118 THE SOUTH DEVON HUNT 



At the adjourned meeting, after the results of the 

 canvassing had been stated, the Honorary Secretary, 

 Mr. A. Moffatt, at the request of the chairman, Sir 

 Lawrence Palk, read the agreement between Mr. 

 Ross and the guarantors, drawn up in October, 1875, 

 when the guarantors agreed to find Mr. Ross £500 

 a year for three years to hunt the South Devon 

 country. A letter was also read, in which Mr. 

 Ross had asked Sir Lawrence Palk to intimate 

 to the guarantors that, as the expenses were so 

 much beyond the guarantee, he could not continue 

 to hunt the country after that season, unless the sum 

 was increased. 



The chairman observed that either party by 

 giving notice might terminate the agreement. It 

 might be said Mr. Ross did not absolutely intend, by 

 his letter, to terminate the agreement ; but, on the 

 receipt of the letter, a meeting was called at Exeter, 

 and it was then resolved that the committee, so far 

 as their power enabled them so to do, should 

 terminate their agreement with Mr. Ross. It was 

 also considered advisable that a meeting of land- 

 owners and other parties interested in the hunt 

 should be called at Newton, which meeting had been 

 duly held. The result of the canvass was very un- 

 satisfactory, and subscriptions were falling off. The 

 chairman could not shut his eyes to the fact that 

 there was great dissatisfaction with the sport Mr. 

 Ross had shown. Many subscribers had told him 

 privately that unless Mr. Ross would employ a 

 huntsman they would not continue their subscrip- 

 tions. Mr. Ross had peremptorily and decidedly 

 refused to engage a huntsman. A suggestion was 

 made at the last meeting that the country should be 

 divided, and he almost thought it large enough. Mr. 



