lU 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ February 14, 1867. 



entitled to have any control, having had the quid pro quo — the ad- 

 mission to tho Gartlous, and so on. The International Horticultural 

 Exhibition Committoo had t^'iven away the eura of £UH)0 to the Gar- 

 deners' Benevolent Institution. With regard to that f,Tant there was 

 no chance of its being impu-^ued, or any fault being found with what 

 they had done. Now, with regard to tlie Lindloy Library, it was very 

 important to the interests of the Eoyal Horticultural Society if it 

 could be Bccured, hut it would be a most disinterested act if *it was 

 paid by tho Society out of tho money which would come out of the 

 qufuil promises of tho International Ilorticultui-al Exhibition Com- 

 mittee. If the Society obtained the Library, it would be better that 

 it should not he held as the property of the Society, for fear of what 

 might by any mischance tranBjure, and they would be better acting in 

 the position of trustees, so that if by any mischance tho Society 

 should be broken uj), it would still be a property available for tho pur- 

 poses and benefit of horticulture. Now, with regard to the acts of the 

 luternatioual Horticultural Kxhibition Committee they had a surplus 

 of £3000. They had given i'lOOO to the Gardoners'Benevolent In- 

 stitution, leaving .€2000 in hand. Now if the sum of £600 was paid 

 for the Lindlcy Library there would then be about £1100 left. No 

 doubt there were some outstanding debts, which probably would 

 amount to a few hundreds, so that there would still bo a sum of about 

 £1000 left, perfectly uett, witlx which they will not, as it appears, do 

 what they ought to do. When the Council agreed to extend their time 

 there was a great deficit, to avoid which they offered the guid pro quo. 

 The Council think i^o, and I have reason to thiulc there was a memo- 

 randum made as to the fact that if there was a surplus the liability to 

 the Royal Horticultural Society should be fully acknowledged, that 

 while all the monies should belong to the International Horticultural 

 Exhibition Committee, if there should be a surplus, some portion of it 

 fihould belong to the Eoyal Horticultural Society. It certainly did 

 appear to him that if the Committee of the International Horticultural 

 Exhibition considered how much their receipts had been affected by 

 ■what the Sociely had done — when they saw that that which would have 

 teen a deficiency instead of the surplus which they had, had beeu ob- 

 tained through the action of the Society, they would have acted diffe- 

 rently. He {Mr. Edgar Bowring) would further say that at the meeting 

 of the Expeuses Committee, in passing tlie accounts and examining the 

 statements, they did adopt a minute that the Society should have re- 

 ceived a larger amount of compensation. There was another matter 

 in which he thought there should be a more liberal concession by the 

 Society towards those who had done so much for them. He spoke of 

 the debenture-holders. There had been £50,000 raised, and they pay 

 4 per cent. Originally they paid 5 per cent., and there were free admis- 

 sions to the amount of £2 '2s. per annum ; that made in reality 7 per 

 cent. Subsequently it was agreed to take £4 per cent., receiving the 

 same Garden benefits, or G per cent, instead of the 7 per cent. He 

 (Mr. Edgar Bowring) thought there might be some arrangement by 

 ■which the debenture-holders could be further recognised, and if they 

 could have further admission — say to £4 45. per annnm, with £B 

 in cash, it would benefit the Society, and the dei)enture-holders would 

 not be displeased. He begged to recommend that to the considera- 

 tion of the Council. 



Mr. Harry Chester would be glad to know more with regard to the 

 arrangements between the Eoyal Horticultm-al Society and the Com- 

 mittee of the International Horticultural Exhibition. 



The DuEE OF Buc'CLEUCH. — I think the best way will be to read 

 the minutes — that will show that the matter has been under the con- 

 sideration of the Council, and after the liberal way in which the Royal 

 Horticultural Society has acted towards the International Exhibition 

 Committee, if there he any surplus it ought to bo handed over to the 

 Society (hear). 



