THE COUNTY AND BOROUGH MEMBERS.

35

Parliament, raised their voices on the side of everything conducing to the interests of the borough and of the country. I am sure the Hon. Member before me so raised his voice, that if they did not heed him, they must have heard him; and he was, in fact, attracting great attention,-an attention increasing every night of the Session. There can be no doubt that he was gaining more and more the ear of the House. The other Honourable Member for the Borough, Mr. has also for many seasons shown how much he is interested in all that concerns the public welfare, and particularly in regard to this borough; and I am told that, whenever anything has occurred upon which it was necessary for the authorities to place themselves in communication with their members, they have always found them ready to act with them, and to assist them in every possible manner.

GENTLEMEN, I will give "The Borough and County Members." First on the list is Mr. -, our senior Member, and a tried man.

In my late capacity as Mayor, I always found Mr. assisting, both with his time and purse, everything that was beneficial to the town. Next is Mr. who is an untried man; but we have seen him under two different aspects, one the antipodes of the other -we have seen him defeated, and have seen him victorious-and in the hour of victory he wore the same kind, calm look as he did in the hour of defeat. Mr. is a gentleman of great attainments, and the eyes of the country at large are upon him; and it is to be hoped that the estimation which has been formed of him will be realized. Next we have our old friend, whose name was a very household word-Mr. He is another tried gentleman, whose abilities, zeal, and attention to all matters, and the manner in which he conducted himself, has met with universal satisfaction, not only from the county, but from the kingdom. Then we have Lord who is, like Mr. -, an untried man, and of whom, personally, we know but little; but the name of associated th everything that is great and good.

Toast.-By a Distinguished Guest.

"THE BOROUgh Members."

- is

GENTLEMEN,-By the kind permission of the Chairman, I am allowed to give a toast, and most cheerfully do I rise for that purpose, from the assurance I have that one and all here will join me, and hail with acclamation, "The Members of our Borough." Gentlemen, this is not the time for a political speech, and if it were so, I am not inclined to give one; enough can be said for these gentlemen without touching on the dangerous ground of politics. In social life we have known them well, and many of us know how highly they are valued in their domestic circles. For this, then, as well as for their generosity and charity, for the local good they are constantly effecting in our borough, and their support and patronage to our races and other sports, and close attention to our interests on all occasions, we are bound to give a long and hearty cheer for the Borough Members.

D 2

THE COUNTY AND BOROUGH

MAGISTRATES.

Toast.-The Chairman.

"THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF THE COUNTY." GENTLEMEN,-I have great pleasure in proposing to your notice the next toast, "The Lord Lieutenant of the County." The nobleman honoured by Her Majesty with this ancient office is one not unknown to you all. Those who live within the sphere of his immediate influence can bear testimony to his worth; his unbounded acts of charity are patent to the world; and he needs only to be known to be esteemed, not alone for his public virtues, but for his private worth. May God spare his life for another generation to applaud him as we do, the type of an English gentleman!

"The Lord Lieutenant."

"THE LORD LIEUTENANT OF THE COUNTY."

GENTLEMEN,-I have the pleasure of proposing "The Lord Lieutenant of the County," a nobleman who has exercised the greatest energy, ability, and kindness of heart in promoting the best interests of this part of the kingdom. With the toast I would name the Magistrates of the County. I have been in the habit of seeing how well their duties were always performed. It is not too much to say that although I have seen the duties of magistrates admirably performed in other counties, I do not know that they are performed any where with so much zeal, so much discretion, and so much kindness as by the magistrates of You must forgive me if I make particular allusion to one magistrate, who occasionally presides in one of the Courts of Quarter Session-I mean my excellent friend Mr. ; and I can only say regret that that gentleman has retired from public life, for he was a most estimable man, and a very useful member of society. I will therefore propose "The Lord Lieutenant of the County, and the Magistrates of coupling with the toast the name of Mr.

"

"And then, the justice,

In fair round belly, with good capon lin❜d,
With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut,
Full of wise saws and modern instances,
And so he plays his part."

Toast.-"THE LORD LIEUTENANT AND the MagistRACY OF THE COUNTY AND BOROUGH JUSTICES."

GENTLEMEN,-The toast that I have the honour to propose is the Lord Lieutenant and the Magistracy of this county. The toast is one which, in an assembly like the present, calls for but few remarks from me. The office of Lord Lieutenant has at all times been represented by the nobility and aristocracy of the land, men well known for their honesty of purpose, and whose integrity commands at once our respect and attention. Our Lord Lieutenant, I am happy to say, is a resident amongst us. He has by his ability, integrity, generosity, and kindness of heart won from all classes golden opinions. His virtues are so well known to you, that I am sure it is only necessary to repeat his name to command at once a cordial response. Our toast also includes the Magistracy and Borough Justices, who likewise hold a position high in our estimation. Ranking among them those who have been of the highest eminence in various positions, as well as those who have been engaged in various spheres of trade and commerce, these gentlemen have cordially and earnestly rendered to us their disinterested services. And, gentlemen, it is only by comparing the privileges we enjoy with those of less favoured countries that we can at all appreciate the blessings we derive by having our laws administered by an unpaid Magistracy. All honour, then, to our Magistracy, and to those who are set in authority over us. We should be thankful that those noble institutions have been preserved inviolate to us and our children. Long may they continue to be so, and may we be united hand to hand for their preservation, especially as we cannot close our eyes to the fact that those institutions are assailed by those high in authority, from whom we might expect better things. I believe, never was there a time when Englishmen should, with more earnestness, give utterance to the prayer that "peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations." Gentlemen, drink with me, then, the health of the Lord Lieutenant and the Magistrates, coupled with the name of Mr. formerly was mainly

Member for attributable.

to whom the recent victory in

Response.-"Lord LIEUTENANT AND COUNTY AND Borough

MAGISTRATES."

