The Sun.
London, England, 1850-07-11 00:00:00

•••••••.. n....,...•••.••••••%•••••••••••••••.0
TESTIMONIAL TO MR. GEORGE

ALFRED WALKER.
„Yesterday lif emoon a puble meeting was held at
4?-erbert's stmiester, to con-
sider the propriety e.f presentine a suitable <
to George. Alfred Walker, in recognition of the
services rendered by that gentleman in the ceie_.'e
sanitary rerorm, in connexion with the abolition of
intramural interments. Among those who.assembled
to shoe their admiration of the energetic and suc-
cessful laboure of Mr. Walker we ob.;erved. Lord
Dudley Stuart, M.P., Mr. B. B. Cabbell, M.P., Mr.
(kCharles Lushington, M.P., Mr. John Williams, M.P.,
ir. George Thompson, M.P., Dr. W.
lee'le, Dr. Johnson, Sir R. Brown, Mr. Wilson, Sir
C. Aldis, Mr. H. R. Abraham, Dr. Evans, Dr. Ben-
nett, Dr,
Drury, Dr. Parker, Mr. Mecainnon, Mr.
Ihjeke, Mr. Felice, G. Godwin, E q., F.R.S., Mr. J.
• Smith, Mr. Shand, Dr. James C 'plata!,
Lord Dudley Stuart was unaniineusly elected to
take the chair.-
1. Gl:oaGg TitOMPSiN asked perm'ssion of his
'°r(iship to state the circumstances under which the
Meeting had been convened. Many gentlemen re-
s
~iding in Lon ion, being sensible of the services ren-
"rei to the cause of sanitary reform, in connexion
with the abolition of the practice of intramural sepul-
ture, by Mr. George Alfred Wiklker, and watching as
they have done with interest the progress of the Me-
tropolitan Interments Bill in Parliament, and having
the conviction that but for his long and continued le-
boars through consecutive years the public attention
would never have been aroused in a sufficient degree
!0 draw at last the notice of the Legislature to the sub-
ject, felt that Mr. Walker was entitled to some recog-
rcian of those exertions, and that his friends, who knew
'w' disinterested and unostentatious his labours were,
°llght to originate some suitable testimonial which
should be offered to his acceptance. On comparing
o
Piai°oB with a Lumber of gentlemen, we resolved to
nest and talk the matter over. We did so meet a
few a
' days ago in my chambers in Waterloo-place, and
the
gentlemen who were there assembled agreed to
tPbfollowing resolution, which was moved by Sir B.
Ila, 13 at., and seconded by Dr. Drury :
, ht it s the opinion o te gentlemn now pe-
It thl
ata thei
laboriousi f and dishinterestede labJursr of
4„Terge Alf ed W,Alker, Esq , during the last fif.cen
(jers, to impress the public mind with the importance
wh tthe abolition of intramural interments—labours
tilleo. have recently resulted in the introduction of a
into Parliament for the accomplishment of that
°or et—call for some general and emphatic recognition
teir value and •succes,, and that steps therefore be
wa4 to afford to the friends of Mr. Walker an oppor-
'Y payin him a suitable tribute of respect and
grattude. g
.` 2. That with the view of giving effect to the fore-
l'e°tlng resolution, the gentlemen present form themselves
° a committee to carry out the object proposed.
II 3. That Mr. Thompson be rtquested to act as
°notary Secretary.
4. That a rreetie ef the friends of Mr. Walker be
ga/ened at Herbert's Hotel, Palace•yard, on Wednes-
', the 10th, at two o'clock, and that Lord D. C.
Stuart`il,i. be respectfully requested to preside."
lsis Lordship consented to that request, saying he
lv:is fully conversant with the valuable services ren-
_4l red by Air. Walker to the public, and therefore I
p7tas able instantly to announce his Lordship as the
toreceived, my Lord, a number of letters in reply to
e circular, which was addressed by the committee
promfferent gentlemen, both in the metropolis and the
vinees and I will take the liberty of reading one
or two
tle Of them as indicative of the feeling which gen-
-41.41en entertain of the merits of Mr. Walker. The
irt is from a gentleman residing at Horton, Mr. W.
ughes, who says—
" Str
Dr€ ,—I regret exceelingly that I am unavoidably
more'
from attending the meeting. I regret this the
e, because I have sincerely and efficiently co-ope-
rated
3 ahla this great reformation, and have during many
r latently watched the movement, and anxiously
keg pro - uccee mg "'eh 8 d' stop of its slow but triumphant
gress.
