The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-07 00:00:00

SPORTING NOTES,

THE LIVERPOOL SPRING MEETING,

trusted of the stable, now that Sinking Fund has been

knocked out. Portland's party think the race " all over bu

shouting," tkough I do not think he can quite win. Real Jam

has been backed in earnest since his victory in the hurdle
race last week at Derby, and ought to finish forward. The

French division will be represented by Harry, who is almost

sure to get honourable mention in the first three. Bell's

Life, Martha, andff he Czar are also formidable for places.
My final impression is that the Grand National Steeple-
chase will be won by either EMBLEMATIC, JERUSALEM, or

WEE NELL, and I expect when the numbers go up that
the judge will place

Emblematic
Weo Nell 2

Harry
A FRESH MAN.

ARRIVALS AT LIVERPOOL.
The following horses had arrived up to last night:—
Thomastown, O'Connell, Earl of Douglas, Topsy, National
Petition, and Brian O'Lynne.

RACING FIXTURES FOR 1864.

ILCII.

Liverpool
Shrewsbury
Doncaster Spring
Warwick .. 16

Durham
Northampton 29
Catterick 3O

Croxton-park 1
Edinburgh Spring 2
Abergavenny b
Thirsk 6

Epsom Spring
Newmarket Craven 11
Newmarket First Spring 25

Chester
York Spring
Salisbury .. 12
Bath •
17
JO.

Manchester
Harpenden
Epsom .. .. 24

Ascot ..
Hampton l6
Newton
Odiham
Bibury
Stockbridgo
:Ju:

' Chelmsford.. 2B
New Forest Hunt 2B
Ne.vcastle-on-Tyne
Worcester (Summer)
Ipswich

_
Newmarket July
Carlisle
Abingdon
Liverpool Jnly
Stamford l4
Pontefract

Bright on 2
Brighton Club
Lewes
Reading
Egham
Oxford .. 18
Yarmouth .. 23

York August 23
Plymouth
Derby 3O
Lichfield 3O
Stockton
Devon and Exeter

Weymouth 1
Warwick September 6
Leicester..
Doncaster ..
Brecon .. 19
OCT,

Richmond
Monmouth 22
Manchester Autumn
NewmarketFirst October 27

Northallerton 6
Newmarket Second Oct lO

Gloucester
Newmarket Houghton 2l

pNOVE
Shrewsbury Autumn .. 14
Leamington&War.Hunt 22
STEEPLECHASING FIXTURES FOR 1864.

:WIER.

Worcester Autumn .... 30

MARCH.
Grand Military (Rugby Hunt) l4

Arun,

Abergavenny

NOVEMBER.

Leamington and Warwickshire Hunt 22

GOLD AND SILVER IN 1861.—Under this title
111. Bordet, Master of Requests at the Council of
State, publishes an interesting article in this fortnight's
Revue Contemporaine, showing that the increase of the pre-
cious metals is far from being the only cause of the rise in
price of the necessaries of life. In the 16th century wheat
rose from 7 to 16 fr per hectolitre, this rise coinciding with
the conquest of America : but from 1650 to the present
day, the average price of wheat has varied very little, not-
withstanding the enormous influx of Californian gold
which, if it has any great influence, has had ample time,
since 1818, to reveal it. Now, in 1848, the average price
of wheat was 191. 59c. ; that of the 16 years which have
elapsed since then is 21f. 100„ that is 7i per cent, more,
while economists predicted that it would rise at least 20
per cent. It is true that the prices of other commodities
have risen considerably—on cattle, meat, cheese, butter,
and eggs, it exceeds 80 per cent.—on wino, oil, and spirits,
the rise varies between 50 and 100 per cent. ; colonial pro-
duce has suffered no great variation, but linen and cotton
have risen 100 per cent., hemps and silk from 30 to 60 per
cent.—but metals and coal which, between 1850 and 1857
had risen GO and 12 per cent, respectively, have since fallen
again to below the prices of 1850. Again, in manufactures
generally, the rise is scarcely perceptible; nay, there has
been a considerable fall in paper, porcelain, iron machinery,
chemichl produce, mercury, sugar, furniture, aro. Nowt
in those articles which have experienced a rise, the latter
may be easily explained, without any recourse to the influx
of gold and silver. The rise in cotton is owing to the civil
war in America—that of hemp in 1855 and 1856 to the
Russian war, the rise in other articles proceeds from bad
harvests, increase of population, and of public wealth—and
gold has only contributed to the rise in so far as it has
created new centres of consumption for European manu-
factures. In Franco, as well as in England, the rise
reached its maximum in 1856, under the combined effects
of war and bad harvests—since then, prices have tended
rather to diminish than otherwise. The rise in cattle and
animal :produce had began before 1818, and is therefore
owing to causes utterly foreign to the influx of the pre-
clone metals.

