This is the twentieth year of the existence of the National League, and in all that time but four members of the League have occupied the presidential chair, viz., Morgan G. Bulkeley, ex-Governor of Connecticut; the last W.A. Hulbert; A.G. Mills, the leading spirit of the great New York Athletic Club, and N.E. Young, the present highly-esteemed and worthy President of the League. Mr. Bulkeley served during 1876; Mr. Hulbert from 1876 to his death in 1882; Mr. Mills from that date up to 1884, when business requirements led to his resignation, and Mr. Young since then. From the organization of the National League in 1876 to the day of his death, Mr. Hulbert was the great moving spirit in the reforms in the government of the professional clubs of the country, which marked the period from 1876 to the eighties. It was his influence, largely, which led to the war upon the "crookedness" which marked the early years of professional base ball history, in which pool gambling was the potent factor. It took years of cohesive and even arbitrary legislation to eliminate the poison of the pool rooms from the professional system, but success was finally achieved, and to the late President Hulbert and his able coadjutors in the League does the credit of this success belong. During the League regime, under President Mills, the great union safety compact, known as the National Agreement, sprang into existence, and its author--Mr. Mills--at this day has reason to be proud of the good work he did for professional ball playing, and for the benefit of the game at large, in the perfecting of this bond of union between the reputable clubs of the professional fraternity. The wisdom of the measure, as a protection against the abuses of "revolving" and "contract breaking," has been very strikingly shown by court decisions which oblige professional clubs to depend entirely upon base ball law, and not the common law, for the preservation of their club rights in contracting with players for their services on the field. Since Mr. Mills left the League arena he has done most efficient service in conserving the best interests of the New York Athletic Club and those of the clubs of the Amateur Athletic Union at large. The great master of League records, and the whilom Secretary of the League since its organization, Mr. Young, is known throughout the entire base ball world, alike for the integrity of his character, the geniality of his disposition and the marked industry and persevering application which has characterized the discharge of his onerous official duties.