40bly d My most earnest wishes are, that services so
Count n gratuitously rendered by Mr. Walker to his
lltcen, shall be suitably acknowledged, in words
tine
°f
if not in deeds. Mr. Walker's services have
tiolo or a kind to challenge the most grateful recogni-
coilau, though, such services coull not be purchased or re-
thati",,d- The Interments Bill is not the measure
dust should have resulted from Mr. Walker's labours,
Ituow4",°_,ugh a great number of his coadjutors, to my
let ledge, object most strongly to many of its details,
andevker3 person who views the matter rightly, may,
riak9suould, whilst honouring the man, who has, at many
enee' and much personal sacrifice, demonstrated the
the mous moral and physical mischiefs revulting from
ci,z(?rs?tice against which he, Mr. Walker, single-handed
e tone, has done successful battle—every person, I
)43 ati should disconnect the man,. who has proved the
rqg from those who have Itunished the remedy.'
trot'. Thompson then real other letters ef apology
eleTt-1-'r. Thomas Evans, of Rumsey House, near Caine,
itt sl Dr. Henry Bennett, of Cambridge square ;
of al u,',11 Crisp, of Norwood ; the R-v. Dr. Knapp,
Chr e `-apel Royal ; the proprietors of the Leicester
°nide
pr,,sed and other gentlemen, all of w horn ex-
their anxiety to co-operate with the tneeting
hiaareeesenting Mr. Walker with a suitable testimonial.
that -ow (continued the Hon. Gentleman) to state
jog, t.hfis meeting is called for the purpose of confirm-
werel it shall seem to you fit the resolutions which
chators`'ed by the gentlemen assembled at my
fueol rs; and if they should be confirmed, then to
poweissUch
a committee out of this meeting, with
the object dd to their number, as shall carry out
more which we have iu view. I have only ore
Rent, remark to make, and that is, • that I hope no
Waii:nan here, or elsewhere, will attribute to Mr.
abolitYr anY
the defects in ;he present Bill for the
l.s.r. person who
An- I" of intramural interments.—(Hear, heer.)
„I mew. has taken the trouble to read Mr.
Tor Pamphlet, entitled " Practical Suggestions
thewill Establishment of National Cemeteries,"
belieperceive that those which are considered, and I
noake generally with great justice, the most oli-
-601,° Parts of the Bill, formed no portion of the
of the Le by Mr. Walker fur the adoption
Lercla7k4islature.— (Cheers.)
phi; .3 DuDm.Ey STUART—Mr. Thompson having ex-
. neti to . •
assembled, it
the object for which this meeting has
• sae ? it will he unnecessary for me to
am annzYithing o A that subject. At the n same time I
in
satisp°ll3 to address to you a few observations,
3,0 u faction of my own feelings, in order to assure
lionw desirous I am that the obj-ct which my
into Friend has shadowed out should be carried
van:leenti"n•—(liear, hear.) I have had the ad-
and honour of acting ingin concert with Mr.
