Potter's Electric News

MR ALDERMAN OWEN'S LAST ORATION. IT will be perceived from the Report which appears in another part of our journal of the Quarterly Meeting of the Haverfordwest Town Council, that a series of charges of a grave character have been preferred against us by Mr William Owen,—an Alderman of our Corporation, and one of the striking emblems of purity with which that most immaculate body abounds. We are charged, amongst other things, with "abusing him,with the publication of scurrilous and slanderous attacks upon his good fame,-with holding him up to "public odium," and endeavouring to iujuio him in the estimation of his fellow-townsmen. That these allegations are wholly untrue, we think our readers will bear us witness: for we have never in these columns written one word which could be considered by the most impartial person as a reflection upon that gentleman's private character. Nor have we, even as re- gards his public career—chequered as it is by so much eccentricity,-spoken oi him in any other than mild and gentle language. Of late years his imagination has indulged in a succession of mighty flights, which it was really painful to contemplate, and which certainly, as public journalists, we should never have permitted to pass unnoticed, had they proceeded from a person occupying a similar position, and enjoying a fair share of mental and physical strength. We have been silent from the best of motives we regarded him as an object of pity not of attack, and avoided the expression of hostile criticism, believing it to be exceedingly dangerous to a gentleman of ner- vous temperament, and charitably hoping that his foibles and fantastical performances would vanish away at the dawn of returning health. We find, however, that our clemency has been misplaced and though the worthy Alderman has in his long address displayed very little vigour of mind, we deem it necessary to break the silence we have hitherto maintained with respect to his actions, and deal with him as the most rational champion our Corporation could put forward in their defence. On glancing cursorily over Mr Owen's fiery ora- tion, we are struck with his familiarity with the use of the abusive epithets and slang phrases which week after week embellish the columns of our Contemporary. The language he employs in denouncing his political opponents may not be a proof of a gentleman's education or of his posr session in any great degree of Christian feeling; 0 zn $ but it is not difficult for us to account for his thorough acquaintance with the materials which form our Contemporary's stock-in-trade when we remember that the enlightened Alderman is a proprietor in the Telegraph Newspaper Company (Limited.) And here we have the key to the per- sistent defamation by our Contemporary of the representative of the Haverfordwest Boroughs; and the sole aim and object of these attacks be- c come fully apparent when they are considered in 1 connection with events which have come to light 1 during the late Municipal Election. It is im- possible to describe the consternation experienced by Mr Owen when Mr Thomas Whicher Ddvies announced his intention of becoming a candidate for a seat in the Town Council. Had a bombshell exploded under the Aldermanic chair, he and his i compatriots could not have felt greater fright and i alarm. Having recovered in some measure from the. panic into which the clique had been thrown, Mr < Owen at once commenced a course of proceeding t which he doubtless considers-so pliable is the human conscience—worthy of being ranked among 1 the most honourable of his public services. Ev-ry j one,' said Mr Owen, 'who votes for Mr Whichelll Davies, hasn't an ounce of sense,'—a very polite s and courteous expression of opinion, and all the 1 more remarkable because of the source whence its I springs. The observations, too, which we ven- tured to make in reply to the unblushing state- ments that appeared in Mr Owen's journal, only 1 served to increase the violence of his rage. And against whom do our readers think he directed his anger1 Against the Member for the Town and County of Haverfordwest, who Mr Owen lJadl the audacity to assert, was accountable for all the a articles which are published in these pages. So great was Mr Owen's rage that, havmg made one ( false assertion, he easily glided into another, and j this time into one on a much larger scale. As he t worked himself up to boiling point, his imagination j gradually released itself from his control, and with < a boldness which our contemporary must have 1 envied, he declared that the Borough Member was a proprietor of the Herald, aad derived <1?65 a year j from the moneys he had invested in it. These statements, it is almost needless to say, are utterly false: they have, indeed, just as much truth in them as Mr Owen's extravagant hyperbole-to i use