Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1855-11-02
AGRICUL TT Il Al {.
STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

and after boing called to order, the President r.
GEO. CocKE, Esl., arose and delivered the following
address:
Gentlemen of tie A-ricunu,ul Soc'ety:-On meet
-, yn,, gentlemen, upon this occasion, that oil the
;bir,Annual Exhibition and Fair, and the third grea
assembiare of our State Agricultural Society, l car
AMIN telci,ste YOU upon tho continued prosperity
1rd banpjres. Of the agricultural classes whom yor
r.nrssrui and share w!:h you hearty gratitude
+, Almighty God for the many aud incstimaol'
blessings go generally enjoyed by the people OF ou
SAFE. :,
|, has however, pleased an nscru'ible Providence
70 visit with desolaing plague, the cities OF Nor
folk and Portsmouth. And every heart has beel
moved to the veiiest sympathy with our afflicted
fellow. citizens Of those places.
| proceed now, gentlemen, i'll accordance with m.
duty u. YOUR chief executive officer. TO report to you
III. results OF my observations OF the operations
YOUR Society, and TO make snch suggestions anu II
Communications as appear 10 me TO be worthy OF YOU
consideration.
Az. however new Constitution is to be proposed
FOR the adoption Of this meeting, which may yer.
we'll exclusively engage your attention. shai
con6re myself very much, in the oref report
shall now make, to subjects Connected win tn'
contemplated change in the organization OF youl
Society.
In the report which had the honor to submit tc
vvur honorable body AT the las; annual meeting.
earnestly recommended the adoption OF important
,.iorms in the Constitution of the Society.
The experience Of two years had satisfied me that
c-es, and nschievous defects existed IN your present
organizations which, whilst the Society was in It's In
.aacv few in numbers aud weak III means aud nhu'
cnce had not been made apparent 10 the general Oh
serva.ion, but which would lead 10 the most disas
irons consequences now that the Society has incrcae
ed from Il l. hundred ~ upwards OF ten tnousanG
r,cmbers-vour annual meetings, from q mere hand
fl 10 crowded assemblies in short, your so
ciety had become the embodiment: as may be EN-
phaticaly said, OF the mind the wealth and the pow
.r OF tue S,ste-hsvGg offices to I'LL patronage T"
dispense honors to and influence to exert ul-
der these suddenly and vastly altered circumstances
--ncs:r,:Dg 10 they did, almost wholly within the
FIST yea. OF my official connection with the Society
ali not hesitate 10 warn YOU that this great accumu
latiun OF power left BY your present constitution
practically and wholly in the hands OF the Executive
Cculmit:e whilst the body o.! the Society itself was
rendered impo,ent by the oversrown size aud I'M
w:eldv character OF ii, popular mass meetings.
The measures Of reform recommended in my las.
,lpor: and which alone it deemed practicable 10
adopt, at that time, were intended
~. To 1--WE back 10 the Society the spontaneous
nomination and election o; all lis chtJ officers III
Guiding the members Of the Executive Committee.
2udv. To organize the Executive department OF
N. Society, having the President al its head, and
ve-ted with authority to select aud nominate the sno
cy7na,e executive officers, and to direct them in tho
discharge OF their duties IN order to secure unity and
efficiency in this important department.
Aud Billy. To define the powers und duties OF tho
Executive Committee.
You will remember that that report referred to
n special committee. who reported that they deemed
any reform to be unnecessary, and thus the whole
subject was for the time postponed.
However but Single day elapsed before occur.
rences took place in your general meeting, the incl
dents Of which must still be fresh IN the memory OF
every one who witnessed them, and which concu-
s,v,!v proved the business oil my own apprehenslons
ss well the urgent necessity Tor even still more
rcdcul reforms than those which had already sus-
gestod.
In fact, large majority of your body were
convinced of the importance of reform, and accord
nylr, before the 6nal adjournment Of the Society,
resolution was offered and adopted, nstructing the
president; 10 appoint n committee OF ivc members,
-r:lo should BIZ charged with the duty OF revising
tho Constitution and reporting 10 your present meet
lex.
