The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-11 00:00:00

Kr. Seymour Fitzgerald at Ho sham.

Yesterday the Conservative electors of Horsham
gave a complimentary entertainment to their late
member, the Hon. W. Seymour Fitzgerald. Covers
were laid in the Assemblylrooms, King's Head, for
about 200. Major Aldridge presided, being sup-
ported on the right by. Mr. S. Fitzgerald, Major
Falconer, Mr. Cave, M.P., Mr. Abbott, late Con-
servative candidate for EaSt Sussex, and the Rev.
J. Hodgson, vicar of HorSham ; and on the left by
Lord Cranbourne, Mr; C. C. Dickens, Mr. Mitford,
M.P., Major Pocock, Mr: Geiald Fitzgerald, &c.
Letters of apology for absence were read from the
Duke of Richmond, the Earl of Malmesbury, and
others. A number of ladies were present.
After the usual loyal toasts given from the chair,

Mr. MITFORD, 'M.P., gave " the Bishop and
Clergy of the Diocess." Ele took the opportunity of
stating how much he regretted the non-election of
his friend Mr. Fitzgerald. He believed it would be
found a great loss to the community. He had the
good fortune to combine qualities seldom found in
one person. He had the power of devoting his mind
to an extent far beyond the power of most of them
to any subject which he might take up ; he had the
power of storing his mind with information, and
imparting it in a most agreeable, impressive, and
eloquent manner, as circumstances might require ;
he had all those amenities of manner and that
sweetness of tempera which they in that room knew
so well ; and with regard to more public matters,
Mr. Fitzgerald had chosen that department to which
attached the most arduous duties of the gravest re-
sponsibilities. If a slip was made in any other
department, it was in general made with the cog-
nisance of Parliament, because the bills brought
forward by the Ministers must come before the
House of Commons ; but if the Foreign Secre-
tary made a „slip Parliament was long in finding
it out, and had scarcely any control over him: War
might be the result before the nation was aware of
it. For this reason we required at the Foreign-
office men of the greatest ability, and men who were
thoroughly trusted. And such men were also wanted
to watch those who were in office. (Cheers.) It
was most important that they should have men like
Mr. Seymour Fitzgerald in Parliament in order that
when slips
but t
doid occur the proper remedies might be
PlSlied. lle could appeal not only to those in that
room,
Parliament and Europe itself to bear
witness to the
manner in which Mr. Fitzgerald had
fulfilled his duties.
sat opposite to Lord
lle did not say this because he
Pahnerston- in the House of
Commons. lie considered that in many respects
Lords Palmerston and Russell deserved the grati-
tude of the country, but when he remembered the
proceedings of 1863 and 1864 with reference to the
Polish and Danish questions he could not help say_
in., that the dignity of the country had not been
sustained as it ought to have been. (Cheers.) In
fact, England on those occasions had become the
laughing-stock of Europe. The present was not a
time when they could spare the watchful eye of Mr.
Fitzgerald. (Cheers.) No despatch, he believed,
had ever reached the Foreign-office which gave
greater satisfaction than the telegram which an-
nounced the defeat of Mr. Fitzgerald. (Cheers.)
No doubt a very complacent smile mantled Lord
Russell's countenance when Mr. Lay and announced
the. fact, and his lordship settled himself in his
armchair, thanking God for all his mercies. (A

laugh.-) While deeply regretting the result of
the election for that borough, he could not help
thinking that, to a certain extent, some of those
in that room were to blame for it. (Hear, hear.)
There was a want of harmony among them; they
had not pulled together as they ought to have
done. (Hear, hear.) The general opinion through-
out Sussex was that there had been gross misman-
agement in the last election for Horsham. (Cheers.)
He hoped, when another opportunity presented
itself, they would make amends by again returning
his right hon. friend. (Cheers.)

The Rev. Mr. HODGSON returned thanks for the
toast.

