The Express.
London, England, 1868-02-14 00:00:00

HIPPOPEAGY AT THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

Mr. A. S. Biclmell is an enthusiast in the cause
of hippophagy, and yesterday afternoon he appeared ea
the platform of the lector...ball of the Crystal Pala to
advocate the consumption of horse•flah as an article of
food senongsa the people of England. The novelty of
lecture upon such a subject as this drew together a large
and highly respectable audience, amongst those present
being a fair proposal.* of ladies, who evinced the livelea
interest in all that was said and subsequently done. For
upwards of an hour did Mr. Bicknell speak upon he
theme, and we give the following ss a brief raven of he
statement. He tells us that as long ago as the fifth ma.
tort' before Christ these was no objection to eating hoe,
flesh. Heredotne, speaking of the Persian* of his day,
says when a man was rich he baked • whole hone or
donkey, while if he was poor he used an ox or a sheep.
Virgil and Horace both allude to hippophegy, and the
latter speaks of the Spaniards who drank hones• flood
and milk mixed. During the Augustan age numhers of
&tithe's refer to the consumption of this kind of foal. In
the eighth century, between 731 and 741, Popo Gregory
the Third wrote a remarkable letter open the auLjerr. st.
Boldface was engaged in converting the Germans to Chris.
tisnity, and he told the head of his church that the gear
obstacle with which he had to contend was the fact that
the people sacrificed horses to idols, principally from
_ . . .

love of the meat of the animal. Pope Gregory, upon kart.
log this fact, said that the continuance of such "a filthy-.
practice ought not to bo allowed. The Germans of that
day, however, would not give it up, and it was not until
some years later that the practice began to die out. la
the year SOO the Archbishop of York referred to the v.,.
tom of the English eating horse-flesh, and said he did not
think it respectable, though be did not forbid it. Sees
three or four hundred years after this there was no teats
of the practice left in dallied Europe. In France
matters went so far that they actually executed a 1:4
because he ate part of a horse on a Saturday in Lent. Tsa
hundred years later, however, the practice of bippoyhnz
again sprung up in France, and it received the sanction 4
so many learned men in the country that at last, in
the government consented to legalise the sale of berm.
. . . _

desb. The practice had been introduced into Deutenk is
1807, and then followed most of the German State, la
1847 a horselesh dinner was announced to take place is
Vienna, bet the people assembled and determined to pre.
vent anything of the kind occurring. They smash,l tLa
windows of the hotel, and took possession of the ee:iog
apparatus. In the following year, however, a dint.r Ira
allowed to take place, and the practice of eatin; Lase-
d ash now largely prevailed throughout Austria. The
countries of Europe, such as Switzerland, Ikl-
z,ium, Norway, &c., had followed the exatire'e
which bad been set them, until, as Mr. Lick.

