48 
editors’ address. 
or ten, after dark and day’s work is over, in wet weather or dry, 
twice or thrice a month, to the Freemasons’ Tavern, to debate on 
this or that point of the Charter, or on this or that of the by-laws; 
and probably, at the commencement of the business, while things 
were new and fresh, it did prove an agreeable way enough of spend- 
ing an evening : when, however, novelty comes to wear off, old 
matters come to be again and again mooted, jarring opinions given, 
sour remarks made ; and moreover, when letter after letter comes to 
be received by the Council, finding fault with all they have done — 
when, we repeat, affairs come to take turns like these, the agree- 
ableness of the meeting is apt to become changed, so much changed 
indeed that, were it not for a stern and moral sense of duty, mem- 
bers of Council, perhaps, would not be found with that regularity in 
their places which they now are. And, therefore, we say — as we 
have said before — that the profession are much indebted to their 
working brothers, the members of Council. 
Our great Metropolitan Cattle Show, which for many years past 
has been a theme of pride and praise throughout the length and 
breadth of the United Kingdom, has within this last year or two 
been rather severely commented on by our great oracle of the day, 
The Times newspaper ; while another of our leading journals 
— the Morning Chronicle — still upholds its character for national 
greatness and utility. Last year The Times commented on the 
show in such passages as follow : — u The cattle show is somewhat 
of an enigma to us ; for, though we can probably comprehend the 
British feeling which brings people together to eat, and drink, and 
hear dull speeches, we do not see any real advantage that is de- 
rived from subjecting the cattle to the same process.” — “ Presuming 
bulk to be the only good point in an animal, these exhibitions 
would assuredly be very beneficial, for never, until these annual 
shows were established, had oxen, sheep, and pigs attained to any 
thing like their present obesity.” This seems to constitute “ the 
alleged improvement of the Duke of Richmond, and others, in 
the breed of stock ; to us, however, “ perfection of breeding” ap- 
pears to consist “ IN PRODUCING THE GREATEST POSSIBLE 
AMOUNT OF FOOD OF THE BEST POSSIBLE DESCRIPTION AT THE 
lowest POSSIBLE COST.” " The system pursued by the Smith- 
