UNITED STATES AND CANADA 255 



and personal happiness without which all honours 

 that can be conferred, either by State or city, 

 must lose half their interest and all their charm. 

 (Cheers.) Ladies and gentlemen, this really ought to 

 have been presented by my friend and your friend, 

 Mr. Alderman Johnson, the chairman of the Ex- 

 ecutive Committee, but it is at his suggestion and 

 by his desire that I now endeavour to express your 

 sentiments towards the distinguished guests who 

 honour us with their company on this occasion. 

 Your name, Mr. Chamberlain, is a household word 

 amongst us — (hear, hear) — and after two visits to 

 the United States you come back again to the city 

 of your adoption *' to dwell amongst your own 

 people." (Cheers.) On the occasion of your first 

 visit to the States you went as representative of this 

 country to conduct what is rightly called in the 

 address a difficult and delicate negotiation. It is 

 not in mortals, sir, to command success, but you at 

 least have done your best to deserve it — (hear, hear) 

 — ^and you have amply justified the confidence 

 reposed in you both by the English Government 

 and the English people. (Cheers.) Your second 

 visit, sir, was, as the address says, purely of a 

 domestic character, but not less interesting to us 

 in Birmingham on that account. (Cheers.) That 

 also, if I may venture to say so, was the outcome of 

 a fishing expedition — (a laugh, followed by loud 

 cheering) — entered into, I will not say with a more 

 definite purpose, though it certainly has received 

 a more immediate reward. (Cheers.) On your 

 return, sir, it seemed to us that we should be hiding 



