Sporting.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6128, 28 July 1891, Page 3

Sporting.

V.RO. WINTER MEETING. Melbourne, July 27. The attendance ab the second day's racing of the Victoria Racing Club at Flemington was fair, The course was still heavy. The following is tho result of the principal event : — Grand National Steevlecha.se, about three miles Maybe 1 Busaco ... ... ••• 2 Coral 3 Nintsteon horses started, Jupiter being the only New Zealander. The betking ab the post) was 8 to 1 Busaco and Sir Wilfred, 12 to 1 Maybe, Fearless IC, Marmion, and Whisperer, 16 to 1 Coral. Jupiter fall at tho second fence, and brought down Sir Wilfrod. Marmion, who took the lead after going the first round, still led over the last jump, when Maybe and Busaco singled out from the others, and the former won by two lengths. Time, 7min losec.

Jupiter won the Open Flemington Steeplechase.

The total yalue of the fish landed on the coasfc of Scotland during the first four months of this year was L 424,308, being tin increase over the corresponding period of 1890 of L 30,673 Of thisamount the East Coast ports are credited with 1.333,526. Mr Kennedy Macdonald, who is probably one of the best speakers in the House, has beun the silent member this session. It would take n smart man to decide who lias occupied the most time in the deluge of words with which tho pasfc four weeks have been oocupied.

The Rangitikei Advocate's Parliamentary corespondent says of Colonel McDonnell's petition for compensation, which lias been before the Petitions Csmmifeteo, that the amount already paid to the colonel will open the eyes of the House.

During 1889 Sweden exported butter to the value of Ll,b'oo,ooo, live animals to the value of L 500.000, and L250,000's worth ef pork, as well as beef, cheese, and eggs to the value of L 35,000.

In his speech at tho opening of Parliament the Iving of Tonga said : — " You all know that my Government was heavily indebted to foreign, countries, and wo should return thanks to God that we have discharged these debts." The Sydney Morning Herald remarks in this connection that ii " would be a phenomenon to find Australian statesmen joining in such ascriptions of praise for the payment of our debts, or, for the matter of that, recognising that there is any room for tho existence of a pious spirit in connection with our State obligations at all. In fact, tho gratitude of colonial statesmen is evoked rather by success in increasing the public debt." Sir F. Bell escorted two of his granddaughters to the State Tall at Buckingham Palace last month. Cards for thoso functions are exceedingly difficult to obtain— in fact (says a correspondent) I imagine I should be pretty safe in saying that the Misses Bell are tho first, or almost 1 the first, New Zealand ladies to be present at a State Ball. Sir Francis also

attended Lady Salisbury's reception at the Foreign Office with Lady Bell and his young relatives.

Mr R. S. Smythe, who is just now in London, went to Sim Reeves' farewell concert, and sends the Argus an account of that brilliant function. His description of the' great tenor's voice diflbrs widely from whafe it would have been if he had engaged him for an Australian tour, bub that by the way. Mr Smythe, writing of the close of the concert, says :— " The great sceno, however, was when the last notes of Sim Reeves' last song, • Tho Bay of Biscay,' had died away, fche audience, as if inspired, felfc the situation. They started to their feet,

like one man. There was « universal shout. The vast auditorium from iioor to ceiling was a sea of waving handkerchiefs. People cheered with their throats ; people cheered with their hands. The popular idol retired, but it was of no use. He had to come on again and again ; each time the chosring became louder and more enthusiastic, and it was not until the objeefc of ife had bidden the audience a ' respectful and affectionate faro well' tliafe fche applause eubsidod." The chief artistic attraction of the concert, says Mr Smythe, " was Madame Christine Nilsson, who camo all tho way fi'om Spain to sing for her old friend. She had a tremendous reception, and after singing Schubert's "Erl-king," the regret was universal that she was lo sing on that occasion only. The lady used a double eye-glass with a long richly -jowelled handle, and during the 'Jewel Song' from k Fauab ' her ' nice conduct ' and eleganb fan excited the envy and admiration of the ladies, and showed that she had not lived in Spain for nothing." The latest novelty in the way of exhibitions has been, ascording to the Daily News, a postage stamp museum ab Vienna. In one room wore shown chro

nologically all stamps of which specimens exist from 1840 to IS9I. Among the postal curiosities were balloon letters, pigeon post and submarine post letters, as they were Gent during the seigo of Paris in 1870. A collection of forged stnmps was.ilso

interesting to the collector. Among other objects shown were letters of the Aufehropophagi in the Dutch Indies, pioces of wood covered with hieroglyphics, and post cards which had made tho tour of

the world. For one of theso with a penny stamp, which took 119 days to return to its starting point, an offer of a thousand ilorins had been made. There was aho a case with a collection of nil the coins struck during the Emperor Francis Joseph's roign. Tho finest object in tho collection is believed to be a Dundee stamp, worth LDOO sterling, and r. Cape of Good Hope stamp valued afc LICO. The exhibition comprised three million stamps, and other objects connected with the post.