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London, England, 1859-12-30 00:00:00

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distinguished men may be proud. It is its own re-
ward. Those who hold it can claim no other re-
ward, and I can only attribute the repeated proofs
of your kindness and those feelings of personal
good-will which you have displayed towards me to
the minner in which I have been able to fulfil the
local duties pertaining to that office. (Hear, hear.)
It is not without some degree of hesitation that
I now beg your permission for one moment to touch
upon another subject. I cannot refrain from the
expression of my wish that this day, so gratifying to
myself and so memorable to those who are near and
dear to me should, if possible, be productive of some
benefit to others. (Hear.) lam one of those who
believe that we may always draw a moral lesson
from such proceediegs as these. (Hear, hear.)
There are not a few of those who now hear me—

there aro yet more of those who will read the report
cf what has passed to-day, whose career in life is
still before them; and I hope you will not consider
me guilty of presumption or egotism if I venture, in
this belief, to touch for a moment upon those prin-
ciples of action to which I mainly owe the honours
that upon this and other occasions it has been my
fortune to receive. Have I obtained those honours
by the exercise of great and transcendent talents ?
Certainly not. Hive I obtained them by the
aid of extensive and varied acquirements ? Cer-
tainly not. No. Gentlemen, if it has been my
good fortune to merit in any degree the favour which
I have received from my Most Gracious Sovereign ;
if I have deserved any portion of the kindness which
I have so largely received in this my native coun-
ty ; if I have been enabled to administer those great
departments of the state which have been succes-
sively entrusted to me, and to which my noble
friend has alluded in such flattering terms to-night
,•
if, I say, I have been en-abttiti—tn -eadmiulatt.r.t4to-W

great -departments without disadvantage to the
public service, and without discredit to myself, I
firmly believe that I am indebted to the exercise of
qualities and the adoption of rules which are equally
within the power and the compass of every man
who hears me, and of every man elsewhere who
desires to take a part in the public affairs of his
country. (Loud cheers.) I believe that I am in-
debted for whatever measure of success I have at-
tained in public life to the combination, with mo-
derate abilities, of honesty of intention—(cheers)—
firmness of purpose, and steadiness of conduct.
(Renewed cheering.) If I were to offer advice to
any young man who is anxious to make himself use-
ful in public life, I would sum up the results of my
own experience in three short rules, so simple that
every man may understand them—so easy that
every man may act upon them. My first rule
would be, leave it to others to judge for what duties
and for what position you are best fitted, but never
refuse to give your services in whatever position it
may be the opinion of others who are competent to
judge that you can be useful either to your neigh-
bours or to your country. (Hear, hear.) My second
rule would be, when once you have undertaken
public daties, concentrate every energy and every
fteulty you possess to the determination that you
will perform those duties well. (Cheers.) Lastly(
I would counsel, in deciding upon your line in public
affairs, to be guided by your opinion of that which,
after mature deliberation, you believe to be right,
and not by that which in the passing hour may
happen to be fashionable or popular. (Cheers.)
Fashion has its uses, and it is all very well when
applied to light and trivial things—(a laugh)—but
fashion in public affairs is out of place. (Hear,
hear.) Popularity; in its lowest and commonest
sense, is not worth having. (Cheers.) Do your
duty to the best of vcur power; win the approba-
tion of your conscience, and popularity in its best
' and highest sense is to follow. (Loud cheers.)
I would not exchange the recollections of this day
for all the acclamations that ever greeted the most
popular man in England. (Cheers.) Osntlemen, I ,
cannot conclude these acknowledgments with-.
out for a moment making special _reference to the
part which the citizens of 'Worcester have done me
the honour to take in this demonstration. (Hear,
hear.) lam gratified by it in a very high degree.
I have the honour of seeing the Mayor of Worces-
ter occupying the vice chair on this occasion. I see
around this table some of the most respected citi-
zens of Worcester. Amongst others, II have the
honour of seeing one who has himself very lately
received a proof of the respect in which he is held
by his fellow citizens, and whose portrait now
hangs opposite to me, Alderman Padmore:
(Cheers.) To what am I indebted, then, for this
manifestation of the gsod feeling of the citizens of
Worcester ? My position as chairman of the quar-
ter sessions for the county, whatever 'nay have
been the value of my services, has had no relation to
the city. They have their own jurisdiction, and I
have not acted for them. Neither can the honour
which they have done me proceed from any
political connection between us. On the contrary,
as regards, I believe, both the gentlemen to whom
I have referred, and as regards many whom I see
around this table, undoubtedly there is between us
neither political connection nor even political sym- •
pathy. I am, therefore, led to believe, and I.Lope I •
am not mistaken, that those gentlemen haVe formed
the generous and, as I believe, the just opinion
that there are times and occasions when social and
personal considerations may be held paramount to •
party obligations. (Cheers.) I believothat what-
ever political differences may separate us, they feel
that we have long lived near together. lam will-
ing to believe that they regard me with personal
good will—(cheers)—amid view my course in public
life as one which, whatever may have been its
errors, has at least been dictated by honourable and
conscientous moti:em. (Cheers.) • But,whatever may
have been the motives which have influenced them
in the kindness they hare now Shown me, let me
assure them—let me assure you all, that from my
heart I thank you. (Cheers.) When the feelings
are strong, I believe they are best expresseds--if
they can be expressed at all—in simple phrases. I
will, therefore, only repeat that I accept at your
hands this splendid gift with a truly grateful
heart. (Loud chesrs.) So long as life is spared to
me I shall value and cherish that gift as a memento
of good. intentions kindly appreciated, of honest
services nobly recompensed, of personal friendships
and attachments long cherished, and which can
only end with life itself. By my.descendants I
hope, and I believe, that this present will bo re-
garded as one of their proudest possessions; but I
hope that my descendants will also regard it as an
incentive to that honourable exertion which is the
best contribution that the citizen of a free state can
give to the welfare of his country, and the practical
acknowledgment that we can make to a bountiful
Providence for the blessings we are permitted to
enjoy. (The right hon. gentleman then resumed
his seat amidst several rounds of enthusiastic
cheering.)
The toasts of " The Lord Lieutenant" and "The
High Sheriff" having been given and responded to,
The noble CHAIRMAN proposed " The health of
Lord Ward," as the successor of Sir John Faking-
ton in the chair of the Worcestershire Court of
Quarter Sessions.

