376 APPENDIX. [No. XXXV. 



caused by the laws not being made to fit one another ; the laws should be 

 made upon one basis. In America they saw the same state of confusion exist. 

 At last it caused that country to divide into two parts, and war ensued ; 

 and many lives and millions of money that war cost. It was caused 

 simply by the want of principles. Nothing could be done by fits and 

 starts ; we must progress step by step from that which is good to that 

 which is better if ever we were to reach that height of perfection which 

 could be obtained under any human system. But the Conservatives must 

 prepare for their work by organization. (Cheers.) They must have over them 

 lieutenants of tens, captains of hundreds, and commanders of thousands, 

 by whom they must be led to the poll. They ought to be so organized 

 that at the next election the city could be canvassed in one night. (Cheers.) 

 They must also have unity amongst themselves. (Hear, hear.) There must 

 be one Conservative Association, and they must follow it, and then their 

 cause would succeed at the next election. (Cheers.) And having been 

 victorious in Rochester, step by step they would carry the Conservative 

 cause throughout the empire. He thanked them again for the honour they 

 had done him. Whatever he might be in future, and no one could tell 

 whether he would be their member, or would ever remain the adopted but 

 non-elected candidate for this city, he should ever be grateful for the kind 

 reception which had been granted him here. (Cheers.) And as long as he 

 lived, he should always remember the very kind manner in which they had 

 greeted him that evening. (Loud cheers.) 



2. SPEECH DELIVERED ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF 

 PLATE AT THE CORN EXCHANGE, APRIL 2ND, 1874. 



MR. SMEE rose to return thanks, being received with tremendous applause. 

 He said : Mr. Chairman, proposer, and seconder, I must confess it is not 

 a new era of my life to receive a testimonial ; for although I believe 

 it has not been due to my merits but to the kindness of my friends, I 

 have, either for services rendered or for fancied services rendered, received 

 during my life more than I either could have deserved or desired. (Ap- 

 plause.) I am proud to say that I have many most valuable tokens that 

 have been given to me. Then why should I accept this token from 

 you, and think it far more agreeable than any one that I have received 

 before? It is upon this principle, that whilst families, whilst single 

 people, have thought it necessary to give me testimonials before, this 

 is the first time in my life that I ever had a testimonial with a list of 

 names spreading across this room, and numbering hundreds of persons. 

 (Applause.) For why have you given me this testimonial ? (A voice : 

 Because you deserved it.) It is not for my merits, because there are many 

 peraons much more meritorious than I am (No, no) to whom you might 

 have given this testimonial better than to me. But I know it is upon 

 the truth of those principles that I have taken up and those principles 

 which I have discoursed upon in the city of Rochester. (Applause.) I 

 came here and said that I was an advocate for Conservative progress. 

 Mind you, what was done in a room in this city has been adopted by the 

 Prime Minister of this country. (Applause.) It commends itself to all your 

 attention, for I pointed out to you that by wise laws the working men of 