Col. Scott said, the folloi\-ing was the memorandum made by Mr. 

 Wilson Saunders at the time of his interview with Sir Wentworth 

 Dilke:— 



*' All charges paid. 



*' Saturday to be 2,s\ Gd. 



*' Free entrance on Saturday to Fellows' transferable tickets. 



*' All moneys to be theii'S, but in case of surplus a portion to be 

 made over to the Horticultural Society." 



Col. Scott continued by saying, that acting upon that as reported to 

 be the result of the conference between Mr. Wilson Saunders, a meet- 

 ing of Council was held, and the following minute resulted : — 



"■ It having been arranged that the International Horticultural 

 Exhibition should remain open until Thursday next, the 31st May. the 

 Council agree to allow visitors to the Fixhibition to have access to the 

 Society's Gardens on the following conditions : — 



" ' The Committee of the Exhibition are to undertake all the expenses 

 of the Gardens until Thursday next inclusive. All money taken at 

 the doors to be received by them. On Saturday, the 2Gth, the entrance 

 to the Exhibition and Gardens to be a.t2s. Gd., and Fellows and Deben- 

 ture-holders to be admitted to tho Exhibition on showing their tickets, 

 in the same manner as on Wednesday last, the '23rd inst. The Com- 

 mittee of the luternatioual Horticultural Exhibition to bo responsible 

 for all damage done to the Gardens. In consideration of these con- 

 cessions on the ]mrt of the Society, should there be any sui-plus in the 

 takings of the Committee, the liberality of the Koyal Horticultural 

 Society will be duly acknowledged.' " 



Col. Scott in continuation said, that a copy of that minute was sent 

 to Sir Wentworth Dilke on the morning of the 25th of May, 1866, and 



the Exhibition opened for an extra week, commencing on the morning 



of tho 28th. On the 7th of June, the following letter was received by 

 the Assistant Secretary : — 



"7B, Sloane Street, S.W., 7tb June, 1866, 



" My Dear Sin,— When I asked for the copy of the decision of the Horti- 

 cultural as to iidmittinK the International visitors, I merely did so that we 

 might hove a record, and when you told me you had sent it here I thought 

 it of so little importance, being aware, as I supposed, of the contents, that 

 beint,' busy I did not open it. At the end of the Show I was attacked with 

 severe illness, and it was only last night that I read it. I regret this, be- 

 cause the last paragraph is one that I could not have permitted to remain 

 one minute unanswered had I seeu it at the time; I feel strongly that it 

 ought never to have been entered. In convernation wnraothing was said 

 about doing something for the Society, and I replied to the effect that the 

 Council knew ini/ view, as I had at the first meetiuK proposed that any 

 surplus should be apportioned between tho Gardeners' Benevolent and 

 the Horticultural, but that having been refused by the Society I knew 

 not what the views of tho International Coumiittee might be, but that I 

 personally had jnst had suggested to me what appeared a good idea to try 

 and form a Lindley Library. This was all vnj talk ; I had no power to 

 bind the luternatioual Committee. The subject had not beeu attended 

 to at the meeting with Mr. Saunders. I must ask that this letter be put 

 on record.— Yours truly. (Signed) "C. Wentworth Dilke. 



*' Captain Cockerell, &c.*' 



The subject, said Col. Scott, was brought before the Council on' the 

 19th of June, and it having been discussed on tho 25th, Mr. Wilson 

 Saunders wrote the following letter : — 



" Lloyds, 25th June, 1866. 

 _ *' My De.\h Sin, — I return to you Sir Wentworth Dilke's communica- 

 tion. The Council knows almost as much as I do of the matter, and the 

 subject had better be brought forward next meeting, when I hope to be 

 present. My own view of the case is, that Sir Wentworth Dilke on the 

 part of the Committee acknowledged the principle that in ease of any 

 surplus accruing to the International Horticulturul Exhibition the 

 Koyal Hoi-ti cultural Society should have a claim therein. All this is in 

 the minutes of the Council, and I think tally stated. I see nothing to 

 blame on the part of the Council, and the whole matter rests with Sir 

 Wentworth Dilke and his Committee, and no difficulty need arise. If 

 they have a surplus, and will not meet the views expressed in the 

 minutes of the Council, the matter must rest there.— I am, yours truly, 



"W. Wilson Saunders. 