Lord WARD having replied,
The assembly shortly afterwards broke up:

TILE FIRE IN WESTOLINS7'.ER.

wdha goai
door rd
ot ow thel
Yesterday the inquest on the bodies of Henry
c
John Billson, Sarah Biilson, Eliza Chapman, and
Clarissa Chapman, whose deaths were caused by
the fire which broke out on Friday morning last
at the'premises of Mr. A. C. Hook, in Little George-
street, was resumed by Mr. Bedford, Coroner, and
the jury empannelled for the occasion.
Henry Billson, the father of the two children who
were burnt to death, was called by the Coroner, who
expressed to him his sorrow that he should have oc-
casion to do so under such very painful circum-
stances. Mr. Bills= said that he was a clerk to a
solicitor at 16, Chester-terrace, Eaton-square. He
left his house in Little George-street on Friday
morning, about five minutes to one. At that time
his children were in bed at the top of the house in
Little George-street, the servant was also a bed. The
family had been sitting in the kitchen parlour. He
• went into the other kitchen about half-past 12
o'clock when he noticed that the fire was nearly
out. There was some clothing hanging about the
room ;•but nothing at the present moment occurred
yearsw
frontif wife
to him by which he could account for the fire.
olpVei mntnatenhsy se
There had been no fire in the kitchen parlour. He
r pt
aoi
n c ewmhaenn t buth e p weliiteneemssanbetlriieevdectlhte hdaet
oitr
did
ai
hos not nveados 3mbluril
thatdCehr aasphnmae a
pndl,
iudwm ho died
.
was Mrs. Chapman who moved aside the kitchen
on seeing the light going out,
for she was the last
person down stairs.

Henry Fletcher, of 5, Little George-street, ware-
houseman, was awoke early on Friday morning,
and on coming down stairs he saw the kitchen of
No. 13A, on fire ; the flames were burning like gas.
He saw a woman on the landing over the door. She
had a baby in her arms, which she threw out of the
window, and witness caught it. The woman then
threw herself out sideways. Immediately after the
woman and child had been taken away, the fire-
escape arrived. Witness, assisted by some police-
men, raised the bar that crossed Little George.

