Page:Item 6 1854.pdf/154

From Historical Hastings
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else. They knew that they had a right as far as the Archway, and they thought it right that they should place up the name. The Council did not daub; the parties who daubed were the friends of Mr. Hume, and not of the Town Council. Mr. Hume was very anxious at all times to depreciate the Town Council. He said the Town Council had made a mistake; they had tumbled themselves ooer in the dirt - a very respectable way for a clergyman to speak. He (Mr. R.) merely made these remarks to show the animus which Mr. Hume had towards Hastings. He said that he (Mr. Ross) was fond of "Brotherhoods." So he was, and he only wished he knew more of Brotherhoods; but it was quite certain that Mr. Hume knew nothing about them. Mr. Hume further said "Let there be forgiveness, not compromise, if the Town Council would leave off daubing and they leave off rubbing out. Now it appeared they had got hold of the person who did rub out the name. Some said it must have been a very tall man or else a short man with a long brush; but now they had the gentleman's own confession [Cheers]. And now came the last and the worst of all. Mr. Hume said "If anyone in the room had a friend in Hastings, let him whisper to that friend that if the Hastings people had any regard for the welfare of Hastings, they had much better paint the inside of their own houses than the outside of theirs [Cheers and laughter]. He thought that was a most disgraceful insinuation on the part of Mr. Hume. He was quite sure that the people of Hastings kept the inside of their houses in as good a state as those in any other part of the borough, though Mr. Hume might have made that mistake because when he went down westward there was one house in Hastings which he left behind him dirtier than any other house in the borough [cheers]. A cry of "Question" was here raised, and the Mayor having asked the speaker if he was going to make a motion, said that the speaker was perfectly in order. Mr. Putland rose to say something, but the confusion was such that he could not be heard. Then, turning to Mr. Putland, the speaker said "I shall go on if you stand there for an hour. Mr. Putland said he thought in all cases the motion should come first. Referring again to Mr. Hume's remark, he said it was such as ought never to have been made by a clergyman, particularly as Mr. Hume had previously lived in Hastings so long. Ald. Ross then remarked that Mr. Beecham had said in his speech he had been in the district some years and he had always said he lived in St. Leonards, and had often swrn that he lived in St. Leonards, and others had done the same. He did not suppose that he had committed perjury. Everbody knew that almost&nbsp-