The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-06-12 00:00:00

MEETING OF THE COUNCIL.

Before the annual meeting was held • meeting of the
Council took place at noon, in the tent devoted to their
use, at which there were present—the Right Hon. Lord
Portman, in the chair; the Hon. Mr. Addington,
Messrs. H. Grenville, Sillifant, Widdiconib, Paola,
Dyinont, Brewridge, Pitman, Bush, T. C. Saundera,
John Grey, Jonathan Grey, Knollys, Gillett, flaw,
Huviey, Farrant, Smith, and H. St. J. Hanle.
The annual meeting was then held, the Right Hon.
Lord Rivers, president, in the chair. There was a full
attendance.

The SILCRETANT, Mr. H. St. J. Hanle, read the
minutes of the proceedings of the last annual meeting
at Barnstable, which were agreed to. He then read the
report of the Council. The document stated that not-
withstanding several deaths and omissions from the
book of the names of many persons who, while noun-
nally members, had long contributed to the funds, the
society not only maintained its position, but showed an
incrvase in the number of subscribing members. At
present the numbers were :—Governors, 102; life mein.
hers. 45 ; annual members. 1,102; total, 1,250 sub-
scribers. In the Stock Department, at the present
show, there were 119 exhibitors—from East Somerset,
9 ; West Somerset, 15; North Devon, 17; Corn-
wall, 1 • Gloucester. 7; Wilts, 16; Hints, 1; Dorset,
40; other counties, 13. The entries comprise :—cattle,
130; sheep, 369; horses, 58; pigs, 42—total entries,
599. The number of animals shown were: bulls, 56;
cows, 25 ; heifers, 49; ralns, 142; ewes, 327; boars, 13;
s iws. 29. His Royal Highness the Prince Consort had
111111 entries, and 110 honoured the society by continuing
his membership, while by his practical support and
encouragement, he set an example worthy of continued
banal ion.
In the Poultry Department the stewards reported
373 pens, and in the opinion of the judges the present
exhibition has surpsood any former one, both in the
extraordinary number of first-rate birds and the almost
total absence of inferior specimens. Some valuable
varieties of table fowls were exhibited for the first time.
Necessity for improvement in the baskets for conveying
poultry, though not so objectionable as formerly, yet
remained.
In the Implement DepArtinent a great increase was
observable. At Barnstaple the number of stands was
104, being an advance on all preceeding meetings; at
Dorchester there were no leas than 135 stands, demand-
ing an enlargement of the society's shedding to the
extent of • thousand feet. There were 29 exhibitors of
machinery in motion, whilst there were but 18 last
rear; and the requests for uncovered ground had been
in the like proportion. Such an increase Was not anti-
cipated, and Canv/101 made expressly for the society
could not be obtained in time from the usual source ;
but since April 21 nearly two wiles of the society's can-
Was has been made in Scotland, though delivered so late
th 4 bad it not been for the society's wooden building
it would not have been possible to provide shedding in
time for the show. The whole of the sheiling was
ready for the implements on May 30, but owing to the
situation and character of the meadows on which the
instating was held ell the shedding poles, instead of being
firmly fixed in the ground, cask three feet in the
water, and it was impossible to rain earth down into
the holes. On May 28th and 29th the gale and wet of
the weadows so increased that the anchors of the posts
were lifted, and the whole canvas swept off by the
violence of the gale. All was restored by the 2nd inst.,
when another gale caused • repetition of the damage
effected the week before, and the wooden building was
again resorted to.
In the Arts Department, the encouragement shown
at the exhibition of fine and industrial art at Barnsta
pie *eased the Council to accept the Arts Departmen,
as one branch of the establishment. Mr. E. S. Drew'
was chairman of the committee. Mr. 'l'. D. Acland vice°
chairman. Dr. Scott and Mr. Pycroft stewards, Messrs
thaw and Sons hon. secs. and Mr. Gendall curator
Many Dorsetaliire firma had contributed, and firms that
ailed the success of the Bernataple meeting exhibited
even more largely on the present omission. The COUI3-
eil Acknowledge the liberalty of the Councilor Education
in placing at the disposal of the sokety a new selection
of articles, wade expressly for the exhibition at the
South Kensington Museum.
. . -

The Horticultural Show, mainly contributed by
Messrs. Veitch and Co., of Easter and Cheitenham
nurseries, has proved an interesting addition. The
special prises for shoeing, offered by Ur. William Hills,
of Exeter, had mused much competition; and the
liberality of Mr. John Oalpin, in placing his forges 91

