126 



JOUBNAL OF HORTICULTUBE AND COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 



[ Fobraary 17, 1876. 



meeting by Mr. Hardcastle shotUd be kept before ns, and that 

 the subject should not be wandered away from. Now there is 

 one preliminary thing which I would like to say, and about 

 which I wish for information. How was it that business was 

 transacted at the meeting on Tuesday last, when the Council 

 announced that it would only be held pro /orma/ ["time"]. In 

 honour no important business could have been transacted in the 

 face of such an announcement. I am surprised 



The Chairman. — This has all been said by previous speakers. 



Lord BuEY. — Then I must say it again Lcries of "no" and 



"time"]. No business should have been [Here several 



Fellows protested against Lord Bury taking up the time of the 

 meeting in going over the same ground as previous speakers.] 



The Chairman. — Surely this is not the question before the 

 meeting. I must ask my noble friend whether this is keeping 

 to the resolution. 



Lord Bdey. — I will protest against the proceedings of Tuesday 

 last [cries of "time" and "divide"]. I will obey the ruling 

 of my noble friend and keep to the resolution. I consider that 

 the great reason why the Council should be called upon to resign 

 arises from the proceedings of last Tuesday [continued cries of 

 'time" and interruption]. 



The Chairman. — But as I have already explained several times 

 before, what took place at the meeting on Tuesday was done in 

 spite of the Council, and how could they prevent it ? 



Lord BuEY on again essaying to address the meeting was met 

 by shonts of "time" and "divide, divide," and general inter- 

 ruption. 



Lord BoEY [turning excitedly to the meeting]. — You needn't 

 halloa at me in that way ! [ConfiiBion.] Lord Bury continu- 

 ing — I confess I am surprised to see Iiord Alfred Churchill sit- 

 ting among the Council. It would have been far more decent 

 for him to have stayed away after the peculiar manner in whirii 

 his lordship was elected to the Council on Tuesday [continued 

 cries of " time " and " chair "] . 



The Chairman. — I would advise my noble friend to keep to 

 the resolution. 



Lord Bury. — If I am allowed to say two consecutive sentences 

 you may understand what I have to say. I do not wish to say 

 anything against my noble friend. I hope he will remain in 

 office at the head of the Society [cries of " time."] What I 

 want to say is in condemnation of those members of the Council 

 who allowed the election to take place on Tuesday last. I say 

 that the fact of their allowing it was an indication of incompe- 

 tency on their part ["oh!" and disturbance.] My noble friend 

 has said he did not agree with the course pursued by the Council 

 on that occasion [continued cries]. 



The Chairman, — I protest against thi.s. I never said I dis- 

 agreed with the Council. They did their best to keep faith 

 with the public. I consider your lordship is not speaking to the 

 resolution [disturbance]. 



Lord BuEY. — I have been speaking to the resolution. Who 

 put the resolution to the meeting, and why did he do so ? The 

 fact that the Council allowed the election on Tuesday was an 

 indication of incompetency on their part. 



The_ Hon. and Rev. J. T. Boscawen explained that he had 

 occupied the chair at the meeting referred to, and had no other 

 alternative, according to the Charter, but to put the resolution 

 proposed to the meeting [hear, hear, and no]. 



Lord BuEY. — The fact of the Chairman submitting an informal 

 resolution to the meeting is another reason why a vote of want 

 of confidence should be carrisd [interruption ]. The conduct 

 of the Council since its election has been out of harmony with 

 the interests of the Society. They have done nothing to extri- 

 cate ns from our difliculties [continued cries]. His lordship 

 concluded by supporting the resolution. 



Mr. Shirley Hieeerd would let the meeting divide on the 

 question by proposing an amendment. Mr. Hardcastle, who 

 was about to retire from the Society, wanted to leave it in a 

 state of revolution. 



Mr. Haepcastle. — I did not say I would leave the Society. 



Mr. S. Hieberd. — The gentleman and his friends wished 

 again to have the Society in a state of revolution. Why did 

 they want to oust the present Council ? Because, as the pro- 

 poser of the resolulion said, " they had done their best." In 

 fact, that gentleman and his party did not know what they 

 were about. They were rehearsing the performance of three 

 years ago, but had forgotten their parts. Lord Bury and his 

 friends were in a fog as regarded the actual financial position of 

 the Society. The pardens, for which no one paid, always kept 

 them in difficulties, and now they had i'6000 of debts. The 

 Council had tried to re-arrange the terms of fellowship, a 

 course which was called for by public opinion and common 

 sense [hear, and no]. For his own part ho considered the 

 revised privileges were a great deal too easy for the residents of 

 South Kensington, they should be made to pay not less than 

 ten guineas each yearly. The income of the Society bad to be 

 raised by some means or other, and the new scheme proposed 

 by the Council should at least have a year's trial. It was 

 monstroDB that the gardens should be kept up for the amuse- 



ment of the local Fellows at the expense of country Fellows. 

