The Northern A.S.A. to have jurisdiction over all parts of England north of 53°. Clubs to join the association in whose district their meetings are held, and not to be allowed to affiliate to an association out of their district.
2. Each association to have the sole government of the sport in its district.
3. The laws of swimming and constitution rules to be the same for each body, and not to be altered except at the annual general meeting of the A.S.A. The rules to be called the Rules of the Amateur Swimming Association.
4. Each body to pay its own expenses.
5. The clubs affiliated to each body to have the right of repre sentation in accordance with their numbers, at a meeting to be called annually at any one of the three centres—London, Man chester, or Birmingham—which shall be termed and known as the annual general meeting of the Amateur Swimming Association. The venue for the ensuing year to be decided by vote.
6. All championship meetings and ordinary galas, &c., to be advertised as being held under the laws of the Amateur Swimming Association.
7. The national championships to be managed by each associa tion on the following lines, or in some similar wanner (until such time as a Midland Association be formed) : The salt-water championship to be held in accordance with the conditions governing the race.
8. A final appeal committee consisting of representatives from each body to be appointed, who shall have referred to them for settlement any such questions as the annual general meeting may determine.
9. The expenses of the annual general meeting to be defrayed by both associations in proportion to the number of delegates of affiliated clubs entitled to attend such meetings.
The delegates further agreed practically to disband the existing A.S.A., and to form an entirely new body. After a very long discussion it was resolved, on the casting vote of the chairman, Mr. C. Plumpton of Barnsley, that the scheme brought forward by the Southerners be accepted as a basis of settlement. Thus ended happily, and in the short space of a fortnight, the greatest revolt ever made against the jurisdiction of the governing body. The A.S.A. also accepted the scheme, removed the suspensions which had created the difficulty, and agreed, pending a final understanding, to recognise the juris diction of the Northern Counties A.S.A. over all swimming matters north of 53° latitude. The success of the Northerners then induced the Midland Aquatic Polo Association to make application to be placed on the same footing. They were invited to take part in a conference which was held at Anderton's Hotel, Fleet Street, London, on November 23, x889, when it was finally agreed between the representatives of the three bodies assembled to create three divisions of the Amateur Swimming Association, termed respectively : the Northern Counties A.S.A., the Midland Counties A.S.A., and
the Southern Counties A.S.A.
The representatives present at this conference were : from the Amateur Swimming Association—Mr. A. Sinclair (in the chair) and Messrs. H. Benjamin, C. Val Hunter, E. J. Tackley, and W. Henry ; from the Northern Counties A.S.A.—Messrs. j. H. Fisher, C. Piumpton, W. J. Read, and C. Heywood ; from the Midland Counties A.S.A.—Messrs. G. S. Powell, R. Willett, and T. E. Dugmore, Mr. Arthur Cook acting as hon. sec. The resolutions of the conference were agreed to by the respective district bodies, and the first general meeting under the new constitution took place in London on April 12, 189o. The association then consisted of one hundred and thirty five clubs, seventy-eight of these being Southern, thirty-nine Northern, and eighteen Midland ; the hearty support accorded to the North, for a new body, being most noticeable, and reflecting very great credit upon the ability of its organisers.
By this time the great increase in the number of clubs playing water-polo had cemented many friendships ; the asso ciations had doubled their membership, and the first inter national match between England and Scotland had been arranged. The various district bodies were free for energetic work near home, and rapid advancement towards consolidation was made. The first question was the government of swim ming in Ireland. This task had been left to the Southern Association, but that body at once endeavoured to shift its responsibilities, and bring about the formation of an Irish association similar to that existing in Scotland. In this effort it was at first unsuccessful, as the two great centres of swimming in Ireland—viz. Dublin and Belfast—could not be induced to amalgamate and promote the art throughout the sister isle. Since then the Leinster Aquatic Polo Association, which as sumed sway in the Dublin district, and the Belfast Aquatic Polo Association in Ulster have joined hand in hand, and formed an Irish Amateur Swimming Association, whose suspensions are now recognised by the English Association as binding upon all English clubs. A Welsh association has also been formed, while England has now five district Asso ciations—viz. Northern, Midland, North Eastern, Southern, and Western counties. An Eastern Counties Association is also mooted.