" Captain Cockerell, &c." 



On the Slst Januaiy, 1S67 (continued Col. Scott), a letter was 

 written by Mr. Moore, Exhibition Secretary to the Committee of the 

 International Horticultural Show, to which the follomng answer was 

 sent, with a copy of tlio extract of the Council minutes, and a copy 

 of the memorandum made by Mr. Wilson Saunders, both of which are 

 alluded to in the letter. The letter itself was as follows : — 



" Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, W. 

 "7th February, 1867. 



" Sir, — In reference to your semi-official note of the 3lst ult., concern- 

 ing the intentions of the Committee of the International Horticultural 

 Show, with respect to the disposal of the surplus of the International 

 Exhibition, I have the honour to enclose a copy of the minutes of 

 Council of the '24tb May, lf66, to remind you of the terms ou which the 

 Council granted the use of the Society's Gardens to your Committee for 

 another week. A copy of these minutes was at once sent to Sir Went- 

 worth Dilke, the Chairman of tlie Committee, acting as their represen- 

 tative to negotiate the arrangement, and a memorandum of the result 

 arrived at at the conference (a copy of which I enclose), was read to and 

 approved by Sir Wentworth before be left tho meeting. I have to request 

 that you will lay this communication and enclosures before your Com- 

 mittee at the earliest opportunity. — I have the honour to be, &c., 



(Signed) "Henry Scott, Secretary. 



" Thomas Moore, Esq., &c., &c." 



Having (continued Col. Scott), forwarded these, the next communi- 

 cation was as follows, from Sir Wentworth Dilke : — 



" 76, Sloane Street, 8th February, 1867. 



"Dear, Sir, — Mr. Moore has placed in my hnuds certain papers relating 

 to the Royal Horticultural Society and the International Horticultural 

 Exhibition, and I must confess I am surprised to find that you have not 

 included the letter I wrote immediately that I read the minutes, in which 

 letter I distinctly stated that such minutes were incorrect. I have to 

 request that a copy of my letter may be forwarded to be appended to the 

 otners.— I am your"s truly, " C. Wentworth Dilke. 



" Captain Cockerell, &c.'* 



Col. Scott continuing. The following letter, enclosing that dated 

 the 7th June, 1B66, which has already been read to the meeting, was 

 then forwarded, and on the same day a letter was also written to Sir 

 Wentworth Dilke, which the meeting will hear read in its order : — 

 "Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, W. 

 " 9th February. 1867. 



" Dear Mr. Moore, — 1 have received a note from Sir Weutworth Dilke 

 requesting that a copy of bis letter to Captain Cockerell, dated June 7th, 

 1866. concerning the arrangements between him and the Council for the 

 use of the Society's Gardens by the Committee of the International Show, 

 should be sent to you to be appended to the other correspondence on the 

 subject. I accordingly enclose a copy of it, and have only to add that 

 the omission of it wheu I sent to you the Couucil's minutes did not arise 

 from any fear that the Society's position would be weakened by it.— I 

 remain, your's very truly, (Signed) " Henry Scott; 



"Thomas Moore, Esq', &c." 



The other letter was as follows : — 



" Royal Horticultural Society, South Kensington, W. 

 "9th February, ISBT. 

 " Dear Sir, — I have forwarded a copy of your letter of 7th June to 

 Mr. Moore as you request. I did not read it with the other documents, 

 because I thought it possible that the evidence of the whole Council pre- 

 sent as to what took place between you and them being opposed to yonr 

 own impressions of it, you might be inclined to consider thut the fault of 



