The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-11 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 11, 1855-:

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THE SMITHFIELD CLUB SHOW.

The show of fat stock at the Baker-street Bazaar
this year is hardly so good as usual. Whether it is
that our agriculturists are too busy in realising their
profits on war prices, or that oilcake is too dear, or
that the energies of the club have been absorbed in
getting up a grand testimonial for their honorary
secretary, Mr. Gibbs, certain it is that the display
is not as fine as might reasonably have been ex-
pected. Perhaps the club has not recovered the
extinction of Smithfield-market, or it may be suf-
fering from the formidable rivalry of Birmingham,
or, more probably still, its own constitution may
be defective, and exhibitors may be weary of ar-
rangements monotonously repeated from year to
year, and affording no scope for that progressive
spirit which, ever since the repeal of the corn laws,
has been abroad over the face of the land. Fat
oxen, sheep, and pigs are still objects of the live-
liest interest, and, as far as this species of encou-
ragement and patronage can stimulate to increased
effort, the club has nothing to complain of. During
the next few days the show will be crowded with
visitors displaying. all their wonted curiosity and
enthusiasm—handling and poking the predestined
victims of their appetites with remorseless perti-
nacity. But is it for this purpose only that the
exhibition is held, and are we to get nothing out
of it beyond the mere gratification of a town-bred
hankering after fat animals fit for the butcher's
knife? Tee Smithfield Club seems to be worked
by a clique for the special biahoof of the great
breeders of stock, the interests of the consumer
and the feeder being put in the background, j
and made quite a secondary consideration.
If the Royal Agricultural Society did not pro-
vide amply for the former by its annual shows,
there would be less reason to complain of this.
That society, however, has always shown an exces-
sive jealousy in hedging round with its favours the
established breeds of the country, and it is too bad
that the Smithfield Clab, in the management ofits
show, should travel slavishly in the same direction.
Common sense points out that in a show of fat
stock the awards should be made in the interest of
the consumer, without reference to breeds the ca-
pabilities of which have long been fully ascertained,
and that, as far as possible, the object should be
to establish what can be done by crosses, which
are now treated as of secondary importance. It
will be observed by the list of prizes that a marked
preference is shown for the pure-bred animals ;
yet the display of cross-bred sheep is the finest
in the yard, as well as the largest. In cattle the
disfavour of the club falls so Loavily upon cross-
breds that they make a very poor show, and in
this department the great breeders have it all their
own way. Yet here there is a wide field for judi-
cious experiment—such a field as it is highly dis-
creditable to an association of the kind not to have
occupied eagerly. We cannot, while on this sub-
ject, overlook the remissness of the Royal Agricul-
tural Society in not having taken advantage of th 3
excellent opportunity afforded by the Paris exhi-
bition of live stock in June to institute a compara-
tive examination of the continental and English
breeds of sheep and cattle. A deputation from the
I society was sent over to represent it at Paris, but
we are not aware that any report whatever has yet
been made by that body. It included men of emi-
nence in their respective wallas, such as Jonas Webb,
Fisher Hobbs, and others, than whom none were
more competent to form a trustworthy judgment
on the relative qualities of the different races of
cattle. The opportunity was of a, kind which we
never meet with in England, for all tho best
breeds of this country were brought into
juxtaposition with everycontinental breed of known
excellence. But no arrangements were made, so
far as we can learn, to turn this chance to account,
and the deputation came back with a mint of ac-
quired knowledge, but without any power of giving
it circulation. In Scotland ProEssor Wilson has
issued to his students, in an inaugural lecture, a
kind of inventory of what ho saw, which may be I
useful in the same way that a catalogue is useful in
tolling the contents of a library. But the inter-
esting and instructive life pictures which such men
as the late Mr. Pusey or Mr. Gisboine could have
drawn would have been read throughout the
country with a very different degree of interest.
Lessons like these are only useful when made the
means of enlarging our knowledge ; but that is not
effected by deputing a few geatlemen to go, wonder
and admire for themselves, who return with a lively
appreciation of the polite attentions which were
paid to them, but with no intelligent report to the
Agricultural Society who sent them there of what
they saw and heard.

