HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 581, 26 February 1851, Page 2

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The Annual meeting of the members of this Society was held on Monday evening at the Wellington Hotel, for the purpose of electing officers for the current year; the meeting was numerously attended. Mr. Kelham was requested to take the chair.

The Treasurer submitted the following statement of accounts to the meeting :— Dr. The Wellington Horticultural Society in account with the Treasurer. 1850.

1851. Jan. Ist. By Balance brought' down 25 8 3 E. & 0. E. Wellington, Jan. 1, 1851. Robert Stokes, Treasurer. Audited by Geo. Moore. R. J. Duncan. Moved by Major Baker, seconded by Mi. Bradey, and carried unanimously — That the Treasurer’s report be adopted. Mr. Stokes said that, before the Meeting proceeded to the election of their officers, he would trespass for a few minutes on their attention, and take that opportunity of resigning the office of 1 reasurer which he had held since the first formation of the Society, now a period of nearly ten years. The Society was founded the Sth November, 1841, and in conjunction with Dr. Featherston the first Secretary, he (Mr. S.) had taken an active part in its formation. Ihe Horticultural Society was, he believed, the first and oldest societv in Wellington, and while other societies and institutions in the settlement, since formed, had either sunk beneath the withering influence of those hard times which old colonists must remember, or had yielded to their pressure, to be re-establish-ed on a firmer basis on the advent of a more prosperous season, their Society had continued its course of usefulness, no doubt affected in some degree by those vicissitudes which had been so severely felt by all, but still continuing its operations. He (Mr. S) believed that the report of the exhibitions out of the colony, in those times to which he alluded, had produced a good effect, by shewing that the settlers though suffering from adversity were not dismayed, that they were resolved to struggle manfully with their difficulties and to overcome them, since in the midst of those difficulties they held these exhibitions as usual. The Society had always had a surplus fund which now amounted, as appeared by the report just submitted to them to the sum of £101:11:6, funded, ieturning the vearly sum of £8:2:4 interest, and a balance in cash of £25 : 8 : 3. In turning over the Subscription Lists of previous years, they would be found to record the names of many settlers now dead or who had left the colony. In the first year, 1842, the amount of subscriptionsand donations amounted to £125 :11. 6. This large sum arose not only from the numerous subscribers induced to join the Society by the general interest excited in its favor, but from the circumstance that on its first formation the majority of the members felt the annual subscription of five shillings to be so low, that in order to put the Society on a secure basis they gave a donation of ten shillings each, so that the donations from subscribers in that year amounted to £36 : 9s. He (Mr. S.) had also on the formation of the Society applied to the New Zealand Company for a donation to its funds, his application was strongly recommended bv the late Colonel Wakefield, then President, and the Company had, in answer to his application, forwarded the liberal donation of Fifty Pounds. While he lived, Colonel Wakefield continued to fill the office of President, and on his death the Society, out of respect to his memory, and m acknowledgement of the liberality evinced towards them by the Company, electee Mr. Fox, his successor as Principal Agent, to the office of President. The de-

parture of that gentleman from the colony occasioned a vacancy in that office which they would now have to fill up. Other donations had also at different times been received, including the sum of £5 from the Bishop of New Zealand, the sum of £lO : 10 from his Excellency the Governor-in-Chief,' and an annual subscription of £3 : 3 from his Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor, the Patrons of the Society. The present number of subscribers (including one or two subscriptions not received owing to the casual absence of subscribers) was the same as that of last year, namely, seventy-six. He thought it right also to state the names of those gentlemen, and the sums they had given to the Society, whose donations as returned prizes were mentioned in the aggregate in the Treasurer’s Report. They were Mr. St. Hill £1 : 15, Mr. J. M. TayJ M r - Spinks 5: 0, Mr. Harding 2 : 6. He (Mr. S.) had determined to resign the office of Treasurer because he founu he had not sufficient leisure to devote the necessary time to the discharge of its duties, but though his more intimate connection with the Society would cease, he should always feel pleasure in being able in - t0 contribute its prosperity or promote its usefulness? — Mr. Edwards also, on the part of Mr. Woodward, tendered the resignation by that gentieman of the office of Secretary, and said that he was requested to express his regret that his numerous avocations interfered to prevent

his efficiently discharging the duties of th office. e

Mr. Stokes said he would propose f Or office of President, vacant by the of Mr. Fox for England, a member present who had always taken the warmest interest in the welfare of the Society from its first formation, and had ever been one of jf most strenuous supporters by his contrib u S tions to its exhibitions, and his donations to its funds. He begged to propose Mr. § t Hill as President, an old colonist, and one who was always among the first to encou. rage any object that tended to promote the good of the settlement, or the amusements of the settlers.

