260 WITH MR. CHAMBERLAIN IN THE 



the constituency, which was as follows : " From 

 the citizens of the West Division of Birmingham to 

 the Right Hon. Joseph and Mrs. Chamberlain on 

 the occasion of their marriage. — It is with the liveliest 

 satisfaction that we, the electors of the West Division 

 of the City of Birmingham, offer you our sincere 

 congratulations upon the happy event of your 

 marriage. We ask you, madam, to accept our 

 respectful and hearty welcome. You come to our 

 island home representing a noble family of long 

 descent in a great country connected with us by 

 the nearest ties of race, and joining with our own 

 in its aspirations for the highest civilisation. We 

 welcome you as the wife of our member, whom we 

 have long recognised as one of England's foremost 

 statesmen, and who possesses to the full our esteem 

 and confidence. We pray that every happiness 

 which heaven can bestow may be yours in the new 

 sphere upon which you have entered. May we ask 

 the acceptance of the suite of gold jewellery herewith, 

 as a slight tangible expression of our earnest and 

 united feelings ? To you, sir, we repeat with 

 special emphasis the sentiments it has been our 

 pleasure and privilege to express on other occasions. 

 We cannot forget that it was in our midst that your 

 public life began. As legislator, statesman, and 

 orator, you enlist our highest sympathies ; as our 

 representative in Parliament you possess our entire 

 confidence ; and as one who has lived and worked 

 so long and so worthily amongst us, we offer you our 

 sincere and heartfelt admiration. We pray that 

 God may bless your union, and that an illustrious 



