return some horrid old Tory. How excessively disgusted he'd be! I beg to say that in France the Mayor, who is called the Prefect, is liable to all that. The Government make it part of his duty. It is the same in Prussia; but I am happy to say that here we have a Corporation whose duty it is to attend to the interests and comfort of the inhabitants, and I am sure that we are all very much obliged to the Mayor and the rest of the gentlemen who undertake that responsible duty, and who carry it out so satisfactorily.

Toast.-"THE MAYOR AND CORPORATION OF

"

GENTLEMEN,-The toast I have now to propose is the toast of the evening, but I find that I must be very brief in my observations respecting it. My duty in proposing it is a most pleasing one, and I feel sure that all present will feel an equal pleasure in responding to it. It is "The Mayor and Corporation of Some years ago, when the borough was first incorporated, very great dissatisfaction was expressed by many of the inhabitants at the new form of government, and I am free to confess that I was one among the number. I now see the mistake I made, and am willing to admit I was in error, and I am perfectly convinced that the inhabitants are now satisfied with it, and with the way in which the duties are performed by the Town Council. I need not enumerate the great improvements which have been made since the town was incorporated; but I will say that the town has flourished under the new form of government in a manner that it had never experienced before. The Town Council has executed their duties most faithfully, with great advantage to the town, and for the benefit and comfort of its inhabitants and visitors. In making these observations, I feel bound to mention the name of Mr. Alderman That gentle

man has had the honour of being twice elected to the Mayoralty, -a high compliment to him,-and well has he executed the duties of the office, as you all know. Not only did he execute those duties faithfully and impartially as a public man, but his manner was at all times courteous; and there is not the least doubt that the present Mayor will pursue the same course. Gentlemen, "The Mayor and Corporation of

"

Toast.-"HEALTH OF THE MAYOR OF

GENTLEMEN,-The next toast I have to propose is the health of our excellent friend, the Mayor of This town owes its growth and increase of wealth to many natural advantages,-to its breezy downs, its fine drives, its bathing, and its excellent line of railway;-but all these advantages alone were not enough to secure the prosperity of a town. It required good local administration. When I was once travelling in Spain, I was told a story of an old king, which made a great impression on me.

This old

Spanish king was very patriotic, and prayed to the Virgin for all sorts of blessings for his country. He asked for fertile lands, rich mines, a splendid climate, brave men, lovely women,—and all were granted. At last, he asked also for good administration, in addition. But the Virgin said, "No; I have given you everything else, and if I were to give you good administration in addition, I should not have an angel left in heaven; they would every one of them desert their colours." I trust - may be more fortunate than Spainthat she will always have a good administration, in addition to her natural advantages.

Toast.-"HEALTH OF THE MAYOR OF

GENTLEMEN,-I have to propose the health of the Mayor of A great many changes have taken place during the last few years, and a great many changes have taken place in the neighbouring town of I have watched the progress of with great satisfaction, the reason being that I feel no jealousy in the advancement of that town, and look upon it as largely contributing to the resources of I am always pleased to see an interchange of good offices between and To-day we are favoured with the presence of his worship the Mayor of It is the first time at our festive gatherings we have been honoured with the presence of a Mayor of, but I hope to see many successive Mayors of honour us with a visit. I was delighted that Mr. had accepted the invitation, as it tended to establish a reciprocity of kindly feeling between the two towns.

Response.-By the Mayor.

MR. CHAIRMAN,-I have to thank you, sir, for the very flattering encomiums you have been pleased to bestow upon me, as the Mayor of and for which I beg to tender you, and the company present, my warmest and best thanks. I am quite sure that it is the earnest wish of the inhabitants of to be on friendly terms with the town of -, because the interests of the one are identical with those of the other, and I wish the same feeling to prevail throughout the county of I am very glad to have my health drunk in this manner by the inhabitants, for I claim an early association with the borough of -, in which I received my education; I feel gratified in receiving the invitation; and I trust may be attended with prosperity for many generations to come. Again thanking you for the great honour conferred upon me, in conclusion, I beg to propose

Response by the Mayor or Senior Alderman.

GENTLEMEN,-It is with unmingled pleasure that I rise to thank you on behalf of the body whose health has been so enthusiastically received, and to especially thank the Chairman for the eloquent way in which he submitted the toast to you. The manner in which you responded to his call is a convincing proof that you endorse his sentiments with regard to the importance of self or local government, which is the palladium of all our liberties, and should be dearly cherished by us; having been won by the blood of our forefathers, who raised and maintained this England of ours to its present and envied position among nations. Where there are no municipal institutions, such as are to be found in this country, there can be no real freedom,-freedom of thought, and speech, and action; and it is this freedom which engenders obedience in the governed, and confidence in those who rule. The man who is not willing to obey is not fit to govern; and where can you point to a people abroad in whom their sovereign can place such reliance as is placed in the people of England? It is this confidence which exists between the Government and the governed, that not only allows the latter to make laws for themselves, but enforces a respect for them.

Gentlemen, I also thank you on another ground, -on the reception which you gave the toast. It is satisfactory evidence to us, whom you have selected as governors of this municipality, that, if we have not done all that could be done, we have gained your approbation and sanction of those acts which have been performed; and, on behalf of the Corporation, I can say with truth, that they have laboured conscientiously, and will be ever mindful of their duties and watchful over your interests.