c
eesee. , both in public and private, for some time. My
yestivrd and admiration for him does not date from
great aey. I have seen, with great satisfaction, with
sued delight, the course which he has pur-
been "say d I must now that a Bill has
-,,
eraetke carried through Parliament to prohibit the
tropoi of burying dead bodies in this me-
roeini s•—ascribing, as I do, that circumstance
the Y to the disinterested and untiring exertions
gentlernan
that Perseverance of Mr. Walker. I consider that
benefactor.— deserves public to be looked upon as a
(Cheer. )
tteed 'ate, the (Cheers.) We have . had a Bill intro-
through House of Commons and carried
myself thoy no meanssatisfied Parliament with the provisions of which I am
at the dissatisf ear —an (H ) d I believe
sometimes
hay action which I have experienced, and
that measure have endeavoured to express in regard to
euihera
of is shared by a great number of the
arger p heart ne 'louse of Commons, and by a much
(Rear, \ of ~,,the inhabitants of this metropolis.—
have taken id We think that the Government
veiled in
--that this a vantage of that feeling which pre-
Wise metropolis and throughont this land
Chiefly
origingan,d, wholesome feeling—which was
alloWed to- 'eu, or organized, if I may be
representationusse of Mr
expression, by the repeated
vantage of that of
Mr. Walker—they have taken ad-
oufeeling to introduce, not such a rnFa-
-Btllire as they
amount
toof havetr done, but one giving
prl?ni it vast amoug gne,oomintuteurfreiirting with
of the f
0. the utmost vPaLeotnon
—those
tra,fe's` self government, and those of freedomY of
lifcio -and also interfering in some degree with re-
vek_Us liberty.—(llear.) I lament that the Go-
eave
(I:an:lent should have acted in the wa
thiore I felt it my duty, however, to vote fiy rh
the
of stdreading of the Bill, after having done what I
d' but unsuccessfully, to strike out those portions
which I considered most objectionable, because I
ittolc.l with the broad principle involved in it, viz., the
l of this laa of interments in the very heart and centre
Metropolis. Will —(Hear, hear.) I believe all men
af?ree with me that it was Mr. Walker who
al4ierY suggested and. brought about the Act fur
of bus'. t!ig the odious, revolting, and immoral practice
tnicist(Yenig people in crowded churchyards in the
bowev° a Populous city.—(Hear, hear.) That Act,
04,4, as I have already mentioned, is not what it
rklea to have been. I should have liked to have seen
keeonstlrasllleati
re that wes not founded on the principles of
which I consider most obnoxious, and
r _calculated to
t' subvert the constitutional rights of
tinaititee, _nen anything else with which I am ac-
lactien ,_(Cheers.) I should have had great satis-
their 04r! supporting a Bill which left to the people
metreprghts,and.allowed the different parishes of the
tram
, to carry out the object of preventing oralin-
Parish,s and which placed over the different
not he board of supervision, which board should
orbposed, as it now is, of men who have done
ran. '9? vvith regard to this movement, but who have
,sav'er set their our aces for a long time against it, and fen-
eeeed to _
ourn tile__ oppose it by the use of ridicule and other
ward
, and who now, at the eleventh hour, come
arld, I regret t
h_ is tie to say, are to reap the reward
eat of a to those who have borne the labour nod
lilsed the da
sued to ht,vn Y.—(Hear, hear.) I should have
'ltuPervi'ictil:t;teen a Bill of this kind, with a hoard of
.„.,,Man like
e..trhe head of which should have been
li
lispb. George Alfred Walker.—(Cheers.).)
at
oe thgiven satisfteZn done I think it would
to the whole metropolis and

to the who'e country.—(llesr.) I give the GeVern-
ment no c:edit then for the he credit is due to
those who have agitated the public mind with re-
gard to it, and the Government have done nothing
but yield to the public clemeur at last ; but even that
they have done ungreci u,ly, and they have besides
c!osheed the Bill with those objectionable and uncon-
stitutiocal chiusee of which we have heard so much
just compleint. Therefore, I can give them no credit
at all, though I rejoice that the measure which
we pressed upon them so far as regards
the suppression of intramural interments has
been carrisd.—(Hear.) But, gentlemen, whatever
be the merits or defects of the Bill, whatever be the
faults or errors of the Government, I think there can
be but one opinion with regard to the merit of that
distinguished and patriotic citizsn, Mr. Welker.—
(Loud cheers ) Ile brought forward this Tseetion
when tht re was no man to back him, when be had
everybody to oppose him, and he kept it constantly
berore the public, nie withstanding the frowns and
,neers of these in power ; supported and sus-
taieetl during the struggle by that honey enthusiasm
which belenes to Litre 17e has persevered, till at last
he has found the whole public rally round him, an i
thus show how impossible it was for those who were
inclined to oppose the movement to do so any longer.
