Country Meeting of \ 896. 
clxxi 
railway accommodation, and had a 
station capable of dealing with a 
population of 200,000 people. Refer- 
ence had been made to the distance 
Leicester was from London. He 
thought it was two and a-half hours. 
Northampton was one and a-half 
hours. He (Mr. Pell) did not, how- 
ever, set much store by London ; but 
what he did set store by were the old 
traditions, habits, and character of 
the country which surrounded it. 
They might say that improvement 
in agriculture found its birthplace 
and origin not very far from North- 
ampton, at Woburn, and that it 
met with the greatest encouragement 
and support from Althorp. The 
Duke of Bedford and Lord Spencer 
were two famous men who took the 
lead in agriculture, and who were 
the founders of that Society. The 
character of the country since those 
days had altered very much less than 
the country around Leicester. North- 
amptonshire was purely and simply 
agricultural, and did not contain 
populous towns, though Kettering 
and Wellingborough were growing 
very fast. He did not believe, so 
far as admissions to the Showyard 
went, that Northampton would fail 
any more than Cambridge or Chester. 
He thought their first attention 
should be given to the improvement 
of the agriculture of the district, in 
preference to the mere attraction of 
numbers of people within the boarded 
surroundings of the Showyard. For 
this reason, amongst others, he moved 
that Northampton should be selected 
for the visit of the Society in 1896. 
Mr. Sanday seconded the motion. 
Mr. Stratton asked if any large 
number of allotment holders would 
be disturbed if the Aylestone site 
were chosen at Leicester. 
The President replied that, as a 
matter of fact, there were twelve 
acres of allotments which would be 
taken sooner or later for building 
purposes, but it was understood that 
the allottees could be given more 
suitable land in exchange. They 
would have to be disturbed either 
now or within a very little time. 
Sir Jacob Wilson said he was 
one of those who, as a rule, were 
largely influenced by the report of 
the Inspection Committee. They 
were more likely to know than any- 
one else, and were better able to act 
as guides to the Council, but in the 
present instance it was not so. They 
had been told that each of the sites 
was equally eligible, and, therefore, 
they must look to other sources for 
information and guidance. He found 
that the Showyard at Leicester was a 
mile nearer the town than at North- 
ampton. Northampton was a good 
showyard ; but he would remind them 
that Northampton was much nearer 
to Cambridge than Leicester. He 
fell back upon the inevitable because, 
in spite of what Mr. Pell might say, 
it was always desirable in the agri- 
cultural interests of the country that 
they should look to finance ; and, in 
face of the expense which the Society 
had had recently to undergo, they 
would see how necessary it was to 
look at the financial aspect of the 
matter. Therefore, as far as he was 
personally concerned, he should vote 
for Leicester. 
The Duke of Westminster said 
that 1868 was an extremely dry year. 
He understood that the soil of the site 
at Leicester was clay, and they knew 
what that meant at Kilburn. It was 
a light soil at Northampton. He 
thought this a most important point. 
Earl Spencer hoped the Council 
would bear in mind that the Show at 
Northampton was held fifty years ago. 
Since that time Northampton had 
increased, and was increasing still, 
together with the other towns in the 
county, such as KetteriDg and Welling- 
borough. 
The President then put the 
qaestion, when there appeared twenty - 
seven votes in favour of Leicester, and 
seventeen in favour of Northampton. 
It was thereupon formally re- 
solved : “ That the Country Meeting 
of 1896 be held upon the Aylestone 
Road site at Leicester, subject to the 
usual agreement being entered into 
with the Society by the Mayor and 
Corporation, such agreement to 
embody the undertaking given 
verbally by the Mayor on the subject 
of the Allotment Gardens.” 
The deputation from Leicester hav- 
ing been recalled and informed of 
the Council’s decision, the Mayor, in 
