14 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



This alternative provision of the Constitution, taken in connection 

 with the mandatory declaration of the same instrument, " that the 

 Legislature shall encourage, by all suitable means, the promotion of 

 intellectual, scientific, moral, and agricultural improvement," can be 

 construed, it seems to the Board, in no other way than that the Con- 

 stitutional Convention intended that the Society should be placed 

 exclusively under State control and management. 



In view of the evident intent of the Constitution, of the probable 

 additional importance that will attach to the correspondence, to the 

 information collected and published by the Society, to the industrial 

 expositions canducted under its supervision, and to its transactions 

 generally, in consequence of being placed under State control, and 

 assuming a more complete official character, the Board have concluded 

 to proffer the surrender of the management of the Society to the 

 State. 



Entertaining the hope and confidence that the Legislature will, at 

 its present session, make wise provision for the continuance of the 

 Society in its wide sphere of usefulness under the new management, 

 and will place at the disposal of such management the means neces- 

 sary to greatly increase that usefulness in the future; and to the end 

 that j^our Excellency and the Legislature may be fully informed of 

 the acts of the present management during the past year, we herewith 

 hand you the accompanying report of the Board to the members of 

 the Society at its annual meeting, on the 20th of January last, together 

 with the full transactions of the Society for the year. 



Respectfully, 



H. M. LARUE, 

 President State Agricultural Society. 



I. N. HoAG, Secretary. 



