STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. • 111 



in like strain, and his remarks did not tend to lessen the confusion 

 and excitement. 



Mr. Chase, Mr. Bernard, Mr. Clunie, and others tried to speak, but 

 order was restored, and President Carey put to vote a motion of J. C. 

 Devine that, only three candidates remaining, the President should 

 cast the vote. 



The motion was carried, the vote cast, and Messrs. Cox, Boruck, and 

 Biggs declared elected. 



President Carey then made a statement. He regretted the feeling 

 that had been shown, and desired to make a brief statement of the 

 condition of the society. The State Agricultural Society is in debt 

 sixteen thousand dollars. Four years ago it was in debt but two 

 thousand six hundred dollars or two thousand seven hundred dollars. 

 Since then it has expended, for real estate and improvements to the 

 track and stock grounds, forty-five thousand dollars, of which it now 

 owes sixteen thousand dollars in round numbers. In the first place, 

 the society bought the six blocks of land owned by the Union Park 

 Association, paying seven thousand two hundred dollars for them. It 

 then bought four blocks adjoining, and improved them, at a cost of 

 twelve thousand dollars. All this property belongs to the State of 

 California. Then the citizens of Sacramento donated between three 

 thousand dollars and four thousand dollars to buy still more needed 

 ground. In the last two years the society spent, in inclosing the 

 grounds and in improvements in all parts of it, twenty-seven thou- 

 sand dollars. Of that sum fifteen thousand dollars came from the 

 State, the warrant for which was sold for fourteen thousand six hun- 

 dred dollars. This year the society has spent between two and 

 three thousand dollars more in improvements upon the property of 

 the association. All this property, all these improvements, belong to 

 the State. The Legislature of two years ago declined to appropriate 

 the usual five thousand dollars per annum for premiums, but the 

 Directors went on just the same as if they had got the ten thousand 

 dollars, as before. In order to do this they borrowed ten thousand 

 dollars, and gave their personal notes for it, and thus carried on the 

 society until the present. If the Legislature again fails to do its duty 

 by the State society, he believed the Directors would again borrow 

 money, and carry on the society, though he hoped such a burden 

 would not be thrown upon them. He wanted any citizen of Califor- 

 nia to come to the office of the society at any time and see if a single 

 dollar had ever been misappropriated or covered up. He had served 

 on the Board ten years, and three years as President, and if any ring 

 existed, or any money had been misused, he would have heard of it 

 surely. He knew the Directors gave their time, many came from 

 distant parts of the State, and all labored solely for the benefit of the 

 society and the whole State. He would serve one year more, and do 

 his best to lift the debt for which he and the Directors are personally 

 responsible, and for which some of them have given their notes. 



Mr. Carey's remarks were greeted with applause, and at the conclu- 

 sion the society adjourned. 



On the adjournment of the meeting the Board of Directors met. 

 Present — Carey, Cox, C. Green, J. J. Green, Biggs, Boruck, Chamber- 

 lain, and Younger. Robert Beck was elected Secretary, and L. A. 

 Upson, Treasurer, when the Board adjourned, subject to the call of 

 the President. 