Descending more to details, we find that in the
present show the Devons, which used to be well re-
presented, aro this year inferior both in quality
and number. The Herefords, though there are not
many of them, include some fine specimens, and iu
this breed the display made is above ;II average.
In shorthorns there are only two or three animals
worthy of much notice, the majority falling much
below the standard of former years. The Marquis
of Exeter's ox, however, which carries away the
gold medal, has some splendid points about him,
and will be much admired by the sight-seers
during
ox,pol polled Galloway the next few days. There are some good
exhibited
b s ,
Colonela1(1 o one
Pennant and
a
ablyn d firileaca very favourable point of view the improve-
molt of which that breed is susceptible. As
already mentioned, the crosses in cattle are
not nearly so numerous as they ought to be in such
pNiVngelt
an exhibition, which must be looked a from the
butchers' and consumers' point of view, and not
from the breeders'. In sheep the Loicesters come
out well compared with previous years. The die-
Flay of Southdowns and Cotswolds is inferior, but
there is a splendid show of crosses ; and here one
may readily recognise a genuine element of success,
for these annual displays of the club will only de-
velop° it as it deserves. The cross between the
Cotswold and the Southdown is particularly worthy
of notice from the size and shapeliness of the stock
produced and its excellent marketable qualities.
The cross-breeds of sheep and pigs form the strongest
features of the present shew. The latter are quite
as good as we over remember to have seen them in
Baker-street, Mr. Coates's pen, which carries away
the gold medal, approaching perfection. There
are no monstrosities exhibited in any of the classes
—a fact upon which the club may be congratulated,
since, however much animals exceeding the just
limits of natural proportion excite the curiosity of
the ignorant, they detract quite as much from the
value and interest of the general display in the
eyes of the intelligent visitor. The former, never-
theless, will find their appetites for the wonderful
amply gratified by a pig weighing 66 stone, and by
a West Highland ox, the size and majestic appear-
ance of which are scarcely sufficiently recognised
by a simple commendation from the judges.
In addition to the show of stock the Bazaar
contains a fine and well-arranged collection of
agricultural implements and of roots. The ex-
tensions and improvements effected in recent
years by Mr. Boulnois have left little more to
be desired in the exhibiting space ; but, if the
club hopes to keep pace with the progress ofH
agriculture throughout the country and the just
Publsieci it must take wider
usefulness more vigorously
thanxr op
by
h
repetition of these annual
cntda, t it eanne sd
monotonous
assert f
its udisplays, leading to no valuable results, and ap-
pealing only to the same sight-seeing propensities
which take people to the adjoining collection of
waxworks. As Mr. Gibbs, the honorary secretary,
is about to receive a handsome testimonial fer his
ratuitous services, the moment seems favourable for
the introduction of a paid officer to do the work.—
one who has no interests of his own to promote by
his connexion with the club, and who will be able
to rescue it from that fatal influence of cliqueism
and patronage which has so long oppressed it. The
following is the list of prizes :
CATTLE.
DEVONS.
• •of 25/ to the Earl of Leicester,
Class I.—First prize .
Holkharn•hall, Norfolk ; second prize of 101. to his
Royal Highness Prince Albert.
Class 2.—First prize of 25/. to Lady Elizabeth Rpy.
nell, of Avisfor( • I•house, Arundel' ; second prize of 101.
to his Royal Highness Prince Albert.
Class 3. —First prize of 151. to Mr. John Tusker, of
Yard Farm, Staplegrove Taunton ; second prize of 51.
to Mr. T. W. Fouracre, of Durston, Taunton.
Class 4.—First prize of 201. to his Royal Highness
Prince Albert ; second prize of 101. to Mr. John Coate,
of Harninoon, Blandford.
HEREFORDS.
Class s.—First prize of 251. to Mr. Isaac Niblett,' of
Filton, Bristol ; second prize of I.C/. to Mr. Edward
Longmore, of Adforton, near Ludlow.
Class O.—First prize of 251. to Mr. NI, illiam Heath, of
Ludhani hall, near Norwich ; second prize of 101. to his
Royal Highness Prince Albert.
Class 7.—First prize of 151. to Mr. Joseph Phillips, of
Addington, near \Vantage.
Class 8.--First prize of 201. to Mr. John Henry Gur-
ney, of Catt ,on near Norwich ; second prize of 101.
,
to Mr. Joseph Phillips, of Arlington, near \Vantage.
SHORT HORNS.

Class 9.—First Pr;ze of 251. to the Rev. J. Holmes,
of Brooke-hall, Norwich ; second prize of 101. to Earl
Spencer, of Althorp-park, Northampton.
Class 10.—First prize of 251, to the Marquis of Exeter,

of Burghley-park, Stamford ; second prize of 10/, to Mr.
T. Martin, of Ashford ford, Staines.
Class 11.—First prize of 151. to Mr. W. Aldsvorth, of
Frilford, near Abingdon ; second prize of 51. to Mr. C.
P. Duffield, of Marcham-park, Abingdon.
Class 12. first prize of 20f. to Mr. H. Ambler, of
Watkinson-hall, near Halifax ; second prize of 101. to
Mr. R. Stratton, of Broad Hinton, Swindon.
SCOTCH OR IRISH BREEDS.
Class 13.—The prize of 101. to Mr. J. Grove, of Ferne,
near Salisbury.
Class 14.---The prize of 51. to the Rev. J. Arkwright,
of Marshall, Harlow, Essex.
WELSH BREEDS.
Class 15.—First prize of 201. to Colonel Pennant, of
Penrhyn Castle, Bangor ; second prize of Si. to Sir P.
Bulkeley, of Baran-hall, Beaumaris,
Class 16.—The prize of 51. is withheld, not being suffi-
cient merit,