street, and the fire escape was passed through ; but
was found not to be high enough to reach the
third floor. If the fire-escape man had had suf-
ficient forethought he might have known that the
ladder was too short, and might have raised the
additional ladder before passing the bar, or he
might have done so after passing the bar if he had
turned the ladder on one side. Witness.did not see
any person at any of the wirdows after the arrival
of the escape ladder, nor did he think that anybody
else did. The man having charge of the ladder (lid
not appsar to possess sufficient judgment to work it
properly.
Sarah Ann Gabb and Mr. C. Nyc were recalled,
hut they gave no additional evidence of importance.
Mr. Nye said it was a mistake to state that he had
been out late on the Thursday night. .He retired
a little after 12, and was aroused by his sister on
hearing a noise is the street.
Mr.Braidwood said three. engines were kept at
the Chandos Brigade Station—two large ones and
a small one. The first two were horse engines.
He had seen the conduct of the police at fifes very
frequently, and he certainly thought that the sys-
' tem they pursued could hardly be 'improved.
Although there was as order from the commissioners
that the police should not work the fire engines,
yet, generally speaking, the inspect or did work them
by his own men. The police commissioner had told
him that in cases of emergency his officers were
empowered to go beyond their Instructions, and
oases had occurred in which it. would have been im-
possible to have gone on without their assistance..
Had he had the command of the police himself he
could not have done better. With regard 'to the
Fire-Escape Society, he was of opinion they did all
the good that could be done with the money that
was confided to them by the public. As to the fire•
escapes being placed under the control of the police,
that was a point on which he had formed eo opinion.
He had seen the escape that had been used on the
present occasion, and he believed it to be well con-
structed for the purpose. It was a most ingenious
piece of machinery. It was necessarily light, other-
wise it could not be worked. Amid the smoke and
confusion that must prevail at a fire like the one in
question, a man might easily make a .mistake in
attempting to raise such a ladder without being in
anl► at
_eye Asseisace yesterday e :a-
mined theirs resh'ilerffi ; '.seertlrored ones of
the sort, but both of-them were old-fashioned thi Hies ;
as a proof of it, they had both undergone repair up-
wards of 35 years ago. An engine of such a de-
scription could not have been of any use at a fire
like the one in question, unless it had been on the
spot almost at its very breaking out. The quantity
of water delivered by the Brigade engine at 40
strokes per minute was 82 gallons and a fraction ;
whereas, the quantity thrown by the large engine
of St. Margaret's, at 40 strokes per minute,
was only 38 gallons ; and by the small engine
29 gallons. The - engine he saw had only
one length of hose, which would have been
totally useless. (Mr. Crow—There are four
lengths.) The Brigade engines had 14 or 15 lengths.
Seven lengths were the usual allowance which,
at 40 feet each, would make the hose 280 feet long.
'Win. Crow, the constable, said that the parish
engine had four lengths, which could have been put
together in half a minute; and he believed he could
have brought the engine up to the fire and ready
for work in 10 minutes.
Mr. Young, a leatherseller in the Broadway, had
often seen the parish engine worked at fires very
satisfactorily.
Mr. Rogers asked Inspector Butt' whether he
ever sent for a parish engine, and the inspector re-
plied that he never did. .
Coroner—But he does not say he never would.
Inspector Butt said he had not seen the parish
engine, and he should have considered it a lack of
judgment on an occasion like the present to have
sent for Buchan engine.
Robert Bray, inspector of police at the House of
Commons, said he knew nothing of the fire in ques-
tion ; but having heard every word of the evidence
given by the police at this inquiry, he was prepared
to say that he perfectly agreed is the course adopted
by. Inspector Butt.,, He
_had had 23 years' experi-
ence, and if he had been in charge of a fire under
the samocircumstanceSas the present ease he should
have sent for the Brigade engine in Chandos-street,
firmly believing that it would have arrived sooner,
and would have been more effective than the parish
engine. At the same time he begged the jury and
all others to dismiss from their minds the idea that
there existed any unfriendly feeling between Mr.
Crow and himself. That Mr. Crow had been called
upon oftener by the B division than the A division
was explained by the fact that more fires occurred
in the district of the former than in that of the lat-
ter. An engine might be fetched. from Chandos sta-
tion in 11 or 12 minutes.
A Juryman—lf so, how was it that the engine in
this instance did not arrive within 25 minutes ?
Inspector Bray —I cannot tell.
Mr. Sampson Lowe said his son was secretary to
the Fire Escape Society, which was an institution.
supported by voluntary cent ributions, and the mem-
