consented to this arrangement. Having resolved to make one more effort to induce the Mayor of Rye to use his authority, the two gentlemen named made another call on him on Sunday, when the Town Clerk told them that the Mayor thought anything further to be necessary. On Sunday morning letters were received by the Mayor of Hastings from Sandwich and Hythe, asking, what was to be done? Whereupon the Mayor issued letters to the mayors of the other ports, stating that as the Mayor of Rye had refused to act as Speaker and declined to interfere, the Mayor of Hastings had been requested to take the initiatory step in the matter. He forthwith called a meeting of the mayors of the five Ports and two Ancient Towns, to be held at the Saracen’s Head, Ashford, on Sept. 21st, then and there to consider the subject. [Here a letter was read from the Town Clerk of Rye, which, after confirming thus much of the Mayor’s report, added “I am further directed to state the Council of this borough consider the proposed meeting, tomorrow to be altogether unnecessary, and do not intend to be represented at it.”]. At the meeting which took place at Ashford, the mayors of all the Ports attended, the two Ancient Towns of Rye and Winchelsea only being unrepresented, and resolutions were unanimously passed, expressive of a desire on the part of the Ports to pay every respect to the memory of the deceased Lord Warden. It was ordered that these views should be conveyed without delay to the Earl of Derby, and that the Mayors of Hastings, Sandwich and New Romney, with the Solicitor of the Cinque Ports should be a deputation to wait on Lord Derby for that purpose; also to solicit his lordship to allow at the public funeral the attendance of as many members of the Councils of the Cinque Ports as his lordship might deem expedient. On the 22nd of September the deputation proceeded to his lordship’s official residence, and were received by the Hon. Mr. Talbot, who promised to communicate Lord Derby’s reply. That reply was afterwards received, dated Knowsley, Sept. 25th, and was to the effect that the wishes of the Cinque Ports should be taken into consideration in the arrangements of the funeral.
Coun. Deudney opined that the Mayor had a strong claim on their gratitude for the zealous and able manner in which he had upheld the interests of the Ports on this occasion; he therefore moved that the thanks of the Council be presented to the Mayor for his attention and exertions. Coun. Harvey seconded, and the motion was unanimously carried.
The Mayor (T. Hickes), in acknowledging the compliment, said, that so far as he was concerned, he felt a pleasure in doing anything which lay in his power to uphold the dignity of the borough. He felt, from the commencement of the recent proceedings, that the old custom and privileges of the Cinque Ports should not be forgotten [Hear, hear!], and that it was proper for it to be shown to the world that the Ports still existed. He had been induced to go further than at first was contemplated in consequence of what he must call his extraordinary reception at Rye. The nature of that reception could not have resulted from any private pique between himself and the Mayor of Rye, as he had never had the honour of becoming -