OTHER PURE BREEDS.
Class 17.—The prize of 10/. to Messrs. C. Neame and
Sons, of SeHipp', Faversham, Kent
Clash 18.—The prize of 101. to Mr. W. Heath, of
Ludham•hall, near Norwich.
CROSS OR MIXED BREEDS.
Class 19.—The prize of 151. to the Earl of Radnor,
Coleehill•house, High worth.
Class 20 —The prize of 151. to Mr. J. Taylor, of Nigg,
near Park-hill, Ross, North Briton.
Class 21.—The pnzo of 101. to Mr. E. Waters, of
Stratford-sub-Castle, Salisbury.

SHEEP.
LONG-WOOLLRD BREEDS.

Class 22.—First prize of 20/.,. to • Mr. It. Bradshaw,
of Burley-on-the Hill, Oakharn ; second prize of 101. to
Mr. G. S. Foljamb., of Osberton-hall, Worksop, Not-
tinghamshire ; third prize of 51. to Lord Berners, of
Keythorpe.hall, Tugby, Leice.ter.
Class 23.--First prize of 201. to Mr. G. S. Foljambe,
of Oeherton-hall, Worksop, Nottinghamshire; second
prize of 101. to Mr. R. L. Bradshaw, of 13urler-on-th(-
Hill, Oakham; third prize of 51. to the M:,rquis. of
Exeter, K.G., of Bailey-pee:, Starnfold.
LONG-WOOLED BREEDS (NOT BRING LEICRSTRRS.)
Class 24.—The prize of 101. to Mr. William Hewer,
of Serenhampton, Highworth.
CROSS•BRKRDS.

Class 2.s.—First prize of 19/. to. Mr. John Overman,
of Burnham Sutton, Norfolk ; second prize of 51. to Mr.
John 'litchi-Iran, of Little Milton, near Tetsworth, Oxon.
Clair 26.—Tile prize of 101. to Mr. John Overman, of
Burnham, Norfolk.

SHOT-IVOOLLED BREEDS.
Class 27.—First Prize of 201. to Mr. Wm. Riqlen, of
Hove, Brighton ; second prize of 101. to Lord Walsing-
ham, of Merton-hall, Thetford, Norfolk.
Class 28.—The prize of 101. to the Duke of Rich-
mond, K C-., of Goodwood, Chichester.
Class 29.—First prize of 201. to the Duke of Rich•
mond, K G., of Goodwood, Chichester ; second prize of
101. to Mr. H. H. Lindsay, of West Daan, Chichester.
SHORT WOOLLED BREEDS NOT BEING SOUTRDOWNS).
Class 30.—The prize of 101. to Mr. John T. F. Pain,
of North Houghton, Stockbridge, Rants.

PIGS:
Class 31.—First prize of 10/. to Mr. John Coate, 01
Hannoon, Blandford ; second priz3 of 51. to his Roya
Highness Prince Albert.

Class 82—First prize of 101. to his Royal Highness
Prince Albert ; second prize of 5/. to Mr. John Coate,
of Harnmoon, Blancltord.

Class 33.—First prize of 10/. to Ur. Stewart Marjori-
banks, of Bushey-grove, Watford ; second prize of 51. to
Sir John B. Mill, of Mottisfont Abbey, Itornsey, Hants.

_
GOLD MEDALS.
The gold medal to the exhibitor of the best steer or ox
in any of the classes—The Marquis of Exeter, K.G., of
Burghley-park, Stamford.
The gold medal to the exhibitor of the beat heifer or
cow in any of the classes—Mr. Henry Ambler, of WM-
kinson-ha;l, Halifax.

The gold medal to the exhibitor of the best pen of one-
year-old long-woolled sheep in any of the classes—Mr. R.
L. Bradshaw; of Burley-on-the-Hill, near Oak ham.
The gold medal to the exhibitor of the best pen of one-
year-old short-woolled sheep in the 27th, 28th, or 30th
classes—Mr. Wm. Itigden, Elove, Brighton.
The gold medal to the exhibitor of-the best pen of pigs
in any of the classes—Mr. Joha Coate, of Mammoon,

Blanciford.

