Reports of House and Journal Committees. 
xxix 
rising of the Council on December 7, 
the House Committee had received 
an intimation that the refusal of this 
property could be obtained ; but as 
this refusal was only given for a very 
limited time, it was impossible to 
consult the Council on the subject. 
Under these circumstances, the Duke 
of Westminster and Mr. Walter Gilbey 
had generously taken upon themselves 
the responsibility of purchasing the 
property, in order to secure such por- 
tions of it as might be required for the 
purposes of the Royal Agricultural 
Society and kindred societies. The 
terms of contract for purchase had been 
settled, andthecontractitself would be 
signed almost immediately. The site 
of the existing house had been offered 
by the Duke of Westminster and Mr. 
Gilbey to the Society on very favour- 
able terms, and the Committee strongly 
recommended that this offer be ac- 
cepted. If the general principle of 
the purchase of the site of Harewood 
House for the future home of the 
Society were approved by the Council, 
the House Committee proposed at 
once to consider plans for the accom- 
modation of the “ Koyal,” and of 
other societies who wished to be 
located in the building ; and they 
asked for full powers to carry this 
into effect. They thought it right to 
state, however, that the scheme could 
not be completed without substantial 
financial assistance from the members 
and well-wishers of the Society. 
The President said it was well 
known that there had been for some 
time a very strong feeling as to the 
inconvenience and inadequacy of the 
Society’s present offices, and when it 
was understood that the adjoining 
premises of Harewood House were in 
the market, Mr. Walter Gilbey and 
himself had agreed to take the re- 
sponsibility of purchasing the site, 
hoping that the “ Koyal ” would 
purchase at all events a part of it, if 
suited to their requirements, for the 
purpose of housing itself and any 
other societies connected with agri- 
cultural objects. It remained for 
them to decide whether they would 
adopt the proposal of the House 
Committee, and take measures to 
raise money for the purchase and 
erection of the new building. 
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales 
moved that a cordial vote of thanks 
be given to the Duke of Westminster 
and Mr. Walter Gilbey for their 
public-spirited action. He said they 
were all very grateful for the very 
handsome manner in which they had 
come to the assistance of the Society 
in this matter, which was one of 
great importance to their future 
deliberations. (Hear, hear.) 
The Duke of Richmond and 
Gordon had the greatest pleasure in 
seconding the motion which His 
Royal Highness had made. The 
Duke of Westminster and Mr. Walter 
Gilbey had come forward at a 
moment of very considerable diffi- 
culty ; and, indeed, had they not done 
so, the Society would still be in the 
inconvenient position in which they 
had been for so many years. He 
thought there could not be two 
opinions amongst the members of the 
Council as to the report of the House 
Committee being adopted, and the 
resolution of thanks being passed. 
The Duke of Westminster, in 
thanking His Royal Highness and 
the Council for the resolution which 
had been proposed and adopted, said 
it would be an undeniable advantage 
to the Society to be housed in a more 
creditable manner than at present. 
Mr. Walter Gilbey also expressed 
his thanks for the resolution, and said 
that he was only too delighted at 
being able to do anything that was 
for the benefit of the Society. He 
thought that their experiences of that 
day were a sufficient indication of 
the necessity of some more spacious 
accommodation being available for 
their deliberations. They had not 
been able to find sitting accommoda- 
tion for the members of Council who 
were present, and the influential 
deputations who had waited upon 
them were subjected to considerable 
inconvenience. He hoped the House 
Committee would have the financial 
support of the members and the well- 
wishers of agriculture generally in 
their endeavours to provide a more 
worthy home for the Society. 
Journal. 
Earl Cathcart reported his elec- 
tion as Chairman of the year. Copies 
were laid upon the table of the last 
