The Sun.
London, England, 1830-02-03 00:00:00

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

A very numerous Meeting of the members of
this Society was held yesterday in the Council-
Room of the Society, in Regent-street, for the
purpose of taking into consideration the state of the
funds of the institution. The greatest interest was
attached to the proceedings, owing to certain state-
ments having been. put forth recently relative to the
great debts of the Society. There were present
at the Meeting Sir J. Sebright, Sir J. Paull,Bart.,
Pascoe Grenfell, Esq. M.P., Mr. Ellis, M.P., Mr.
Gordon, M.P., and many other scientific men.—
The Great Room was crowded to excess.
Dr. HENDERSON took the Chair.
Mr. LINDLEY read the requisition calling the
Meeting.
Mr. GORDON, M.P., immediately afterwards rose,
and apologised for trespassing on the time of the
Meeting. He confessed that his attention was
aroused to the affairs of the Society, in consequence
of a statement publicly made that the Society was
in debt to the amount of 19,0001. As that com-
munication should form the basis of his remarks, he
would take the liberty of reading it to the Meeting.
—(The letter was then read.)—He confessed that
he was not alone in his alarm—for, having had sun-
dry communications with other Fellows of the So-
ciety, they felt precisely in the same way with him•-
self. He would ask of those parties who ought to
be able to inform the Meeting, whether the amount
of debts, as stated, were correct, and whether the
parties who had acted as auditors had signed their
reports without inspecting the accounts ? Indeed
the Hon. Secretary had already admitted that the
amount was correct. There were other charges
which he might bring forward; for instance, that if
the officers at the Gardens were applied to for grafts
of pines, they would send those of apples. But
he would confine himself entirely to the matter of
debt, and move, in terms of his previous notice, for
the immediate appointment of a Committee to ex-
amine the books and accounts, and report thereon
to the members.

Mr. DYER, a Vice-President, seconded the mo-
tion, and congratulated the Society on the business
having fallen into the hands of the Hon. Member
who had just sat down; the result of the investiga-
tion could not be anticipated. If the funds were
wasted as represented, he was afraid the breaking
up of the Society must follow. He hoped for a
better result. In the prosecution of the inquiry he
was certain the Council would conceal nothing.
Mr. SABINE said, that the appointment of a
Committee was most desirable. He had often wished
to retire from the Council, but had as often been
requested to stay in it.
Sir J. SEBRIGIIT did not dispute but that the So-
ciety was a useful one. He had been told by some
of the Council that the assets were sufficient to
meet the debts. That might be good information
for the creditors, but it ought not to be enough to
satisfy the members of that Society to be told by
the Council that they were 19,0001. in debt, but
had a garden, &c. as a set-off. It was quite clear
too that the Society since 1523 had got into debt
instead of getting out of it. It appeared also, and
he was sorry to make the observation, that no
member of the Council, of his own accord, told the
members of the Society the real state of its pe-
cuniary affairs.—( Hear, hear.)
A letter was read from the President, stating
that his residence in the country precluded his at-
tendance at the Meeting of the Council, and thought
that the finance matters did not come within his de-
partment. The letter concluded with a hope that
the Society would get over all its difficulties, and
attributing them in a great degree to the large gar-
dens at Chiswick.

Mr. P. GRENFELL, Mr. M. STAPYLTON, and se-
veral other members addressed the Meeting, after
which a Committee of 13 was appointed, and the
Meeting adjourned.