory
termination of the fight between these men for the
championship, on the 17th ult., who was entitled to hold
the belt. Both Sayers awl Heenan have expressed their
opinion that they were entitled to the honour, Heenan de-
claring that lie fought for it and won it; and T aver-
ring that he fought to retain possession of it, and did not
lose it. However, it is admitted on all sides that both
men showed indomitable spirit and pluck, and that each
did his best to become the victor. Shortly after
12 o'clock Toni Sayers arrived at the Bell's Life
office, accoinpanied by his friend Mr. Bennett, and
others. loin was followed soon after by his ~-allant
opponent, the " Boy," having also a number of friends
with him, including Macdonald. Preliminaries having
been arranged, a long discussion ensued, though in the
most friendly spirit, during which both men defended
the course they had pursued since the most memorable
contest with regard to the claims the one had to con-
tinue to hold the belt, and the other to demand poses,-
don f it. Various proposals were made, discussed,
amended, rejected, but ultimately an xrrangeuient was
ceine to which apparently gave satisfaction to the chief
parties concerned, and, it is to be hoped, will be
equally satisfactory to all other persons who have
an interest in the affair. The following AM the
heads of the arrangement. and which were signed by
the principals the first both Tom Sayers arid
time Beneci• Roy are each to have a belt. These belts,
we understand, are to be equal in every point of value
and magnificence to " the belt" itself, and the costs of
their manufacture will be defrayed by public subscrip-
tion. It was also positively decided that Tom Sayers
should never enter the ring again. The most important
question which was nettled by this agreement was thst
which affected the disposal of " the champion's belt."
This is to remain open, or, to use the words of a cele-
brated member of the P.R., "the belt is to remain
where it is." The result is that the competition for
the champion's belt will be open to any two of the
fancy who are game enough to enter the list ; but it it
not at all improbable that the gallant Benicia Boy will
nee every esoleavour in his power to get the prise into

lii possession.