a mild phrase—which describes the receipts of the Haverfordwest New Bridge previous to the extension of the Soutb Wales Railway to the town, to have amounted, with some exceptions, to only Jialf-a-croion per day. And why should Mr Owen circulate falsehoods about the sitting member, and seek to undermine his influence? Will the good people of Haverfordwest believe it ? Mr William ( Owen has been persuaded that he is to be the { candidate of the Radical Party at the next Parlia- mentary Election, and a canvass was commenced on his behalf as early as last Spring. Here, then, i is the mystery unravelled hence Mr Owen's coarse allusions to what he is pleased to call the < Tory Party —his industry in aspersing Mr Scour- field, and his reckless charges of bribery and cor- ruption. Hence it is that Mr Owen sounds the praises of the Municipal Body,—which he himself confesses is political, and which, as its published accounts shew, sometimes spends its funds in furthering the political views of its members. Promoting Reform meetings and encouraging all attempts to reduce the Franchise to a Municipal one, may be in Mr Owen's estimation a perfectly legitimate use of the Corporate Funds; but there are others in the town, quite as respectable and intelligent as he is, who characterise it as a gross abuse of public money, and do not hesitate to apply to it the term—misappropriation. All who will take the trouble to wade through Mr Owen's speech will not fail to notice how loudly and fre- quently he blows the trumpet in his own praise, and will no doubt be much astonished to find him claiming credit for the Council in respect of deeds which were not performed at the expense of the Corporation purse. Nearly all the alterations and improvements which he ascribes to himself and the Town Council, were effected by the Trustees of Perrott's Charity. And Mr Owen himself has participated in the benefits of this Charity as much as any other inhabitant of the town for the handsome flight of steps which adjoins, and has so much improved the approach to his property, was constructed, not at the expense of Mr Owen, but with the funds at the disposal of Sir John Perrott's Trustees. We desire as much as Mr Owen does to give honour to whom honour is due, and cheerfully award him all the credit which his public services deserve. There may be some question whether his liberality bears any proportion to the resources which a long-continued public patronage has placed at his command but in accordance with the old advice I not to look a gift horse in the mouth,' we are grateful for what he has bestowed, however small or great it may be. It does not appear, how- ever, that Mr Owen's vaunted munificence-his generosity in lending money at five per cent-is to pass unrewarded for we believe it will be found that, in his case, his benevolence has been quickened by a lively sense of favours to come.' A seat in Parlia- ment, whatever Mr Owen may urge to the contrary, would certainly be usurious interest on his public services and if the people of Haverfordwest are to be called upon to submit to the humiliation of ac- cepting him as their Parliamentary representative, in exchange for what he has done to promote the public good, the bargain would be a dear one indeed. The inhabitants are much indebted to Mr Owen for providing the funds required for the erection of the New Bridge, and we are sure would feel regret if his enterprise had involved him in a loss. He had a lease of the Bridge Tolls for 21 years, and if the result of his speculation had equalled his most san- guine anticipations, no one would have begrudged it, because he was fairly entitled to it under his agree- ment. But the period for which it was agreed he should receive the tolls having expired, it is but natural that the public should wish to know the exact position in which they stand in regard to the Bridge. They desire more information than is at present supplied them, and we are not surprised that great dissatisfaction has been expressed, when, as we think Mr Owen himself must admit, the existing arrangements are not the best that can be made. It is impossible, within the limits of the present article, to discuss all the phases which the question has assumed in the public mind, but we would ask Mr Owen whether all the requirements of the Bridge Act have been complied with? The 21 years' lease having expired, have the tolls been let, from time to time, as laid down in the Bridge Act 1 Has public notice at any time been given by 'advertisement,' inserted in some newspaper, usually circulated in the County of Pembroke, of the intention to let the tolls to him, 'or to any Corporation or person,' for any term not exceeding three years ?' In a word, does he hold his present title to the Bridge Tolls in the true spirit and letter of the Act of Parliament ? HAVERFORDWEST