I admire the enthuilastn of the man. It may be s.itt
that Mr. Walker is an colbusias`.—(Hear, hear.) I
know he is an enthusiast, but without enthusiasm no
good or great achievement can ba performed. He
may be an enthusiast, but his enthusiasm is tempered
by judgment and directed by practical good sense.—
(ilea'', hear.) I only wish that some of those who
opposed him, and who pretended to adopt his views,
had been tinctured with some of those noble feelings
which belong to him,- and with less of regard for
their own interests or that of the party who supports
them in power.—(Hear. hear.) I rejoice to think
that the merits of Air. Walker are se well known, as
are also his perseverance, his talents, his disinterest-
ednes., and the sums of money which he
has spent in this cruse—(Hear, hear)—be-
cause I am sorry to know, and yet I am
glad to know, that he has made great sacrifices
in this cause. I am sorry he should be put to any
loss, but I may congratulate him that he is, in some
measure, compensated for that loss by having earned
the admiration of his fellow-citizens.—(Cheers.) Far
better that men should suffer pecuniary loss than
that they should lose the respect and admiration of
their fellow-citizens, which are of far more value to
right-thinking men than any sum that can be named.
I think you win agree with me, that it is right, fit-
ting, and proper, that if the overnment have not
been so impressed as they ought to have been with
the merits of Mr. Walker, if they have been disposed
to overlook end leave him on one side, and to reward
those who did not deserve it half so well as himself,
we, at least, should do what we can to testify
the feelings with which we regard him. The best
reward of any man who acts with a view
to the public good is the public expression of the re-
spect and attachment of his fellow-citizens. I trust
you will concur in some arrangement by which we
may testify to Mr. Walker cur respect and admira-
tion for hitn.—(Cheers.) I won't presume to enter
into details, or point out how that is best to be done ;
but probably some means may be adopted which may
place on record our feelings and opinions with regard
to that eminent and distinguished individual, and I
imagine that nothing would be more acceptable to
him than something which would be lasting—(Hear,
hear)—and which he would be able to transmit to his
family,.and which they and his descendants would
always look upon with a just and honest pride.
Mr. TuoatrsoN, M.P., then read the following
letters which had been addressed to him by Mr.
James Thompson, the editor of the Leicester Chro-
nicle, and Mr. James Wyatt, of the Bedford Times:—
" Chronicle Office, Leicester, July 9, 1850.
" Sir,—l regret that I shall be unable to attend the
meeting to be held to-morrow, fir the purpose of origi-
nating some suitable testimonial to Mr. G. A. Walker,
for his labours in the cause of sanitary reform.
Nothing would have given me greater pleasure than
to have been pret,eut on the occasion, as I cordially con-
cur in the propriety of the otject you are promoting,
believing that the present stite of enlightened opinion In
this country on the subject of town burials has been
mainly crewed by Mr. Walker's long, disinterested,
and successful labours in the cause of sanitary reform.'
" If Mr. Rowland Hill deserved a nation's grst.tude
for his efforts to carry out a system of penny postage—
if Mr. Cobden merited a general testimonial for his ex-
ertions to promote the entranchisemeat cf commerce
from the shackles imposed upon it by vici,tus legislation
—it seems to me Mr. Walker is not less entitle] than
they to a mark of public favour as signal and as me
morable, His exertions have, indeed, been carried on
through a longer series of years, with an equal, or pro-
portionate, sacrifice of time and money, in the face of
prejudices the most bitter, sinister, and deep-rooted, and
have terminated in results most Lenefic:al to the physi-
cal and rueral welfare of the people.

" I vcriture to thit)k that the. friends of Mr. Walker
will feel themselves bound to assert his claims to public
reward at this juncture more zealously and resolutely
than they might have done under or.linary circumstances,
since the princip4l ssnitsry authorities of the country
appear dispo,ed to ignore, or to pats over with an a(.-
kuowledgment so slighting, as to be more disparaging
than total eilence, his demands upon the national Go-
vernment for a meet and ath Trate recognition of his ser-
vices. If Mr. Walk: is friends and admirers among
Members of the Legislature :::nd the reps, smiatives of
the press, suffir this denial of justice quietly to pass over
un,xpo-el, they will be dead to the appeals of heir own
fr-,Thugs as gent!, men and Engli,hmen, and stand abased
before their own c :nsci. nccs. _ _

" I have only to add, Sir, that I shall contribute to
the proposed testimonial fund, and to happy to be the
recipi,nt i f sub:cripiions in this town and neighbour-
hood.—l remain, Sir, yours obediently,
" JAMES THOMPSON."
" &..dtord, July 9, 1850.
"Dear Sir,—l have only just received your circular,
convening the me,ting, iat Hilbert's Hotel ; and this
short notice previ nts my making any arrangements
which would enable me t.) be with you, and aid you in
originating a suitable testimonial to Mr. G. A. Walker.
