300 REMINISCENCES OF 



formed my audience of my intentions in the following 

 speech : 



" I have now visited almost every district in the 

 county, and have received reports from the different 

 localities ; but the result of these is not such as to 

 encourage me in the hope of ultimate success. . . . 

 That being the case, gentlemen, and after very 

 mature consideration, I have now to inform you that 

 I retire from the contest. To those gentlemen who 

 have supported me I beg to return my most sincere 

 thanks, and to express my deepest gratitude, in the 

 first place, for the honour they have done me in 

 considering me worthy of their confidence, and also 

 for the great zeal and activity which they have 

 exhibited in the prosecution of the canvass in my 

 favour. . . . To you, gentlemen, who are my op- 

 ponents although I still call you my friends I 

 beg to return you my sincere and grateful thanks 

 for the courtesy with which you have received me 

 on every occasion, and for the attention with which 

 you have listened to me. In another place I stated 

 that my supporters should confess that I ran the 

 race stoutly and honestly. I can assure them that 

 hitherto I have done so to the best of my ability, 

 but the odds are too great against me. I am sure 

 my opponents will confess that I have fought them 

 freely and fairly. I have taken no part in any under- 

 hand proceeding of which I can be ashamed ; I have 

 made no statement which gives me any regret ; I 

 have used no word which I would wish to retract. 

 I shall retire, gentlemen, into private life with very 



