The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-23 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 23, 1867.

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIE2Y OF

ENGLAND.

The annual meeting of this society took place
yesterday at Hanover-square Rooms—the president,
Mr. Thompson, in the chair. Among those present
were Lord Walsingham, Sir Henry Vavasour, Sir
Walter Stirling, Sir Massey Lopes, Mr. Edward
Johnson, Mr. Dent, M.P., and Mr. J. C. Morton.
After the adoption of the house list to supply the
vacancies in council, on the motion of Lord WAL-
SINGHS3I, seconded by Sir MAssEY I.orEs, the Duke
of Richmond was elected president for the ensuing
year.
The Secretary (Mr. HALL DARE) read the follow-
ing report : _

Tile council have to report that since last De-
cmtber the society has lost by deaths and resigna-
tions 226 governors and members, while 5 governors
a td 173 members have during the same period been
enrolled on its list, which is now constituted as fol-
lows :-77 life governors, 82 annual governors,
1,388 life members, 3,903 annual members, and 15
honorary members, making a total of 5,465. The
council have elected the Right Hon. Lord Tredegar
and the Right Hon. Lord Chesham to be trustees in
the room of the late Sir John Shelley, Bart., and
the late Lord Feversharu ; the Right Hon. Earl
Cathcart a vice-president, in the room of the late
Marquis of Exeter, K.G. ; his Grace the Duke of
Devonshire, the Right lion. Sir John Trollope,
Bart., M.P., Mr. Wm. Hassell, of Bubney, Whit-
church, Salop, and Mr. Jas. Webb, of Springhill,
Fladbury, Pershore, Worcestershire, to be members
of council in the room of Lord Tredegar and Lord
Chesham, elected trustees, and Sir Edward Kerri-
son, Bart., and Earl Cathcart elected vice-presi-
dents. The Bury St. Edmunds meeting to be held
in the week commencing Monday, the 15th July,
postponed from 1866 in consequence of the preva-
lence of the cattle plague, promises to be unusually
large in the display of implements. The entries of
horses, sheep, pigs, and poultry will remain open as
usual till the Ist of June, but the Privy Council
having decided not to allow any exhibitions of store
stock to take place during the ensuing summer,
the council have been compelled to withdraw that
portion of the prize-sheet relating to cattle. The
society have therefore increased the amount offered
in prizes for horses £3OO, which, with £5O added by
the local committee, makes the total amount for
horse prizes £1,565. The council have decided,
subject to the usual conditions, to hold their coun-
try meeting next year at Leicester. Lectures have
been delivered before the members by Professor
Simonds, on diseases in sheep ; and by Professor
Voelchcr on the relative value of different kinds of
purchased food, with especial reference to their
manurial properties; -and a discussion has taken
place on the reclamation of land from the sea, and
the formation of tidal and other banks. The im-
provement of the education of the agricultural
classes has been the subject of much consideration
by the council, and they have voted £3OO for the
promotion of that object during the ensuing year,
subject to the following conditions :—The candi-
dates for the society's honours and prizes must be
between the ages of 18 and 25 years, and must pro-
duce satisfactory certificates and have received a
good general education. They must also satisfy exa-
miners appointed by the council that they possess a
competent knowledge of the science and practice of
agriculture, of book-keeping, and of one or more of
the following subjects :-1. Agricultural Chemistry.
2. Mechanics in their application to agriculture. 3.
Surveying,Veterioary Science, Geology aud Botany.
The council invite special attention to the number
of the journal lately issued. It will be in the re-
collection of the members of the society that soon
after decision was made not to hold a country
meeting last summer, the council resolved to vote
the requisite funds for a special inquiry into the
results of steam cultivation in England and
Wales. The committee appinted t. conduct this
inquiry have lately reported that they have con-
cluded their labours, and that, notwithstanding the
very unfavourable character of the summer and
autumn of 18'33, they are satisfied that the work
has been well and thoroughly done. They state
that the reports of the committees of inspection oc-
cupy 310 pages of the journal, and have been pre-
pared at a cost of £lB ). Independently of this
amoult, which may properly be classed among the
journal expenses, fhe whole cost of inquiry has been
£692. The wideness of the area over which this
investigation has extended, and the magnitude of
the interest involved, give to these reports an almost
national character, and the numerous lessons to be
derived from their careful perusal, both in the way
of encouragement and of warning, will be fully ap-
preciated not only by those engaged in steam culti-
vation, but by that much more numerous body who
are anxiously endeavouring to satisfy themselves
whether or no they may safely take a part in this
latest and most powerful development of the re-
sources of British agriculture."
After some discussion the report was adopted.
A discussion took place with regard to the reap-
pearance of the cattle plague in certain places in the
metropolis and the danger of its extension to other
parts of the country. Several speakers complained
that the Government measure introduced in the
House of Lords the previous night did not appear
to be sufficient to meet the evil ; and it was suggested
that a deputation front the council should wait upon
the Lords of the Privy Council to urge upon them
the necessity of more stringent provisions. The
result of the discussion was that on the motion of
thoyue
ensdcr etaooos tuuot
erl
diseaseseaccptii i
council be
represent
as
mnirtovwte
onas requested
thgl
oe
esacittsrahetdtevtoil
tGeeio.unanimouslymoasgvpnietrvdroeen
sttmsohupon
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appoint
on
af
Sir Massey Lopes, seconded by Mr. Dent, M.P., the
following
theds
cad one tpdt turai
deputation
the importance of enforcing the slaughter of all
foreign cattle at the ports of disembarkation
of cattle
brought."attledisease in the
cdouurtitntgriesthferonptrewvhan prevalence
they are
The proceedings terminated with a cordial vote of
' thanks to the president.
,nd

