Horticultural Society and Garden. 235 



Bourke Lambert, Esq. F.H.S. The former of these had been so well pre- 

 served, that they were not distinguishable from the fresh ones. 



From the Garden of the Society. Thirty-eight sorts of Apples, nine sorts 

 of Pears, Asparagus forced in the open ground, seedling Rhubarb, laro-e- 

 rooted Succory, Italian Succory, and Chicoree sauvage panachee. 



Feb. 2. — After a motion of Mr. Gordon, in pursuance of his notice 

 on the affairs of the Horticultural Society, the following letter from the 

 president, Mr. Knight, was read : — " Gentlemen, I address the follow- 

 ing letter to you, respecting the reported embarrassed state of the funds of 

 this Society with exceedingly painful feelings : but I am very anxious to state 

 to its members the circumstances under which I remained unacquainted, till 

 within a few days of the present time, with the existence of such embarrass- 

 ments. 



" When the honour of being made president of this Society was first pro- 

 posed to me (I had never previously, for a moment, entertained a thought 

 of aspiring to the office), I stated in answer, that, if I became president, the 

 distance of my residence, and the nature of my pursuits, must preclude the 

 possibility of my being present in London to attend to the local management 

 of the affairs of the Society ; and I only assented to be nominated on the 

 condition that no other person was proposed ; and, subsequently, when the 

 wealth and number of the members of the Society had greatly increased, I 

 addressed a similar declaration from the chair, and expressed my willingness 

 to resign my office. I had then reasons, which were very flattering to me, 

 to believe that the Society did not wish me to resign my office ; and I re- 

 tained it, requesting, however, that the members of the Society would not, 

 through ' any tenderness of feeling towards me, retain me in office a single 

 hour to the injury of the Society.' I therefore trust that the local management 

 of the official business of the Society was not amongst the duties which 

 the members who did me the honour to elect me expected me to perform. 



" In thus exculpating myself, I do not mean to shift or cast any blame 

 upon the other officers of the Society. They were misled by apparently 

 well founded expectations of assistance, which subsequently proved falla- 

 cious, to take too large a garden, with too great a consequent establishment, 

 and from that source all our subsequent difficulties appear to me to have 

 sprung. I trust, however, that our present embarrassments will be, without 

 much difficulty, overcome ; and I beg to say, that, individually, I shall be 

 happy to contribute my assistance in any way which may aid in restoring to 

 prosperity an Institution which has already done much, and is calculated to 

 do much more, public service. I beg to add, that I would have attended this 

 Meeting, if I could have made myself in any degree useful. I remain, Gen- 

 tlemen, &c. &c. — (Signed) Thos. And. Knight. Downton, Jan. 27. 1830." 



A Committee of Enquiry of thirteen was then appointed, viz. : — The 

 Earl of Sefton, Sir J. Paul, Mr. R. Colborne, Mr. W. Harrison, Mr. W. 

 Blake, Mr. W. Bromley, Mr. G. Silvertop, Mr. J. Pontifex, Mr. W. Murray, 

 Mr. Orde, Mr. Gordon, Mr. Ellice, and Sir John Sebright. 



A good deal of discussion took place at this Meeting, in which, as it may 

 be supposed, Mr. Sabine was rather roughly handled, and accused of having 

 wilfully concealed the real state of the Society's affairs. Mr. Sabine ob- 

 served, that the appointment of the committee gave great satisfaction to him, 

 and, he was sure, to every other officer of the Society. He had held his 

 present situation of honorary secretary to the Society for 14 years, and he 

 had attended to it, even to the neglect of his own private affairs. He had 

 never got, nor had ever sought, any remuneration for his services, but the 

 consciousness that he was doing good in promoting the objects of so useful 

 an Institution. For the last four years, the business of the Society had 

 become extremely onerous, and he would have resigned his situation but for 

 the persuasion of some of his friends. In the course of his services in the 

 Society he might have committed errors, but he hoped that the members of 



