under the canopy at the top of the room, and
claimed silence for his own majesty with a
hammer.

After reading the bill calling the meeting, Mr.
Butts proceeded to say that he was sorry to see
so few 'ere. (As the landlord, no doubt he was.)
But due notice had been given to the ratepayers,
and it was their own fault if they did
not attend to look after their own hinterests and
the hinterests of the poplous parish to which they
belonged. He should be 'appy to see noo blood
introdooced into the vestry, and if any noo candidates
was proposed that evening, he should be
'appy to propose them to the meeting and the
show of 'ands. He was sorry to say as there
was some people as hadvocated centralisation,
which was contery to the constitooshun of a
free country. ('Ear, 'ear.) He 'oped, he did
'ope, that they would never depart from the
principle of local self-government, which was a
'olesome principle, and one as worked well for
all parties—for all parties—and he was sure that
the gentlemen who formed the vestry of the
himportant and poplous parish of St. Piggins
was the right men in the right place, and he
'oped, he did 'ope, they would elect gentlemen
that evening as would be worthy, and he had no
doubt they would be worthy to—to—to hocckypie
—a place under those gentlemen as 'ad—
always—looked after the hinterests of the
ratepayers in that parish. ('Ear, 'ear.) It was the
hobject of the Ratepayers' Association to see
that fit and proper candidates was proposed for
election to the hoffice of vestrymen, and they
were there that evening to perform that dooty.
He would read a list of gentlemen who was
recommended by the Association to be putt
forward and recommended to the general body
of ratepayers for election at the vestry 'all; but
if any gentleman wished to propose any hother
parties, they was at liberty to do so, and he
'oped—he did 'ope, that is to say, he was sure,
that they would obtain a fair 'earing. ('Ear,
'ear, 'ear.)

Mr. Butts then read the names of six gentlemen
—five to serve for the ensuing three years,
and one for the ensuing two years. Three of
them were vestrymen whose term had expired,
but who were eligible for re-election, and the
others were their friends and nominees. One
man, who was much commended for his business
qualities and his knowledge of parochial affairs,
looked like a stonemason; another was a
publican; and a third was the keeper of a coffee-
shop. The candidates were proposed and
seconded, and the elections taken by a show of
hands. There was no opposition, and in less
than ten minutes they were all duly elected for
recommendation to the great body of the
ratepayers. No questions were asked as to the
qualifications of the candidates for the duties
which they would have to discharge. It was
considered quite sufficient that they resided
within the ward, and that they paid rent to the
amount of £40 a year. But indeed the matter
had all been arranged beforehand, and a select
circle of tavern cronies proposed, seconded, and
carried each other. One of the persons elected
as auditor of accounts had the appearance of a
journeyman carpenter. Before leaving the
chair, Mr. Butts impressed upon the ratepayers
the necessity of entering an appearance at the
'all early on the morning of the election to give
their votes, as the present election was only a
recommendation, and had to be confirmed by
the general body of the ratepayers of the ward.

Bearing this advice in mind, I proceeded to
the hall in good time on the morning appointed
for the election. It was a quarter to ten; but
as yet there was no manifestation of public
excitement. A few paupers were receiving
outdoor relief at the entrance to a cellar in front
of the hall, and an official-looking in-door pauper,
in a grey frieze coat, was acting as porter at
the gate. I asked this official if a meeting were
not to be held there to-day? I put it in this
way, because the entire absence ot popular
excitement at ten minutes to ten suggested that I
might have made a mistake. The porter thought
there was going to be a meeting, but he could
not say for certain. I looked about for some
placard or other notification of the great
occasion; but none could I see. I ascended the
steps, and entered the vestibule of the hall.
Still no excitement; still no printed notices.

At length my attention is directed to a slate,
and on this slate, in very faint pencilling, it is
announced to the "great body " of the
ratepayers of ward Number One of the large,
important, and populous parish of St. Piggins, that on
this day will take place the annual general
election of vestrymen. Published on a slate hung
up in a gloomy passage, not generally accessible
to the public, or even the ratepayers! A triumph,
surely, of the principle of hole and corner, and
the art of keeping it dark. At ten o'clock, the
appointed hour, there were two persons in the
hall; at five minutes past ten, the assembly had
swollen to twelve; at ten minutes past, when
Mr. Churchwarden Somebody—or, perhaps I
ought to say, Nobody—took the chair, the
attendant ratepayers of ward Number One of the
important and populous parish of St. Piggins
numbered exactly twenty-seven.

The proceedings now commenced. The
churchwarden, speaking from a raised platform,
on which six vestrymen and the vestry clerk
were ranged in a row, explained the object of
the meeting. It was to elect five vestrymen for
the ensuing three years, and one vestryman for
the ensuing two years, and a gentleman as
auditor. The clerk would read the names of the
gentlemen recommended to them by the
Ratepayers' Association, and as he saw one or two
strangers present, he begged to intimate that no
one was entitled to vote unless he resided in the
district of the ward. The clerk read the names
of the gentlemen, and they were the gentlemen
who had been recommended and elected at the
Pig and Whistle. Again they proposed and
seconded each other; again they elected each
other. And at the close of the proceedings,
which did not occupy more than twenty minutes,
a fat vestryman got up and congratulated them