TOWN COUNCIL. The quarterly meeting of this body was held at the Market Hall oa Monday. There were present the Mayor, H. P. Goode, Esq., Mr W. Owen, Mr W. Rees, Mr W. Davies, Mr James Phillips, Mr T. J. White, Mr George Phillips, Mr Blethyn, Mr W. Walters, Mr Thomas Owen, and Mr A. Beynon. NEW COUNCILMEN. The newly elected councilmen—Mr J. D. Brown, Mr John Madocks, Mr M. Whittow, and Mr Harford—took the usual oaths on their acceptance of office. ELECTION OF MAYOR. The Mayor: Gentlemen, my office falls this day into pour hands; and it is now your duty to appoint my suc- cessor. Mr Whittow, in an able speech, proposed the re-election )f Mr Goode to the civic chair for the ensuing year. In the course of hid observations, he said the office had been filled by Mr Goode to the entire satisfaction of the town, ind that the dignity of the office had never been better sustained. He would state that the kindness and courtesy axhibited by Mr Goode in the capacity of Mayor would be sufficient on his part to recommend his re-appoint- [nent to the office. Mr G. Phillips seconded the motion in a neat address, in which he stated that he could fully endorse everything ;hat had been said by the mover respecting the manner .11 which Mr Goode had performed the duties of the office. He believed that the civic-chair had never been illed with less assumption or greater dignity than during the last year. As a. rule he was opposed to the re- ;triction of the oflce to any persons, but he believed there ,v ere times when they should depart from it, in order to jive a substantial recognition of eminent services, and ;he present was one of them. The Mayor had, in his public Capacity, reflected the highest credit on the office, md had given as much attention to his public duties as ie had to his private affairs. No one had done more to jromote the interests of the town; and he believed no person more deserved such an acknowledgment from the jcunciv than the present Mayor. I Mr W. Owen put the resolution to the meeting, and it ,vas carried unanimously. The Mayor elect returned thanks in an able speech, n which he referred to the improvements which had aeeu introduced by the Council during the past year. We are unable to give his remark* ai. length, as a Lra.c nortion of our space is occupied by a full report of the ipeeches subsequently delivered. He expressed the great jleasure he felt at receiving this renewed proof of their jonlidence in him, and hoped that they would not have occasion to regret their choice. Tho last year of office jad been an expensive one; but while he would assure ;hem that he should not much from his duties, he at the same time hoped that in the ensuing year the expenses )f office would not be so great. He was gratified to learn ;hat his discharge of the duties had given satisfaction to aie fellow townsmen, and thanked them heartiiy for the ionour they had done him in electing him a second time t :o the office of Mayor. 'I ELECTION OF SHERIFF. On the proposition of Mr W. Owen, Kecondedby Mr I W. Rees, :J r Thomas Williams, chemist, of Market Street, was unanimously elected Sheriff for the ensuing fear. BAILIFFS. Mr William Richards, of Shut Street, and Mr David Evans, were re-elected Bailiffs for the ensuing year, on the proposition of .Mr James Phillips, seconded by Mr Whittow. SERGEANTS -AT 'MACE. Mr George Thomas, of Fountain Row, and Mr William Darter, of Ebenezer Back, were re-appointed Scrgeants- it-Mace. MAYOR'S AUDITOR. Mr Whittow was requested to act as Mayor's Auditor and at the suggestion of Mr Rees, with him was asso- stated Mr John Madocks. MESSENGER. Mr George Thomas was re-appointed Messenger, on the motion of Mr Walters, seconded by Mr J. D. Brown. QUARTERLY MEETINGS. The quarterly meetings were ordered to be held on the second Monday in February, second Monday in May, and the second Monday in August, each day at eleven o'clock. COMMITTEES. The usual committees were appointed. MISAPPROPRIATION OF CORPORATE FUNDS—THE LATE MUNICIPAL ELFCTION-HAVERFORDWEs-r NEW BRIDGE —CHARGES OF BRIBERY, PERJURY, AND CORRUPTION —THE STATE OF THE TORY PARTY, &C. Mr W. Owen Mr Mayor,—I think gentlemen must be satisfied after hearing tho report of what had been done this morning, that the business of this Corporation has not been neglected by the members of the Council. As a general rule it is best not to take notice of any scurrilous charges, or of any publications inado by —— [Here the speaker paused, apparently at a loss for a word.] Mr Harford: By motives.' Mr Owen: Thank you: that is not the word ;—by —— [Here the speaker again made a pause] by anonymous —that is the word— anonymous publications. 