CHAPTER XIII 



AT BIRMINGHAM 



Birmingham, needless to say, lost no time In accord- 

 ing their beloved townsman a cordial ** welcome 

 home," and in marking its appreciation of the work 

 he had accomplished. Bergne and I were bidden to 

 Highbury for the occasion, and a most enjoyable 

 time we had there. On the afternoon of March 28, 

 at a meeting of the town council, the mayor, Mr. 

 Maurice Pollack, presented Mr. Chamberlain with 

 an illuminated Roll, conferring on him the honorary 

 freedom of the Borough, a privilege which he was 

 the first to enjoy. The same evening a banquet was 

 given in his honour at the Town Hall. The toast 

 of *' Our Guest " was proposed by Dr. Dale and re- 

 sponded to by Mr. Chamberlain. Then the Right 

 Hon. John Bright proposed the toast of *' Our 

 Kinsmen." As it was the last speech in public ever 

 made by that great statesman and orator (he died the 

 following year at the age of seventy-eight), I need 

 hardly apologise for reproducing it textually, as well 

 as Mr. Chamberlain's. The report is taken from 

 The Birmingham Daily Gazette of March 29, 1888. 



