Report (is to TIarewood House, 
lxxxix 
in the past to secure more suitable house 
accommodation for the Society. The pre- 
mises at 12 Hanover Square, which have 
been occupied by the Society for over fifty 
years, have long been inadequate for its 
rapidly-increasingoperations, and the House 
Committee, under instruction from the Coun- 
cil, have of late been continuously employed 
in searching for more commodious quarters. 
2. Various proposals have from time to 
time been considered by the Committee and 
Council, but these all' involved a removal 
from the neighbourhood of Hanover Square 
— which for the last half-century has been 
looked upon as the head-quarters of agri- 
culture in England — and they were for other 
reasons undesirable. 
3. The coming into the market of the 
freehold of Harewood House, next door to 
the Society’s offices, afforded a long-wished- 
for opportunity of acquiring a more con- 
venient home for the Society’s future 
operations in the vicinity desired. The 
refusal of this site could, however, only be 
obtained for a very short time, and the sum 
asked for the property as a whole (including 
the stable3 and the Oxford Street frontage) 
was, moreover, beyond the Society’s re- 
sources. Under these circumstances, the 
Duke of Westminster and Sir Walter Gilbey, 
in order to secure for the Society the portion 
of the property abutting on Hanover Square, 
generously made themselves responsible for 
the acquisition of the whole. 
4. The House Committee have already 
agreed with the Duke and Sir Walter for 
the purchase of the site on which the 
mansion of Harewood House now stands, for 
the sum of 35,0007., and for the purchase of 
an additional strip of land at the side for a 
further 2,0001., making 37,000 7. in all. 
5. On this site it has been suggested that 
a wholly new building should be erected, at 
a further cost estimated at 25,0001., in which 
structure there would have been some spare 
rooms capable of being sub-let. On con- 
sideration, however, of the proposed schemes 
for new buildings, difficulties presented 
themselves which were not of course insur- 
mountable, but which would have greatly 
delayed the completion of the purchase, and 
would have involved a somewhat considerable 
financial outlay aud responsibility for the 
Society. 
6. The existing Harewood House is an ex- 
ceedingly well-built and solid structure of the 
Adams period ; and would not be difficult of 
adaptation for the Society’s requirements. 
The fabric itself was not considered as com- 
prised in the original arrangement with the 
Duke of Westminster and Sir Walter Gilbey ; 
but, on learning that the Committee were 
considering the question of adaptation as 
against rebuilding, the Duke aud Sir Walter 
not only expressed their willingness to regard 
the house itself as included in the purchase, 
but also to undertake, at their own cost, the 
considerable expense of adapting it so as to 
meet the Society’s requirements. By its 
acceptance of this generous offer, therefore, 
the society will not only be placed in posses- 
sion of a very commodious and handsome 
freehold house, where it can make its per- 
manent home, but it will have acquired the 
important power — should in future this prove 
to be needed — of extending its accommoda- 
tion by the building of additional floors 
without disarranging the existing rooms. 
7 . Under these circumstances, the House 
Committee can have no hesitation in recom- 
mending that the munificent proposals of the 
Duke of Westminster and Sir Walter Gilbey 
be accepted, and that the cordial thanks of 
the Society be tendered to them for their 
public-spirited action in the matter. 
8. It will not now be necessary for the 
Society to raise more than 40,0007. on 
security of the Harewood House Debenture 
Stock, to provide for the purchase of the site 
and other incidental capital expenditure. As, 
however, it may be necessary at some future 
time to make extensions of the premises, the 
Committee recommend that power be taken 
in the Trust Deed about to be executed for 
the creation of Stock to a maximum amount 
of 50,0007. 
9. The purchase-money for the site being 
now due, the Committee recommend that 
letters of allotment for the Debenture Stock 
be issued as soon as the Trust Deed has 
been executed. 
10. By the transference of the Society’s 
administrative offices to Harewood House, 
the premises at 12 Hanover Square would 
be available for the accommodation of such 
other Societies as may desire to obtain offices 
adjacent to those of the Royal Agricultural 
Society. 
Nigel Kingscote, Chairman. 
July 25, 1893. 
After some general discussion, it 
was unanimously resolved, on the 
motion of Sir Nigel Kingscote, 
seconded by Sir John Thorold : — 
1. That the report of the House Committee 
be received aud adopted. 2. That the Society 
purchase, for the sum of 37,0007., Harewood 
House and an additional strip of laud G ft. 
wide to the north, and that the Solicitors be 
instructed to prepare immediately the neces- 
sary conveyance of the property to the 
Society. 3. That the Draft Trust Deed be- 
tween the Society and the Trustees of the 
Stockholders of the Harewood House Deben- 
ture Stock be approved, and that the So- 
ciety’s Solicitors be instructed to complete 
the same forthwith. 
In order that the necessary formal 
action might be taken before the re- 
cess for the acquisition of the pro- 
perty, it was decided that a Special 
Meeting of the Council be held at 
noon on Wednesday, August 2, 
when the conveyance and Trust Deed 
would be ready for execution and 
sealing with the Society’s Seal. (See 
page xevi.) 
Issue of Harewood House Debenture 
Stock. 
Sir Nigel Kingscote said that 
they were now only waiting for the 
formal execution of the Trust Deed 
to issue the allotment letters for the 
40,000A Debenture Stock which it 
had been decided to issue. The for- 
mal allotment of the Stock would be 
made by the House Committee' on 
August 2, and as there was some of it 
