20 PROCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



Jameson, Perth, who has acted as local secretary on former occasions, has again kindly 

 agreed to act in that capacity. 



Colonel Williamson of Lawers said that the members of the committee quite ap- 

 proved of all the arrangements that had been made in regard to the Perth Show, with 

 'One exception. Before he took exception to the arrangements he wished to express his 

 thanks to the Directors of the Society for the courteous manner in which they had re- 

 ceived the application that had been made to them. They had increased the premium 

 for the Clydesdale stallion from £50 to £100 ; but he hoped that that amount would 

 'be increased to £150 ; and he moved accordingly. 



Mr Gardener, Chapelbank, seconded the motion. 



Mr Haddon, Honeyburn, Hawick, suggested that the matter be remitted back to the 

 'Committee. 



On a division. Colonel Williamson's motion was carried by a majority. 



Proposed Show at Kelso in 1880. — Colonel Gillon then said — I now rise to bring 

 before the meeting an application made to tlie Directors for a General Show to be held 

 at Kelso in 1880, for a district comprising the counties of Berwick, Roxburgh, Selkirk, 

 and Peebles. This application has been subscribed by our noble President, the Mar- 

 quis of Lothian, and about 120 of the principal landed proprietors and extensive far- 

 mers connected with the Border counties. When laid before the Directors ouVthe 6th 

 ■oi November, some discussion took place, in the course of which a proposal was made 

 that Kelso and Inverness should be deleted from the list of towns at which shows are 

 held. The Board, however, resolved to recommend to this meeting to comply with the 

 application, and it was remitted to the Committee on General Shows to prepare the 

 classes of stock for which premiums should afterwards be offered. Publicity having 

 been given to the proposal in the newspaper report of the meeting, the attention of 

 tkat distinguished local association, the Border Union Agricultural Society, was called 

 to the subject ; and its committee sent a memorial to the Directors of the Highland 

 Society begging them to consider their wishes, and give eflect to them by fixing the 

 Show for 1880 to take place at Kelso. So keenly did the committee of the Border 

 Union take up the subject, that they resolved to call a general meeting of their society 

 to express their opinion, if necessai-y, before this meeting. The memorial referred to 

 was before the Directors on the 4th of December, when the Secretary was instructed to 

 inform the Border Union Society of the resolution come to, and that the list of the 

 proposed classes (which had been prepared by the General Show Committee, and ap- 

 proved of by the directors) would be submitted to a meeting of members to be held at 

 Kelso. At the same Board meeting, Mr Martin gave notice of the motion which will 

 be foimd in the programme before you. The meeting at Kelso took place on the 20th 

 December, when the list which I have now to lay before you was approved of, with some 

 suggestions, which have since been disposed of by the Directors of this Society, or 

 remitted back to the General Show Committee. At that meeting a strong desire was 

 expressed in conformity with the memorial of the Border Uniou'Society. Having now 

 briefly noticed the proceedings which have taken place in regard to the application 

 from the Border counties, I do not wish to occupy the time of the members further 

 than to express a hope on the part of the Directors that the meeting will approve of tlie 

 Show of 1880 being held at Kelso, and that it be remitted to them to make the neces- 

 sary arrangements. 



Mr Oswald of Dunnikier seconded the motion. He said they all knew that Kelso 

 was one of the most important of the agricultural districts in Scotland, and they had 

 had shows there which wei-e of a highly satisfactory character. 



Mr Martin, younger of Auchendennan, moved — " That a committee of members be 

 appointed to consider the whole question of the circuit of the Society's Annual Shows, 

 and to report to the general meeting in June ; also, that, pending receipt of this report, 

 the Society should delay until the June meeting decision as to place at which the Show 

 of 1880 is to be held." He said he regretted that his last oSicial act should have the 

 appearance of being at variance with the decision of the Directors, more especially as 

 he had always found them ready to listen to any suggestions he might make to them 

 in regard to what he considered to be for the advantage of the Society. But this was 

 a question on which there was a great difference of opinion ; and he ventured to ask 

 the meeting to say on what rule in the future they should go in deciding the circuit of 

 the shows. In any remarks he had to make he would endeavour to avoid personalities, 

 and if those who differed from him had pursued a different course from what they had 

 done it might have led to a better settlement of the matter. Those who held similar 

 views with himself had received very rough treatment, and he quoted several extracts 

 from statements in the newspapers as illustrations of that. One acute observer had 

 discovered that one of the supporters of his (Mr Martin's) views was actuated by 

 the reason that there was a horse at Glamis known as Lord Beaconsfield. He did 

 not know what argument could be founded on that fact. Possibly the gentleman 

 might be an admirer of the noble Earl, and think that as that statesman had a trium- 

 phant policy and a large majority, it would be a bad thing to have it connected in any 