1 think as a general rule it is best not to pay any attention to them, but to treat them with silent contempt. However, there may be cases in which we shall be justified in de- viating from this rule, and I think the case I am about to bring before you is one which fully justifies such a course. And that is—we—the Corporation, gentlemen- are charged with a misappropriation of the Corporate Funds. We are charged with shewing a preference to our own friends in respect to a loan, and that I have on the money so lent received a greater interest than we are justified in paying. I think these are very serious charges, and they do not come only from the single party who mad9 them, or I should not have mentioned them, as that party is not deserving of any respect. But as these charges have been taken up by a public journal in the town, and put before the public, to make a political bandle-(hear, hear)-to make political capital out of it —(hear, hear)-to make political capital, gentlemen, out of our characters, I think I cannot remain silent under these serious-these most serious charges. But if we look at this time at the town-I am sorry to introduce politics here, but I must do so; I am forced to do so, because the charges are made for the purposes of politi- cal capital. I feel our characters are attacked out of doors, and I must speak on this disgrace to the town. I am forced to do so; we are charged with misappropria- tion and mismanagement, in order to bring us into dis- grace before the town. I feel that the people who make these charges are pretty well known to you,-who en- courage those publications. The charges are brought before us by the refuse of that party-for it is, I am sorry to say, all a party business, done by the Tory party. I Ray it is a disgrace to the Tory party; and I think the Tory party, gentlemen, never stood so low as they do at this momcnt,-(hear, hear)—although they attempt to bring us into disgrace by these charges, which I intend to refer to to-day. As these disgraceful charges have been made, it is only right-it is only fair, gentlemen— to bring before you the state of the Corporate Funds when this Corporate body came into themanagementof it. You are charged with paying five per cent, upon money when you ought not to do so, and that to favour a clique—a party,—to one among yourselves. Now I will just bring before you facts which are not known to the town gene- rally. When the Meat Market was built, it was done by the Old Corporation. There was a sum of £ 2,000 bor- rowed to build that market of the late Dr. George Harries at five per cent. Dr. George Harries held that mortgage for six years, and, for what reason I cannot tell,—perhaps he wanted his money or otherwise,—he gave notice, and !];•><! his money out. That was in the year 1826. Now, that money was borrowed by the Old Corporation, not by us; we had nothing to do with it. It is a legacy entailed upon us, and it was one that was fully justifi- able. They did it to improve the town, and it paid them still better. A meat market, which was very much wanted, we had for £2,000, and it has produced a re- venue of £ 400 or £ 500. Surely, that is not a waste of public money-(hear, hear) ;-I am now only justify- ing an act of the Old Corporation. And who signed the mortgage? Why, it was Mr James Higgon, of Scolton, who was mayor at the time, and he signed the mortgage. Now, there is not a more honourable man in the whole county of Pembroke than Mr Higgon, and he would never have consented to charge the town with this sum if he did not believe it was for the public good. Well, Dr. Harries having called that money up in six years, we then find it held by Mrs Clare's Trustees. They held it for six years, and they again called it up: they all re- ceived five per cent. for it. A: that time there was a difficulty in getting money, and this corporation, as they have always done, advertised it to the public: they have never gone to their friends in the Council. They failed to get the money at the time, and they came to me. The late Joseph Tombs was the very man: he asked me to lend that money. I consented. In order to do so, I sold Consols out of the Funds, purely to accommodate the Corporation. (Hear, hear.) It was then borrowed of me. That was in 1838, now twenty-six years ago. Well, you know when money is lent on mortgage—when there is a loan to the public,—there is always some ex- pense, and it is the same in the case of a transfer of a mortgage. In the-course of twelve years the mortgage was twice changed at a great expense to the Corporation. Now, I have held it for twenty-six years, and never put the town to any expense about it. (Hear, hear.) Well, gentlemen, am I to be insulted?—[Mr Rees: Yes, of course. Several members: No, no.]