nell contends, England is now the only country
in Europe of any importance which declines to aihr alio
practice. Why such a strong prejudice should e•ist
the consumption of horse-flesh he is at • loss to know.
There is no material difference between it and
Dr. Liebig has given his opinion that horse-tlesh i. aloes.
lively nutritious. One great objection to its C0111,1131p.
tion in England appeared to be the fear that tle• props
would get old and diseased animals. To prevent this Mr,
Bicknell advocates the same kind of inspection w years
is in France. In that country the government in-peter,
who is a veterinary surgeon, must certify that tLe hoes)
is sound before it is allowed to be killed. In fact, vision
to Paris would do well, according to Mr. Ihehni 11, to
choose horse-flesh rather than beef, because they are muck
more certain of getting the former good than they are
the latter, the inspection in the case of liorse•iloh aeic;
so much more complete and !stringent than in the Me
of beef. Then it was said that horse-tlesh was bard,
nasty, and unwholesome, but many of those rho
advanced this objection had never tasted it. The I:rl'.i.h
were the worst cooks in the world, and if they did cot -n.
Smetana how to cook horse-flesh, of course the wean saf.
fered. Mr. Bicknell quoted a number of stitistics to show
how largely the poorer classes might be served by taking
to eat horse. flesh. He does not expect to make many con.
recta amongst the rich or mercantile clauses, end lie lairs
to see horse-flesh eaten in England principally by Ms
poorer classes, who are at present unable to get mitt.
cient animal food. At the conclusion of his address Mr.
Bicknell invited his audience, numbering a co rel! of
hundred, to adjourn to an adjoining room and there test
for themselves the value of horse-flesh. Ile stated aniebt
considerable laughter that the horse which had bees
cooked by his own cha j was twenty-three years obi,
had been driven about in a brougham, and was perfectly
sound up to the time of being killed. A very large lumber
of ladies and gentlemen accepted the invitation of Mr.
Bicknell, and that they had ample opportunity to judz.: of
the practical value of hens-flesh as an article of COIIFUI..I,
tion will at once be seen from the following, which vas
the bill of fare :—Julienno soup, pistachio sausagm root
fillet, stewed roll, roast sirloin, and brained round. ILiving
expressed an opinion on the merits and demerits of bona,
flesh on the occasion of Mr. Biektiill'A dinner at rho f_,:.;•
ham Hotel last week, it is needless to re-open th d part
of the subject. In justice to ldr. Bicknell and his o-iise
we are bound to say that many of the 1 elb 3 :01,1
men present partook freely of the dishes, roil a • . (ley
appeared to entertain an opinion by no means in.f.a.m.r.
able to the adoption of hippophagy in this country.

The medical officers of the Birmingham Cenral
Dispensary have resigned in a body because the con.a
of that institution have refused to grant en honorarium at
a recognition of their services.
Pelves LEOPOLD. —Prince Leopold bar contirenxl
during the week to make tepid progron to convsles
The tendency to accidental baovorrhage, front which the
prince has now suffered severely on more than one oecaten,
ma one of those anomalous conditions which sometiars
unaccountably affect persons otherwise perfectly .ound. in
coustitutioe, as it is the good fortune of alt our r.r.d
princes to be. But this condition will undoubtedly. ;lid
throughout life, require Prince Leopold to abstain iron
violent exertion of any kind, or from indulging in the more
active departmenta of professional anivity selected l.y hi
Doke of Edinburgh and Prince Artbur.—BritiA f,.Led
Journal.
ROYAL SOCIETY.—Lint night, at the ordinary
weekly meeting of the Royal Society, (teen' $ 'int,
F.R.S., presided ; and among the gentlemen preseir
Professor W. Allen Miller, F.R.S., and Sir Charki
Wheatstone. Dr. Sherry, F.R.S., secretary, read the
minutes of the last meeting, which included a notice of
a paper by Professor G. B. Airy, F.R.S., the Astionomer
Royal, on " Earth Currents." Currents of electricity an
always running to and fro in the earth, sometimes enter.
big the telegraphic wires. and sending streams of the
tricity through the lines, of sufficient strength to ore
power the working batteries to stop tekgraphic nos
for the papers, and to send unrlutlable measles on tteir
own account. Such electoral storms are • source of 6ot
loss to telegraph companies while they last. A few Min
of wire were, therefore, erected from Greenwich °Siena.
tory, to measure and observe these currents' which
ue
made to move a galvanometer to and fro ere they miter
the earth. The galvanometer is mounted in a darkens!
mom, and its needle reflects a ray of light as it morn
upon a sheet of photographic paper, whereby variation
in the current are continuously recorded. Praeger
Airy's paper, read before the Royal Society, Pcinle'l
oat that some connection exists between the
movements of the earth currents and the declinatioe
magnetometer, for both are affected at nearly the SIDA
time. Professor Stokes, F.R.S., of Cambridge lan'
city, next read a list of candidates for edininion to tie
Royal Society, after which he read two prs, one by Sir
Frederick Pollock, on " The Mysteries of tube Numben.",
mathematical memoir inexplicable without the aid of
diagrams and algebraical formulae. The other pare
by Dr. Hoffman, F.R.S., on some chemical properties of
oil of mustard-seed. Several papers on the top
w.
ing the flight of projectiles will be read at future meetibiP
of the Royal Society.
SHOCKING ATROCITY. —A dreadful Willie IS re.
fromthe village of Shangton, about six mileitlistat
FrOltrdMarket Harborougb, in Leicestershire. DrPreel
that from various indications, a servant girl in the bow
hold of Mr. Pratt, who resides at the lodge, at
was suspected of having given birth to a child. 01:
consequently questioned on the subject She did not dial
that she had been delivered of a child, but refaied ta
MI
bow she had disposed of the body. A search waa at once
instituted, but failed to discover the child, sna
mustily the mother confessed that she bed throws
body to the pigs, by whom it had been devoured.
affair has created a profound sensation of horror threela'
out the neighbourhood.—Nottingham Journai.
WHIM ON THC Soma COAST.—IRVINE, Ft
11.—While the wind wee blowing drone from weli,7
northwest yesterday afternoon (states D. On I, Sol•Na
steam tug was towing a barque shoat a mileto ads
ttoa
the river mouth, when It was seen that the steamy 911
unable to get the vessel's bead to the windt and aim prof.
gently took the ground and come broadside 4)ll_imo, ,Te:
beach, thew brealdm over bor. The Pringle N
boat of the National Lifeboat Lirtitation was pro_ ,f 43
launched to the aseistanee of those onboard-411 d
the master, his Irlf*, and part of the mew. The PM$
'
afterwards returned in the lifebast to his vowel whP
reminder of the crew sad their effects were also froirs.
ashore in safety. Tbe
_was the Kate Alrls,io ,j
John's, N. 8., bound from Dablth, to TM%
Ma S ar! oI Igesigeg IMSI