EXTRA STOCK.
The silver medal to the exhibitor of the beet beast—
Mr. John Overman, of Burnham Sutton, Norfolk.
The silver medal to the exhibitor of the best lorg-
woolled sheep—Mr. G. S. Foljambe, of Osberton-hall,
Worksop.
The silver modal to the exhibitor of the best short.
woolled sheep—Lord Walainghani, of Merton-hall,
The tford.

The silver medal to the exhibitor of the best crossbred
sheep--Mr. Charles Howard, of Biddenbam, Bedford,
Lie silver medal to the exhibitor of the best pig—Mr.
Stewart Marjorihanks, of Bushey-grove, Watford.
_ _

BREEDERS' SILVER. MEDALS.
DEvoNs.

Class I.—The Earl of Leicester, of llolkliara-hall,
Norfolk.

Class 2.—Mr. Robert Hole, of Harwood, Dunster,
Somerset.

Class 3.—Mr. John Biffen, of Nailsbourne Farm,
Kingston, Taunton.

Crass 4:—Lord Portman, of Bryanstone, Blandlord.
HEREFORDS.
Class s.—Mr. T. L. Moire, of Cound, Shrewsbury.
Class 6. —Mr. W. Stedman, of Bedstose-ball, Ludlow.
Class 7.—Mr. T. Carter, of Dodmore-farm, Ludlow.
Class B.—Mr. W. Chilor, of Wigmore-grango, near
Leominster.

SHORTHORNS.
Class 9.—The Rev.J.Holrue4, of Brook-ball, Norwich.
Class 10.—The Marquis of Exeter, K.G., Burghley-
park, StAulf4,r(l.

Class 11.—Mr. Wcn. Miller, of Water Eaton, near
Kidlington, Oxon.
Class 12.—The executors of the late Mr. W. D. Man.
ning, of nothersthnrpe, Northampton.
OTHER PURE BREEDS.
Class 17.—Messrs. Chas. Neatne and Song, of Selling,
Favirdham, Kent.
Class 13.—Mr. Win. Heath, of Ludham•hall, near
Norwich.

CROSS OR MIXED BREEDS.
Class 19.—The Earl of Radnor, of Coleshill•house,
Highworth.
Class 20.—Mr. J. Taylor, of Nigg, near Park•hill,
Ross, North Britain.
Class 21.—Mr. Edw. Waters, of Stratford-sub-Castle,
Salisbury,

LONG-WOOLLED SHEEP.
Class 22.—Mr. It. L. Bradshaw, Burley-on-the-Hill,
Oakharn.

Class 23.—Mr. G. S. Foljsrobe, Osberton-hall, Work-
sop, NOUltlgllatlyiftire.
LONG-WOOLLED SIIREP (NOT BEING LEICRSTXII9.)
Class 24.—Mr. William Hewer, of Sbvenhampton,

CROSS DBMS,
Class 25.—Mr. John Overman, of Burnham Sutton,
Norfolk,
Class 26.—Mr. John Overman, of Burnham Sutton,
Norfolk,

SHORT WOOLLED SHEEP.
Class 27.--Mr. Wm. Rigden, of Hove, Brighton.
Class 28.—The Duke of Richmond, of Goodwood,
Chichester.
cbCol,ltaesrs.29.—The Duke of Richmond, of Goodwood, Chi-

SHORT•WOOLLED SHEEP (NOT SOUTHDOWNS.)
Class 30.—Mr. J. T. F. Pain, of North Houghton,
Stockbridge, Haute.

PIGS.

Class 31.—Mr. J. Coate, of near Blandford.
Class 32.—His Royal Highness Prince Albert.
Class 23.—Mr. Stewart Marjoribanks, of Bushey•
grove, near Watford.

B. T. B. GIBBS, Hon. Secretary.

THE CHARGE OF DROWNING AT
CHELSEA.

Yesterday Sarah Allen was finally examined at the
Westminster Poliee court, charged with throwing her
children into the Thames at Chelsea.
The case was oompleted by the testimony of James
Coates, a boat-builder and lighterman, at Chelsea, who
gave evidence of the state of the embankment, and set of
the tide. His statement in relation to the circumstance
of one of the children floating under the bridge of the
Cadogan pier went to show that there was a wall for
some yards below that and these posts and chains ; but
that if anybody hail fallen in there from the embankment
it was extremely improbable that it would get to the
bridge, as it was eddy water nine or ten feet out. It
was, however, not impossible and struggling would make
a difference. If a floating body were dropped over the
wall, or from the pier itself, it would immediately get
into the set of the tide. Witness could not say whether
the pier gates were fastened when the children were
found in the water.

In reply to Mr. Newbon, prisoner's solicitor, witness
said there was a shelving bank inside the post and chains,
and there might be a wide gap between them and the
end of the wall through which persons could pass.
The whole of the voluminous evidence having been read
over, the prisoner was committed to Newgate for trial.