The Foundation of the Royal Agricultural Socielij. 11 
further utterance. It would seem that on relieving the meeting 
of their presence they adjourned to another part of the tavern, 
and there prepared a manifesto, which made its appearance in 
the Morning Herald the next morning, May 10, remonstrating 
against the action which they had found themselves powerless 
to resist, and stating that they had resolved on the formation of 
a Society to be called " The Farmers' Central Society of Great 
Britain and Ireland," whose objects were " the protection and 
encouragement of agriculture in all its branches, without refer- 
ence to party political feeling." This manifesto, with its thirteen 
resolutions, seemed at first sight to give promise of some for- 
midable opposition ; but, as a matter of fact, the attempt was 
not long persisted in, and the Society ultimately resolved itself 
into what was practically a Protection Society, the abolition of 
the Corn Laws being at this time the leading question of the 
day. 
It is clear from contemporary records that the success of 
the English Agricultural Society was never for a moment 
seriously imperilled by the operations of the Farmers' Central 
Society ; and as there was no opposition from any other quarter, 
Lord Spencer and his coadjutors went steadily to work to 
develop the organisation they had founded, on the lines already 
laid down. Within a week of the inaugural meeting at Free- 
masons' Tavern no fewer than four meetings of the Provisional 
Committee were held. At the first, held on May 10, when the 
Committee assembled at the same place, there were present 
Earl Spencer (in the chair), the Duke of Richmond, Lord Port- 
man, Hon. R. Clive, M.P., Sir Harry Yerney, Bart., M.P., Sir 
F. Lawley, Bart., M.P., Earl of Euston, M.P., Philip Pusey, 
M.P., E. A. Sanford, M.P., C. Shaw Lefevre, M.P., J. W. 
Childers, M.P., E. W. Pendarves, M.P., R. Ettwall, M.P., 
Jos. Neeld, M.P., Col. Challoner, Rev. J. R. Smythies, Messrs. 
John Ellinan, C. Hillyard, H. Sadler, T. Raymond Barker, 
W. Youatt, E. Pell, C. J. Tower, G. F. Heneage, T. Ellinan, and 
G. Webb Hall ; and a number of resolutions were adopted, 
including the following : — 
" 1. That this Society consist of a President, 12 Vice-Presidents, Gover- 
nors, and Members. 
" 2. That the Society be under the management of a Committee, consist- 
ing of the President, Vice-Presidents, and fifty subscribers, 1 to be elected at 
the annual meetings, of whom twenty-five shall go out annually by rotation, 
but may be re-elected ; and that all Governors have the power of attending 
all meetings of the Committee, but shall not have the privilege of voting, 
unless forming part of such Committee. 
1 At a subsequent meeting the Trustees were added to the Governing Body, 
and were also incorporated In the first resolution. 
