Thursday, Decemher 8, 1892. 
cxcvu 
thanks in words, and in doing so I 
must ask for your kind indulgence, 
for I have to say not what 1 want, but 
what I can. The events of the past 
two days have more than rewarded 
me for any services which it has been 
my good fortune to render to this 
Society. I little thought when I first 
became a member of the Council, 
twenty-seven years ago, that I was 
destined to be the recipient of so great 
an honour as you have conferred upon 
me on this occasion. It is now 
eighteen years ago since Sir Brandreth 
Gibbs resigned the office of Honorary 
Director. It was with much surprise 
that I was then asked to undertake 
the duties which he had performed so 
long and so well. It was, however, 
with much hesitation and many mis- 
givings that I entered on the task, 
for I felt how difficult it would be 
adequately to fill his place, and how 
much any efforts of my own would 
suffer in comparison with his. In 
accepting that post, I was sustained 
by a determination to do my duty to 
the best of my ability, and to trust to 
the generosity and goodwill of the 
Society to excuse and cover my 
deficiencies. I think I may say that 
this occasion has justified my con- 
fidence. You have shown me most 
fully that you recognise that I have 
honestly tried to do my best, and that 
j-ou have condoned the mistakes that 
I have made from time to time, and 
of which no one is more conscious 
than myself. When I look back upon 
my eighteen years of service as 
Honorary Director, I can see many 
things that I could have done better, 
many that I wish I had done 
differently, many that I wish I had 
left undone. In all that 1 have done 
in connection with this Society, so 
far as my functions were concerned, 
my main object has been to make 
our annual shows worthy of the 
dignity of British agriculture, and 
representative of the greatness of 
the Royal Agricultural Society of 
England. (Cheers.) I have never re- 
gretted undertaking the post. It has 
often been a toil, but never a labour. 
Work ceases to be a labour when one 
finds skilful and devoted co-operation, 
and is met on all sides with unvarying 
good temper and goodwill. It be- 
comes pleasure when one can look for- 
ward to a verdict lenient to one’s errors. 
and generous— aye, too generous— to 
one’s successes. All this has been my 
lot. No one could have been more 
fortunate than I in respect of those 
with whom it has been my fortune to 
serve this Societ}'. I would refer in 
the first place to our late friend, Mr. 
Jenkins, who, as Secretary, assisted me 
in the early days of my appointment 
with his great experience and ability. 
Of his successor — Mr. Clarke — I feel 
that I cannot say in his presence all 
that I could and would say behind 
his back ; but I desire to bear testi- 
mony to the singular rapidity with 
which he has grasped the intricate 
working of this Societj% and the great 
power and energy with which he has 
always served the Society in general, 
and assisted me in particular, for 
which I shall ever feel grateful. 
(Cheers.) There is one other official 
of the Society with whom I have been 
more particularly brought in contact, 
and whom I desire to mention, and 
that is our Surveyor — Mr. Bennison. 
His merits are the less in need of any 
tribute from me, inasmuch as they 
must be patent to all wlio ever visited 
a Royal Showyard ; but I must express 
my acknowledgment of his great 
resourcefulness on occasions of diffi- 
culty, and of his unvarying courtesy 
and kindness to myself. (Cheers.) 
As regards all the other officials, I 
venture to think that no Society could 
be more efficiently served than this, 
and I can only say that I have ever 
received from them the most zealous 
and loyal co-operation, for which I 
desire to tender them most hearty 
thanks. There is another important 
body which I feel I cannot forget on 
this occasion, viz., our exhibitors. On 
many occasions, unfortunately, I have 
had to come in conflict with their 
view’s, and to impose on them restric- 
tions which I fear they did not greatly 
appreciate ; but still I believe that our 
relations have been on the whole 
satisfactory, and I cannot help but 
think that the success of our Shows 
is due in no small deg:ree to their kind 
co-operation. (Hear, hear.) No one 
can stand in the position I do to-day 
without comparing in his own mind 
the Society as it was eighteen years 
ago with the Society as it exists to- 
day. Its growth during that period 
is due to many causes. My duty has 
been to follow on that growth as it 
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