MR. MORTON’S REPLY. 
343 
to the office; and that there may be no doubt as to who it was 
that tore up the ballotting tickets upon that occasion, I beg to add 
my belief (but it shall be hereafter proved) that Mr. Morton was 
the person who so tore them ; and that he did so, not for the 
purpose, as is ridiculously pretended, of preventing Mr. Vines 
from seeing who had voted against him, but to prevent several 
members who had demanded a scrutiny (and who suspected' 
that Mr. Morton might possibly have made some mistake in 
checking the ballot in his own favour) from having such demand 
complied with. Unfortunately for Mr. Morton he was prevented 
from destroying the whole of the ballotting tickets, for a dozen 
of them was saved, seven of which are favourable to Mr. Vines. ” 
Belief being credit given to something which we know not of 
ourselves, when this becomes confident, it implies freedom from 
doubt in the statements made by another : but should these be 
proved to be false, how stands the believer? Now I do not 
hesitate to tell this champion for truth ! who, with his attendant 
knights, has entered the lists, and, with his vizor down, has made 
a thrust ere he has learned to poise his lance, that he has given 
credence to that which is untrue. I would hope that he has un- 
wittingly done this, and has been undesignedly the instrument 
of propagating that which is false, and intended for my injury : 
but such a spirit of malignity pervades the whole of his pro- 
duction, that it requires the utmost stretch of charity to be en- 
abled to do so. The intentions, however, whether of him or of 
another, have been happily frustrated. The lance has been shi- 
vered against the shield raised by my friends, and I now look 
down with complacency upon its pointless head and scattered 
remains. 
But u that there may be no doubt as to who it was that tore 
up the ballotting tickets upon that occasion,” although his belief 
might appear to have settled that question, I at once acknow- 
ledge that I did it; nor has the act ever been denied, or at- 
tempted to be denied, by me. And I did it for what he is pleased 
to consider a ridiculous pretence. If it be so, it rests with Mr. 
Vines; who, after the ballot, grasped some of the papers, saying- 
lie would have them, and see who had voted against him (or 
words to this effect), which I at once prevented, by seizing the 
remainder, and tearing them up before him : and this took place 
after the business of the evening icas over , when the members were 
about to leave the theatre. What now becomes of the charge 
that I did it to prevent a scrutiny taking place, which “ had been 
demanded by several members?” I most solemnly and unequi- 
vocally declare, that no scrutiny was demanded by any member or 
members at this or any other subsequent meeting of the Society . 