bers of it were anxious to obtain every information
that might lead to improvement in their operations.
They looked, therefore, with great interest to an
investigation like the present, in the hope of acquir-
ing additional practical knowledge, by which they
might be enabled to become further instrumental
in the seeing of human life.
Joseph Sell, the fire-escape conductor, was then
examined. After stating the circumstances under
which he reached the fire with the escape machine,
he said there wee nut room in the street to throw
the ladder on the third floor. The ladder, in being
raised, caught against the House. on the opposite
side of the street, Which caused the irons to bend
—the irons formed the lever which, on pulling a
rope, threw up the ladder. The irons having been
bent the ladder was of no further use. There were
several policemen pulling at the rope to raise the
ladder. Finding that he mild not raise the ladder
to the third floor he attempted to get into tlie
house at the second-floor window, but the flames
were too intense for him to do so, and he then shifted
the ladder and succeeded in getting to the back of
the premises by mounting the roof of the adjoining
house. 'Witness was of opinion, even if he had
succeeded in raising the additional length of ladder,
that he would still have been unable to lodge it on
the third floor, owing to the narrowness of the st met,
which would not admit of the angle that would
have been required.
The Coroner here suggested that the .fire-escape
should be brought and an experiment made, in
order to ascertain whether it would be possible to
render assistance by means of the ladder to the
persons in the house which was on fire.
The escape machine was accordingly fetched, and
cen placing it sideways in front of the house it was
found to be perfectly practicable to effect a com-
munication with any person inside the building by
one end of a short ladder being tied to the fire-
escape and the other end lodged on the window sill.
The Coroner said he was not aware that further
evidence could be brought forward to assist the jury
in coming to a conclusion on this unhappy case.
He believed it was the fact that poor Mrs. Billson
really could remember nothing in the matter that
could throw any light upon the inquiry. The learned
gentleman then summed up the evidence, accom-
panying it with such remarks as the nature of it sug-
gested. He adverted to the two collateral questions
which, had arisen out of the inquiry—namely, as to
the conduct of the police, who had a duty to perform
to the public in cases of fire, and neit, as to the
conduct of the fire-escape man who had a duty to
perform to his employers ; but the great question to
which the attention of the jury had to be directed
was, as to how the tire took place. The evidence on
that point was not very satisfactory. Although it
was little comfort to the surviving relatives, yet it
was of great public importance to ascertain, if pos-
sible, the cause of the fire. They ought not hastily
to come to the conclusion that it was accidental, be-
cause by so doing, they would release
.everybody
from blame. If there was not evidence to satisfy
them as to the way in which the fire occurred, it
would be best perhaps for the jury to say so.
The jury then Vetired,and after being absent about
three-quarters of an hour they, by their foreman, re-
turned the following as the verdict of 12 of their
number, a few of the jury withholding their assent
to the latter portion of it :
" That the deceased Henry John Billson, Sarah
Billson, Eliza Chapman, and Clarissa Chapman,
died from the effect of burns by the house, No. 13a,
IGreat George-street., taking tire, but how it took
fire there is no evidence to show.
"The jury cannot part without expressing how
greatly they feel obliged to all parties who have
assisted in this inquiry, but still they do extremely
regret that the parish engines were not sent for at
the time."
The Coroner could not help saying that consider-
able energy and intelligence were used, more espe-
cially by the police.
The Foreman—No doubt of that ; but the parish
engine being so very near, it might have been sent
for.

The Coroner—True, if. the parish engine had ar-
rived there, even though it had done nothing, it
might have been mote satisfactory ; for thht reason
he regretted it was not there, though it miglit not
have been of any use. •

A MISCHIEVOUS PAmaoT.—Ono day a party of
ladies paid us a visit aboard, and several had been hoisted.
on deck by the usual means of a " whip" on the mainyard.
Tho chair had descended for another "whip," but scarcely
hatlits fair freight been lifted out of the boat alongside,
than the unlucky parrot piped, " Let go 1" The order
being'instantly obeyed, the unfortunate lady, instead of
being comfortably seated on deck, as had Leen those who
preceded her, was soused over head in the sea!—The
sttutebiography of c-f &comm. IV the Earl off)tindonaki.

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA,
COVENT-GARDEN.
Under the minazement of Hiss L. Pyne and Mr.W. Harrison.
THIS EVENING, VICTOIZINE. Messrs. Sant!ey, H.
Haigh, H. Ccrri, G. Honey, Bartleman, (tn. Misses Parepa,