area and population, this conference is of opinion
that the most efficient legislative remedy for British
intemperance would consist in enablingeverylocality
to prohibit therein the common sale of alcoholic
liquors."
Mr. J. 11. RAPER offered an explanation of the
principles on which the United Kingdom Alliance
was founded and conducted ; and he begged it to be
understood that the object of the present conference
was to advocate the cause of temperance, and not to
support the doctrineof total abstinence. He observed
that in furtherance of the desire to secure a permis-
sive prohibitory liquor bill in this country the gene-
ral council of the Alliance, at i's recent annual meet-
ing at the Free-trade Hall, Manchester, resolved to
aid the executive in raising a guarantee fund of no
less than £50,000. Towards that sum £45,000 had
already been subscribed, including £3,000 from Sir
AV. Trevelyan, Bart., £3,000 from Mr. B. Whit- ,
worth, M.P., £2,500 from Sir W. Lawson, and
£2,000 from Mr. C. Jupe.
The original proposition was adopted, as was also
the two succeeding ones ; and the business was
brought to a close.
In the evening a soirée and public meeting took
place in the same room, for the purpose of promot-
ing the object of the conference—Mr. T. Chambers,
Q.C., M.P., presiding. Addresse- were delivered
by Sir G. B. Pechell, Bart., Mr. W. Saunders, Dr.
F. R. Lees, and others, declaratory of the objects of
the association, and pointing out the distinction be-
tween those objects and the purposes of teetotalism.
The addresses were followed by the adoption of a
resolution " extending a hearty welcome to the Hon.
• Neal Dow, as an American statesman and

thropist who has been greatly distinguished through
many years by his arduous labours for the cure and
prevention of intemperance."
General NEAL Dow, in responding to the com-
pliment (which was conveyed with enthusiastic ac-
clamations), repeated in substance the arguments
which he used on the same subject at a recent
public meeting at the Guildhall. He observed that
the advocates of this movement were composed of
so many earnest and distinguished men that there
could be no doubt whatever that in the course of a
very few years the traffic in intoxicating drinks
would be abolished in this country, as it had hap-
pily been in the State to which he belonged.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief will
hold a levee at 1 o'clock, on Tuesday, the 28th inst.
The Commandant of tne garrison at Colchester
has authorised the isssue of one-third additional

fuel to the troops i❑ camp on account of the cold
weather. Quartermaster Sergt. Smith has been pre-

rented with a good conduct medal at Colchester.

Lieut. Sanders, 84th Regiment, is under orders to
join the depot at Colchester on the 31st inst., and
Lieut. Murray is to proceed from the depot to the

service companies, after completing two years as
assistant-instructor of musketry to the Bth depot

battalion.

Gen. Warde, C. 8., commanding, has for the past
fortnight been engaged in making his half-yearly
inspection of the troops at Woolwich and the dis-

trict of Maidstone, Purfleet, and Warley, acco►n-
panied by Major Hay, Brigade Major, Capt.
Nangle, Deputy-Assist. Quartermaster-Gen., and
Capt. Williams, A.D.C. On Monday Gen. Warde
inspected the garrison at Maidstone, and on Tues-
day he inspected on Woolwich-common the batta-
lion of Royal Marines, thereby terminating the out-
door visitation of the half-year. The depots at War-
ley and Maidstone are at present very full of men
ready for annual draughts for India, b:►t they will
most probably not be transferred until the autumn
this year, when the new troopships will be ready
for their embarkation. Three troops of the Royal
Horse Artillery at head-quarters, Woolwich, the
C, D, and E, arc under orders to proceed to Alder-
shot the fir,t week of June, to b quartered in the

camp for the gummer. Col. A. Iluyshe will com-
mand the whole brigade. The lit battery, 4th bri-