GENTLEMEN,-I beg to return you my best thanks on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant and County Magistrates,-not only of the county but the borough of I may seem out of place in

returning thanks for the Magistrates of the borough of ; but, gentlemen, I recollect years ago, and all I can say is, I have great pleasure in returning thanks for their Magistrates' health. I also return you our best thanks for the magistrates of the county of The magistrates of England are no preachers for the Government They do their duty impartially, independently of any

Government, and as they do so, between man and man, they will receive the approbation of their fellow-citizens. Gentlemen, my duty ought, perhaps, to cease here, but I cannot meet so magnificent an assembly as the present without feelings of warmth and gratitude. It gives me great pleasure to see such an assemblage supporting that cause which I have so deeply at heart. You have an idea in that we in the county take no interest in your proceedings in this town, and ask what we have to do with the affairs of Mr. But, in answer, I say we do think of you; we must work together, we must pull together, if we mean to be successful. If there is one thing I regret in this contest it is, that what I have done for Mr. has not been successful, although my best has been done; and I also regret that my old friend, Mr. has not been returned. The time has come, gentlemen, and the -s-ay, the s if you will-think so too, that the common country is in danger; and we must join in one common cause to save our country. I believe the Church of England to be in danger, and I will, as long as I have breath, support the Protestant constitution of England. Next to the question of establishment comes the land question. Some gentlemen are very fond of quoting Scripture. I will quote Scripture, and say, "Whosoever removeth his neighbour's landmark is accursed." If you remove the landmark, you will remove other matters, most likely, and those who work under landlords will, perhaps, claim their capital from them, and rub out the landmark which divides right from wrong, and the sacredness of property will be ignored altogether. I know there are other points on which I could speak, but I trust we shall all join in one common cause at this moment. I have come forward because I thought my country was in danger, and I will join with you to the last breath to meet the enemy who would destroy the constitution of England; and I hope and trust, by our joint efforts, we shall have the power to save the country in which we were born and bred, and in which we hope to die.

Toast.-By the Chairman.

"THE MAGISTRATES OF THE COUNTY."

GENTLEMEN,-The pleasing duty now devolves on me of proposing The Magistrates of the County." This is a toast to which full honour should be done, and I shall not ask you in vain.

When we see gentlemen of such high standing in society, and who have so many demands on their time, giving up their leisure hours to the service of the State and people, as they must do who faithfully serve the office of "Justice of the Peace," I think our least return should be to thank them. None better than the gentlemen who now surround me can appreciate their worth, and, therefore, there are none from whom the applause could better come. I have

no doubt they are all known to you personally, and not better known than esteemed. Without further preface, then, I shall propose to you The Magistrates of the County."

"THE COUNTY AND BOROUGH MAGISTRATES."

GENTLEMEN,-In giving "The County and Borough Magistrates," I will say that it is not a pleasant thing at any time or under any circumstances to be brought up before the magistrates; but if one is to be so brought up, one likes it to be before men who are competent to do their duty, and who do one justice; and I think that in every man must feel, if he is sent to gaol, it is because he deserves it. I trust that the civilizing and humanizing effects of this among other movements will be such that in time the office of magistrate in this borough may become a sinecure; and I am not without hope that, if I live to propose this toast a few years hence, it will be drunk in solemn silence, the magistrates having become simply historical characters, whose duties have become utterly obsolete, in consequence of the great spread of education and other combining matters.

"THE BOROUGH MAGISTRATES,"

GENTLEMEN,-Taking the opportunity offered me, I ask your permission to propose the next toast of the evening, which is The Borough Magistrates."

To those amongst us whose leisure will afford time to attend occasionally at the bench and witness the manner in which our local magistrates dispense justice, I need say nothing to enlist their favour for the toast. To others whose time is so occupied in the battle of life, that from the journals only can they gather knowledge of our local affairs, I can with security rest for a favourable verdict; and to all I can say that the gentlemen filling the office of Justice of the Peace in the borough of are an honour to their country and a credit to the borough.

Response.-"THE COUNTY AND Borough MAGISTRATES.” GENTLEMEN,-Holding as I do Her Majesty's Commission as a Justice of the Peace for both County and Borough, I have been requested by my brother Magistrates to thank you for the last toast, and I do so most heartily. The manner in which it was proposed and received convinces us that we have gained your confidence. That "Justice is blind" is, in a spirit of irony, sometimes misquoted, the interpretation of it misapplied, to throw ridicule upon the decisions of a court. She ought always to be blind-powerless to look with favour on either side. It often happens that we have to shut our eyes, not to the facts of the case, but to the position of the parties connected with it, and the magistrates of can, I sincerely believe, claim credit for being impartial. Sometimes it happens that a case occurs in which, upon the surface, a decision