 He objected altogether to the motion, which was brought 

 forward for the purpose of again throwing the Society into an 

 unsettled state [no, no, and hear, hear]. He would conclude 

 by moving as an amendment, "That the ballot of Tuesday last 

 be confirmed, and the Report adopted " [hear, hear, and dissent]. 

 Mr. Hardcastle. — I submit that that is not an amendment to 

 my resolution. 



The Chairman. — Well, I hardly think it is, but it can be made 

 an amendment by giving a direct negative to the motion. It 

 will come to the same thing if the proposed amendment is 

 altered to "that the words after 'that' be omitted," and the 

 words, " the Report be adopted " substituted. I think that 

 would meet all that is required. 



Mr. HiEBEED accepted the alteration. 



Admiral Hohney. — May I be permitted, my lord, to answer 

 the questions asked with reference to my retirement from the 

 Council ? Would my doing so be a breach of faith ? 



The Chaieman. — It is for you to act on that point as you think 

 proper. Of course you can only speak for yourself, and if your 

 remarks are limited to that I do not see any harm in your 

 explanation. 



Admiral Hoenby then proceeded at some length to explain 

 his resignation. He would say for himself that he had worked 

 harmoniously with the Council, and there had been no quarrel 

 between them. He should say, however, that after joining the 

 Council he found himself in a false position and in a hopeless 

 minority. He disapproved of much that had been done. For 

 instance, he was opposed to the revised privileges which had 

 been issued. 



Several Members of the CooNCtL. — Why, you voted for 

 them. 



Admiral Hornby said it was no secret that Lord Aberdare 

 and himself protested against them. He believed the revised 

 privileges could not be worked for the benefit of the Society ; 

 they were simply impracticable. Being of this opinion he had 

 felt it his duty to resign, as also did Mr. Grote. They were 

 altogether unable to do what they thought right, and so con- 

 sidered it best to retire. 



Mr. George Wilson then seconded the amendment. They had 

 had enough of turning out Councils. He would say, Pray do 

 not make matters worse than they are by turning out the 

 Council. 



Mr. Peter Liggins would support the motion. One proof of 

 the decay of the Society was the comparatively small attendance 

 at the meeting that day. A few years ago the room would have 

 been crowded by Fellows who wished to hear the President's 

 statement. In order to show how the affairs of the Society were 

 mismanaged he would bring a certain circumstance before the 

 meeting. A lady, whose name it was unnecessary to mention, 

 had written to the Council complaining of the revised code of 

 privileges, and in reply received a letter from the Secretary 

 accepting her resignation. Now, she had not tendered her 

 resignation and had no intention of doing so. 



A Member of the Coukcu. said this was the first they had 

 heard of the matter. 



Mr. Liggins went on to say he could give the name. He 

 brought the case forward to let them see how recklessly the in- 

 come ef the Society was thrown away [cries of " time " and 

 "sit down"]. 



The Chairman said the Council knew nothing whatever about 

 the letter or the lady. The last speaker must have been misin- 

 formed as to the facts. 



Mr. Edgae BowBiNG, Treasurer to the Royal Commissioners, 

 spoke as to the urgent necessity for a vigorous effort to bo made 

 in order to raise the income of the Society to £10,000 per annum, 

 so as to meet the claims of Her Majesty's Commissioners. 



Mr. Godson wished to know how it was that the Council did 

 not vote at Tuesday's meeting, and thus defeat the object ot 

 those who wished to force new members on the Council [cries 

 of " divide "] 



The Chaieman thought it was unusual for the Council to vote. 



Mr. Godson said they could have done so [cries of "time," 

 and "divide"]. 



The Chaiem.in considered the Council could not have voted. 

 In any case they were in a minority ["time"]. 



Mr. B.1TEMAN was opposed to the motion [continued cries]. 

 It was wrong to be always changing their Council, and if the 

 resolution was succeseful they would only be adding to the em- 

 barrassments of the Society [cries of "divide"]. 



The diECUfsion closed at this point, the meeting evincing con- 

 siderable impatience to have the vote on the resolution taken. 



The Chairman. — It is now my duty to put the resolution and 

 the amendment to the meeting, so that the question may be 

 decided, but before doing so I would say a few words. Before 

 my own fate or the fate of the Council I would consider the 

 fate of the Society, and I would ask you to think what may be 

 the result if the motion is successful, or even if it is not. 

 Whether you are willing or unwilling that it should be so— and 

 no doubt there [are many prpEent who are unwilling — the 



