General  Meeting,  June  24,  1909. 
xxvii 
Committee  to  give  the  Society  a fitting  welcome.  He  could  assure  the  Com- 
mittee, on  behalf  of  his  colleagues,  that  they  would  all  leave  Gloucester  with 
the  warmest  recollections  of  the  reception  which  they  had  received,  and  of  the 
hospitality,  labour,  time,  and  trouble  devoted  to  making  the  Show,  as  it  was, 
one  of  the  most  successful  that  the  Society  had  ever  held. 
The  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Local  Committee  was  unanimously  carried. 
Mr.  Aitkbn,  in  responding,  said  the  last  two  years  had  been  years  of  very 
hard  and  energetic  labour  in  getting  together  the  fund  which,  he  was  sorry  to 
say,  was  not  yet  as  large  as  was  required.  One  could  not  appear  upon  an 
occasion  of  that  kind  without  remembering  that  perhaps  the  last  official  visit 
of  a monarch  to  Gloucester  was  made  by  Charles  1.,  when,  he  thought  he  was 
correct  in  saying,  every  door  and  every  heart  was  barred  against  him.  Upon 
the  present  occasion  it  was  certainly  less  than  true  to  say  that  every  door  and 
every  heart  was  open  to  King  Edward  VII.  (Applause.)  It  was  interesting  to 
recall  that  the  ground  upon  which  they  then  were  was  part  of  the  Isle  of 
Alney,  where  the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  between  Edmund  Ironside  and 
King  Canute. 
Thanks  to  Railway  Companies. 
On  the  motion  of  Sir  Richard  Cooper,  seconded  by  Mr.  John  Howard 
Howard,  it  was  resolved  : “ That  the  best  thanks  of  the  Society  are  due  and 
are  hereby  tendered  to  the  various  railway  companies  for  the  facilities  afforded 
by  them  in  connection  with  the  Show.” 
Members’  Remarks. 
The  President,  in  accordance  with  the  usual  custom,  then  asked  if  any 
Governor  or  Member  had  any  remark  to  make  or  suggestion  to  offer  for  the 
consideration  of  the  Council. 
Mr.  Alexander  Iles,  as  one  of  the  competitors  in  the  Farm  Prize 
Competition,  proposed  a vote  of  thanks  to  the  Judges  for  the  very  kindly 
and  businesslike  manner  in  which  they  had  carried  out  their  work. 
The  proposal  having  been  seconded  by  another  Competitor, 
The  President  said  it  was  gratifying  to  receive  such  support.  The  Judges, 
he  was  sure,  tried  to  give  satisfaction,  and  they  all  knew  now  that  they  had 
succeeded.  He  was  glad  to  think  that  the  districts  visited  were  so  full  of 
good  farms. 
Thanks  to  Chairman. 
Mr.  James  Peter  said  he  had  a very  pleasant  duty  to  perform  in  pro- 
posing a cordial  vote  of  thanks  to  their  President  for  his  services  in  the  chair. 
Though  his  Lordship  was  perhaps  not  so  well  known  in  Gloucestershire  as  in 
his  own  county  of  Oxfordshire,  yet  they  appreciated  the  great  work  he  had 
done  on  behalf  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society.  His  Lordship  made  a very 
apt  remark  which  should  appeal  to  tenant-farmers — namely,  that  they  should 
try  to  breed  the  very  best  class  of  stock.  He  hoped  his  Lordship  would  take 
the  matter  up  and'  start  a herd  of  Shorthorns,  a flock  of  sheep,  and  also  keep 
Shire  horses.  He  (Mr.  Peter)  was  sure  his  Lordship  would  then  be  an  example 
to  all  farmers  in  the  country. 
The  Very  Rev.  Dr.  Gillespie  said  he  esteemed  it  a very  high  honour 
indeed  to  second  this  most  important  resolution.  They  in  Scotland  rejoiced 
exceedingly  at  the  renewed  success  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society.  Neither 
Lord  Jersey  nor  the  Mayor  of  Gloucester  could  control  the  weather.  Not 
even  the  profession  to  which  he  (Dr.  Gillespie)  belonged  had  any  control  over 
it.  (Laughter.) 
The  Secretary  then  put  the  motion,  which  was  enthusiastically  carried. 
Lord  Jersey,  in  response,- thanked  those  present  for  the  very  kind  reception 
given  to  the  speeches  of  Mr.  Peter  and  Dr.  Gillespie.  His  Lordship  said  that 
they  in  Oxfordshire  could  not  hope  to  compete  with  such  a rich  and  splendid 
county  as  Gloucester.  Gloucestershire  had  been  famous  for  many  generations 
for  its  Shorthorns  and  its  flocks,  and  he  hoped  it  would  be  so  for  many  genera- 
tions to  come.  With  regard  to  himself,  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  be  at  the 