I shall be happy, however, to join in any plan you may
suggest, having for its purpose the acknowledgment of
the indefatigable exertions, the disinterested services to
the public, which Mr. Walker has rendered for many
years past.
" I will endeavour to attend your next meeting, and
regret very much that I cannot be with you 0-morruw.
" I am, dear Sir, very faithfully yours,
" JAMES WYATT.
"George Thompson, Esq."

Mr. CHARLES LUSHINGTON, M.P., in proposing
the first resolution, said his Hon. Friend, the honorary
secretary of that meeting, had requested him to per-
form the gratifying duty of proposing the first reso,
lution to their adoption ; and he (Mr. Lushington)
assured them he did so with the greatest gratification
and satisfaction, although in the eyes of the public
he might not have appeared a very prominent pro-
moter of extramural interments. When he said in
the eyes of the public, he meant that he had not been
enabled to attend many of the numerous public meet-
ings which had been held on the subject in this
metropolis • an unfortunate concurrence of circum-
stances had, time after time, and day after day, pre-
vented him from attending ; but he assured the
meeting that his heart and judgment were with
this movement, and from the first time he
ever had any knowledge of the intentions
and designs of Mr. Walker, he cordially
concurred, and deeply approved of them.—(Hear,
hear.) Indeed, though he (Mr. Lushington) had not
appeared at those public meetings above once or twice,
yet, certainly in his place in Parliament he had sup-
ported all the unexceptionable parts of the Metropo-
litan Interments Bill, and he had done his best to ex-
clude some of the exceptionable parts, some of those
which disgraced the persons who brought them in,
and which were intended to mortify a certain portion
of the community by raising, perpetuating, and exalt-
ing the emoluments of another portion.— (Cheers.)
But on many essential occasions he (Mr. Lushington)
had supported extramural interments. Shortly after
M-. Walker brought forward his proposition for re-
moving interments from the metropolis, some gentle-
men assembled together for the purpose ( f establish-
ing a suburban cemetery. He (Mr. Lushington)
was amoeg those who concurred in the plan ;
he was alai one of the first who supported it,
and from the beginning he had been a
director. The site chosen fur that cemetery was
Kensal-green, and at the time when they took it they
_did so, not with any view to emolument, though it
had been rather a remunerative concern, but entirely
upon the public principles of expediency, and of the
propriety of removing the nuisance of burials from
towns. When they fixed on the site there, Kensal-
green was
two miles and a half from Oxford. street,
and was quite detached from any buildings or dwell-
ings whatever ; but in the courseof fourteen or fifteen
years, so great had been the
desire of people to live
near a burial-ground
u
rang iter)—that a town had
sprung around Kensat gre
church and a school thereaend andithey had got a
t what was more, the
Cemetery Company had been so, eed
again, to subscribe in support of th'ete overchurch and overand
the schools. The very object of h
had, therefore, to a certain extent, beceonininy
frus-
trated, and it Only showed what p ie
would do for the stake cf gain. People hade'l)loL
complained in the metropolis of intramural interg-
ments, and yet, for the sake of selling a few tomb-
stones, some would forego all their professed princi-
ples, • erd join at last in resisting the very evil which
others bad laboured for 14 or 15 years to extinguish.
—(hear, hear.) Perhaps the meeting would think
those observations were' rather beyond the object
before them ; and ho i.ught to recall their attention to
the reeegnition of the great and prominent services of
Mr. Walker— (blear, hear)—and he (Mr. Lui,hing-
toil) regretted exceedingly that neither those who
brought forward that Bill, nor the Sanitary
Associa-
tion had done that ju-tice to Mr. Waker to which
his meritorious exertions entitled him. It was the
business of the meting to do some thing to supply
that omission, and he trusted, when he read the resoe

lution, it would be unanimously adopted, and that
they should enabled to proclaim to the people, by
the enthusiasm with which it was pAssed, that the
testimonial, whatever it might be, had been justly
deserved.—(Cries of " ILar, hear," and loud cheers.)
