clxvili 
Monthly Council, November 4, 1891. 
in which they were doing practical 
good. He hoped the Society would 
see their way to continue the grant, 
at all events for another year. 
Mr. Dent said he must enter his 
protest against this matter being 
sprung upan them without notice. 
It was a most irregular proceeding, 
involving the suspension of the bye- 
laws, which did not allow them to 
make a grant of this character with- 
out notice. No notice had been given 
to any member of the Council of the 
resolution now proposed. Until he 
came into the room a quarter of an 
hour ago, he had no idea that the 
matter was going to be brought for- 
ward again. Precisely the same thing 
happened last year, and he protested 
against matters of this kind being 
brought before the Council without 
proper notice being given to every 
member. 
Sir Jacob Wilson said that the 
best answer he could give to Mr. Dent 
was that the Royal Commission only 
sat oa Monday last, and that their 
letter was written immediately after- 
wards. They would remember that 
last year a resolution was carried by 
thirty- one votes to two in favour of 
making the grant, on condition that 
the Royal Commission should bear 
all the expenses beyond the 600^. 
That had been carried out. At that 
time an effort was being made to in- 
duce the Government to augment 
their grant, and every possible in- 
fluence had oeea brought to bear 
upon the Treasur^^ but they had de- 
clined to increase the grant. He was 
not prepared to say that those efforts 
would not be repeated, and perhaps 
with better success hereafter; but 
that would not meet the preseut case, 
as it was very urgent that, if possible, 
the prize sheet should go out before 
December. The fact remained that 
there was a district in England to 
which the Society would go next 
year, but for which the Royal Com- 
mission with the funds at their dis- 
posal could not provide premiums to 
thoroughbred stallions. Extensive 
evidence had been taken by the Com- 
mission from the bast authorities, 
and the question was always asked, 
" What amount ought they to give 
for each premium?" For every 
answer which gave IHOI. as the 
amount, at least four gave 2001. He 
well remembered when the matter 
was first being considered in that 
Council. They started with the idea 
of giving 300Z. for each horse. Event- 
ually the premium was fixed at 200/., 
as, whilst it was not thought good 
enough to reward a man by giving 
him 150Z. for the services of his horse, 
200Z. was sufficient to tempt him to 
co-operate in the scheme. This year 
they had several horses which pre- 
viously served mares at 10/. 10s., that 
were now serving at the Royal Com- 
mission fee of 21. in consequence of 
being supplemented by this sum. He 
found that generally those who 
thought that a smaller sum would 
suffice were those who were not very 
much interested in horses personally, 
or else were wealthy owners of stal- 
lions who did not regard the money. 
The Commission were in the position 
of not being able to supply stallions 
for the district which was represented 
by the Society nest year. He thought 
he might say that they would still 
make a fresh effort to induce the 
Treasury to give them a further 
grant ; but, in the meantime, a great 
and good work was being done, as 
anyone might see by the report show- 
ing the mares served and foals pro- 
duced. He should be very sorry to 
see a change in the system, which 
was working so well throughout the 
country. 
Lord Egerton of Tatton did not 
contest the usefulness of the.se prizes. 
He thought it was desirable to have 
these premium stallions every year; 
but what they felt there was that, 
coming from a public body such as 
the Royal Commission, the matter 
ought to be dealt with in a formal 
manner. It was against this bye-laws 
of their Society that a grant of that 
amount should be voted without due 
notice being given, as had already 
been mentioned. The Governnient 
liad acknowledged, by the grant they 
liad .already given, that they were to 
a certain extent responsible for the 
system. It was ccriain tliat as long 
as the money was found by the So- 
ciety the Treasury would not find it ; 
but if they said that they had a 
great many other objects in view, 
the Government, ,as they had alrciidy 
recognised their responsibility by 
