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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1890. 
THE DUKE OF RICHMOND AND GORDON, K.G. (TRUSTEE), IN THE CHAIR. 
In pursuance of a requisition signed, 
in accordance with Bye-law 27, by a 
Trustee, a Vice-President, and three 
other Members of Council, a Special 
Meeting of the Council, convened by 
circular, was held on Thursday, De- 
cember ]8, 1890, to consider the de- 
sirability of restoring to the Don- 
caster Prize Sheet the nine classes 
for Two-shear Rams, which had been 
struck out on the recommendation of 
the Stock Prizes Committee. 
The following Members of Council 
were present : — 
Trustees. — Earl Cathcart, Col. Sir 
Nigel Kingscote, K.C.B., The Duke 
of Richmond and Gordon, K.G. 
Vice-President. — Mr. Walter Gilbey. 
Other Members of Council. — Mr. 
Joseph Beach, Lord Brougham and 
Vaux, Mr. Percy E. Crutchley, Mr. 
Hugh Gorringe, Mr. Charles Howard, 
Mr. P. Albert Muntz, M.P., Mr. G. H. 
Sanday, Mr. A. J. Smith, Mr. Martin 
J. Sutton, Mr. Joseph P. Terry, Sir 
Jacob Wilson. 
In the absence of the President, 
the Duke of Richmond and Gordon 
was called to the Chair, on the mo- 
tion of Sir Nigel Kingscote, se- 
conded by Mr. Charles Howard. 
The Secretary read the Bye-law 
(27) governing the holding of Special 
Meetings of the Council, and the 
requisition under authority of which 
the Meeting had been convened. 
He also read letters referring to 
the subject for discussion from the 
Earl of Ravensworth (President), 
Sir Matthew Ridley, the Hon. Cecil 
T. Parker, Mr. Chandos-Pole-Gell, 
Mr. Frankish, Mr. Mainwaring, Mr. 
Stratton, Mr. Garrett Taylor and Mr. 
Christopher Wilson. 
Mr. Sanday said it might per- 
haps be convenient that before the 
general discussion took place, he 
should explain the reasons which had 
actuated the Stock Prizes Committee 
in striking out the prizes for Two- 
shear Rams. It had been said that 
they were acting somewhat hastily 
and inconsistently in doing this ; but 
he could not himself see that this was 
the case, as the question had been 
brought forward at the Stock Prizes 
Committee meeting so far back as 
November of last year (1889), when 
the Plymouth Prize Sheet was being 
settled. At that meeting a motion 
had been made that classes for Ram 
Lambs should be substituted for those 
for Two-shear Rams, and notice of 
this was sent to every Member of 
Council. The subject was discussed 
again at the meeting of the Stock 
Prizes Committee held in December 
1889; but as there was not at that 
time any great necessity for cutting 
down the Prize Sheet, the proposal 
was withdrawn for the time being. 
This year, however, the Prize Sheet 
had reached such dimensions that 
when it came to be looked into it was 
evident that reductions must be made 
somewhere ; and the Stock Prizes 
Committee, when they met last week, 
were confronted with the necessity 
of effecting economies by striking out 
some of the classes. Horses they felt 
they could not touch, as the great 
bulk of the prizes were given by the 
Local Committee. Cattle they reduced 
by some 180/., but this was not suffi- 
cient. They had, therefore, to consider 
in what way the Sheep prizes, which 
amounted in all to a very considerable 
sum, could be cut down. It was felt 
that in view of the small number of 
Two-shear-Ram entries as compared 
with the other Ram classes, and the 
necessity for encouraging ejtrly ma- 
turity, the Two-shears rather than the 
Ram Lambs should be sacrificed, and 
they arrived, therefore, at the decision 
to which objection had been taken. 
Complaint was made of the shortness 
of the notice given to intending ex- 
hibitors, who were already preparing 
their Two-shear sheep for exhibition 
at Doncaster. But the Society had 
very often made considerable changes 
in the classes given in its Prize Sheet 
without notice to exhibitors. Up to 
the Derby Show of 1881 prizes were 
