nt would find himself
presiding over a body as truly representative of the interests concerned
as could be brought together, consisting, by a strange coincidence, of
exactly the same number as the Irish representatives in Parliament.

The Council, which is appointed for a term of three years, the first
term dating from the 1st April, 1900, has a two-fold function. It is, in
the first place, a deliberative assembly which must be convened by the
Department at least once a year. The domain over which its deliberations
may travel is certainly not restricted, as the Act defines its function
as that of "discussing matters of public interest in connection with any
of the purposes of this Act." The view Mr. Gerald Balfour took was that
nothing but the new spirit he laboured to evoke would make his machine
work. Although he gave the Vice-President statutory powers to make
rules for the proper ordering of the Council debates, I have been well
content to rely upon the usual privileges of a chairman. I have
estimated beforehand the time required for the discussion of matters of
inquiry: the speakers have condensed their speeches accordingly, the
business has been expeditiously transacted, and in the mere exchange of
ideas invaluable assistance has been given to the Department.

The second function of the Council is exercised only at its first
meeting, and consequently but once in three years. At this first
triennial meeting it becomes an Electoral College. It divides itself
into four Provincial Committees, each of which elects two members to
represent its province on the Agricultural Board and one member to
represent it on the Board of Technical Instruction. The Agricultural
Board, which controls a sum of over L100,000 a year, consists of twelve
members, and as eight out of the twelve are elected by the four
Provincial Committees--the remaining four being appointed by the
Department, one from each province--it will be seen that the Council of
Agriculture exercises an influence upon the administration commensurate
with its own representative character. The Board of Technical
Instruction, consisting of twenty-one members, together with the
President and Vice-President of the Department, has a less simple
constitution, owing to the fact that it is concerned with the more
complex life of the urban districts of the country. As I have said, the
Council of Agriculture elects only four members--one for each province.
The Department appoin