1 .:

LAN DiTtLIAGDifeL—(IIIIB DAY

COURT OF APPEAL.
(Before the lard Chested/era
ttOTAII r. MR METROPOLITAN RAILWAT CONIPM.
The arguments in this appeal from the judgmentof View
rbocellor W. P. Wood were resumed this morning, end
conuuuecl up to the hour of our going to pries. The mut
1.0 viry lull, Um railway interest being largely rem-
' WI

EqIJITY COURT.
(Before Vice-Chancellor Sir W. Page Wood.)
re (tin v. 'PBX CARMARTHEN AND CARDIGAN RAILWAY
COMPANY.
que•tion in this suit, which was instituted by • de-
, bolder for the purpose of realising hie security,
~..v follows:—The Indway-oomeeny, ender special sine,
Lower to burrow 60,0001. on debenturea In De-
-,hr, isi9, the whole amorist of this debenture capital
been raised. In the latter pert of the year
William Quitter, a holder o twelve debentures
each, and Mr. John Messer Knight, the holder of
• similar deb,m tore'', commenced actions against the
received judgment, and took the rolling stock
under which they obtained satisfaction of
debts, the former in full, and the latter in full of
;of hia debentures„ and in part of the fifth. On the
„( Octelar, laid, before the above claims were satis-
s.vicutly whilst the whole of the 60,0001.
ran ..ptgintHß4, the directors issued • debenture of 5001.
i.,vour of a Mr. Weeks. On the 21st of February,
, tin yi. -ned four others to Mr. George Eaglesfield
is term f..r his cheque for 1,0601., and RE overdue
loud fur 1,000!., the interest for which was
e, 1:1 lesfieht out of the I,OOW. for which the
th, pee e o i;nen. On the '22nd of March, 1865, they
▪ issued ten • Viers to Mr. Eaglesfield, and in July,
they f eaued a Lloyd's bond to John Edward
1.1,4 the ,rio ity of • lease of rolling stock by Lucas
n, the (employ. A general meeting was held to confirm
sae t!iese issue,, and the question now, on the further
• silercion of the CREW, was whether these securities
a, :r prorerly ignited under the provisions of the Com-
r ate. Clams Act. A receiver bud been appointed in the
;1.7 on toe I•2.th of June, 1865.
c, M. Gitf.ird, Q.C., and Mr. Whitbread for the
I -Ad contended that the issue of these securities was
.•. vire., and illegal, not only because no general
: . was held, as required by the statute, but because
;..t coifetent to a company to ilsue further de-
.• .; ,to th.. detriment of existing mortgagees, and
• ••• uupaid. The Lloyd's bond was worth.
as a certificate of indebtedness, and hence the
'macs i.mcd in exchange for that were clearly
ar appeared for the company.
•, W. M. J.,nies, Q.C., and Mr. W. Pearson
• ad fur Mr. Kaglesfield, and said that he had box
• I •od. upon securities apparently all in due form,
e•rk,ut knowledge of any irregularity. It would bel
••• ~y t., mean and justice that he should suffer.
nothing in the act to prevent the company
W.tituting debentures for an overdue Lloyd's

