organized to its very highest pitch of power? Be it remembered, too, that the property' at stake is not confined to the possessions of a landlord or master. The very first to perish is that of the poor themselves-the small inheritance, or the hard-earned savings of many years' labour. THOMAS SCOTT, we may safely presume, did not resort to his master's plate-chest till he had exhausted all the stock which fifteen years' faithful service, in a good place, had enabled him to amass. It is not only the goods of the rich that are endangered, but the earnings of the poor. In every one of the hundred cases which have come before the public we may be perfectly certain that the prisoner had been reduced to beggary before he was driven to theft.

"To those, again, who think that the subject is not one for legislative action, we commend the following considerations :-Some years ago a portion of the revenue of this country was raised by public lotteries, and the tax thus collected had at least this remarkable advantage over other taxes ever known, that it was paid not only with cheerfulness, but with avidity. In point of fact, people ruined themselves both in pocket and character, as they do now in the betting houses, for the sake of satisfying the CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER in this particular contribution to the revenue. Thus the State gained a considerable supply with a positive gratification to the tax-payer; but the whole system and practice was absolutely forbidden by law even in private hands. And why was this? Because it was incontestably shown to foster a spirit of immorality and dishonesty; because it diverted men's minds from honest labour to dangerous gambling, and induced them to stake character and credit on the chance of rapid gain. Now, how can betting-houses be defended if lotteries have been suppressed? Lotteries were immeasurably the less noxious of the two; for not only did a certain advantage actually result to the State, but there was at least no fraud or imposture in the administration of the scheme. A man buying one of Mr. Bish's tickets bought all the chances he conceived himself to be buying, and was guaranteed against all disadvantages but those of the lottery itself; whereas the bettinghouses not only inveigle their victims, but cheat them into the bargain. Servants are not only ruined, but ruined by foul play.

"But, perhaps, it will be said Parliament cannot directly interfere in so small a matter. The matter is not small; but even if it were far less serious than it really is, we could bring a precedent for prompt legislative interference. Six or seven years ago persons of quality lost their dogs at a rate which was thought alarming. These little quadrupeds-the henchmen of the nineteenth century-were kidnapped in such numbers, and by an organized system of thievery, that an Englishman's terrier was no longer safe in his own castle. Parliament set to work at once. A committee was appointed to take evidence, and the caterans of Piccadilly were caressed into disclosing all the secrets of modern cattle-lifting. The result, though half a dozen measures of importance were left to stand over, was a Blue-book and a Dog Bill. A like promptitude in the present case would soon terminate the system of betting-houses. The police, armed with proper powers, could make an end of them in a fortnight; and this is a subject on which Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli may push "protection to its very fullest extent, with the hearty co-operation of the country. It is really high time for

members to bestir themselves, or something more precious than even corn-rents may be brought into peril. When confidential butlers get to the bottom of the plate-chest they have not much further to go, and another week or two at the betting-house may send them with a razor to their masters' throats.".

Thus that which a few years ago was a noble national sport has been transformed into an outrageous social scandal. The crisis which for seasons I have been foretelling has at length arrived. If the occasion be vigorously dealt with, all may yet be well; but if no remedy be applied, then assuredly-as an institution for gentle patronage and resort

-THE TURF IS DOOMED!

MARGARETTA.

SISTER TO MOCKING-BIRD AND MARMOSETTE.

ENGRAVED BY E. HACKER, FROM A PAINTING BY G. H. LAPORTE.

Margaretta, a black bitch, the property of Mr. S. R. Gilbert, bred by Sir W. A. Maxwell, Bart., in 1843, was got by his black dog Massaroni, out of his red bitch Maid of Honour. Marmosette and Mockingbird, out of the same dam, figure in the Coursing Calendar as winners of large stakes, though we should state that Sir William's Mocking-bird is not the one of that name which has attained so much celebrity further south, and whose portrait has already appeared in the Magazine.

PERFORMANCES.