No, doubling that this committee would find itself
under the necessity Of recustiEg the Whole constu
lion, /; became matter Of much importance that II
ehu,d b. composed Of gentlemen OF the first ability;
and order too, to avoid local influence and at the
cane tim: 20 give somewhat representative charac
10 that body, member appointed from the
fide. Water, from the Piedmont, one from the
Valley, aud one from the Tr.nS-Allcghany sections
Of the State, who together with tic honorable gen.
tl.uan from PE,syivRna, thu mover OF the resoiu.
ton, acting as chairman, have been charged with
that important duty.
lam happy 10 be- able 10 rcpor, thu, the committee
have, with the most cnmnicndable diligence, taken
the whole subject referred 10 them, under careful
consideration, and that they have agreed upon
constitution, which will be submitted tor the ratitica
r!ra OF this meeting.
In connection with subject OF So much Importance
10 the Sucie;y aud TO which | have given some re-
A-cou, desire, very briefly TO- slate the part hav,
taken, and TO express soEe ol the views which EN-
,.rsined and shall endcavor 10 do so without, II
the s!ightcst degree encrohchlu upon the sphere ina
haa been assigned I" the committee OF revision.
{ Don the Adjournment oF Your Inst annual meeting
seeing that the whole question OF reform had, ny ~
reference to a committee been thrown open I" the in
vcstgation and discussion of every member OF the so
ci.:y, determined 10 contribute my humble e!ort
towards its solution.
The organization of existing agricultural societies
appeared to offer model suited TO the peculiar cir
cuinslances and condition Of yours. Possessing re
snu-ces Of mind, a mass OF means and other oement
OF influcnCe and power peculiarly Your own, It mp
pearcd that higher constitutional organization than
any heretofore adopted would be necessary properl,
T. combine aud to give efficiency 10 ;hcse elements
and thereby 10 render your nsSOviutGu permanent,
useful and prosperous. The most important fehtur
in such higher organization app,a AIRED very obvi"usi
u consist in n representative body ur assembly o
limited numbers, TO te chosen by the members
the Society, 20 con"cne once year. ana TO take th
place of your present annual mnss McvtngS Ant
accordingly, l urged the Importance o; this change
in connection with some Of less muinent, in com
munication addressed through one OF the public print
10 the members OF the S"ciety. Al e subsequent pc
,iod too, when called upon, together with other mem
bers Of the Executive Committee, by the Chairman &
tbs Reform Committee TOR an expression OF my view
respecting the proposed changes III the constitution
J again advocated the adoption o! n provision for
representative body.
The scenes and events OF your last annual meeting
enough of themselves TO convince even the mos
thoushes. of the perpetual dangers which existed q
the occurrence OF undue excitement and uncOntron
bio dtsoroer in your crowded meetings. rs well us t
sstls,y all OF the utter impraccabiity of temperate
discussion and tue deiibcrution in such n body. BE
s!ies, the Society already consisted OF nesrly lei
thousand meGibCrs, moi more than the une-tifih O
which members can bc seated within the walls Of tb
iarge't room IN The city 80 that At all times larg
majority oil your members were necessarily excluIe
i.oin AL participation in the proceedings.
None Of these objections could be ur,eJ oon;,si a,
Cssembly OF delegates IN consist of moi more than on
ha.lred and fifty or two hundred in nun,her IN h
chosen by the nenoer> OF ;e Society in their r,
tive coun.ies or ot!cr electoral districts that might
fIed upon.
In such body the election oI al, tho otriccrs ~ d,
Society could BIZ made without danger of e.c,.mcr
wniis; il nigh. also DC hoped that gentlemen n y.
capable. Jealous and faithful would be chosen IN &
every Office of euoluTent or honor.
This body too, would be competent to the en,irb,
encd discussion and decision OF questions Of the crcn
importance connected with tue agricultural inter
rsts of the State Nor is il visionary TO suppose til,
your assembly would cmboGy amour, of mind HI
o influence not to be surpassed by that to be found
any other body OF men in the State. And thus for Il
trs time IN ti!e history of agriculture would pnrtlC
81 Least, cf the widely scsttered and consequen
y cnfeebicd members Of that numerous proiessii
have combined organized and greatly augmented the
strength aud iniiuepcc.
Your assembly, representing as it would do, Il
great body Of the people well as OF the agricuur
Interests, could not fail 10 exert duo influence ev.
with the Legislature OF the State itself-,be .piti,nn
fruits 1T which would suon be in u cours. of Il
xsaton less neclectiul OF and more pronotive of yo,
own Interests which IRE the msiu and true interes
" the Commonwealth.