Response by the Mayor.

GENTLEMEN,-On behalf of myself and the Corporation of

I fully endorse the opinion of Mr. —, that a Corporation is the best form of local government, being that of self-government. I fully believe this to be the truth. There is much to do in the coming municipal year connected with sanitary matters, and I trust that it will be attended to with no niggard hand, for the sake alike of inhabitants and visitors. It must not be forgotten, we have no manufactures-our staple is our visitors, and for those visitors the town should be made as perfect and as attractive as municipal regulations can make it. I beg to thank those assembled for their kind feelings towards the Corporation of

-I hope the town will foster the races, flower-shows, regattas, and other amusements. I am at all times pleased to meet my fellow-townsmen at social entertainments like the present, as they are calculated to establish and perpetuate that good feeling which should exist between the inhabitants and the governing body.

PAROCHIAL.

"THE BOARD of Guardians."-By the Vice-Chairman. GENTLEMEN,-A toast has been placed in my hands which I have great pleasure in submitting to you; it is that of "The Health of the Board of Guardians." No body of men are more deserving our thanks than those gentlemen who voluntarily give up their time to those onerous and, not infrequently, painful duties, of attending to the wants of the poor. None but those who are acquainted with those duties can fully realize them. The qualifications for a Guardian do not consist in his paying so much "scot and lot," or in being "discreet," in the general terms of the Act of Parliament; but he must be a man of unbending resolution and determination, yet full of compassion; for it should be borne in mind, that a Guardian of the Poor has two important trusts committed to his charge-the money of the ratepayers, and the wants, even the lives, of a section, and a large section too, of his fellow-creatures. If niggardly with the one, in order to save the pockets of the ratepayers, he acts unjustly towards those who have a legitimate claim to the money for whose support it has been collected; and if he administers relief without exercising caution, he encourages imposition, whereby the ratepayer and the truly necessitous are both wronged. But in this parish I am pleased to be able to say, from having been a keen observer of how the parochial affairs are managed, that the really deserving are kindly cared for and relieved according to their several wants, while those who trade on pauperism find no sympathy. Therefore, gentlemen, I call upon you to join us in drinking to the Board of Guardians.

"DIRECTORS AND GUARDIANS OF THE POOR."

MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN,—I am told that in the programme of to-day's proceedings my name is entered for a toast, and the time to give that toast has now arrived; I must therefore claim your attention for a few minutes to enable me to accomplish the object entrusted to my charge. Gentlemen, the toast I have to propose is the "Directors and Guardians of the Poor," and amongst the many social offices that civilization has compelled us to assume, I know of none more onerous than that of a Guardian of the Poor. Of course, if there were no poor, no Guardians would be needed;

but, as the highest authority has said, "The poor ye shall have always with you," as a sequence, we must always have Guardians. Now this is an office but few would seek; in the first place, its unthankfulness, for as a rule the poor are not grateful; secondly, because the faithful discharge of the duties exacts a vast amount of time that could much more advantageously be bestowed in business. Still, I say it with pride, we can find men who, notwithstanding these objections, faithfully and honestly discharge their duties with a perfect abnegation of self; such men, I say, deserve our highest admiration and praise; such men it is who reflect credit on a town, and add to the greatness of the nation. Gentlemen, the functions of a Guardian of the Poor comprise also the guardianship of the poorrates; in this all are interested, and to see that, whilst the infirm and indigent are properly cared for, no imposition shall be practised, demands no mean degree of intelligence and tact. That intelligence and that tact, I am bold to say, is nobly displayed by the gentlemen to whom my toast alludes, who now enjoy the confidence of the ratepayers and hold the office of Directors and Guardians, and to that body our thanks are due, and are hereby given, with the hope that in the mysterious dispensations of Providence it may never be their lot to seek the aid thus provided for the poor; but, if it must be so, that they may be under a board of Guardians as just and merciful as in their prosperity they were themselves. Gentlemen, "The Directors and Guardians of the Poor."

GENTLEMEN, -The next toast I have to submit to your notice is in reference to a body of gentlemen who have an important and difficult duty to perform, and one at all times requiring a vast amount of discrimination. I refer to the "thirty wise and discreet" inhabitants who are elected every year to act as the Directors and Guardians of the Poor. The amount of labour they have to perform is very great, and the time they have to devote to carrying out the duties appertaining to the office is almost unknown but to those who have belonged to that body. The office of a Director and Guardian can only be carried out properly by those persons who have a good deal of time to spare, and are willing to give it for the benefit of their fellow-townsmen and poorer brethren. To those gentlemen who do give their time to the office, we should be ever ready to acknowledge the great obligation that we are under to them. I therefore propose to you "The Directors and Guardians."

Response.-By a Member of the Board.

"THE DIRECTORS AND GUARDIANS."

MR. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN, As a Member of the Board of Directors and Guardians of this town, I beg to acknowledge the toast you have been pleased to propose and drink, and it affords me a great deal of pleasure in having an opportunity of doing so. The office of a Director and Guardian is one of great