20 PEOCEEDIXGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



Mr. Mylne, Niddrie Hains — I can assure Mr. Leslie that the Machinery Committee 

 is regularly called together. 



Mr. Waldegraye Leslie— I have never had a summons to attend the meetings. 

 Mr. Menzies, Secretarj- — If you did not receive the notices, I am perfectly certain 

 they were sent. 



Mr. Waldesrave Leslie — I will take your word for it. With regard to the 

 third resolution — that the whole business time of the secretarial staff of the Society 

 should be given exclusively to the work of the Societ}' — I wish to say from my 

 heart that nothing in my mind has occurred to make this at all a personal question, 

 which, I am informed by some people it is considered to be. I shall not press the 

 motion, because it would be painful to an individual. I may be permitted to say that 

 my opinion, and the opinion of a large nmnber of the members of the Society, are 

 strongly in favour of having the ^Aiiole time of our able Secretary, who is a man of most 

 imdoubted ability and great energy, devoted to the work of the Society. We think it 

 would be better to get his whole time, as in the case of the secretary of the Royal 

 Society of England. I am informed, however, that at the time of his appointment by 

 the Directors this question was carefully gone into, and that the agreement come to 

 was that he should be at libei'ty to a certain extent not to give his whole business time 

 to the work of the Society. That compact was made, and I should be sorry to break 

 that honourable compact by anything that might be offensive, disagreeable, or painful, 

 or likely to act as a breach of compact with a gentleman in the position of our Secre- 

 tary. I was not aware of this, and I hope that what I have brought forward will be 

 taken in good part and acted upon as far as possible. 



Mr Martin, \t. of Auchendennan, as one of the gentlemen who was in favour of 

 the showyard meetings being held annually, begged most seriously to protest against 

 a meeting such as the present. 



Mr. Walker of Rowland asked if the hon. gentleman was speaking to Mr Walde- 

 grave Leslie's motion. 



Mr. Martin said he protested most sincerely against the use to which the meetings 

 had been put. Many gentlemen believed that the showyard meetings would be both 

 useful and desirable in the interests of the Society, if for nothing else than to let the 

 members get a good wholesome grumble every year, and tell what they had to com- 

 plain of. But if the meetings were to be brought together to consider proposed 

 resolutions, some of which, notwithstanding the explanations that had been made, 

 were of the most offensive kind, he protested against such proceedings. Those resolu- 

 tions had been circulated throughout the country, and not only in Scotland but in 

 England the papers had been writing about things they knew absolutely nothing about, 

 owing to the printed notices of motions. It was putting the meeting to a disgraceful 

 iise to bring forward resolutions of the kind, and then for the proposer of them to say, 

 *' If I had known what I know now, I would never have brought the resolution for- 

 ward," while the information was at the disposal of every member of the Society. 

 Not only the honour of the Society but the feelings of their officials who served 

 them as well were concei-ned. If the hon. gentleman who had brought forward 

 the resolution was so impressed with the sernces of those officials to the Society, a 

 more graceful way of showing his appreciation might have been found than by pre- 

 senting the notices of motion. He had a suggestion to make with a view of 

 rendering the meetings useful and pleasant, and for the good of the Society. 

 There was, perhaps, a little tendency on the part of those promoting the meetings to 

 put forward resolutions by way of having some business to take up. His suggestion 

 was that the Directors might see their way to bring up the formal resolutions and 

 votes of thanks which were passed at the January meeting at the summer Show, where 

 they would be more in place. It would be more natural to have those votes of 

 thanks passed at the summer Show, where the gentlemen interested were present, 

 than at the January meeting, for many members of the Society did not attend that 

 meeting, and heard nothing of the votes of thanks, whilst the gentlemen to whom 

 the votes of thanks were tendered were frequently absent. 



Mr Walker of Rowland concurred in the remarks of Mr Martin, and inquired 

 whether or not Mr Waldegrave Leslie withdrew his motion. 



Mr. Waldegraye Leslie — I don't press it. (Cries of "Withdraw.") I withdraw 

 it. 



]\Ir. YiLLiERS, Closeburn Hall, said, with regard to the notices of motion by Mr 

 Waldegi'ave Leslie, he could not help thinking that the meeting would not allow such 

 resolutions simply to be passed over to one side by the proposer saying, " I withdraw 

 them." On reading the last resolution, which had been j^rinted and circulated 

 amongst members of the Society, it struck him as of a verj'^ ambiguous nature. The 

 wording of it might have reference to one whose name, he honestly believed, required 

 only to be mentioned to be received Mith applause by all the meeting — viz., the 

 secretary of the Society, Mr. F. N. Menzies. The motion might also refer 

 to the gentlemen employed on Mr. Menzies' staff. To any of thoee persons the 



