The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-11 00:00:00

SMITHFIELD CATTLE CLUB.

This exhibition was opened to the public yesterday
morning at eight o'clock. The visitors even during the
first hour were very numerous, and as the day advanced,
increased numbers continued to pour in.
His Grace the Duke of Richmond, the Earl of Lei-
cester, Lord Portman, Lord Leigh, Mr. Pusey, M.P.,
and Mr. J. W. Childers, M.P., were among the earlier
visitors during the morning, and Major-General
Wcmyss, who it will be recollected has the honour to act
in the capacity of " steward " to the Prince Consort,
also paid a visit to the exhibition during the morning.
The annual meeting of the members of the Club for
the transaction of the usual routine business was held at
one o'e,2ock in the Committee-room, the Duke of Rich-
mend, as senior vice-president, occupying the chair.
After the ustnj formularies had been gone through,
Mr. HUMPHREY 9IBBS, late honorary secretary to the
Society, addressed the .71ernbers, calling to their remem-
brance the severe loss that club had sustained by the
lamentable death of its late pl'esident, Earl Spencer, an
event (he said) which they must. ell regret, not only
as a public loss, but as an individual deprivation, when
the valuable service which the late Esr.! had ever ren-
dered to the cause of agriculture was reccellected. The
Society, having however lost Earl Spencer :7' valuable
services, it became their duty to seek a noblemai: calcu-
lated to supply his place, and he was sure it would o_,aly
be necessary for him to mention the name of the Duke
of Richmond, who had been long closely connected with
the club, as one of its vice-presidents, to ensure his
unanimous election to the vacant office.—(Cheers.) The
Success which the Noble Duke had met with as a com-
petitor at those exhibitions, and the great service he had
rendered to the club by his able advice, and in many
other ways, alike contributed to point out his Grace as a
nobleman in every respect qualified for their future pre-
sident. Mr. Gibbs concluded by observing that having
had the honour to receive the Noble Duke's permission
to propose his name for the office, he should abstain from
all further encomium upon his Grace, and at once submit
the proposition he had had the gratification to intro-
duce.
Mr. MILLWARD, one of the stewards, seconded the
motion, which was then put and carried by acclamation.
The Duke of RICHMOND returned thanks in a few
words, expressive of the pleasure he should always feel
in forwarding the interests of the Society.
The Judges' awards having been read by Mr. B. P.
BRANDRETH GIBBS, the Honorary Secretary, were then
confirmed, after which
The Duke of RICHMOND called the attention of the
meeting to the vacancy in the list of Vice-Presidents
caused by his own elevation to the office of President ;
and proposed as a mark of respect to the memory of the
late Earl Spencer, that his brother the present Earl
should be elected a Vice-President.

The motion having been seconded, was unanimously
agreed to.
The vacancy in the trusteeship caused by Earl
Spencer's death was filled up by the election of Lord
Portman to the office.

Mr. W. Fisher Hobbs and Mr. Tanner were next
elected stewards in the place of Mr. Millward and Mr.
J. S. Turner, retiring by rotation.
At the close of the ordinary business, and prior to the
breaking up of the meeting, Mr. HumPHREv Guns
gave notice of two motions to be submitted on Friday
next, the first having reference to the revival of a class
for Scotch cattle, and the second to the increase of the
prizes in the sheep and pig classes.
The meeting was very well attended, and the proceed-
ings went off with perfect unanimity.
The quantity of stock sold during the day was un-
usually large, and the facilities of railway transit were
never more clearly exemplified than by the distant lo-
calities for which many of the animals were purchased.
Coventry, Southampton, Wolverhampton, Windsor, and
many other places, are each destined to receive a pro-
portio❑ of the fat beef prepared for the London market.
The short-horned ox bred by the late Lord Huntingfield,
and fed by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, to which
a prize of 101. was awarded by the judges, was purchased
early in the day by Mr. John Banister, of Threadneedle-
street, purveyor to her Majesty, for the large sum of
80 guineas. Mr. John Banister also bought the West
Highland ox, fed by his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
which the judges commended, as well as the following
animals :—Mr. Fouracre's Devon steer, which gained
the first prize of 301, and a silver medal to the breeder;
and the same gentleman's steer, to which a prize of 101.
and a silver medal was awarded.
The following were the other principal purchases
made up to a late hour last night :—Mr. Collingwood,
of Lamb's Conduit-street, bought the Hereford ox, fed
by Mr. R. M. Layton, of Thorßey Abbey, Cambridge-
shire, to which a prize of 20/., a silver medal to the
breeder, and a gold medal as the best ox in the yard,
has been awarded ; Mr. Banister, of Windsor, purveyor
to the Court, purchased Mr. Woodward's short horned
steer (prize of 15/.) ; Mr. Comfort, of Islington, pur-
chased Mr. Goodall's Hereford steer (prize of 51.) ; Mr.
Guerrier, of Islington, bought Mr. Umber's North Devon
steer (prize of 101. and silver medal) ; Mr. Ryder, of
Southampton, bought Mr. Bennett's improved short-
horned heifer (prize of l 01) ; Mr. S. Morris, of Coven-
try, purchased Mr. Lythall's Durham cow (prize of 51.);
Mr. Lucking, of Waibrook, bought the Earl of Leices-
ter's North Devon cow (prize of 151. and silver medal);
and Mr. Ryder, of Southampton, purchased the late Earl
Spencer's short-horned ox, which, although not com-
peting, was highly commended by the judges.
Very few purchases of sheep and pigs were made yes-
terday. Mr. Wall, of Jernsyn-street, bought a pen of
Bedford and Suffolk pigs, fed by his Royal Highness
Prince Albert : but a 78-weeks old pig of the same
breed, fed by the Prince, had not met a customer at a
late hour last night.

CITY MEETING on the CORN-LAWS

REPLY TO THE LORD MAYOR.

To the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of the
City of London, &c. &c. &c.
My Lord,—We, the Committee of the requisitionists,
beg to acknowledge your Lordship's letter of the 9th
instant, informing us that you have appointed a meeting
of the electors of the City of London, upon the subject
of the existing corn-laws, to be held at the Guildhall of
the said City, on Monday, the 15th day of December
instant, at one o'clock precisely.
We beg to express our full concurrence in, and ap-
proval of the distinctions so well drawn and so clearly
expressed by your Lordship in that letter.
We regard the act of calling this meeting as on your
Lordship's part a ministerial act. We observe and shall
respect your desire to avoid mixing your personal
opinions with the discharge of your public duties.
We maintain for ourselves, as electors and citizens,
our undoubted right, on all proper occasions, fully to ex •
press our opinions, whether of satisfaction or alarm, and
our views of public men and public measures, whether
those opinions assume the shape of approval or disap-
proval ; and we are grateful to your Lordship for the
confidence you have expressed, that in our proceedings
we shall, as far as we are concerned, manifest due pru-
dence and discretion, and avoid creating unnecessary
alarm.

We have felt it due to your Lordship thus to reply to
the several points of the letter with which you have fa-
voured us. And as evidence of our wish to act with
prudence and discretion, and with due attention to every
constitutional form, we beg to repeat and confirm our
request that your Lordship, as being the chief magistrate
of this city, will be pleased to preside at the approach-
ing meting of the electors.
Ws have the honour to be, my Lord, your Lordship's
obedient servants,
(Signed) JOHN DILLON, and others.