—Am I to be abused for it? Am I to be held up to public odium, because I have done all in my power for the town ? I say it is scandalousI say it is a disgrace to the party who make these charges. It is a disgrace: it is scandalous. Let them come before me in the public liall-let them come and meet me openly, and not go in an underhand way, and abuse me for what I have done. Let them come before me, just to show who is the best man. It is a disgrace to make such a charge, after I have done so much for the Meat Market. The next charge against us is that £ 1,000 has been lent Mr Rees: Pardon me, Mr Owen, for a moment. 1 would interrupt you just to say-that in fact you are en- titled only to 41 per cent. if we pay promptly. Mr Owen: I am very much obliged to Mr Rees for reminding me of it. I lent the money at 4-1 percent., instead of 5 per cent. and the Treasurer knows this well, that during the whole of the time I have held it—for twenty-six years-I have never asked for the money. I said, 1 Come when you got it: pay it to me when you can.' (Hear, hear.) And now, I think on it, after my friend Mr Rees's observation, there have been as much as four payments in arrear. Who besides me would have left it, and never been paid the interest? Is that taking advantage of the town ? Is that taking advantage of the Corporation Funds, because I am a member, to put money in my own pockets. (Hear, hear.) I now come to the building in which we are now. You all remem- ber, at any rate most of you do, the state things were in in the town. You all remember the Corn Market-a small building—so small that you could put in it but a very small portion of the commodity that came to Market. The avenues and streets to the Market at that time were so choked up that people could not pass through them. There was a narrow street in the front only sufficient for a cart to pass. Why you, or some of you, remember old Polly Gompertz's apple stall, stuck out in the street- (Laughter.) Mr Rees: And the time was when you knew it too. Mr Owen Why, you had the old Alms Houses on the upper side, where there was a lot of old women, and there was the Charity School, all perched up together in the town. Was that a state of things to be permitted to remain? No: and I did my best to remove it. And I am proud to say that I was one of the committee—one of the parties who started the question. I did it as a member of the Corporation, and as an inhabitant of the town wished to see it improved. 1 was one of the members of the Corporation when it was done. 1 took all the trouble: I made all the plans, I supervised the building, and I never received one farthing from it in any shape. (Hear, hear.) We all agreed to widen the streets, and have a building which we have now, and which I think is a credit to the town. We wanted money, for we had exhausted the funds. They bad the building advertised, but failed to get the money. They offered five per cent., and when they could not get it, I said, I You shall not stop here. I'll lend it.' (Hear, hear.) I lent it because they could not get it. £500 was expended on the Market House, and £500 on the Water Works. I say here that we-the present Corporation, have not ex- pended much our efforts have proved of great benefit to the town and although they are held up as a spot upon us, they will not be considered to be so. The large building we are in now has been of great advantage, and are we to be abused because we raise the character of the public buildings in the town? Public buildings should be improved. But here it is stated—[referring to some papers before him]-why here we are called a Five per cent. clique '—isn't it scandalous? Mr Walters: Just allow me to say we have 10 per cent. for our outlay. Mr Owen: Yes, on the money expended in altering the town. But" e are called a I Five per ceut clique.' Isn't it shameful? Why, the very journal which states this is pay- ing live per cent. itself to a party we all know. The profits of that paper go to pay five per cent. on mortgage on that establishment. Why the county of Pembroke has borrowed ten or twelve thousand pounds on mortgage of the rates of the whole county. The Chairman of the Quarter Sessions and other gentlemen have agreed to charge the county with th;s five per cent. And we are called a clique-a I Five per cent. clique.' Five per cent—why, the whole county is charged at the present moment with interest at five per cent. tor building that mad-house at Carmarthen,—(hear, hear,)—and ali that money is extracted out of the pockets of the people of the county of Pembroke, to be expended on labour and to be used in another town. —— Mr Harford: That is borrowed for thirty years--a thirtieth part payable every year. Mr Owen: Yes, you will have to pay live per cent. for thirty years.—[This observation was followed by a I remark, the exact purport of which we failed to catch. Tho speaker was understood to say that the interest would amount to 7\ per cent.]