THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



1H 



THE HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL 

 SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND. 



The half-yearly meeting of this Society was held 

 in Edinburgh on Wednesday, Jan. 19, the Duke of 

 Atholl in the chair. There was an unusually large at- 

 tendance of members, between seven and eight hundred 

 being present. The business commenced with the election 

 of a hundred and eighteen new members, and that of 

 the secretary followed. The re-election of INIr. Hall 

 Maxwell was proposed by Mr. Hope Johnstone, se- 

 conded by the Duke of Buccleuch, and ultimately car- 

 ried by an immense majority, there not bein^i; in so large 

 a meeting above some thii ty or so against it. A pro- 

 posal of Sir William Johnston to put at the same time 

 with the election of the secretary a motion for a further 

 inquiry into the resignation of Mr. Lawson as seedsman 

 to the Society, and into the dispute between the seeds- 

 man and tlie secretary, was withdrawn, and this matter 

 subsequently considered as a separate question. Its 

 discussion was attended with some unpleasant per- 

 sonality, as well as with great warmth, much confusion, 

 and really at times the chances of a serious disturbance. 

 A variety of motions, amendments, and explanations 

 were offered ; the Duks of Buccleuch, Lord Rosslyn, 

 Lord Panmure, Sir George Clark, Sir William Johnston, 

 Sir Thomas Gladstone, Mr. Caird, M.P., Mr. M'Laren, 

 Mr. Beveridgp, Mr. Monteith, Mr. Lawson, and others 

 taking part in the proceedings. Finally, an amendment 

 proposed by Sir Thomas Gladstone, and seconded by 

 the Duke of Buccleuch — that the word " retractation," 

 which had been used by the Directors in reference to 

 the issue of Mr. Lawson's pamphlet, should be ex- 

 punged, and the word " withdrawal" substituted — was 

 put and carried. The original motion, proposed by Mr. 

 Caird and seconded by Lord Pannmre— that Mr. Law- 

 son's, resignation be not accepted, but that he be re- 

 instated as honorary seedsman to the society, disjoined 

 from the office of Curator to the Museum — was then 

 put and negatived. Lord Panmure afterwards demanded 

 a poll, and a scene of great confusion took place. Many, 

 however, had left when this occurred, and the meeting 

 was ultimately adjourned to that day fortniglit — Wed- 

 nesday, February 2. We postpone any fuller report of 

 this untoward affair until it shall have been disposed of 

 at the adjourned meeting. Surely the exercise of a 

 little good sense and kindly feeling may save the Society 

 from another such a day. As the Duke of Buccleuch 

 very justly complained, the re-issue of ]\|r, Lawson's 

 pamphlet should never have been suffered; while this has 

 been followed by an anonymous attack, so personally 

 offensive as calculated, in the opinion of the North 

 British Agriculturist, to defeat its especial object — 

 viz,, the discomfiture of Mr. Hall Maxwell. To us, 

 however, it appears to be not merely an attack on the 

 Secretary, but an equally unwarrrantablc insult to 

 almost every nobleman and gentleman who has taken 

 any active part in the proceedings of the Highland 

 Society. The fair fame of Mr. Lawson requires that 

 he should give the most thorough contradiction to his 

 having been in any way consulted on, or committed to, 



this discreditable production. A variety of other busi- 

 ness which stood on tho agenda bad necessarily to be 

 postponed to the adjourned meeting. 



TITHE C O M M U T A T I O N. 



Sir, — As many of your readers may feel anxious to 

 know the result of the corn averages for the seven 

 years to Christmas, 1858, published by authority in the 

 London Gazette of this evening, viz. — 



s. d. 



Wheat 7 4 per imperial bushel. 



Barley 4 5 J ditto, 



Oats 3 0^ ditto, 



I beg to state for their information, that each £100 of 

 tithe rent-charge will, for the year 1859, amount (o 

 i.108 19s. 6]d., which is a little more than 3 per cent, 

 above the last year's value. 



The following statement from my ^'Annual Tithe 

 Commutation Tables" will show the worth of ^"100 of 

 tithe rent-charge for each year since the passing of 

 the Tithe Commutation Act, viz. — 



£ s. d. 

 For the year 1837 98 13 9f 



1838 97 7 11 



1839 95 7 9 



1840 98 15 9t 



1841 102 12 54- 



1842 105 8 2f 



1843 105 12 21 



1844 104 3 5i 



1845 103 17 Hi 



1846 102 17 8f 



1847 99 18 lOi 



1848 102 1 



1849 100 3 7| 



1850 98 16 10 



1851 96 11 4a 



18.52 93 16 IH 



1853 91 13 5| 



1854 90 19 5 



1855 89 15 8| 



1856 93 18 \\ 



1857 99 13 7i 



1858 105 16 3^ 



1859 108 19 6^ 



23) 2,287 2 0^ 



General average for 23 years ,£'99 8 9i 

 I am, Sir, your most obedient servant, 



Charles M. Willich, 

 Actuary University Life Assurance Society. 

 25, SufoU-street, Pall Mall East, S.W. 

 7th January, 1859. 