Mr. Ross seconded the motion and St. Hill was unanimously elected.

The following gentlemen, on the motion of Mr. Moore seconded by Mr. Ecld, wei e unanimously re-elected Vice Presidents f Or the present year : —

Mr. Justice Chapman, Lieutenant-Coion e i M’Cleverty, W. Swainson, Esq., F.R.S., C Jhi tain W. M. Smith, R.A. ■ Mr. Fitzgerald proposed the of last year’s committee with the exception of those members who had either resign e( j or left the colony. Seconded by Mr. St. Hili and carried unanimously. —Mr. James M’Beth was also added to the Committee.

Moved by Mr. Bradey seconded by Mr, Bold, and carried unanimously,

That Captain Rhodes be elected Treasurer. I Moved by Mr. Edwards seconded by Mr. I Moore and carried unanimously, That Mr. J. M. Taylor be appointed Secretary Mr. Ross in very kind and flattering terms 1 expressed his sense of the services rendered by Mr. Stokes to the Societv during tbs I long period he had held the office of Trea- i surer, and moved the following resolution, ■ That this Society cannot permit Mr. Stoked to retire from the office of Treasurer without acknowledging its grateful sense of the entire) devotion which, during the full period of tenl years, he has exhibited to its interests. And] it begs to offer to him its very sincere and best thanks for the unwearied zeal, activity, and energy, he has ever evinced in forwarding the objects of this Society.

Major Baker, who seconded the resolution,B spoke also in warm appreciation of Mr.® Stokes’s exertions, and similar sentiments|i were expressed bv Mr. Moore and Mr. St, ft Hill. ' I

The resolution was carried unanimously, and Mr. Stokes briefly returned thiafs for the very complimentary manner in wkich the Meeting had been pleased to acknowledge his services. Mr. St. Hill then moved the followin’ resolution :— That a vote of thanks be presented to Mr.) Woodward for his zealous and efficient serviced as Secretary, and that it is with regret the meeting accepts of his resignation. The resolution was seconded by Dr. FitzJ gerald and carried unanimously. The following resolution Ihat the vote of thanks, just passed to the] late Treasurer for bis services by this Meeting.) be inserted as an advertisement in both loci) papers. proposed by Mr. Duncan and seconded bf Mr. Harding was, after some discussion, negatived, as the meeting appeared to betel opinion that such a proceeding would rathed weaken than strengthen the they wished to pay. It was afterwards nw4 ved by Major Baker seconded by Mr. Dun| can and unanimously carried, That, in order to give publicity io the cor-j pliment intended to be naid to Mr. Stokesfrf lus zealous and efficient services as Treasure:; of the Society for so inanj' years, the whoW the proceedings and resolutions of the nieetinH be published in the local papers. A vote of thanks was then passed to tbt| chairman, which terminated the proceeding: of the meeting. The following is the list of officers forb| present year ; — PATRONS. His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief-1 His Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor-1 The Lord Bishop of New Zealand. | president. H. St. Hill, Esq. VICE-PRESIDENTS. [ Mr. Justice Chapman. i Lieutenant-Colonel M'Cleverty. i W. Swainson, Esq., F, R. S. I Captain W. M. SmithCOMMITTEE. I Mr. Hickson, Mr. Ross, Mr. G. M ■ Mr. Bradey, Major Baker, Mr. WiHd nSl> | Mr. M'Carthy, Mr. Hurst, Mr. Ludljl Mr. Waitt, Mr. Levin, Mr. VarnharOf 1 | Lewis, Mr. Bold, Mr. Langdon, Mr. SpR Dr. Monteith, Mr.- James M‘Betb. I TREASURER. , Captain Rhodes. SECRETARY. ! J. M. Taylor, Esq- i

Expenses of March Exhibition • • 9- 14 6 Sept. 30. Purchase of Books • • Expenses of November Exhibi3 17 6 9 10 6 Ditto December Exhibition.... Webb’s commission on collecting 12 7 6 Printing Exhibition Lists and 0 14 6 Advertising 5 6 10 Balance 25 8 3 Cr. Jan. 1st. By Balance brought £66 19 7 down 30 4 9 Amount of Annual Subscriptions 21 3 0 Admission money at doors .. . • 4 14 6 InterestonDebenture£101:l 1:6 8 2 4 Dorations Prizes returned •••• 2 15 0 £66 19 7