—Now, gentlemen, there are other charges that are brought against us, as to other appropriations of corporate property, as well as other property belonging to the town. —— Mr Harford There is another sum of jgSOO. Mr Owen: There is another mortgage of £300, which Mr Owen Davies holds: that was formerly £1000. and was also entailed upon us. Mr Rowlands, of Portfield, had it at 4-L per cent., bnt he would not hold 2 it, and called it up. That is now the money for which we are paying Mr Owen Davies five per cent. As to my sum, £1000 I"only lent it as an accommodation to the town. I would make some other good investments by transferring that mortgage. I have no difficulty in getting five per cent. for my money, as my friend Walters will tell you. I have never asked usurious interest for my money. I can do better by buying and selling. It is not a fair return for what I have done, to make such charges. I have only done it to assist the Council, and why because of the transfer should we be set up as a clique. As to the mortgage at five per per cent, I tried to get partners. I did it at my own risk; I did not go to the Corporation and ask them to pay me for the mortgage. I did it with my own money: I went to the expense. So far as to that. There are further charges made against us, and I think it quite right that the town should know a little about them. You all know—many of you perhaps do not,—what was the state of the town thirty years ago. The leading thoroughfare in the town was the main thoroughfare under the lime kilns to the Old Bridge Mr Rees: The fundamental street. Mr Owen: The main street: you know the sharp corners people had to pass Mr Harford: Don't you think this is a question for the Gas Commissioners? The Mayor: Hear Mr Owen out. Mr Owen: It is the question we are charged with, and I have a right to be heard on it. 1 will bring you up now to the carriage thoroughfares through the town, besides that. We will pass over the old Draw Bridge-a very dangerous one to pass over: we come up from Summers's dirty Lane to the old Short-row; for you had two Short-rows, where two carriages could not pass. You come up by the Town Hall, and there you find a very dangerous place to pass. There was no room for two carriages to pass at a time. You go up hy the old Con- duit, and we have a bad place there, and no carriage could pass there. You then go up by Rat's Island, a place in Shut-street, where there was a Smithy, and a place where it was dangerous for years to pass. Now, just come through another thoroughfare in another part of the town. We will go up by the Old Bridge to St. Martin's, and look at the bottom of Barn-street, and then pass over by the Mariners. We look atthe City Road, which was in a very bad state at one time: two carriages could not pass anywhere there. We will go up round here— [pointing to the street]—two carts could not pass in the space of the street. There was, in fact, no thoroughfare throughout the town where two carts could pass each other without difficulty. I remember very well-or rather there is one I don't remember, but the other I remember seeing-two occasions when accidents occurred. I remember seeing the Mail Coach coming down the High-street, and down to the other side of the Short-row, when either the chain broke, or something or other occurred, so that the coachman lost control of the horses, or could not turn the sharp corner—for there were sharp corners then—the whole coach was dashed against Mr Fortune's house. I saw it done myself, for I happened to be passing at the time. The old Draw Bridge was so very unsuitable for a public thoroughfare, that at one time when there was a number of people on it, it broke down, and all the people who were on it were thrown into the river. However, very Providentially, it was half-tide at the time, and they were not drowned. Well, was that a proper state for the town to be in ?-[Cries of' No, no.']— Then what was to be done to improve it. At that time, too, there was no gas in the town, and no supply of water. Was that a proper state for the town to remain in ? Well, in company with some others, we took the matter up. We gave notice—the late Mr William Evans and myself, on our own responsibility—we gave notice for an Act of Parliament to remedy this state of things, and to comparatively rid the town of the disadvantages it suffered from. We wished to have a New Bridge, and to increase fourfold the supply of water to the town. The difficulty was to pass all we wished to apply for. We, however, wished to have the Bridge and approaches to it. We formed a committee, and that committee con- sisted of gentlemen interested in the town, and in whom the town had confidence. We wished to have a better thoroughfare, and the first object we had in view was a carriage road from Cartlett into the town, remove the Short-row, and pull down the Castle Square. I am sure that no person could find fault with that, particularly when we had to do it out of our own pockets. (Hear, hear.) We did not call upon the town for anything We estimated the expense of making the thoroughfare from Cartlett to the bottom of the old Short-row, building the Bridge, with the approaches, at £2000. There it is in the Act of Parliament—the estimate is there— £ 2000. That is the money-no more could be raised upon it. We tried to get the money up by shares. We could not get it taken in shares: I Well,' I said at last, 'if none or you will do it, I will-(hear, hear.)