Bade R ,yal Artillery, has been placed under orders
for service in Ceylon as a garrison battery.
The officers of the 92d (Gordon Highlanders)
dined together on Tuesday evening at the London
Tavern, Bishop.gate-street. Col. M'Kenzie, pre-
sided, Major Miller filing the vice-chair. There
were present, in addition, Col. Thorold, Lieut.-Col.
Hamilton, Major Stewart, Major fatnall, Capt. J.
C. Hay, Capt. Carruthers, Capt. Dewar, Capt.
Ormsby, Capt. Gooch, Capt. Murphy, Capt. C.
Rattray, Capt. B. Hay, Lieut. G. 'l'. Grant, Lieut.
A. C. Maxwell, Lieut. C. F. Dashwood, Mr. J. D.
Gordon, Mr. A. Laurie, &c.
Pending the promulgation of the report of the
commissioners on the reorganisation of the transport
service, of which Sir W. J. T. Power, K.C.8., Com-
missary General-in-Chief, was the chairman, the
officials connected with the department of the Quar-
termaster-G-enehl are engaged in giving effect to
the existing arrangements for the embarkation of
the reinforcements intended to be despatched to
India, in the new Indian transports, during the pre-
sent summer. In anticipation of the large number
of officers and troops destined for India who will
embark at Gravesend, the Staff belonging to Chat-
ham garrison, under whose directions the embarka-
tion will be made, will require to be considerably
augmented, the duties of superintending the em-
barkation of the Indian reliefs at present pressing
with undue severity on the existing staff at Chat-
ham. The recent complaints in Parliament of the
inefficient arrangements in vie for the removal of
the 98th Regiment from Gravesend to Portsmouth
would have been obviated had there been a Deputy
Assistant Quartermaster-General on the spot to see
that the comforts and necessaries for the men and,
women during the voyage from the Thames to Ports-
mouth were on board, and the regulations laid down
by the Government for the conveyance of troops
fully carried out. The Euphrates and the Malabar,
the first of the new transports for the Indian ser-
vice, are to be readiness to receive troops on boArd
by the latter end of the ensuing month.
The unarmoured screw sloop corvette Blanche, 4,
1,268 tons, 350 horse power, one of the improved
class of corvettes, and sister ship to the Dan me, just
launched at
Portsmouth,
is being brought forward
for 1 dockyard, and in accord-
ance
launching
a t
e hatbal
with existing arrangements will leave the
building slip in about three mouths from the pre-
sent time, immediaely after which she is to be brought
forward for commission.
The Minotaur armour plated steamship,Capt. J. G.
Goodenough, and flagship of Admiral Warden,
C. 8., commanding the Channel Squadron, went
out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday and anchored
at Spithead. She is expected to leave in a few days
for Portland, where the squadron will assemble.
The Warrior armour-plated screw ship, having
undergone a thorough repair and refit, went out of
Portsmouth harbour yesterday under the charge of
Capt. W. C. Chamberlain, of the Steam Reserve,
and proCeeded to sea for a trial of her machinery.
She returned in the afternoon and anchored at Spit-
head. The result of the trial was satisfactory.
The Tamar troopship, Capt. F. W. Sulivan, C. 8.,
was placed in. No. 11 Dock at Portsmouth yester-
day for necessary repairs, and to have her bottom
examined.
The Alberta Royal yacht, Staff-Commander
Welch, was placed in No. 4 Dock at Portsmouth
yesterday, for any necessary cleaning, &C.
The Simoom troopship, Capt. F. 13. Lethbridge,
will be removed from the Steam Basin at Ports-
mouth this day, after considerable, repairs. To-
morrow she will make a trial of machinery and
speed.

The May anniversaries commence at New York,
next week, those of the anti-slavery society leading off.

A Pneumatic Express Company, with a capital
of half a million of dollars, is about to be chartered by the
Massachusetts Legislature. Ex-Governor Andrew, Col-
lector Russell, and other prominent men al:e the incorpora-
tors.

An organ is being constructed in Salt Lake City
for the Mormon Tabernacle, which will consume over
20,000 feet of lumber in its construction.
The Royal Mail steamer Tasmania, which
arrived at Southampton last Tuesday, brings news that
the American ship Pa,tmas was at St. Thomas, discharging
guns and ammunition for the Chilian Government. She
was closely watched by two Spanish war-ships. The
American Consul had sent to the admiral on the Haytian
etatioa for a mau-of•war to protect the Patinas.