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Chap. XVIII.] Political Meetings. 235-
" Diplock's Hotel," in the Terminus Road. When the Devonshire Park Pavilion was built, that was resorted to for all important meetings, but the Town Hall, so soon as it was available, took its place for most public, including election, assemblages on a large scale, and has been generally used ever since.
Here mention may be made of two political meetingsr which may be remarked as two of the most important of the many I have attended in East-Bourne. The first was on June 24, 1892, and was held at the Devonshire Park as a great Unionist demonstration in support of Admiral Field's candidature. The Duke of Devonshire was the principal speaker, but by way (I suppose) of giving a Liberal Unionist colour to the business, he stipulated that the late Lord Monk-Bretton should be Chairman.
The second great meeting which I have in my mind took place at the Devonshire Park Theatre on March 22, 1893, and was especially an anti-Home Rule demonstration. It was preceded by a pleasant dinner at Mr. G. A. Wallis's,, at which the guests were, besides Admiral Field, Mr. Victor Cavendish (now 9th Duke of Devonshire), Sir E. Carson, Q.C., M.P., and myself. The meeting, as a meeting, was an unparalleled success, to which I tried to contribute by a short speech.
East-Bourne political meetings have never been much favoured by the presence of prominent politicians on either side. I can recall within my time limits for this book only Mr. Austen Chamberlain, M.P., and Mr. Cochrane Patrick, M.P., besides those already named.
Mr. Asquith came down professionally to defend the Salvation Army street rioters in 1891.
" Counrillors of §>txtt sit plotting anfr placing tl;rir ViQt) rlrcss game, M/ereof tl;c jjafons arc mtix."—(Carlyle.)
S"Itc semi of eloqnenre is &crg simple: lutcfoleoge an& earnestness."—
(Bishop Thorold.)
'•gut 6nglis^man is ronient to sag nothing fo|mt \i lias nothing to sag."—
(Dr. Johnson.)-
But with some people it is—
" SEcrrirs, S&oros, S&oros."— (Hamlet.)
" &n <£xr|jrqner of SHorbs."— (Two Gentlemen of Verona.) |
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