-we will go to Par- liament. I will do it on these terms. I will lend the money— £ 2000—for the improvement of the town on these conditions:—I will take the risk, if it pays one per cent., or if it pays 10 per cent. or more, I am entitled to it. And it, at any time, the public will come forward and pay my money back, and make the Bridge free, there it is for them. I don't think any man will advance the money on easier terms.' Very well, we went to Parlia- ment,-these were the conditions on which I lent the money. And when we went before the House of Com* mons and the House of Lords-as 1 did for one—I never had any objection, until I saw the bill in print, which makes me the lessee for 21 years. These were not the terms on which I leut it: but I did not object. I lent it because no one else would, and if any one will repay me, so that the Bridge is to be free, 1 will give it up at once. I will tell yon, gentlemen, but I don't like to boast of anything I have done, but I will just state one or two things-- Mr Harford You can state facts- Mr Owen: I will state facts: these are the terms on which I lent the money. During the first 15 or 16 years I held the Bridge, the returns put me out of pocket, and! will tell you a thing which no one knew before, except myself: 1 have not told any one of it before. I had a box in which every day's receipts were put, and 1 bad the key of it myself, and 1 will tell you that with the exception of Fair days, and Market days, I never received anything like the interest of my money, five days out of six,—fur it was not open for many years on a Sunday, and many dnys the receipts of the Bridge did not come to half-a-crown: I did not like to be laughed at, and I did not tell the public what the return was. It was my own; and it was my own fault if there was not a paying return. Since the railway came into the town, the traffic has increased, and the Bridge is now clearing itself. It appears, however, from the Pembrokeshire Herald that the receipts before the railway was opened were £ 230. I say that is a falsehood: —I say it is not true, and no man has a right to say such a thing. Why you know perfectly well you have another bridge, and people go round over that. If you had only one Bridge in the town, it would be worth £1000 a year. But it is a very rare thing for a carriage to go over it; the roads are gooct to the other Bridge, and they go round. It is only the halfpenny a dfy: it is only a few families with whom I have agreed by the year, use it, and if I had not done so they would have gone round to the other, for it is not very distant. It is only the labouring people with their halfpenny a day. These returns, as I said before, have been increasing very much, and the Bridge is clearing itself. I am quite willing to give it up, as I have otten said before but 1 have never before been charged, and J did not'like to bring it before the public. But I have often said, that if any gentleman, or any body of gentlemen, whom I can have confidence in, will make an offer to clear the Bridge, or will manage it better than I can, [ shall be delighted to give it up, only pay me my money. (Hear, hear.) I shall be delighted to give it up to them. I have said fifty times, and I will say so again, if any gentleman will come forward and free the Bridge, I will give £ 50 myself. (Hear, hear.) Am I to be insulted? Am I to be abused? and that for political purposes—[Mr Rees: Yes: you must expect it.]—Now, gentlemen, In order to give the political party—for I call it all a part of a political party-it is the Tory party,— in order to see what they will do, I give you notice to-day that I shall require my money. I say here is a chance for them, and let us see what they will do. I give you notice I call my money up: it is a challenge lor them, and a very proper one. Let us see what they will now do. But, gentlemen, are we to be accused in this way because we happen to differ in politics ? Why this Cor- poration, from time immemorial, has always been political. (Hear, hear.) We are quite as capable of carrying on our affairs as our predecessors were, and quite as able to look after our funds. Well, is our Corporation to be I charged with misappropriation ? It is to the Corporations of England that we owe our liberties: they have always been the supporters of the liberties of the subject against tyranny and oppression. Haverfordwest has always been