THAMES ANNUAL RACES.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3585, 14 January 1869, Page 5

THAMES ANNUAL RACES.

A meeting of the Working Committee was held at the Governor Bowen Hotel yesterday, to take into consideration the advisability of postponing the meeting until the a rival of the Duke of Edinburgh. Mr, Graham was voted to the chair. Mr. Eobeht Graham said that at a meeting of the stewards, held the previous evening, it was unanimously decided th*t the race meeting should be post* poned until March or Aprit.next, in order to secure the presence of the Duke < f Edinburgh, Messrs. Young and Robinson opposed the adjournment of the meeting, on the grounds that owners had already made arrangements for sending their horses here in accordance with the advertised time. It was quite problematical as to the time when the Duke of Edinburgh would arrive. Mr. Moorhotjsb thought, if there was a certainty of the Duke coming at a fixed period, it would be all very well to pohtpoue the meeting, but otherwise the meeting had better take place at the time specified. Mr. Broad said that he thought the races would be a far greater success if postponed until the arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh, by which time they would be enabled to arrange a meeting second to none in the colony. Major Keddell would like to meet the objections half-way by postponing the meeting to take place some time in April. The €haiam\n said that they would have no difficulty in raising £3,000 if they put off tie races till the Duke did oome, no matter at wh it time he might arrive; he (the speaker) was willing to give five times his subscription if the races wera put off. Mr. Allwood opposed the adjournment on the following grounds : I hat the races had already been advertised to take place on a certain date ; that there was no possibility of knowing when the Duke of Edinburgh would arrive j and that it was unfair to horse-owoers to expect them to keep their horses in training for an indefinite period. The resolution was then put, and carried on division, i>y two votes. Messrs. Young; and AUwood resigned their position as committee mi-n, on the grounds thib the course of jaMi^dure adopted wai contrary to all sporting usages Mr. Craiu proposed the following resolution, which was unanimously carrisd :— "That the stewards be authorised to alter the programme to suit the circumstances occasioned by the postponement of the races until the Duke of Edinburgh's arrival, and so make the necessary arrangements f r obtaining subscriptions and carrying out tha name in a m nner worthy of the occasion." Seconded by Mr. Walker. After a vote of thanks to the ohairman, the meeting dissolved.