Premiums io Thoroughbred Stallions. 
clxxxvii 
taken before them an application to 
the Treasury for an increase of their 
grant, so as to provide for an extension 
of their general operations and for 
the premiums in the district hereto- 
fore undertaken by the Society. The 
application of the Commissioners to 
the Treasury had not up to the pre- 
sent been successful, though it was 
understood that the subject was still 
" under consideration."' Meanwhile 
it was important that the arrange- 
ments for the selection of stallions 
for the season of 1891 should be 
settled, and publicly announced with- 
out delay ; and in view of the fact 
that the Royal Commissioners, with 
the funds at present at their disposal, 
could not, without dislocation of 
their arrangements, provide for the 
service of the thoroughbred stallions 
throughout the country on the plan 
which had been adopted for the last 
three years, pressure had been 
brought upon him to recommend the 
Council to continue its grant for 
another year. The Finance Com- 
mittee had last year left it to the 
Council to decide the matter, and 
they must do the same this year. At 
the same time, if the Council thought 
the expenditure a proper one to incur, 
the Committee would not interpose 
any financial objection. For himself, 
speaking not as Chairman of the 
Finance Committee, but in his private 
capacity as a member of the Council, 
he should be glad if the arrangement 
could be carried out. 
Mr. Dent said that if such a grant 
were desired from the Society, due 
notice ought to be given to members 
of the Council in the usual way. 
Sir Jacob Wilson explained the 
reasons for urgency in the matter, 
and detailed the negotiations which 
were going on for an increase in the 
Government grant to the Commis- 
sion. 
The Earl of Coventry hoped the 
Council would see their way to con- 
tinue the grant. All those interested 
in the breeding of horses had reason 
to be deeply grateful to the Society 
for the action which it had taken 
towards placing the services of sound 
thoroughbred sires within the reach 
of tenant-farmers at reasonable rates. 
In order to enable the Council to 
come to a conclusion on the matter at 
that meeting, he begged to move the 
suspension of the Standing Orders 
with regard to notices of motion for 
grants of money. 
Earl Cathcart seconded this 
motion, which was carried. 
The Earl of Coventry then 
moved, and the Earl of Feversham 
seconded : — 
That a grant of 6001. be made 
out of the funds of the Society for 
the purpose of providing three pre- 
miums of 200/. each to thorough- 
bred stallions for the forthcoming 
year in District E (Yorkshire), in 
which the annual show of the 
Society will be held in 1891, sub- 
ject to the understanding that all 
other expenses connected with 
such stallions are borne by the 
Royal Commission on Horse Breed- 
ing. 
In the course of the discussion on 
this motion, in which Sir Nigel 
Kingscote, the President, the Earl 
of Feversham, Sir Jacob Wilson, 
Mr. Dent, Mr. Martin, and other 
members took part, 
Sir Jacob Wilson said he thought 
he might venture to say, on behalf of 
the Royal Commission, that if the 
Society would provide the premiums, 
the Commission would undertake all 
the expenses of judging, printing, 
and other incidentals. 
Eventually Lord Coventry's 
motion was put to the vote, and 
carried by thirty-one votes to two. 
The President said that he was 
sure he expressed the feeling of the 
Council when he hoped that if the 
Society subscribed— and handsomely 
subscribed — to the fund for provi- 
ding sound stallions, farmers would 
meet them by sending sound mares 
to such stallions. That was a ques- 
tion of large dimensions, and he 
hoped it would be discussed at 
greater length when they had more 
time. It was of very little use to 
provide these stallions unless the 
mares farmers sent to them were 
sound, well-bred animals. 
Subsequently, Mr. Bacon Frank, 
on behalf of the Local Committee, 
said that in order to continue the 
gold medals which had in past years 
been given to the stallions winning 
the Society's premiums, the Don- 
re 2 