The CHAIRMAN, in proposing the toast of the
evening, said they had met not only to express their
' sympathy with Mr. Fitzgerald on his defeat, and
regret that he was no longer their representative in
Parliament—not merely to express their respect
and esteem for him as a friend and a neighbour,
but their high admiration of his talents and charac-
ter, and cordial appreciation of his public services,
which even the Times said had won for him a
dis-
tinguished position in the House of Commons.
They had good reason to be proud of him who had
represented them for the last 13 years, and it was
through the defection of some who should have been
his supporters (hear, hear), through the unaccount-
able apathy of others, and he feared he must add
somewhat through their own neglect, he was no
longer their representative. (Hear, hear.) The
borough had suffered a disgrace by excluding a
gentleman of such high qualifications from the
House of Commons. Some other constituency he
had no doubt would gladly welcome him. As it
was, the country had lost a most valuable member.
His non-election would be generally deplored, and
even by many of those in that borough who had
failed to support him. (Cheers.) They were natu-
rally reminded on that occasion of the former ban-
quet they gave him in 1847. He was then a de-I
feated candidate ; but he was then an untried man
in the House of Commons. He was but little
known to them, but they then expressed to him
their determination, in the name of the intelligence
and independence of the borough, that he should
represent them in the House of Commons, and that
pledge they had honourably redeemed. (Cheers.)
He had since made what the Times called a distin-
guished position for himself in the Legislature of the
country, and, considering the eminence he had
attained as a statesman, and his energy and elo-
quence in the House of Commons, they had much
greater reason now to renew their determination to
avail themselves of any opportunity that might be
given of re-electing him. (Cheers.) Sure he was
the intelligence and independence of the borough
could not have a more efficient representative--
(cheers)—and he hoped soon to see him again re-
stored to his place in Parliament. He concluded by
giving the health of the Right Hon. W. Seymour
Fitzgerald.
The toast was received with the utmost cordiality.
Mr. SEYMOUR FITZGERALD, who was loudly cheered,
said—Our worthy chairman, in the observations he
has just addressed to you, has referred to the first
contest I stood for this borough, now a good many
years ago. I can scarcely realise to myself that my
connexion with this borough has existed so long. I
don't feel muck older than I did then, and yet 20
years have since passed over our heads. To me they
have been marked by many changes. I have had
many happy days among them and many marked with
sorrow. But one thing has never changed, and that
is—whether the circumstances have been those of
triumph, defeat, or affliction, I have always among
my friends and neighbours of Horsham had one uni-
form display of kindness and esteem. (Cheers.)
I have of ten had to return you thanks for marks of
your kindness, but I may say, without affectation,
that I never addressed you under any circum-
stances when I so keenly and warmly appreciated
your kindness as Ido on this occasion_ (Cheers.)
I will not say that the result of the late contest for
the representation of this town has not been a source
of great regret—l will say even of mortification to
me, but I believe that the feeling of mortification I
have experienced has been amply—l should say
warmly—shared by many of those I see around me.
(Cheers.) It is not necessary—it is scarcely worth
while to refer to the causes of our late defeat; but
this, I may say, that I think we all must deeply feel
the mortification to which I have alluded when we
know that those who have been successful in their
opposition could not, if theyhad exerted everyenergy
that belonged to them, have polled one other vote
in favour of their candidate (cheers) ; and as we
look down the list there are—not one or two,-but
many who either were not present or did not give
us those votes which might have secured to the in-
fluential party we represent that control over the
representation of the borough which we have exer-
cised for the last 13 years. (Cheers.) ' 1 don't know
whether any of you gentlemen have seen a handbill
which is now before me. It is headed " The Dinner
to the Defeated." It seems that this gathering of
my friends around me, this manifestation of your
continued good feeling towards me—this expression
of your determination whether I stand again as a
candidate to represent you in Parliament or not,
that you will in future hold in your hands the repre-
sentation of this town, to bestow it on whom you
please, has somewhat disconcerted the enemy, and
raised some doubts in their minds as to the security
of their position. (Cheers.) This handbill tells us
that banquets are generally given to celebrate im-
portant victories. Well, then, I should like to know
why there has been no banquet to celebrate the vic-
tory on their side. (Cheers.) I will tell you—
first, because they rather doubt the reality of their
victory—(cheers)—but more than that. They say
banquets are given to celebrate " important " vic-
tories. I think that shows that our opponents con-
sider the victory they have attained is not so valu-
able as they would pretend it to be ; but I defy
them to produce an assembly of men connected with
this borough that could compare for one moment
with that embodiment of its intelligence, wealth,
and influence which I now see before me. (Cheers.)
They do us the favour to comparo this meeting to
the smiling faces that may be seen at funerals ; and
they say that generally there is a legacy in such
cases that raises smiles on the face. What is the
legacy here 2 Why this, that when the present oc-
cupant ceases to hold it we shall enter on our right
again—(cheers)—and that, whether in my person
or in that of any other candidate you may prefer,
you will continue that succession in the representa-
tion which for 13 years has existed among you.
(Cheers.) I will say that from the beginning to the
end I can look back on my connexion with this
borough with pride. (Cheers.) I see here the very
banners under which I fought in 1817 ; and what
was the condition and reputation of the borough
then and before that time ? We all know that years
before this borough had been keenly contested—
that success had often been obtained by means which
those who employed them must even now regret.
The borough then held no fair fame among the
boroughs of England. But what was the result
of the contest in 1847 ? The respectable, the
intelligent portion of the community, the wealthy
and influential portion of the town met to-
gether ; they determined to secure the indepen-
dence and purity of the borough, and from that
time to this, although among three, four, or half a
dozen there may still remain some lingering after
those evil times, the result has been that this borough
among all the boroughs of England can lay claim to
honesty and purity with the best of them. (Cheers.)
If there was nothing else, I should look back with
pleasure to my connexion with this borough, because
it was my first constituency ; while it also led to the
marshalling of that party I now sec around me which
has exercised so beneficial an influence on the for-
tunes of the State and honour of the town. (Cheers.)
So far I have spoken of our own immediate election ;
but I am sure you would think me very slightly per-
forming my duty if I were not to refer somewhat to
the generalcharacter of the elections that have lately
taken place, because it is not merely for local rea-
sons or from personal regard to myself that you
have fought and will againfight
aveat thehea r
tbtaht
et 1 es u lel
ce
erses.
writerseaue. in the various journals
toofldthbey
mCaonnyserovfattitvee (Cheers.) 'We are
that the late elections afford convincing proof
that there has not been what has been popularly
termed any Conservative reaction in the country,
because they say there has been a large majority