XXIV 
Monthly Council, February 1 , 1893 . 
and to improve the branch line to 
Newmarket. The bill would have 
the active support of the Corporation 
of Cambridge, and would no doubt 
be carried through. If so, the works 
would certainly be commenced at 
once. The twelve months would not 
be sufficient to complete the station, 
but it would be sufficient time to 
enable them to get the necessary 
accommodation provided for the 
Show. 
Mr. Ransome asked the nature of 
the soil upon which it was proposed 
to hold the Show. 
The Town Clerk replied that it 
was gravel soil. 
The Duke of Devonshire said he 
would only add a few words. He 
accompanied that deputation as 
Chancellor of the University of 
Cambridge. He had reason to 
believe that the invitation would be 
cordially supported by the University, 
who were, of course, considerably 
interested in the matter, as many of 
the Colleges were owners of property 
in the neighbourhood of Cambridge, 
and in their capacity of landlords 
were naturally anxious that their 
tenants should have the advantage 
of the visit of the Royal Agricultural 
Society to Cambridge. As members 
of the Council were probably aware, 
the University had considerable 
opportunities for dispensing hospi- 
tality. He believed that the Colleges 
— or a very large number of them — 
would be very glad of the opportunity 
to show hospitality to the Royal 
Agricultural Society, should they 
think fit to visit Cambridge, and to 
place their accommodation very 
largely at the disposal of the 
members of the Society. He only 
rose to make it quite clear that the 
invitation was cordially supported by 
the University. 
The President having expressed 
the thanks of the Council for the 
attendance of the deputation, and 
The Duke of Rutland having 
acknowledged the appreciation of 
the deputation of the attention with 
which they had been heard and of 
the courtesy with which they had 
been received, the deputation retired, 
pending the decision of the Council. 
Invitation from St. Albans. 
The deputation from Cambridge 
having withdrawn, 
Sir John Lawes introduced a 
deputation from St. Albans, consist- 
ing of the Earl of Clarendon (Lord- 
Lieutenant of Hertfordshire), the 
Marquis of Salisbury, K.G., Yiscount 
Grimston, Sir John Evans, K.C.B., 
F.R.S., Sir Blundell Maple, M.P., Mr. 
Vicary Gibbs, M.P., Mr. T. F. Halsey, 
M.P., Mr. G. B. Hudson, M.P., Mr. 
Abel Smith, M.P., Mr. Richard 
Benyon Croft (High Sheriff of Hert- 
fordshire), the Mayor and Town 
Clerk of St. Albans, Mr. C. T. Part, 
J.P., and Mr. A. Rumball. 
The Earl of Clarendon said he 
had often noticed that aspiring 
orators were in the habit of ex- 
pressing regret, whether addressing 
a public or a private body, that their 
task had not been entrusted to more 
able hands. However loth he was to 
indulge in that trite and well-worn 
form, he could certainly do so without 
conventionality in the presence of Sir 
John Bennet Lawes, whose name was 
so well known all over England not 
only as an agricultural expert, but 
also as a member of the inner circle 
of that honourable Society itself. It 
fell to him, as an unworthy sub- 
stitute, to lay the case for Hertford- 
shire before the Council, and he did 
not care to do so upon private or 
local grounds. He thought the 
benefits that were undoubtedly de- 
rived from the Royal Agricultural 
Society’s Show in any particular 
district would hurt the argument in 
no way, but he would put the matter 
upon less local and more imperial and 
national grounds. It would conduce 
very materially to the agricultural 
benefit of many of the whole group 
of counties in the immediate neigh- 
bourhood of the Metropolis. The 
funds were forthcoming, and he might 
say that even before there was a pros- 
pect of the Council entertaining the 
idea of a show being held at St. 
Albans in 1894, more than double the 
amount was already subscribed, which 
was a sufficient guarantee that the 
Show would be held under the most 
favourable auspices so far as money 
was concerned, and that the whole 
affair would be conducted in a manner 
