Tlie Royal Agricultural Society of England. 865 = 599 
ocers as thej may deem necessary, but those officers cannot con- 
tct or discharge in the name and on the behalf of the Society. 
Iictically, the only paid officers of the Society, other than the 
STetary and his staff, are its scientific advisers, as will be.ex- 
p ined presently, for even the editorship of the ' Journal ' has 
1" the last ten years been merged in the secretaryship. 
The direction of the Society's affairs must therefore be the standing 
V rk of the Council in reality as well as in name ; and for this Committees, 
p pose each department of affairs is placed under the charge of 
a landing Committee. These Committees report to the Council 
a arge, and in the event of their recommendations being adopted, 
iuecomes the duty of the Secretary to carry them out, and in 
( >s of difficulty to confer with the Chairman of the Com- 
I tee having charge of the department affected. This system 
ommon in England, where all classes of society are thoroughly 
limed with the principles and practice of " self-government." 
I I most able members of the community give their time and 
tl aghts to the affairs of the country and of its several institu- 
tiis in the interests of the public at large. Thus a large, an 
ii ructed, and an influential governing body, who work for 
tl honour and the pleasure that such labour brings with it, is 
gierally found, as in this case, controlling the affairs of an 
ir itution established for the public benefit. 
he President of the Society is elected for one year only, and Piesklent. 
a( )rding to the Charter is not eligible for re-election until after 
1! nterval of three years. The list of Past-Presidents contains 
names of some of the most influential landowners and most 
pminent agriculturists in the country, including the late 
Pice Consort, the Prince of Wales, the late and the present 
Dees of Richmond, the late Earl Spencer (first President), 
tt late Lord Walsingham, the present Earl Cathcart, Viscount 
Blport, and Lord Vernon, the late Mr. Pusey, M.P., Sir H. S, 
M/sey Thompson, and Mr. E. Llolland (the founder of the Royal 
A icultural College), and many others whose names are house- 
htl words in the annals of English Agriculture. 
"he President of the Society for the current year (1877—78) Functions of 
is 'olonel Kingscote, C.B., M.P., of Kingscote, Gloucestershire ; Committees, 
ar the following is a list of the principal Standing Com- 
m ;ees, with the names of their Chairmen : — 
Committees. Chairmen. 
■nance .. .. Mr. C. Eandell, of Chadbury, Worcestershire. 
ection .. .. Earl Catbcavt, of Thornton-le-Street, Yorkshire. 
.ck Prizes .. Mr. R. Milward, of Thurgarton, Nottinghamshire. 
ijplement .. .. Mr. J. Hemsley, of Shelton, Nottinghamshire. 
'^iry-meeting..'^^°^^^^^^l'^ll^^^^^ °f fathom Hall, Lancashire 
3 M 2 
