52 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Sir W. O. Pell said he had great pleasure in pro- 

 posing that the thanks of the meeting be given to the 

 auditors for the manner in which they had discharged 

 their duties. 



Lord Denman seconded the motion, which was put 

 and carried unanimously. 



Mr. J. DuucK returned thanks for himself and his 

 brother-auditors. 



The Chairman remarked that the next business on 

 the agenda was the appointment of auditors for the en- 

 suing year. 



Mr. B. Gibes read a letter from Mr. R. Barker, 

 nephew of Mr. Barker, who was the Chairman of the 

 Finance Committee, to the effect that, having removed 

 to a distance from London, he found it inconvenient to 

 act as auditor, and that he hoped some one would be 

 appointed in his place. 



Col. Hood proposed that Mr. H. Corbet should be 

 appointed to fill the vacancy occasioned by the retire- 

 ment of Mr. Barker, expressing at the same time his 

 belief that no one would perform the duries of an au- 

 ditor more efficiently (Hear, hear). 



Mr. Fisher Hobbs, in seconding the motion, said be 

 was glad that the appointment of the auditors rested 

 with the members generally, and as a member of the 

 Finance Committee he hoped care would be taken in 

 future that there should be no faults or defects like those 

 which had occurred in former years. The auditors 

 were not officers of the Council or of the Finance Com- 

 mittee, and the members of the Society should take care 

 to appoint gentlemen who were fitted to perform the 

 duties entrusted to them. There was in future to be 

 additional aid in the person of a professional account- 

 ant ; but it was necessary to have a check, not only on 

 the Financ ( Committee, who could not always attend 

 there, but also on the professional assistant, and there- 

 fore he repeated the auditors ought always to be carefully 

 selected. He had great pleasure in seconding the no- 

 mination of Mr. Corbet, because having known him well 

 for many years he felt certain that he would not affix 

 his name to any accounts without feeling perfectly cer- 

 tain that they were correct. 



The motion was carried unanimously. 



Mr. Corbet said he felt very much obliged to the 

 meeting for having done him the honour of electing him 

 to fill the office of auditor. His nomination was proposed 

 and seconded by two gentlemen who were, he believed, 

 themselves members of the Finance Committee, and he 

 could only assure those gentlemen that he would try to 

 keep a very sharp eye on their proceedings (laughter). 



Mr. R. Barker, Chairman of the Finance Com- 

 mittee, said he trusted that nothing that had been ut- 

 tered on that occasion would be understood as reflecting 

 on the manner in which the auditors had performed 

 their duties hitherto. (Hear, hear.) 



The two other auditors, Mr. Astbury and Mr. Druce, 

 were-reelected. 



The Chairman said the business of the agenda 

 having terminated, he should be glad to know whether 

 any gentleman had any question to put to him, or any 

 suggestion to make that might be referred to the Coun- 

 cil for consideration. 



After the lapse of a short interval, 



Mr. Fisher Hobbs said as it appeared that no other 

 gentleman had anything to s ly, he wished to make a 

 remark in reference to the holding of that meeting on 

 Friday. He knew that a great many members were 

 obliged to leave London on the previous day. More 

 than this, the Smithfield Club had now determined to 

 have its dinner on the Tuesday instead of the Wednesday, 

 and many members of the Royal Agricultural Society 

 were of opinion that it would be a great advantage if the 

 half-yearly meeting were in future held on Thursday 



instead of Friday, and as that alteration could be made 

 by a simple change in the bye-laws, he wished to state 

 that it was his intention to bring the subject forward 

 at the meeting in February next. 



The Chairman, after expressing his regret at the 

 absence of the President, said as it was customary for 

 the person who filled the chair on occasions like that 

 to make a few general remarks with regard to the posi- 

 tion of the Society, he would himself do so before the 

 meeting separated. Although they had had that year 

 the most unfortunate thing that could possibly have 

 happened — namely, a deficiency in the accounts of the 

 secretary, who filled that office for nearly twenty years, 

 yet he must say that as a society they were never be- 

 fore in so flourishing a condition as at that moment. 

 For twenty years, or from the time of the Society's 

 formation, they were never able to pay the ex- 

 penses in the same year that they were in- 

 curred. This year they were enabled to pay 

 every outstanding bill, including the account for the 

 Journal ; and at Christmas there would be a balance 

 of from ^'800 to ^'l.OOO in favour of the Society. That 

 was a financial state of affairs which the Institution 

 had never attained previously. It was a great satisfac- 

 tion to the late Finance Committee that, notwithstand- 

 ing the loss occasioned by the late Secretary, they could 

 hand over to their successors such a large balance, and 

 place them in a position which was very diflferent from 

 what their own had been. They had been obliged to 

 retain cheques which were drawn, till the money had 

 come in from the country; and it was not till the 

 spring of the following year that the current year's 

 expenses could be met. Under these circumstances, 

 and having regard to the new blood in the Finance 

 Committee, he felt sure that the financial statement of 

 May next would be very satisfactory, and the state- 

 ment of a year hence equally so. He must con- 

 gratulate the members of the Society in general on 

 the good which it had done and was doing. Every day 

 the position which they held, not merely in England, 

 Scotland, and Ireland, but in Europe generally, was 

 improving. They had even ceased to be abused by the 

 press. That abuse had given a little spur to the manage- 

 ment, and had tended no doubt to set them right. A 

 little secousse from the press now and then was very 

 valuable (laughter). They were very much indebted 

 to the gentlemen who had made strong comments on 

 the Society, because their doing so had been the 

 means of instilling increased activity into the Council, 

 and furnishing that stimulus which was wholesome 

 and necessary in the case of all societies. In conclusion, 

 he would express a hope that, when they met in May 

 next, the Society would be in as flourishing and satis- 

 factory a condition as it was then (cheers). 



Lord Feversham said it had been intimated by the 

 chairman that the business of the meeting was now con- 

 cluded ; but there was one duty, and not merely a duty 

 but a pleasure, which the meeting had yet to perform, 

 namelj , to offer their thanks to Col. Challoner for his 

 kindness in taking the chair on that occasion, in the ab- 

 sence of their noble president, and also for the services 

 which he had for a long time indeed, ever since its for- 

 mation, rendered to the Society (cheers). They were 

 aware that he was always at his post, and ever ready to 

 contribute his aid, alike at the deliberations of the Coun- 

 cil table and at the proceedings of the general meetings. 

 On that occasion he had explained to them in a few 

 words the position in which that Society then stood. 

 They had had the gratification of learning that the So- 

 ciety was in a state of peculiar prosperity ; and, lament- 

 ing as he did the loss which they had sustained this 

 year, he rejoiced in common with others to find that, 

 notwithstanding that loss, the institution was in a better 



