The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-04 00:00:00

DONCASTER RACES.

The corporation of Doncaster, at their annual meeting,
were asked to increase their grant to the September
race meeting from £1,500 to £2,000 annually. The
grant has been repeatedly increased in the course of years,
the receipts from the races increasing, however, in a
far greater ratio, until they have reached £B,OOO at one
meeting. A minute was read from the Race Committee
of the corporation, recommending that Mr. Richard
Johnson, the clerk of the course, should be empowered
to draw up a programme for the present year's
meeting in accordance with the increased grant. A letter
was then read from Dr. Vaughan, the vicar of Doncaster,
who is also chaplain to the corporation, protesting against
the proposed augmentati.m. He took the opportunity
of remonstrating respectfully but firmly against the per-
petual renewal of the attempt to levy a heavier burden
upon the borough fund. He did not stay to inquire
whether the corporation could legally make such a grant
whilst rates were being levied in the borough, but wished
to point out the immorality and crime consequent
upon the race meeting. In his opinion the best friend to
the permanent interests of Doncaster was he who laboured
to turn the intelligence and energies of the inhabi-
tants into channels where there was the least possible en-
couragement to vice. In conclusion, he entreated the
mayor to use his influence against a proposition which he
was sure did not meet with the support and wishes of the
independent and disinterested townspeople. A long and
somewhat warm discussion followed the reading of Dr.
Vaughan's remonstrance.—Alderman Hatfield said the I
corporation were just in this position—the races had been
bequeathed to them as an institution of the town, and
whatever might be the individual opinions of members,
they were bound to make the best of it. Either they
must continue to manage the races themselves, or they
mubt lease them to somebody else ; but only let them
talk of abolishing the races and they might as well
vacate their seats at that board at once. He
reminded them that had it not been for the races
the corporation could never have made the grants to
the churches, chapels, and schools of the town which they
had done—grants including one item of £lO,OOO to the re-
building of the parish church alone.—Mr. Councillor
Wellborne observed that all classes of the inhabitants were
either directly or indirectly deriving benefit from the
races, and fully ON out of every 1,000 people would
hold up their hands in favour of them ; and it was his
own individual opinion that Dr. Vaughan's interference
was quite unnecessary.—Alderman Sir Isaac Morley said
that though he was opposed to the races, he should make
no proposition against the increased grant ; he simply
moved that Dr. Vaughan's letter be recorded on the
minutes of the council.—Mr. Councillor Waite seconded
this.—Mr. Councillor W. C. Clark moved as an amend-
ment that the letter be not so noticed, and this was
seconded by Mr. Wellborne.—The amendment was carried
by a small majority, and the grant was unanimously
increased to £2,000 a year.

CONSECRATION OF A MsHop.—At the Chapel
Royal, Whitehall, on Sunday morning, the Very Rev.
Tienry Alexander Douglas, late Dean of Cape Town, was
consecrated to the bishopric of Bombay, vacant by the
resignation of Bishop Harding.

CHAMBERS OF AORICTJLTURE. —A year since the
number of Chambers of Agriculture established in Great
Britain was thirty-six ; now it has increased to seventy. At
the close of 1867 the aggregate number of members enrolled
was 10,000 ; now it has increased to 16,000.
The Paris journal Le Menestrel mentions a new
invention which should earn for its author the gratitude of
millions. It consists of an apparatus, which, applied to
any piano, will deaden the sound emitted. There are few
persons who have not been sometimes distracted by the
practising of some too persevering player, and who would
hare paid any price for such a "mute " as that described.
The Attorney-General for Ireland has issued an
address to the independent electors of Mallow, asking for
re-election. He says :—" If I am returned again to Parlia-
ment as your representative, I shall be faithful to you and
to that great Liberal party which zow sways the destinies
of our country, and which has inaugurated a policy that
commend itself to the feelings and sympathies of our
people."

THE BALLOT. —At a meeting held at Derby in
support of Mr. Evans, the Liberal candidate for South
Derbyshire, the Hon. E. W. K. Coke, brother of the Earl
of Leicester, who occupied the chair, referred to the
means by which the last election in the county was lost by
the Liberals. Amid loud cries of " The screw," he de-
clared that he believed the statement was correct ; the
election was lost by the screw. Certainly at one time he
was not in favour of the Ballot, but after the last election
he was decidedly of Mr. Gladstone's opinion, that, come
what would, and they might call it what they pleased,
there was required a system of independent voting.
THE SPECIAL SERVICES AT ST. PA UL'S.
On Sunday evening the special services under the dome
of St. Paul's were commenced, under the auspices, for
the last time, of Dr. Tait, now Archbishop of Canter.
bury. It was thought that his grace would preach the
first sermon of the course, and that his discourse might
be regarded in the light of a farewell sermon to the
diocese of London, but his grace, although in good
health, hardly considered himself justified in undertaking
so arduous a duty, and he therefore substituted the
Right Rev. Dr. Atlay, the recently-appointed Bishop of
Hereford. There was a full choral service, Mr. Goss pre-
siding at the organ. It was announced that the sermon
next Sunday evening will he reached by the Rev. Dr.
J. C. Miller, vicar of St. Alphege, Greenwich.
THE LATE LORD BROUGHAM AND THE
GREAT SEAL. —Mr. M. D. Hill communicates the follow-
ing incident in connection with Brougham's acceptance of
the Great Seal :—" In May 1831 I was counsel for Lord
Althorp, then Charc Alor (,f the Exchequer, at the election
for Northamptonshire, which lasted a fortnight, during
which time I mere than once dined, and spent the evening
with him c-a-Yte. We conversed respecting the rumours
then afloat as to Lord Brougham having forced himself on
the Ministry. Ile said the rumour was in direct opposi
tion to the truth. 'My colleagues,' be continued, ' know

ing there would be difficulty in persuading Brougham to
abandon his position in the House of Commons, which he
had just strengthened by becoming member for Yorkshire,
laid upon me as his intimate friend the task of inducing
him to accept the Great Seal, and a harder task I never had
In my life. He alleged his objections with his usual

power and fertility of argument. I determined not to be
led into controversy, feeling certain that if I did I should

be worsted. I limited myself, therefore, to assuring him

;hat unless he would consent to fill the office of -Lord

Chancellor the party could not form a Government ; and
this claim upon him I reiterated in every pause of his

eloquence. The interview was a very long one, but I con-

Quered at last."