By Press Release
The Isle of Wight Observer published on 23rd July 1864, rather daringly (given that Queen Victoria was frequently at Osborne House) complains how taxes are used to give unfair benefits to members of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The article goes on to call for ‘representations’ to be made to ‘bring about a more equitable state of things’ when public money is involved.
THE QUEEN’S CUPS.
The recent correspondence between Sir R. Peel and Admiral Rous, relative to the Queen’s Cups or Plates given for horse racing, has brought out two important facts; first, that the cost of these Cups comes from the Consolidated Fund, or general taxes, and not from the Civil List, or money voted to the Queen; second, that the object in giving these Cups is to promote improvement.
It appears, further, that the cost of the Cups, given for horse racing amounts to £4,000 a year, while the cost of those given for yachting does not probably amount to more than £400 a year, or one-tenth of that for horse racing. The amount thus given to stimulate improvement is in inverse ratio to the utility of each class of national sport, for the time may come when the very existence of the Nation may depend upon every man being more or less a sailor, but not upon being more or less a jockey.
Public opinion, therefore, ought to be brought to bear upon this subject, so as to produce an equilibrium of much practical importance. The chief point, however, that we intend at present to handle is, as the cost of the Queen’s Cup and the Prince of Wales’ Cup given for yacht sailing comes from the public taxes, are they disposed of so as to produce the greatest amount of public improvement? These Cups, although they make their appearance, like angels’ visits, few and far between at the Clubs around the coast, may fairly be said to be monopolised by the Royal Yacht Squadron; and to that there would be no particular objection, inasmuch as it stands at the head of all the Clubs, were it not that competition for them is confined to its own members, and its membership is notoriously of the most exclusive character.
Therefore, upon the face of it, it is impossible, under such circumstances, that all yachts can compete, and, if all do not compete, no fair test can be applied, and moreover great injustice is done to those builders whose productions may be shut out. This argument can be easily demonstrated by analysis of the conditions of sailing in August next, and of the Squadron list for 1864.