Country Meeting o/1896. 
clxix 
Invitation from Northampton. 
The deputation from Leicester hav- 
ing withdrawn, Earl Spencer intro- 
duced a deputation from Northampton, 
consisting of the Mayor of Northamp- 
ton (Mr. H. E. Randall), the Town Clerk 
of Northampton (Mr. W. Shoosmith), 
Mr. S. G. Stopford Sackville (Chair- 
man of the Northamptonshire County 
Council), Mr. Pickering Phipps (Vice- 
Chairman of the Northamptonshire 
Agricultural Society), Mr. Alfred 
Cockerill, Mr. T. A. Dickson, and Mr. 
ffm. George. He said they could 
not claim so large a population as 
Leicester, but he claimed that they 
had a large agricultural interest 
which was second to none in the 
United Kingdom. They had a grow- 
ing population in the county, and 
though the town itself was not so 
great, a very large number of people 
would come to the Society’s Show 
from the immediate neighbourhood. 
They came hoping to be considered 
favourably, as they had not had a 
visit from the Royal Agricultural 
Society since 1847. He dared say 
that he was the only one there who 
could remember attending that Show. 
He was not very old at the time, but 
he could remember well his youthful 
enthusiasm when he heard that his 
father had gained a first prize for 
pigs. Other towns near them had 
since had a visit from the Royal 
Agricultural Society. By the time 
this Meeting would come round it 
would be very nearly fifty years siDce 
the Society had come to their large 
agricultural centre. With regard to 
railway accommodation, they claimed 
that they were nearly, if not equally, 
as important as Leicester itself. They 
were on the main line of the London 
and North-Western Railway, within 
an hour of Birmingham, within an 
hour of Leicester itself, and within 
an hour and a-half of London. 
Between London and Northampton, 
he need hardly say, there was a very 
important agricultural interest in the 
various counties. They were within 
forty minutes of Bedford, and one 
and three-quarter hours of Oxford. 
The train service was excellent, as 
to which they claimed to compare 
favourably with other towns. With 
regard to the interest created by the 
Society’s visit, he could speak for 
himself and for the town, and say 
that the greatest possible interest 
was felt in the prospect of securing 
the Society’s presence at Northampton 
in 1896. They had secured already 
the funds which the Royal Society 
very properly demanded. They had 
a site which they believed was a very 
convenient one, with facilities for 
water and gas close at hand. In 
conclusion, he sincerely trusted that 
their neighbourhood, which looked 
forward so much to the prospect of 
the Society’s visit in these days of 
depressed agriculture, would receive 
the advantages which their annual 
Meeting gave. He hoped that the 
Council would give favourable con- 
sideration to their prayer that North- 
ampton should be the place for the 
Royal Agricultural Society’s Meeting 
in the year 1896. 
The Mayor said he had the greatest 
pleasure to be there that morning to 
represent the town cf Northampton, 
and to ask the Society to pay them a 
visit in 1896. Northampton, although, 
in fact, a manufacturing town, was 
situated in one of the largest agri- 
cultural districts in the United King- 
dom. There was a strong feeling in 
the town that this visit should take 
place, and the greatest enthusiasm 
would be aroused if they were able 
to say that the Society had come to a 
favourable decision. The idea of the 
Society’s visit had been received with 
enthusiasm, and a large, competent, 
and energetic committee had been 
engaged for some months in getting 
together the necessary funds and in 
makiDg the proper arrangements for 
the reception of the Society. As had 
been said by Lord Spencer, they had 
an excellent site, which possessed a 
great many natural advantages. He 
thought a better site could not be 
found. As to water and gas, they 
could not be better for the purposes 
of the Show ; and as to the wish of 
the Northampton people for the Show, 
he could say that they were extremely 
anxious for the decision of the Society, 
which he trusted would be a favour- 
able one. 
Mr. S. G. Stopford Sackville 
(Chairman of the Northamptonshire 
