LONDON IN AND OUT OP SEASON.

Otago Witness, Issue 1970, 22 August 1889, Page 18

LONDON IN AND OUT OP SEASON.

(From Oub Own Cobbkspondent.) London, June 23. THE ASCOT WEEK. The most delightful weather was enjoyed by those who made Ascot Heath their haunt during the four racing days of last week. Ascot week, as everyone knows, is the heart of the season, which declines thence slowly towards Goodwood, where it ceases to be. The peculiarity cf the Royal Ascot is that on the Tuesday and the Thursday of the meeting there is a kind of Royal procession preliminary to the racing. For a century has it been the custom of the Royal family to come ceremonially to the course. Just before the numbers of the first race were hoibted, therefore, a cry was raised on the Tuesday, " Here ibey come," and forthwith flashed into the open the Earl of Coventry, as master of the Buckhounds in green, with the silver ruflles round his shoulders, riding at the head of the procession, followed by the Hunt servants in scarlet and gold prancing in front of five open barouches,' each with four horses and postilion Si The carriages contained the Prince and Princess, Prince Edward, and Princess Christian, the young princesses, Prince Hohenlohe, the Marquess of Londonderry, Lord and Lady Cadogan, the inevitable Earl of Fife, and * Chris," as Mr Christopher Sykes is called by his intimates. " Fashionables " might have been oonnted by thousands at Ascot, and everyone declares it was the most perfect gathering that has ever been held. The racing was nob so excellent as it has been once or twice before, but

still ifc was very fair, and at all events was enjoyed by the multitudinous thropg. The Derby is "left "as a fashionable meeting ; Ascot and Goodwood are the only things possible in these latter days. THE TUB! 1 LIBEL CASE. The great turf case seems to be reaching its close. Sir Charles Russell has spoken on behalf of the virtuous Lord Durham, and Sir Henry James is now speaking on behalf of the errant Sir George Chetwynd. It is pretty clear that the arbitrators cannot say "proven" against the latter, though they may censure him for his negligence and absurd trust in the jockey Wood. Whatever has been proved and disproved, it is as clear as day that Wood pulled his horses andjother people's horses too, when he had a mind to, and that Sherrard's stables were a hotbed of sharp dealing. Whether Sir George was or was , not implicated in this is not clear, but it is fairly certain that the horses running in his name were not his but Wood's, and in that case he certainly gave himself away to an unprincipled jockey. He may have been wholly blamelesß,which I doubt ; he may havebeen wholly vicions, which I also doubt ; or, what is more likely, he may have found himself so hampered by his pecuniary transactions and arrangements with Wood that he was unable to control the running of his horses, and had to stand by with the knowledge that there was double dealing. In any case the evidence shows pretty obviously that horse racing is not the fair open sport it is said to be, and that betting is merely a gamble in which the toss of a coin is quite as likely to decide the winner as public or private form. Yet I suppose betting will go on as hotly as ever. Lord Durham, by the way, is a middle-sized young man, with jet black hair and small dark eyes. His brother, Hon. George Lambton, is his image, for they were twins, and had to be marked in their childhood in order that they might not be " mixed." THE BOYALTIES, It is said that the Prince of Wales is to act for the nation as the Shah's host. Poor Prince ! The hospitalities thus dispensed will not, howj ever, " run " to an invitation to Sandringham. Sandringham, it maybe stated en passant, cost the Prince £225,000 when he bought it, and then its rent roll stood at about £7000 a year. But the Prince has spent nearly a quarter of a million in improvements on the estate, and the result is that the present income from the estate is but a little over £2000, deducting interest on this expenditure. Though the Shah is to be debarred from the Prince's favourite Norfolk seat he is to enjoy himself pretty considerably. A special grand stand is being erected at Sandown to accommodate him and his suite when they pay their first visit to an English racecourse. In connection with his Serene Majesty's visit the following anecdote of his former residence here is recalled: — On making his first railway journey in England, he asked the use of the button which moved the connection with j the engine-driver, and was told that it was for the purpose of stopping the train. Thereupon his Majesty rose and pulled it sharply, with the result which would have rendered any ordinary mortal subject to penalty or imprisonment. On being asked why he wished to stop the train, the Shah said that he was tired and desired to go to sleep, and it was some little time before be could be made to understand that the traffic of the South-Eastern railway must not be brought to a standstill for an hour even for the Shah-in-Shah. MISCELLANEA, It appears that Lord Dangan, eldest son of the Earl of Cowley, has paid Miss Phyllis Broughton, the actress, £2500 in settlement of her claims for breach of promise of marriage. It will be remembered that Lord Cairns paid £10,000 to Miss Fortescue in a similar case. | It seems that for some reason the Duke of Portland, who was long in favour with the Prince of Wales, has slipped out of his position | lately. AH sorts, of stories are current to account for the coolness which has thus arisen, and which must have enlarged to " a chill," if we are to judge from the absence of Royalty from the marriage ceremony. The Prince and Princess hurried off to Paris two days before ; and the Queen, who invariably makes some such present as an Indian shawl (of which she seems to have a stock), withheld her gift on this occasion. Well, one can't have everything one's own way. By the way, I forgot to add that an engagement will shortly be announced between Lord Dangan (the hero of the aforesaid breach of promise) and Lady Violet Neville. Lady Violet is the twin sister of Lady Rose Leigh, who together formed the famous Neville twins and created much sensation en their debut in the London world. Lady Abergavenny's daughters will now be all married, as Lady Idina was espoused by Mr Brassey only last February.