246 



Horticultural Society and Garden. 



Society, and have given the greatest satisfac- 

 tion, have acquired much of their knowledge 

 in the garden of the Horticultural Society ? 



A. No. 



Q. Mr. was a gaod gardener before 



he came ? 



What is called holding a Council. — 



Vigo? 



Q. You are a member of the Committee of 

 the Horticultural Society, I believe ? 



A- Yes ; I have been so since May last. 



Q. Is this the first year that you have ever 

 been a member of the Council ? 



A. It is. 



Q. Has it been the custom of the Council to 

 have material business transacted by them ? — 

 Has material business been transacted by the 

 Council in your presence ? 



A. I have understood that the whole busi- 

 ness of the Society has been transacted by the 

 Council, but I cannot answer that that has 

 been so ; but we have always understood so : it 

 is supposed that it is the case. We take it 

 for granted to be the case, that the whole 

 business of the Society is transacted by the 

 Council in the first instance. 



Q. In point of fact, when you have attended 

 Council meetings, has business been submitted 

 for their approval ? 



A. The business, generally speaking, is sub- 

 mitted for their approval, but it always hap- 

 pens that the business of the Society is settled 

 beforehand, by some of the more efficient mem- 

 bers, who take a greater interest in the mat- 

 ters of the Society. What is generally laid 

 before us is the business of the day ; those are 

 in form introduced by the members who are 

 the official members of the Society, and who, 

 of course, are looked upon to be the most ac- 

 quainted with the business; it is their duty to 

 lay them before us. It generally proceeds in 

 this form : — The matters of finance are stated, 

 and a list of bills is laid before them which are 

 to be paid. It is generally assumed that these 

 bills have been examined, and our approbation 

 is asked for the payment of them. It gene- 

 rally follows, as a matter of course ; and it very 

 seldom, in fact, happens (I have never known it 

 cither in this Society, or the Zoological Society, 

 or any others, and there are many others which 

 I could mention that are modelled upon the 



What is called a Garden Committee. — 

 Grant, Esq., one 



Q. I believe you are one of the Garden 

 Committee? 



A. Yes. 



Q. Are you in the habit of attending often 

 at the Garden Committee? 



A. Yes. I have attended regularly every 

 week, with the exception of one day, since 

 May last. 



Q. Does the Garden Committee superintend 

 very accurately the management and labours 

 of the garden ? 



A. No, certainly not. 



Q. It does not? 



A. No, it does not. The Garden Committee 

 does not certainly. I have not. There never 

 has been any thing of the kind done when I 

 have attended. 



Q. There is a quarterly meeting of the Gar- 

 den Committee I believe ? 



Q. No. There is a monthly meeting of the 

 Garden Committee. 



Q. During the adjournment of the Garden 

 Committee, who gives directions as to the ar- 

 rangement and superintendence of the gar- 

 den ? 



A. I am unable to answer that question. 



Q. What are the duties of the Garden Com- 

 mittee ? 



A. Yes ; and there have been none recom- 

 mended but what have been good gardeners 

 before they came to the garden. 



Q. Those are the gardeners who have given 

 satisfaction ? 



A. Yes. 



Extracts from the evidence of N. A. 

 s, Esq. 



same principle), that any question ever arises 

 on the subject. It is generally taken for granted 

 that the bills, which are laid before us to be 

 approved, have been submitted to the proper 

 officers of the different departments ; it is eti- 

 quette not to examine into the matters which 

 are laid before us. It is mere matter of form. 



Q. Then the Council have not at all inter- 

 fered in the management of the Society ? 



A. It is not the custom, I think, to do so. 

 It is a species of etiquette, of delicacy of the 

 members of the Council towards those who 

 are the efficient members. We take for granted 

 that they have looked into the detail of the 

 matters, and that every thing is correct. It 

 is more, I believe, a matter of etiquette than 

 any thing else, passing our approbation, — a 

 matter of course. I believe that it is decidedly 

 felt to be so by the members. I could saythat 

 I might at any time have asked for the ac- 

 counts, and have looked into them ; perhaps 

 it was my duty to have done so, as a member 

 of the Council. I say, I do not conceive myself 

 in the right for not having done so ; but I 

 must say, that never was there the smallest 

 suspicion of any thing that was necessary to be 

 looked into, upon any matter, or any thing, 

 upon the minds of the rest of the members of 

 the Council, otherwise we had the opportunity 

 of doing so, as the accounts were before us, 

 which we never examined, from motives of 

 delicacy. We were all invited to do so, but 

 feeling that there was nothing that required 

 our superintendence, it is a mere matter of 

 etiquette, and considered as such. I believe 

 it is usual for most of the members of societies 

 who are not actually employed in affairs of the 

 society, to pass over matters with the same in- 

 difference. It is a sort of feeling we had, not 

 to interfere in these matters. It might be 

 considered as a kind of indelicacy towards the 

 officers who laid the matter before us. 



Extracts from the evidence of Peter 

 of the Members. 



A. I cannot answer that question. I don't 

 know what they are. 



Q. Are you not able to give us an opinion 

 what the duties are? 



A. 1 can give but very little information ; I 

 attended regularly as one of the Garden Com- 

 mittee, but I am sure I don't know at this 

 moment what their duties are. 



Q. What do they do ? 



A. I may answer, nothing. Therfr-are mi- 

 nutes read, as it is usual, of the former meet- 

 ing, but it is only matter of form ; and then 

 the issues of several things from the garden, 

 which have already been made, are read over 

 far the sanction of the Garden Committee. 

 In fact I have never sanctioned them. I don't 

 consider I have given a sanction to any thing. 

 I have never been asked. The truth is, that 

 only in one instance have I ever been called 

 upon to perform any duty at all, and that 

 was in approving of a boy to be employed in 

 carrying messages from the gate to the Coun- 

 cil. 



Q. I think you have stated that you have 

 regularly attended all the appointments of the 

 Garden Committee since Mav last ? 

 A. Yes. 

 Q Is the Committee to understand that no 