TUE DANISIT RELIEF FUND IN LIVERPOOL.—The
cause of the Danish Relief Fund is making rapid
progress in Liverpool. An influential committee has been
appointed, and subscriptions have been received from seve-
ral of the leading houses. A. considerable addition was made
to the subscription list yesterday, and the total subscribed
in Liverpool up to last evening amounted to about £6OO.
TrIZ ALABAMA.—A Washington despatch of the
19th ult. to the New York Tribune says :—"The
last trustworthy intelligence fixes the pirate Alabama at the
dock at Amoy on the 17th of Janu%ry. The United States
steamer Wyouiing, Captain l‘l'Dougal, was also there, and
the United States ship Jamestown was daily expected. Tho
navy department feels confident that the Alabama will
never leave port, and it is not impossible that she will be
destroyed at that place."

There was a great improvement in the Nottingham
meeting over Lincoln, both in regard to the fields and the
quality of tha animals. The result of the races threw no
light on future events. The Derby meeting was only
remarkable for the additional support awarded to Bantam
in consequence of the easy viotory of her stable-companion,
Chamade, in the Midland Steeplechase.

The Liverpool Spring meeting, which commences to-
morrow, has a greater number of horses engaged than ever
it has had on any previous year—thanks to the energetic
efforts of Mr. Topham, the respected lessee.
The Liverpool Spring Cup is the most important event

to be decided to-morrow. Mr. Merry has both Costa and

the Knave engaged, and if he means to commence business
thus early, the race lies at his mercy with whichever he
may choose to do battle for bim. In the absence of the
above two, I shall look to The Monk or Warminster to
furnish the winner,

The Tyro Stakes will be carried off by Sloth if Lord
Stamford pulls him out.

The Liverpool Steeplechase will bo decided on Wednes-
day, for which a large field is expected, which will be made
up from the following :

Age at lb Age at lb
Emblem a 12 8 Toharm) ...... 6 11 0
Reporter
Thomastown a 12 0 Portland
Arbury
Sir William
Sinking Fund .... a 11 10 Weat-end
Jerusalem
Medcra
Harry (French)
Bantam a 11 6 Real Jam
Wee Nell
Leonidas
The Czar
Serious Case a 11 3 Martha .... a 10 0
Romeo
Amy
Bantam has been the ruling favourite for the last few
weeks, and has been selected by almost every prophet in
London as the winner of the great race; but, great horse
as he is, as well as being one of the most accomplished
fencers, ho shall not havo my confidence on the present
occasion, although he was my selection last week when at
Bto 1. No doubt ho will very likely start first favourite,
but, as Lord Dundreary would say,
"That's no reason he should win."

Emblem carries the top weight, but will give way to her
stable companion Emblematic, who will carry Lord
Coventry's money, and if she meets with no accident in
the race and runs up to her trial, I shall fully expect the
judge to hoist her number as the winner. Romeo ran
third for this race iu 1862, carrying Bst 121 b. A slight
demonstration was made in his favour in the City on
Saturday, and he ought to be kept harmless. Wee Nell is
a gocd jumper, and will take a great deal of boating, and
the same may be said of Jerusalem, who seems to be the