Kidd V. Royal Agricultural Society of England. G33 
asTi Mr. Wells any question, which I suppose they do not, Mr. Field can go 
on with his address. 
Mr. Field : May it please your Lordship, and Gentlemen of the Jury, I am 
very glad that the time has come for me to ad<iress you in this case. It is 
a case the importance of which cannot be exagcrerated, for it affects the inte- 
rests of a very large number of persons. It affects Mr. Kidd, of course, and 
my learned friend is fairly entitled to put before you the grounds upon which 
he has brought this action. It affects the Defendants ; it affects still more 
largely the large number of per.-ions whose interests on this occasion they are 
rightly or wrongly endeavouring to protect— the principle involved being one 
of the greatest possible consequence. 
Now, Gentlemen, first of all let us see who is the Plaintiff, and let us see 
who are the Defendants. The PlaintitI", Mr. Kidd, is a seed-crusher at Hull, 
which, you know, is the centre of a staple trade in cakes. It has been esta- 
' Wished, I do not know for what length of time, and we hear from Mr. Kidd 
that he is one of the largest makers in that town. Xow, I must beg your 
attention on this occasion to distinguish between Mr. Ayre and Mr. Kidd, 
because although of necessity many matters connected with Mr. Ayre have 
been brought into question here, until 1 hear from my learned friend that 
another action that has been set down in this list is to be disposed of by this 
cause, I must beg you not to take into consideration in this case those matters 
affecting Messrs. Ayre, inasmuch as you, or some of you, may have to dispose 
of them in another action. The next cause in order in the list is one at the 
suit of Messrs. Ayre against the Royal Agricuitural Society, and it will have 
to be tried upon its own merits, if it is to be tried at all. The action by Mr. 
Kidd will, of course, have to be tried upon its merits also; and although I 
am perfectly willing that we should go, as of necessity we must go, to a 
considerable extent, into the questions that have arisen with regard to Mr. 
Wells and Mr. Ayre, I ask j'ou to recollect that on this occasion I have the 
honour to represent the Council of the lioyal Agricultural Society. They are 
the Defendants here : it is against them that this action is brought by Mr. 
Kidd, and it is with respect to the matters, if such matters there are, that 
are injurious or wrong as regards Mr. Kidd, that you are asked to give your 
verdict on this occasion. Therefore, Gentlemen, I beg your attention (1 am 
sure I shall have it) when you come to consider the questions which my Lord 
will leave to you, to what it is that Mr. Kidd complains of, what it is that he 
has a right to complain of, and then y^u will see in what respect his com- 
plaint is well founded, or how far the Society is well founded in their answer 
to it. 
Gentlemen, the Society, as I dare say you are aware, is a voluntary Society 
acting by means of their Council, establishei to piovi'le for a perfectly legiti- 
mate object, that object being, in point of fact, for the consideration of, and judg- 
ment ujx)ii and regulation of, matters connected with tlie Agriculture of Fug- 
land. Its members come from all parts of the country. 1 need not talk to' 
you, of ci'urse, about the enormous interests which the agriculture of this 
country represents, because whether the ^^ociety be voluntarily constituted Ibr 
the prot'jction of their own interests and rights, or for the protection of the 
rights and interests of the firnii rs and landowners whose interests they repre- 
sent, 1 do not, of course, say tliat that iives them any excejitional position at 
all: they have still to answer for their acts as fully and fairly as anybody 
else. Still it bears very strongly on the question which is ordinarily discussed 
in cases of this so t as to what their motives have heen, and as to what their 
objects are, and the causes and reasons which have induced, them to enter into 
this controversy. 
My learned Iriend in opening the case said that in the beginning — which I 
am satistied nothing has passed since that would induce him to recall — 
