22 PKOCEEDINGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 



obtain information, but this is not the place for any one to get information of the 

 character he desired. What he should have done would have been to go to the 

 Directors, and tind out the state of matters from them, and then, if they would not 

 give it, to complain to the meeting. But every member is bound to find out the exact 

 position of any matter regarding which he brings any complaint, and not trust merely 

 to v/hat turns up. Then, Mr. Leslie, in what I call his fourth resolution, makes certain 

 statements from which the public would infer that our secretarial staff carried on the 

 work carelessly, and that the Directors were somewhat indifferent as to the way in 

 which it was caiTied on. That is, no doubt, the impression that will go out, and Mr. 

 Leslie must have been aware of it. Now, however, Mr. Leslie, finding that the feeling 

 is not with him, is to walk out of the room without doing anything further, and leave 

 the whole country to infer that we are not caring about our work, and quite indifferent 

 as to the w^ay in which it shall be carried out, I am exceedingly glad that Mr. 

 Villiers has brought his motion before the meeting, so that we are now in a position to 

 give a distinct negative to Mr. Leslie's proposal. Before I sit down I woiJd, in a word, 

 express the extreme inconvenience to which the bringing forward of these proposals 

 has put us. They have been the means of bringing many members from a distance, 

 and they are now occupying our time and preventing us from visiting the implements 

 and the cattle in the yard, the special purpose for which these shows Avere constituted ; 

 and this has been done in order that motions may be brought forward which would be 

 much better, if not more legally, discussed at the January meeting, and this, too, 

 when the gentleman who takes this step confesses that he has no information on the 

 subject. 



Ex-Provost Duncan, Rothesay, bore testimony to the great care with which Mr. 

 Menzies had acted in the awarding of the prizes in an agi'icultural essay competition 

 in the west of Scotland. Mr. Menzies had impressed him very favourably by the 

 manner in which he had discharged his work on that occasion, and he had gi-eat 

 pleasure in giving his testimony to that effect. 



The Chairman — Will Mr. Leslie say whether he withdraws his motion, or is his 

 position that he does not wish to press it ? 



Mr. Waldegrave Leslie— I thought I had made it clear, but if you wish it I will 

 make it still more clear. I have not pressed my motion for the reasons I have stated. 



The Chairman— But do you withdraw it ? 



The Earl of Airlie— A motion once jrat cannot be withdrawn unless by leave of the 

 meeting. 



Mr. Waldegrave Leslie — I did not move the resolution. 



Mr. J. M. Martin of Auchendennan — Mr. Leslie found no seconder, and therefore 

 his motion is not before us. 



The Chairman — That is so ; and therefore Mr. Villiers' amendment becomes the 

 substantive motion which you are to vote upon. 



The motion being put thus to the meeting was carried practically unanimously, 

 quite a forest of hands being held up in its support. The result was received with 

 loud cheering. 



The Chairman — 1 think there can be no doubt about it. I need not ask for a show 

 of hands on the other side, because I think the motion is carried. 



Mr. Waldegrave Leslie, amid much laughter, proposed a vote of thanks to the 

 Chairman, and the proceedings terminated. 



GENERAL MEETING, 18th JANUARY 1882. 

 The Right Hon. the Earl of Mar and Kellie, Vice-President, in the Chair. 



The Secretary (Mr. F. N. Menzies) read a letter of apology from the Duke of Rich- 

 mond and Gordon, President, stating his inability to be present ; also letters from 

 Lord Polwarth, the Earl of Glasgow, Sir Michael Shaw Stewart, and Sir Henry Seton- 

 Steuart. 



New Members.— The Secretary then read the list of 115 gentlemen who had been 

 proposed as members of the Society, and who were elected by ballot. 



Office-Bearers.— The following noblemen and gentlemen were elected to fill the 

 vacancies in the list of Directors for 1882:— Vice-Presicle7its.— The Duke of Argyll, 

 K.T. ; the Earl of Glasgow, the Earl of Stair, Lord Polwarth. Ordinary Directors.— 

 Andrew Allan, Munnoch ; Arthur H. Johnstone Douglas, of Lockerbie ; Alex. Dud- 

 geon, Easter Dalmeny ; Thomas Gordon Duff, Park House ; James Mollison, Doch- 

 garroch Lodge; Thomas Munro Nicoll, Littleton; George J. W^alker, Portlethen. 

 Extraordinary Directors.— The Hon. Greville R. Vernon, Auchans House ; the Hon. 

 the Lord Provost of Glasgow, Sir Robert J. IMilliken Napier of Milliken, Bart. ; Sir 



