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CHAPTER X. 

 1901-1904. 



Before dealing with tlie ordinary subjects of their Report at 

 the Anniversary Meeting of April 29, 1901, the Council referred 

 to "the topic which had recently engrossed the attention of 

 the whole nation — the death of Her late Most Gracious 

 Majesty Queen Victoria" — in the following paragraph: 



Queen Victoria was, as is well known, closely connected with this 

 Society, as its Patron since 1837, as a Donor on many occasions of valuable 

 gifts to the Menagerie, and up to a recent period as a frequent visitor to 

 the Gardens. It may interest the Fellows to learn that the last occasion 

 when Queen Victoria honoured the Gardens by her presence was on the 

 14th of March, 1877, when Her Majesty was accompanied by the Princess 

 Beatrice, and was conducted round the Gardens by the Secretary and late 

 Superintendent, Mr. A. D. Bartlett. Queen Victoria likewise visited the 

 Gardens on March 20, 1875, and March 26, 1874. 



An address of condolence and loyalty had been previously 

 forwarded to the King, and the Council had " the great pleasure 

 of announcing that His Majesty had been graciously pleased to 

 become the Patron of the Society in succession to Her late 

 Majesty Queen Victoria." The King had been a Fellow since 

 1863, in which year he became Vice-Patron; the late Duke 

 of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (the Duke of Edinburgh) was ad- 

 mitted in 1866; the Duke of Connaught in 1878, and the 

 Prince of Wales (then Duke of York) in 1894 ; H.E.H. became 

 Vice-Patron in March, 1902. 



Although the great contest for the Secretaryship did not 

 take place till the Anniversary Meeting of 1903, it was evident 

 about the middle of 1901 that matters were shaping for a fight. 

 Dissatisfaction was publicly expressed at the management of the 

 Gardens, and especially with the housing. A good deal of this 

 was unfair ; some had its origin in sentimentalism and want of 

 acquaintance with the conditions of the case ; and some appeared 

 to be the outcome of personal feeling — an attack on individuals 

 rather than on a bad condition of things, brought about by lack 

 of adequate supervisioa The strange part of the business 