The Hon. Gentleman then concluded by moving the
first resolution, which was—
' That this meeting, recognising the long-continued,
meritorious, and disinterested exertinns 0f George
Alfred Walker, Esq., to effect the abolition of the per-
nicious and demoralising system of intramural burial,
consUer him eminently entitled to the gratitude and
thanks of the friends of sanitary reform and moral im-
provement, and would express their readiness and desire
to cc-operate in a general effort to rend, r that gentle-
man some suitable memorial of his useful and successful

labours."
Sir CHAS. ALMS, M.D., seconded the resolution. lla
was happy, he said, to have the opportunity of taying
a few word in praise of Mr. Walker. He had known
him many years, and had met him professionally
under many circunb.tanccs. He krew tnat he had
been alvv.:3-i arduous and indefatigable in his
efforts to prevent those evils, which to prevent were
far b,tter and easier than to cure. In many cases he
had laboured, as he (Sir C. Aldi,) knew, to the
detriment of his own health. He had met tiim in
many of the most noxious and unhealthy
localities of the town, always labouring in

the great cause of sanitary reform in those localities
which it was a shame and disgrace to the metropolis
riot to have removed long before this. But a stir was
now making in the matter, which he considered
never would have been done but for the resolution
and enthusiasm of Mr. Walker—that enthusiasm of
which the Noble Chairman had so justly said that
without it no great object could be got which was
worth the keeping: . Scarcely anything had been
known to be done before Mc. Walker set forward in
the great undertaking. He (Sir C. Aldis) trusted thin
something would now be dune which would prevent
Mr. Walker, who, to his knowledge, had spent his
money and injured his health in the prosecution of
his labours in this cause—he cordially hoped
that something would be done to reward him,
that some memorial would be presented to him ex-
pressive of the feelings of all friends of sanitary re-
form. Of what kind that should be would pro-
bably be settled hereafter. He could only express his
warm feelings of cordial co-operation in this object,
and knowing the real extent of the labours of Mr.
Walker in this matter, he was perfectly ready to do
any thing to forward the design of the present
meeting.
The CHAIRMAN, in putting the resolution, said that
he was glad to see in the room so large a number of
gentlemen of eminence belonging to that profession
to which Mr. Walker belonged—the medical pro-
fession. He trusted that before the meeting was
over they would be favoured with the opinions of the
gentlemen of that profession in the room, as what-
ever fell from them upon that subject would have
great weight, and must have a great effect wherever
they were heard.—(Hear, hear.)
The resolution was then put and carried unani-
mously.
Mr. GEORGE THOMPSON, M.P., said that before
the second resolution was put he might observd that
it had naturally occurred to the gentlemen who had
originated the present meeting to consider the nature
of the testimonial that should be offered to the accept-
ance of Mr. Walker. In the first instance a public
dinner suggested itself, but upon consideration and
after-thought it appeared hazardous to make that the
form in which the respect and admiration of his
friends should be exhibited to Mr. Walker. If such
a meeting should be held it would be necessary to fix
a certain time for it, and some early day, in order to
secure the attendance of gentlemen who would other-
wise he out of town. To get up such a meeting, too,
would impose a considerable amount of arduous la-
bour upon the gentlemen connected with it, and also
considerable expense, while it was thought that many
gentlemen who would come to the dinner would pre-
fer their money being spent in a different mariner.
In addition, he believed that he knew enough of Mr.
Walker to be able to say, that that would not be
the most acceptable tribute of respect that could be
paid to him. He rather shunned than courted
public observation ; and he had said often that the
most difficult task which be had had to perform had
been to acknowledge the expression of thanks offered
him for any services which he had rendered to the
cause of sanitary reform. He was assured that if
their testimonial should take that shape they would
he doing a violence to the known feelings of a number
of gentlemen who, though they might give one
guinea fur their dinner-ticket, might not feel them-
selves warranted in giving a second guinea
for any further object. If they should agree
to open a subscription list to receive sub-
scriptions from the friends and"admirers of Mr.
Walksr, they would not be limited to any particular
time or day on whit's to close their efforts. They
would also afford an opportunity to his frieeds in
the provinces to testify their respect, which a public
dinner would not give them, and he might observe
here that Mr. Walker was far better known and ap
preciated in many of the provincial towns than in this
great Leviathan city—(tstear, hear)—whare a man
might labour for many 3 ears unknown and unnoticed.
