Thursday, December 7, 1893. 
cxcvii 
pressing very heavily upon agricultu- 
rists, they, as ratepayers, could not 
but regard with alarm the addition to 
the rates which was contemplated by 
the Parish Councils Bill. They could 
only hope that the benefits anticipated 
by the promoters of that measure 
would be realised. All parties would 
agree that something should be done 
to give the agricultural labourer an 
interest in his parish, and induce him 
to remain to assist in cultivating the 
land. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. John Thornton seconded the 
adoption of the very able and excel- 
lent report, one of the best that had 
been presented to the Members. 
The motion was then put to the 
meeting and carried unanimously. 
Election of Auditors. 
Mr. Thomas Stirton moved, Mr. 
G. D. Yeoman seconded, and it was 
resolved : “ That the best thanks of the 
Society be given to the Auditors 
(Messrs. C. Gay Roberts, A. H. John- 
son, and S. B. L. Druce) for their 
services, and that they be re-elected 
for the ensuing year.” 
Issue of Reports of the Council. 
The President having put the 
usual inquiry as to whether any 
member present had any remark to 
make, or suggestion to offer, for the 
consideration of the Council, 
Surgeon- Lieut. -Col. Ince suggested 
that the reports of the Council should 
be placed in the members’ hands 
before the meeting was held. This 
was a grievance which had been 
mentioned at their meetings more 
than once before, and he did not 
know why the Council were unable to 
comply with what he believed was 
the universal wish. He should be glad, 
if it were found practicable, for the 
report to be placed in the hands of 
members who might wish to have it a 
few days before the meeting took place. 
The only alternatives that occurred 
to him were that the report should be 
prepared at the meeting of the Council 
held in the previous month, or that 
the Council Meeting should be held a 
few days before the General Meeting. 
Mr. G. D. Yeoman endorsed the 
remarks of the last speaker. He had 
himself made a similar suggestion 
before, and had intended to bring it 
up again at that meeting. He under- 
stood that the answer of the Council 
was that the report was only prepared 
the day before the General Sleeting ; 
but perhaps it might be possible to 
issue beforehand a report, complete 
as far as possible, adding on the day 
a fly-leaf containing the latest infor- 
mation. He recognised that it would 
be an undue tax on the Society to 
send out the report to all the 11,000 
members, but would suggest that any 
member who wrote a few days before- 
hand asking for the report might have 
a copy sent to him. 
The President said that he under- 
stood that the question raised had 
been fully discussed before, and that 
there were practical difficulties in the 
matter. The question, however, 
should receive the consideration of 
the Council. 
Lord Moreton mentioned, as one 
piece of information that could not be 
included if the report were i.-sued 
beforehand, the result of the Society’s 
examinations, which were of great 
interest to members. 
Sir Jacob Wilson pointed out that, 
under Clause 6 of the charter, the 
winter General Meeting of the Society 
must be held in December, and by 
long prescription this meeting had 
been held on the Thursday of the 
Smithfield week, the Council meeting 
to prepare the report being held on 
the previous day. It was impossible 
until the December meeting of Council 
to arrange the details of the prize- 
sheet for the forthcoming year, and, 
indeed, one of their Standing Orders 
required the prize-sheet to be settled 
at the December meeting. As un- 
doubtedly one of the most interesting 
and popular features of the report to 
a very large section of the members 
was the information given as to the 
prizes proposed to be offered at the 
next Country Meeting, he feared it 
would not give satisfaction to issue 
in advance a report which did not 
contain these particulars. 
The President said he was re- 
minded that this matter had been 
considered by the Council on two 
occasions before, on the suggestion of 
Mr. Yeoman, and the following were 
the replies of the Council : — 