Dorchester at the society's dismal, relieved them of
the rrincipal difficulty in awarding priv‘a.
A committee appointed fur the purpose of considering
the subject of the heavy woek imposed on the secretary
recommended the appointment of an accountant to
assist him. A payment to the society's credit of £lOO
by the Tiverton Hank, being on account of the surplus
fund and interest arising from the Tiverton vhow, had
been made.
Alter alluding to the railway arrangements made, the
report expressed thanks to the Great Western, the
Bristol and Exeter, the Loudon and Soutli•Western,
the North Devon, the South Devon and the Cornwall
Railways, also acknusledging the courtesy of the traffic
teenagers and others belonging thereto.
Mr. T. D. ACLAND having resigned the editorship of
the Society's Journal, Mr. Josiah Goodwyn hail been
appointed paid editor, and commenced his duties in
September. He had brought out vol. 8, for the cur.
rent year.
lii consixtuence of the invitation of the local coin-
mittee of the town of Truro, and the favourable report
of the committee appointed to select the mite, it has
decided been that the meeting take place at Truro next
year (1861).
George Wingfield Dishy, Esq., of Sherborne Castle,
has been appninted Vice-President, and the retiring
members of the Council were recommended for re-
election.

The Council congratulated themselves on the hearty
welcome they hail received in the town of Dorchester,
and returned their cordial thaiika to the Mayor, M.
Devenish, Fsel., and the other authorities of the town.
for their admirable arrangements for the receptims of
the society. (Loud cheers.)
Notwithstanding the aerions inconvenience and ex-
pense occasioned by the boisterous weather of the few
days prior to the opening of the show, the Council still
ventured to hope that the meeting would prove satis-
factory in its financial results and the development of
all the interests connected with the prospesity and eifi•
ciency of the society.
Lord ?ORMAN InoVed that the report be received and
adopted. It involved, said Ilia lordship, the re-election
of all those gentlemen who had so ably aided the society,
and he was sure, from hearing the nausea read, that it
would be • lose to the society if they did not prevail
upon them again to assist. The motion also embraced
the, proposition that the report should be printed and
circulated.
The report was then adopted unanimously by acclam-
ation. . . . .

Mr. G. 8. Pont said he proposed to deviate a little
from the practice roerally adopted in regard to the
appointment of President for the ensuing year. It bad
been usual with them, though not invaribly so, to select
a gentleman from the county in which they proposed to
hold their next annual meeting for the office of President
at the annual gathering. Al the last meeting be
submitted to the members the propriety of passing •
rule that they should always select their president from
among the members not resident in the county where
the meeting was to be held, in order that the society
might not mix itself up with local matters, local
divisions and local difficulties; and he should have
submitted his present proposition as • substantive
resolution, but that he did not give the required notice
in writing. He now gave notice that ' at the annual
meeting to be held in 1861 it he a rule with this society
that the president be selected from among members not
resident in the county in which the annual meeting will
be held over,which that president would have to preside.
Though he could not submit this to the meeting as
a rule of the society, be thought they should act
npou the spirit of it. He proposed to name a
gentleman not resident in Cornwall. There was
one gentleman to whom, lie believed, the society was
under inure obligations than any other he could mention,
and lie believed that if there was one person, or
one body, to whom the society was more indebted than
another, It was to the Chairman ant directors of the
Bristol and Exeter Railway. (Cheers). He, therefore,
dhl not think it was in their power to pay a greater
compliment to them than by selecting Col. Buller, 11. P.,
of ',owns, to he the next president, aad asking him to
preside. (Cheers). Ile made the proposition, he
believed, with the general consent of the gentlemen
present, if be judged from communications he had re-
ceived from them.

—.................-.
Mr. DECEIVE seconded the proposition, and Col. Buller
was unanimously elected President.

Lord Pourmai: said there was one thing, be was sure,
they would as unanimously agree to as to anything, and
that was to thank his noble friend for his services to the
society. (Cheers). Ho was right in saying that under
no greater admixture of wore painful circumstances had
a President been called upon to fufil his office than his
noble friend had been. (Cheer). He had sacrificed
every private feeling, and done all he could for the good
of the society ; and he trusted that they would feel that
the least said WWI the most agreeable to their friend, and
. . . .

thank him for his services during the year fast waning.
(Lmd Cheers).
T. Noble CHAIRMAN, in reply, said he had not the
false modesty to think that his health would not be pros
posed at their dinner by and by, and give them now it
rehearsal of his speech. (Laughter and cheers). Lord
Portman had referred to hia personal sacrifices ; he hag
made soine, but he had had the greatest pleasure in dein t
all he could to conciliate and aid the society, end i
afforded him great pleasure to receive this unexpected
expression of their approval. (Cheers).
The Council then dispersed. . -

(For C 0111011146014 of Reporl see 414 Page.)