clxxxvi Half-Tearly General Meeting, December 10, 1891. 
not the less deign to accept that rote 
from him (Mr. More) because he came 
from a county famous for Herefords 
and sheep. 
Mr. J. K. Fowler seconded the mo- 
tion, which was carried unanimously. 
The President thanked the meet- 
ing very much for the kind way in 
which they had received the vote, 
which had only been too flatter- 
ingly and handsomely proposed and 
seconded by his friends Mr. More 
and Mr. Fowler. It afforded him 
great gratification to assist in any 
way he could the great cause of agri- 
culture which they all had at heart, 
and he felt proud at having been ap- 
pointed to the high position of Presi- 
dent of the Royal Agricultural Society. 
He only feared that he might not be 
able to do justice to the important 
duties which devolved upon the Presi- 
dent of that great Society. With re- 
gard to what had been said by Mr. Read 
on the efforts made by the Board of 
Agriculture to stamp out pleuro-pneu- 
monia, which had, he was happy to 
say, been so successful, and with re- 
gard to the further efforts which 
should be made to stamp out that 
terrible disease of swine fever, he 
need not say that the Council were in 
cordial agreement with the speakers, 
and would give every assistance in 
their power to the Board of Agricul- 
ture. He rejoiced to think that every 
part of this island had been success- 
ful in obtaining the scholarships and 
certificates at the Junior Examination. 
He was glad that there should be 
that friendly rivalrj' between the 
north and the south to which refer- 
ence had been made, and he hoped 
the result might be that it would add 
to the science as well as the practice 
of agriculture in this country. With 
regard to the question of railway 
rates and facilities for the car- 
ri^e of stock and implements, he 
must remind Mr. Barham that a 
Railway Act had passed Parliament 
very lately, and that of course the 
Council could not regulate the rates, 
though they might express their 
wishes and opinions to the Railway 
Companies. With regard to photo- 
graphic apparatus in the showjard, 
he thought it would at once be seen 
that if any one gentleman were al- 
lowed to bring in -his camera 
others would expect the same privi- 
lege, and he was afraid it would 
rather interfere with the facilities of 
the public in getting about the Show. 
As to what Mr. Fowler had said in 
reference to the cultivation of the 
beet-TOot for sugar and the operation 
of the bounty system, he always 
thought that Englishmen had gener- 
ally found out what the soil of their 
countrj' was best suited to produce. 
He could not help feeling that if beet- 
root for the manufacture of sugar 
could have been made profitable, it 
would have been grown in this country. 
With regard to the bounty system. 
Englishmen did not look to the Govern- 
ment for bounties, but liked to rely 
upon their own energies ; and that 
was the source of the strength and 
success of their country in the various 
industries which they had carried on. 
He would not now refer further to 
these suggestions, which would no 
doubt receive the attention of the 
Council, but before he sat down he 
wished to propose a vote of congratu- 
lation upon an event which had been 
received with the greatest satisfac- 
tion and pleasure by all classes of the 
country. He referred to the ap- 
proaching marriage of the Duke of 
Clarence. (Cheers.) The Duke was a 
member of that Society ; and he (the 
President) was sure they would not 
wish to separate that day without 
offering their hearty congratulations 
to His Royal Highness. It had been 
thought better that a resolution of 
this kind should be proposed at a 
general meeting of the members 
of the Society rather than at the 
Council meeting held on the previous 
day, since he felt sure that the whole 
of the members of their very large 
and important Society would wish 
to have the opportunity of adding 
their voices to the universal chorus 
of congratulation with whict the 
announcement of this auspicious 
event had been greeted by all classes, 
(Cheers.) 
Mr. Clare Sewell Read said he 
hoped he might be allowed the privi- 
lege of seconding the resolution of 
congratulation, especially as the 
Duke was President of the Norfolk 
Agricultural Society for this year. 
The resolution was passed by accla- 
mation, and the meeting then termi- 
nated. 