In October, 1844, at the Ardrossan Meeting, Margaretta won the Tyro Stakes of sixteen dogs, for puppies of 1843, Mr. A. Graham's Jock-the-Bleacher running up.

In September, 1845, at the Clydesdale Meeting, she won the Speculation Stakes, when Mr. A. Graham's Rough ran up to her.

In the November of the same year, at the Mid-Lothian Meeting, she won the Buccleugh Stakes, beating Mr. W. Sharpe's Dainty Davie, and seven others.

In December, at the Clydesdale Meeting, after the third round, she divided the Lanarkshire Plate with her sister, Marmosette.

In January, 1846, at the Clydesdale Meeting, Margaretta ran up to Lord Eglinton's Rufus, for the Champion Collar.

In February, at Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, she won the All-aged Cup, beating Mr. A. Graham's Lord Turnabout, and six others.

In the same month, at the Midlothian Meeting, she won the Champion Cup, Mr. W. Ramsay's Rector running up.

In March, at the Lanarkshire (Wishaw) Meeting, she ran up in the fourth ties to her old opponent, Lord Eglinton's Rufus, for the Lanarkshire Stakes.

In February, 1847, she ran up to Mr. Wauchope's Victory, for the Cup, at the Mid Lothian Meeting, breaking two of her toes in the deciding course.

It might be inconvenient, as well as uninteresting, to give the full return of courses contested so far back. It would, however, be all to

Margaretta's credit, were we to do so, as she met, in her career, with many of our best dogs, beating, for instance, amongst others, Lord Eglinton's famous bitch, Bessy Bell, who afterwards ran up to Mr. Miller's Magic, for the Great Druid Cup, value 320 sovs., at the Amesbury Champion Meeting. Margaretta's own performances were chiefly confined to the north; but this running alone will show the class of "company" she had to contend against.

Margaretta is a particularly lengthy bitch, standing on short legs, and has immense bone and muscular power. Her courage, too, is very great; for, although now nine years old, she runs as honest and with as much determination as ever. In fact, her constitution and appearance are those of a greyhound yet in her prime. Still, it is not only in the slips that Margaretta has done good service, many of her puppies having already been very successful in public; amongst others, Mr. Curror's Hector and Shylock, by his Colonel-both superior dogs; as well as a litter by Foremost, which were first tried during the spring of the year. One of the lot, Wanota, when scarcely over the distemper, and altogether out of condition, ran up to Dove for the All-aged Stakes, at Mountainstown-a performance so favourable as to bring at once an offer of fifty guineas for him, but which was as promptly refused by the owner, Mr. M'Keon, of Dundalk. The reporter of the meeting very justly estimates him as "no contemptible opponent." Another of this litter, Flying Dutchman, also the property of Mr. M'Keon, has run very well in Ireland this season.

Margaretta's last litter, nine in number, and pupped on the 10th of April, are to Figaro, a very promising cross. Several, indeed, have already been bespoken by public coursers at long prices; and we hear there is every expectation of their doing full justice to the distinguished family from which they spring.

THE MIST AND THE MOOR.

BY HORNYWINK.

CHAP. II.

Sir Nicholas and his party traversed the hill-side with the speed of men accustomed to the country. They had crossed the river Cynon, ere the stars had ceased to twinkle in the skies, and were now breasting the opposite hill in the direction of the Llanwonno Moors, where they hoped to find some traces of young Esterling. Sir Nicholas alone, of all the party, gave constant vent to his anxious and somewhat indignant feelings: "He could not," he said, "understand the circumstances which induced Edmund to desert his cousin at such a pinch;" and expressed a strong opinion that had he been the missing one, Esterling would have strained every nerve, and undergone any privation, sooner than abandon him in such a Caucasus. Perhaps Edmund's desire to 'justify himself, and his repeated assurance that the charge of the horses prevented his taking active steps to follow his cousin, rather tended to chafe than to soften the baronet's irrita