The Sun.
London, England, 1842-03-14 00:00:00

SPORTING.

It is rumoured that Mr. Thornton has commenced an action
against the stewards of the Jockey Club for a libel in pro-
nouncing him, according to the established laws, "a defaulter."
Go on law, nothing like it in life. I believe the laws of our
country, relating to libels, want revision as well as the laws of
the Jockey Club : who shall say, then, if the action is brought,
what may be the damages—and who pays the piper ? That
this ( I can find no epithet strong enough) Gurney business is
far from concluded is also proved by the following notice in
No. 1, " Calendar :"—" A general meeting of the members of
the Jockey Club will be held at the New Rooms, Newmarket,
on Tuesday in the first meeting, upon special and urgent
business."
Indeed it is as clear as mud that the matter cannot rest
where it is now ; but we shall not benefit society by here
anticipating the measures that will be adopted, and shortly
made public.
There appear to have been strange proceedings at Coventry ;
no posts or rails, and scarcely any police to keep off the most
abominable mob ever congregated on a race-course. A nice
place to start a valuable horse like Coronation, and to try a
Derby nag.. The owners, however, although entering these (I
allude to Coronation and Dr. Allen) pan. forfeit, wisely pre-
ferring to run at Warwick on Wednesday next, where they
manage things in a very different style. The consequences at
Coventry were a false race for the Trial Stakes, and in the
Hurdle race about six horses down, jockeys, yeomen, farmers,
without distinction, rolling in the mire. This is not racing.
In the Trial Stakes at Warwick, on Wednesday, a race cele-
brated for the introduction of the Melody colt in 1840, for the
debut of Coronation last year, are entered, William de Forti-
bus, Gobbo (half-bred), and Dr. Allen—all in the Derby. The
first was heavily backed at 30 and 25 to 1 at Goodwood and
Doncaster last season, being then one of Scott's lot. Gobbo,
in consequence of his democratieal origin, has been laid against
liberally at the rate of,• 200 to 1. Dr. Allen has been backed
for a great stake at 100 to I,,odds still offered. Which ever
wins, or runs a decent secend to Coronation, should the crack
appear. will be a kind of favourite for the Derby, good, bad, or
indifferent as he Flay be.
Some-One-hal remarked some Where that the free handicaps
did•not fill at NeWmarket, because the horses were so unfairly
handicapped. This is- -not •.the reason. These handicaps
scarcely ever priidnce engagements, because trainers object to
expose theinhArses. so-earlyln-the year, thereby annihilating
their chance for the remainder of the season, naturally pre-
ferring to reserve them -for—tbe much more valuable stakes,
• where monep-is addpiit in,thpatitumn, and which stakes, by the
by, appear to_be annually increasing in value.
The only other- i nformation
_I have to give you is, that we
shall all be swallowed up at twenty-two minutes past two r. m.
on Widneiday next, for, on that day, and at that hour, I am
credibly informed, by, at least nineteen and a half old women,
is the'earthquake to *Open. • • JUDEX.
March 18.

TAXES ON BREAD IN PRUSSIA.—The following
Information has been received from Dantzic respecting the
octroi (a municipal tax, somewhat in the nature of a police
rate or borough rate) :—" A small loaf of wheat bread, weigh-
ing three ounces, bought at the baker's shop, cost half a silver
groschen, which is equal to 3 1.5 d. per lb. English weight and
money. A loaf of rye bread of the finest quality, such as is
used even among the higher classes, weighing t lb. 10f os.
cost 4 silver groschen, which is equal to 1 1-10 d. per lb.
English weight anO. money. These are the prices, a little more
or less, in 118 towns in Prussia, containing 1,728,376 inha•
bitants, who have to pay the excise and octroi of 3s. per cwt.
for wheat, and Bd. per cwt. for rye. The remaining twelve
millions of inhabitants are exempt from this excise, and eat
their bread so much cheaper. The rye consumed by the sol-
diers, and by the people, is of a much coarser sort, and con-
siderably cheaper than that of the first quality above men-
tioned. The klassen stener or poll-tax paid by the 12.000,000
who do not live in the cities, subject to the above excise,
amounts on an average to Is. Bd. per head. It is levied under
rates which rary from Is. 6d. (the lowest) to 211. 12s. (the
highest); the lowest rate is levied from the lower orders per
head, with the exception of those under 16 and above 60 • and
the higher sates are levied from families."—Mr. James Meek's
Report.
The Central Prison at Beaulieu, near Caen, part of
which was not long ago destroyed by fire (an act attributed to
wilful malevolence), has again been subjected to a similar at-
tempt. A convict, who had still seven years of close confine-
ment to undergo, forced the door of his cell, a few nights since,
ant setting fire to his handkerchief threw it on a bed in an ad-
joining room. Fortunately it was discovered in time, and ex-
tinguished. The prisoner has been pot in irons.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE THIS DAY.
Morning 4:rninutes after 3. I Evening 21 minutes after 8.