They would also secure the services of those who
were able to enlighten and_ sway public opinion in
the provinces. He was sure they might reckon on
very great support in the provincial towns—(Hear,
hear)—and no plan he thought would be advisable
hich precluded their assistance.—(Cheer.) The
pinions of the first originato-s of this meeting pointed
them rather to some substantial piece of plate, which
Walker might leave behind him to his descen-
dants, as a testimony of the admiration and respect
in which he was held by the warmsst friends of sani-
tary reform in the present day.—(Cheers.) He
hoped that if this plan were adopted seme future op-
portunity might be afforded of gathering together all
the friends of Mr. Walker upon the occasion of pre-
senting the testimonial to him. He bad been per-
mitted to enjoy the friendship of that gentleman for
some considerable time, and he had always placed
him first amongst those gentlemen who had
devoted themselves to the production, and the work-
ing out of some great and beneficent object. The
Noble Chairman had justly referred to the great sacri-
fices made by that gentleman in the cause to which he
had devoted himself, but it was necessary to
understand properly the circumstances in which he
had been placed to estimate fully those sacrifices.
They all knew that he had sacrificed fifteen years of
labour to this object; and he (Mr. G. Thompson)
could safely say, that he had never once visited him
in his whole life when he had not found him en-
gaged in the prosecution of this great work, and he
had often been struck with the liberality with which
he had appropriated his own means to the advance-
ment of the noble end he had in view. But these
were the least of his sacrifices. The time which he
had given to this great object would, with his pro-
fessional talents and abilities, have placed him in very
different circumstances, had he chosen to labour
for himself rather than for others. There was also
one other characteristic of his. One of the greatest pre-
requisites for a reformer was discretion; and, though
speaking for himself', he could say that there were re-
formers who were not gifted in an eniment degree
with that quality, yet he could say that Mr. Walker
had throughout his whole career displayed that qua •
lity. Though he had had many difficulties to contend
with, though his statements had been contradicted
and submitted to the rust searching ordeal, yet his
whole couduct in every circumstance had been found to
he marked with the utmost temperance and moderation.
He knew no man who more freely exercised his ta-
lents: without money and without price to all who
came within the reach of his benevolent sympathies.
When they took into consideration his private virtues,
and the many claims which he had established by his
public labours on their gratitude and respect, he felt
assured that every gentleman present, would enter
roost warmly into the object they had in view. As
far as he himself was concerned, he should feel very
happy, as a hewer of wood and drawer of water, to
manifest his admiration and profound respect fur such
are former as Mr. Walker had been. That gentle-
man bad had to encounter a stubborn opposition ;
his motives were questioned, his facts were
disputed, he had strong and powerful com-
binations against him, but, nevertheless, from
morning till night, sustained and supported
by a knowledge of the purity of his motives and the
importance of the object he had in view, he continued
to devote his best energies to the accomplishment of
chat object. The gratitude of Government was ex-
emplified in the case of Mr. Walker; -but though
those who had borne the burden and heat of the diy
might be disregarded in high places, let them show
that the public were not unmindful of those to wh srn
honour was due. The Hon. Gentleman concluded
by expressing a hope that they would give Mr.
Walker something more durable and lasting than the
evanescent applause of an after-dinner assembly.
Dr. REID then proposed the second resolution,
which was that a subscription be opened fur the pur-
pose of presenting a suitable and substantial testi-
monial to George Alfred Walker, Esq., recording
an 1 perpetuating the sense entertained by the sub-
scribers of his private virtues and his exertions as a
public benefactor. He never attended a meeting with
a more heartfelt conviction ( f the justice of the cause
which had called them together, as he considered it
an act of public duty that he should testify to Mr.
eris
Ar
Walkeriß.
,as the manner in which they appreciated his
services, which, in his opinion, hail been of the most
naeritori,,us and disinterested kind.— (Hear.)
nßo.t the
CARRELL,
to e,M.P. ,
considerseconded o r
t o
decidethe
w resolution.hether
Mr. Walker had or had not been neglected by the
sGa7szittrtitsaunb
jdetchtewßagoatrhdatofthlekaelnther.altr‘ulllehe.at-copureld.
sent seemed to be, that every man who did his duty
in a straightforwa,zutel. manner was neglected by the
powers that be.—
t‘l
tV
Dacea ier
recognise had
his alai
so,eahe r, hear.) But, although Mr.
mwasansduraewtahredchoiumnt country would
mer merit