MEMORIAL TO THE LATE JONAS WEBB. 
57 
see erected in the adjoining Hall something that everybody could look at, 
and which would serve to remind posterity of a noble example set them 
by their distinguished friend—his career of unblemished honour,his fine 
judgment, his great skill, and the rare liberality he displayed in prose¬ 
cuting his various enterprises. (Hear, hear). There was nothing unbe¬ 
coming in the conception, if in fancy he saw standing in the beautiful 
Hall adjoining such a statue of their friend as they could all recognise. 
(Hear, hear). AVell, if it was to be a statue, let it be a fine work ; and 
he had no hesitation in saying, if they could not find sufficient art in this 
country, let them go and seach for it elsewhere. (Hear, hear). He could 
imagine that nothing would be more gratifying to them than that the 
memorial should take that form ; for Mr. Webb was, indeed, a fine type 
of a man. (Hear, hear). He might illustrate this fact by an anecdote 
which was related to him a few days ago. As Mr. Webb was about to 
take passage on his last visit to France, a person came up to him and said. 
Are you not Mr. Jonas Webb, sir ?” “ Yes,” answered Mr. Webb, “ I 
am; do you know me?” “No,” said the man ; “but I was told to 
deliver this letter to the finest-looking man I saw stepping on board the 
steamboat.” (Hear, hear). Mr. Webb was all this and more. He was 
also above every prejudice ; and he (the Chairman) would like to see him 
standing, as was so frequently his wont, and with his hat in one hand, whilst 
he pointed his stick with the other. (Hear, hear). He should also wish to 
see a portion of the funds invested providing a gold medal—say of twenty- 
five or thirty guineas—for the best pen of those loved companions of his, 
the beautiful Southdown sheep. All this would, of course, depend upon 
the extent of the subscription; but, whatever was done, he trusted they 
would execute their mission in such a manner as to secure general 
approbation, disarm criticism, if possible, and do justice to the memory of 
him who, in the language of Thomson, might be termed “ our Shepherd 
King” (loud applause). 
Mr. J. S. Turner (Sussex), in moving the first resolution, expressed his 
entire concurrence in all that the Chairman had said respecting their 
late friend, to whose memory he trusted they would show their gratitude 
in a manner that would be worthy alike of themselves as Englishmen, 
and of the place which he occupied in their esteem. Mr. Turner then 
moved—“ That it is desirable that the agriculturists of the United King¬ 
dom, as well as the numerous personal friends of the late Mr. Jonas 
Webb of Babraham, should mark their sense of his admirable public and 
private character, and of the inestimable services he has rendered to the 
cause of agriculture, by some permanent memorial.” 
Mr. Fisher Hobbs felt great diffidence in rising to second the reso¬ 
lution, because he could not find utterance for the emotions which agitated 
him on this mournful occasion. He was an old friend of the late Mr. 
Jonas Webb, having known him for upwards of thirty years, and there 
was not one word that had fallen from the Chairman and Mr. Clayden in 
which he did not perfectly coincide. In Mr. Webb the agricultural 
interest had lost, if not the brightest, at least one of the brightest orna¬ 
ments that had been known in their day ; for since the days of Bakewell no 
man deserved so distinguished a position in their regards as their departed 
friend. The proposition which had been shadowed forth by the Chairman 
was one that would be received most cordially by the friends of Mr. Webb. 
When first the subject was broached, he (Mr. Fisher Hobbs) ventured 
to express the opinion that the best method of testifying their respect for 
their friend, was to erect a statue to his memory in the Hall adjoining, 
and that, if sufficient funds could be raised, they might either 
here, or in that great national institution, the Boyal Agricultural 
