14 The Foundation of the Royal Agricultural Society. 
Hobbs, W. Fisher. i Pago, W. Woods. Thompson, Harry S. 
Grantham, Stephen. ' Paterson, W. S. Meysey. 
Johnstone, Sir Jolin, Bt. Pusey, Philip, M.P. Vcrney, Sir Harry, Bart., 
Kimberley, George. ; Price, Sir Robert, Bart., I M.P. 
Kinder, George. M.P. Warburton, Henry, M.P. 
Lefevre, C. Shaw, M.P. Sanford, Edw. A., M.P. Weeding, Thos. 
Le Couteur, Colonel. Slaney, Robt. A., M.P. Whitbread, Wm. II. 
Long. Walter, M.I'. Smythies, Rev. John R. Wood, J. 
Miles, Wm., M.P. I Spencer, Hon. Capt., Wright, John. 
Pell, Edwin. I M.P. | Youatt, Wm. 
At the first General Meeting, held on June 27, the President 
(Earl Spencer), having taken the chair, congratulated the mem- 
bers on the present state and future prospects of the Society, 
and then called for the report of the Provisional Committee, 
which recapitulated the work of organisation recorded in the 
previous pages, and formulated a code of rules and regulations, 
mainly in accord with those subsequently embodied in the 
Iloyal Charter, to the effect that the Society should consist of 
a President, twelve Trustees, twelve Vice-Presidents, and of 
Governors and Members ; and that the Council should consist of 
the President, twelve Trustees, twelve Vice-Presidents, and fifty 
other members. One General Meeting (subsequently altered 
by the Charter to two) was to be held in London every year, 
and one in the country in July or August — the first to be at 
Oxford on the day already fixed. The exclusion of political 
subjects from the Society's meetings was also embodied in a 
rule, subsequently enforced by the Charter, and the first list of 
officers (whose names have already been given) was presented 
to the meeting. 1 The Committee reported that there were 
already 18G Governors, of whom 05 were Life Governors, and 
121 Annual Subscribers of hi. each ; and 280 Members, of whom 
31 were Life Members, and 219 Annual Subscribers, making 
a total of 4GG ; and, further, that the amount already received 
was 2,52G/. l.«., and 130/. expended, leaving a balance of 2,390/. Is. 
in the hands of the bankers, Messrs. Drummond. , 
The President also read the following voluminous list to 
indicate the nature of the subjects which might be considered 
worthy of encouragement as topics for prize essays : — 1 . Best 
1 It must not, however, be supposed that these included all those who had 
been instrumental in the establishment of the Society. Amongst others who 
did not accept office, Viscount Howick (now Earl Grey) had many communi- 
catkms on the subject with various persons, especially Mr. John Grey of 
Dilston, Lord Spencer, and Lord Eversley. Earl Grey, in a letter addressed 
to the President on March 7, 1800, acknowledging his election as a Founda- 
tion Life Governor, says "that he took a great interest in the formation of the 
Society, and that it is gratifying to liim to have observed that during ite half 
century of existence it has more than fulfilled the sanguine hopes he enter- 
tained of its usefulness at the time it began its work." 