t. r‘tfitt arpeared for Mr. Lucas.
1. plied.
• \ gnve judgment this morning. He
. :• w.s. not without considerable doubt and difficulty
come to a conclusion in the case. The act of
• • rendered it incumbent upon a borrower to
Isitnselfacquainted with the provisions of the special
• it lie found that the directors had certain limits
.s. 4 upon their powers of borrowing, he was bound to
..t those limits were not being exceeded. If, on the
the directors had full powers of acting, and of
the company, but if certain prelimivary corm
.s weir inspo.e.l, it hail been held that the company
bad the benefit of the loan were not entitled to
• lsantage of the omission by themselves of the pre.
. sty forusnlitles. Unfortunately, however, the
di l not tram to have given to the lender any upper.
y of aseertaioing positively whether a company's
its, power had or hail not been exceeded. In the
• t instance the case of Mr. Weeks was particularly
:node, for when he ',mowed, the whole debenture
•.1 had been raised, and his Honour could find no
t. parliamentary or otherwise of relieving him.
d. benture, therefore, was clearly invalid. But
...the others, which were re.issuel in place of those
• paid off, it would be declared that they were
.1. notwithstanding the want of a resolution of a
.:. us gem ral meeting. But it must further be held
• lo the extent to which the debentures were issued in
.•sge for the Lloyd's bond, they were not valid. It
!ear that n Lloyd's bond was of itself of no validity
it was shown that it had been given in respect
.nney advanced. As to this, therefore, Mr. Eaniesheld
nailed, if liepleased, to an inquiry. As to Lame
there might he en inquiry in chambers ; and subject
••.e result of that, the debentures issued to him might
moldered oft valid to the extent of moneys actual!)
to him for rolling stuck sold to the company. TM
miff would have his costa ; the costs of the othes
• es to be lolled to their debts, but DO costs could be
seed to the company.

COURT OF PROBATE AND DIVORCE.
(Before the Judge Ordinary.)
SMITH V. OREGORY.
.r Spoke and Mr. A. S. Hill for the plaintiff ;
r,yuiour, qc., and Mr. Pritehani, for the 4.
.:,t.
" • t,•dater. George Gregory, late of Whiteholms Win.
illork, a retired publican, lied in advanceo
on the Slit of February last, leaving some small
•f) iu that neighbourhood. In Ufa he had seduced
..011314,eper, Caroline Hawley, and had a child by her.
,r..iezed to pay her •2s. per week for twelve years,
tb.. a to give her lst. towards the education
son. This affair led to unplensantnes.
I fa oepliew, George Gregory, the defendant, end
1., the tentator struck him out of his will, left
. • 1.1 d., and made his niece (the plaintiff) residuary
Probate was now opposed by George Gregory, CM
',PI of undue influence and want of capacity; but
• wan given to show that the testator was in the
poawssion of hie faculties when he made his will,
t • the possibility of his being unduly influenced.
...onling to the teatimes, of his friend, " as stupid
' • t•)•." IA laugh.)
T:. e case was proceeding when our report left.]