1 14? Horticultural Society and Garden. 



Also, from the Garden of the Society. Flowers : Eighteen sorts of Chry- 

 santhemums. — Fruit : Nineteen sorts of Pears, thirty-four sorts of Apples, 

 Elford, and new Demerara Pine-apples, and Psidium Cattle?«ttw??z. — Vege- 

 tables : Seventeen different varieties of Cabbages, and Mushrooms. 



The Affairs of the Society. — A rumour having reached us of a letter 

 having been printed on this subject, addressed to Mr. Sabine, we wrote to 

 the gentleman said to be the author of the letter, and the following is his 

 answer. The substance of the answer has also appeared in this day's 

 < Jan. 15.) Times : — 



Sir, In answer to your letter, I beg to inform you that I have not published any letter to Mr. 

 Sabine. I printed, for private circulation, an answer to two minutes which were sent to me by the 

 Council of the Horticultural Society : I do not know whether you will find it worth while to mser ' 

 this answer in your Magazine.* I find, since, that there was a party in the Council (at the head 

 of which, I am told, was Mr. Sabine) to recommend the General Meeting to expel me. This, 

 however, failed, and two minutes were sent instead. Since the statement I send you was printed, 

 I have discovered, in the archives of the Society, a written report, by a servant of the Society (Mr. 

 Douglas), of a conversation with me, which report is utterly false; and on this report the abuse 

 in the minutes of the Council was partly founded, although the report was never shown to me. I 

 cannot prove that he was employed as a spy ; but I can only say, that he came, after his report had 

 been made, twice to my house ; and at one time represented Mr. Sabine as no better than he 

 should have been, in having taken some birds of him (Douglas). I did not, however, move in the 

 matter beyond writing to the Society to ask as to the fact ; but I will not trouble you with my own 

 affairs. 1 have made a discovery which, I think, will so completely implicate all the present 

 members of the Council, and the officers, that I think their reign must be nearly at an end. The 

 Society owes from nineteen to twenty thousand pounds ! ! ! This was admitted by Mr. Lindley 

 to me. It owed nearly 19,000/. last year ! and this year the debt is considerablyiincreased ; and, in 

 addition, many members have withdrawn, and many, I know, are about to withdraw. As to the 

 tradesmen's bills, some are unpaid for 1826, and, I believe, earlier. The auditors have no balance- 

 sheet when they audit, so that they never know the real state of affairs of the Society ; nor has 

 there been a balance-sheet laid before the Society at the General Meeting for these'two years ! 

 nor can I find that the Council are bound to take or give any account of the debts. The debts 

 consist of tradesmen's bills and loan debts (about 11,000/.). The tradesmen having become clamor- 

 ous, they had bonds given to them : Nicol, the printer, has bonds for more than 1800/., bearing 

 interest; so has a builder, for some thousands, I believe. All- the property I can find the Society 

 have is a small arrear due from the members, the value of some houses in Regent Street, and 

 their stock at the garden. Mr. Frost and the Medico-Botanical are nothing to this ! I am not 

 much of a lawyer, but, I suppose, so?nebody is liable for this mass of debt ; of which no one, that 

 . I can hear of, knew, until I heard, when a poor man was arrested, and he gave as a reason that he 

 could not pay because the Society would not pay him a heavy bill which had been long due to 

 him ; and this gave me the clue. But, in addition to this, there may be claims outstanding of 

 which I know nothing, and which have never been brought into account. One there is, I know, 

 which has been omitted ; it is as follows : — Mr. Atkinson, one of the earliest patrons of the So- 

 ciety, conducted all the architectural business of the Society gratis, but stipulated to be paid his 

 expenses actually out of pocket. Mr. Atkinson also, when the Society was in great distress, pro- 

 cured a gentleman to lend 1000/. to the Society. The Society, long after the time arrived for repay- 

 ment, refused to pay; and Mr. Atkinson was obliged to take legal proceedings, and to threaten 

 them, to get the money back. He never made any charge against the Society beyond the expenses 

 of his clerks in making drawings, &c. He estimates his services to the Society, charging after 

 the rate which he charges in other cases, at between 300 and 400/. All this he forewent ; but he 

 wrote some letters about the 1000/., and also sent in his bill, with a request that it might belaid 

 before the Council. Mr. Atkinson never got any answer. I heard of it, insisted on seeing the 

 letters : I found the letters and bills had been mislaid by accident ; and Mr. Lindley admitted he 

 believed they were never laid before the Council. Whilst prosecuting this curious enquiry, I found 

 that part of the letters of the Society were kept at Mr. Sabine's private house. Now, this is a thing 

 which never ought to be permitted ; and I wonder at the supineness of the President (for you 

 must not mix him up with the Council) in permitting this. I should add, that it is impossible to 

 find out what is done at the Society, as the Council will not let any member see their minutes, as 

 is done in other Societies, nor can you see the minutes of the committees. No wonder, therefore, 

 the members get up some fine frosty morning, and find themselves hard in debt 20,000/., and 

 nothing to pay it with. The profusion is inconceivable : Nicol, the printer, who cannot get paid, 

 takes a bond, and, I believe, makes the Society pay pretty dearly for credit. I am, however, going 

 to check his account against one by another printer for the same sort of work. Would you believe 

 that the stupid, trumpery, childish, absurd plate of the crocuses, in the last part of the Transactions, 

 cost the Society about 220/. ? I took the trouble to make the calculation. I have not time at present 

 to send you more : if any thing occurs before you go to press, I will send it to you. The fact is, I 

 have got scent of many other things, and I am not yet in possession of all the materials ; and, besides, 

 there is much to do at the Zoological. I propose looking at the bills in that Society : it is said 

 there is more profusion there than at the Horticultural ; I hope that they will keep out of debt. 

 Mr. Sabine is the treasurer. I remain, Sir, yours, &c. — B. ' Jan. 14. 1830. 



P. S. Can you tell how much Turner stole of the Society; and do you know any of the 

 mysterious facts as to allowing him to escape ? I wish you could learn them for me. — J3. 



At the Meeting, on January 19., it was admitted that the Society was in 

 debt upwards of 19,000/., and a proposition was made, and afterwards 

 advertised in the 'newspapers, " for the appointment of a committee to 

 enquire into the general expenditure and management of the Society at 

 the next General Meeting." 



W T e_shall give the essence in next Number. — Cond, 



