Returning to India it was pleasant to be told how much he had been missed, and how delighted everybody was he was back again. He was looking forward to the Dehra races, which would be due shortly after his return. His cousin Willie Holmes was managing the meeting. Here he found a goodly collection of cheery souls, amongst them the well-known Mr. Kelly Maitland, Mr. Horace Hayes, and many more. Lord William’s Gazelle managed to beat Mr. Horace Hayes’ Bismillah in the pony race. They then all moved on to Meerut for more racing. At this meeting Mr. Kelly Maitland gave a cup for a three-quarter-mile pony handicap. The handicapping of Sattara, the pony belonging to Mr. Maitland, upset him, for he considered it unfair. It was a little unusual to enter anything to run for his own cup, and so he had better have swallowed his discomfiture and said nothing, but he began airing his grievance at the Wheler Club in the evening, when Mr. Holmes came into the room, and made some pointed remarks about the generosity in giving a cup he was so evidently anxious to win himself. Then the fat was in the fire, everybody talked at once, shouting to make themselves heard, while somebody went into the lottery room where Lord William was busy, and told him Mr. Maitland was calling Mr. Holmes naughty names. This of course could not be tolerated; he must see his cousin was not sat upon by Mr. Maitland or anybody else, so he dashed into the fray, after which matters were not quieter and the hullabaloo ended in the celebrated “Maitland versus Beresford” defamation case, which was tried before a native judge in 1880 and the plaintiff was non-suited. Lord William’s language was as a rule most polished, and personally I never heard him otherwise than parliamentary, but I have been told that on occasions “He could bring tears to the eyes of a cabby from an utter incompetence to compete with him.” I am under the impression this racing row gave him one of his opportunities and he threw in a few new words not generally understood outside Ireland, which added lustre to the occasion, and it is always annoying to have words hurled at you that you do not know the meaning of. It leaves so much room for speculation and possibilities.
There was a little excitement also at the Allahabad races of 1879-80, where he rode his own Pomponius Ego heavily handicapped by the weight of 13st. 7lbs., while opposing him was Daintily, ridden by Tingey, carrying 9st. 7lbs. The latter was declared winner, while Lord William firmly believed he had won, but Pomponius swerved when just on the post, and as several ponies were all up together in rather a bunch it was perhaps difficult to tell exactly. At any rate the judge decided he was fourth. There were ructions over this, Lord William speaking his mind; it was finally agreed there should be a match between Pomponius and Daintily, 1000 rupees a side, the same weights and same distance, only instead of riding his own pony Lord William put up John Irving.
The match was breathlessly watched by a large gathering, and some betting was the order of the day. The result was a dead heat. The owners refused to divide, so it had to be run off again, when Pomponius once more swerved just on the post and was beaten by half a length. So Pomponius’s owner had to pay up and look as if he liked it, which none knew better how to do, for there never lived a more cheerful loser.
Taking it all together Lord William was fairly successful this cold weather with his horses. Telegram won a couple of hurdle races at Agra. The stable did nothing at Lucknow, but in February Ashantee, ridden by Lord William, won the Himalayan Chase at the Dehra meeting. Mr. Abbott tells a good story about this event. Ashantee’s owner had backed him pretty heavily through his pals with Miller the bookmaker, till the horse stood at 2 to 1. Before mounting to go to the post he went up to Miller and put on another thousand. Miller addressed him thus, “Well, my lord, I should be sorry to see a promising young nobleman like yourself cut off at the commencement of a brilliant career, but it would suit my book if you was to break your blooming neck in this race.”
I remember on one of my journeys in a P. & O., Miller and his partner, whose name I forget, were on the same boat journeying to Calcutta. He seemed a very gentle-voiced retiring sort of man, but no doubt could make himself heard and felt when so inclined.
While all the fighting in Afghanistan and South Africa was proceeding, each treading hotly on the other’s heels, the country at home was growing discontented and upset, for it naturally became disorganised, business interfered with, and some discomfort for the inhabitants, which ended in Parliament being dissolved on March 24th, 1880, the Liberal Government being returned by about 120.
The Queen sent for Lord Hartington, then for Lord Granville, and lastly for Mr. Gladstone, who accepted office.