The Express.
London, England, 1868-06-16 00:00:00

EXPRESS, TUESDAY

di&cult to (mounter than those said) sweep the
Irish Chansg, yet snob on event as the interrup-
tion of the postal service with Ireland, owing to
stress of weather, is now unknown. For-
merly, when the Irish mail steainers were
of small tonnage and weak horse power, it
was frequently impossible to make headway
against the elements. Indeed, the Channel pas-
sage between France and England is now what
it once was between England and Ireland. In
order to apply the remedy, it is necessary first to
deepen the entrance to Calais harbour and then to
employ larger steamers. Mr. Consul Ilovuxix re-
marks that "high speed at sea, however, at least a
" regular rate of speed, can of course only be ob-
" tainod at a proportionate cost; at the same time,
" a regular passage between Dover and Calais of
" 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes would,
" without a doubt, not only secure all continental
"travellers by this route, but would also largely
" increase their number, and I have good authority
" for stating that a class of packets giving this
" rate of speed could be obtainol As I have oh-
" served, however, the first step is to improve
" the entrance to Calais harbour. With the
" comparatively small outlay necessary for
" this purpose, and with the epening of the
" new South Eastern line to Tunbridge, the daily
" mail service between London and Paris would
" be performed in 8 hours 30 min. to 8 hours 40
" min., and the requirements of the present day
" imperatively demand that this improvement
" should be carried out forthwith." This matter
deserves at least as much consideration as any pro-
position for making a tunnel under the Channel or
a bridge over it. The expense would be a few
thousands instead of the millions which the more
ambitious schemes would absorb. The proposition of
Mr. Consul HOTRAMianotonly practicable, but can
be speedily carriedinto effect. If Mr. WATIalf would
devote the energies ho has brought to bear on the
plan for amalgamating the South Coast lines to
advance this project, he would be more popular
than he now is with many travellers by rail, and
he would deserve well both of France and of his
own country.

LADY ELIZABETH AND ADMIRAL RODS.

" WHAT can the poor fly demand" asks Ad-
miral Rocs, in this morning's Times, " from the
" spider in whose web he is enveloped P " and
with this question closes ono of the most re-
markably outspoken epistles it has been our
fortune to read. The ignominious defeat of Lady
Elizabeth at Epsom has, as our readers are
aware, furnished much food for gossip in sporting
circles, and one well known Turf journal attributed
to Admiral ROCS the saying that, if he had taken
as much laudanum as the poor mare had received,
he would be a dead man. While denying that he
ever said this, the ADMIRAL expresses abelief, which
is at least as damaging to the people principally
concerned. The mare has never been able to
gallop this year ; her trainers, the DAYS, knew she
had lost her form, and reversed a commission to
back her for the One Thousand Guineas at New-
market; the Marquis of Emma has been
shamefully deceived, and his other horse, The
Earl, on which he stood to win 35,0001., was
scratched under pressure, and in opposition to
Lord WESTMORTLAND, who journeyed to town
for the express purpose of advising his friend
against adopting such a course. But Mr. HILL
was at that time on his way to WEATIISRaY'B with
the order for scratching in his pocket, and Mr. A.
PADWIOR was closeted with Lord HASTINGS.
After detailing these items of news, the Afisfral
bluntly asks the awkward question respecting the
spider and the fly. We take it for granted the
matter will not rest here. The charge is too
serious ; the reputations affected are too high.
The allegations amount to this : that Lord
HAsruros and a large portion of the
public have been swindled, in order that
bookmakers and trainers might pocket a large
stake. The mere imputation is a stain upon the
Turf. Whatever sharp practices may have been
suspected of inferior trainers, the DAYS have
hitherto been looked up to as models of training
integrity and professional honour. To accuse
them as openly aa Admiral Boris does is like
desecrating some Pane which mankind have by
common accord agreed to look upon with respect.
Nor is Mr. 1111.1.'s name one, we should imagine, to
be spoken lightly of with impunity. As one of
the largest and most xv.l,..ted bookmakers in the
kingdom, his interest in the scratching an impor-
tant favourite would be naturally great, :and the
backers of The Earl will have no very keen satis-
faction in hearing the nature of the communica-
tion made by the great layer of odds to Messrs.
WHATTIZREY. But, perhaps Mr. PADWICK, as Lord
HASTINGS'S trusted guide, philosopher, and friend,
will be most hurt at the ADMIRAL'S entymological
allusions, and as neither horse-trainers, book-
makers, nor sporting solicitors are the people to
accept a knock-down blow with meekness, the
public may expect to hear something more of
Lady Elizabeth and Admiral Boris.