238 THE MEYNELL HOUNDS. [1897 



to have been discussed without giving the tenant farmers, 

 the landowners, and other subscribers an opportunity of 

 being present. There was no Master of hounds who had 

 done more for the Meynell country than Mr. Bass, and he 

 (Mr. White) held a petition, signed by nearly five hundred 

 of the largest tenant farmers of the Meynell country, who 

 were of the same opinion. It was stated that Mr. Bass 

 had not subscribed much more money than any one else 

 to the Hunt ; but Mr, Bass had written stating that 

 during the ten years he had been Master it had cost him 

 more than two thousand five hundred pounds a year, 

 which did not include the purchase of horses, keeping 

 young hounds, etc. He (Mr. White) urged we could not 

 afi'ord to lose a man like Mr. Bass. (Hear, hear.) The 

 vote taken the other day was not a representative one, and 

 he was sure that there were plenty of good men who would 

 consent to act as deputy to their present Master. 



Lord Bagot said that, in expressing his opinions, he 

 might tread on the corns of some gentlemen, but he hoped 

 that they would bear him no malice. As one of the oldest 

 members of the Meynell Hunt he regretted very much 

 that during the last few years the Hunt had not been the 

 bed of peace it ought to have been. This was very largely 

 due to the fact that, owing to bad times, old age, and 

 accidents, the landowners were not able to hunt in the 

 way they used to. In regard to the election or rejection 

 of a Master of the Meynell Hunt, he considered that the 

 meeting which was held last week was entirely out of 

 order. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Bass made a mistake in 

 jumping up and taking the wind out of the sail of the 

 Chairman by asking for a vote to be taken ; every land- 

 owner in the country ought to have a chance of giving 

 an opinion upon the point. The discourtesy with which 

 Mr. Bass had been treated, the utter forgetfulness of all 

 he had done for the Meynell Hounds, surpassed all com- 

 prehension. It seemed to be entirely forgotten how he 

 had improved the hounds. Some people were discon- 

 tented with him, and they said, ''You must go." This 



