terest in rising tradesmen (They know it! and cheers), and there were many in that room who might live to see the West Ward double the East Ward in value. Even now it was £3000 or £4000 more valuable than the East Ward, the representatives of which had hastily passed notes to abolish the post-office and the name of St. Leonards from the map of Hastings, for the latter was the real object (cheers). If their name were to be blotted out from the post-office, where would it appear? He referred to the struggles of tradesmen of an earlier period and remarked that the tide was turning in their favour; but the Council, without the least advantage to themselves, were bent on inflicting a real injury upon them and their town (prolonged cheers) - The Chairman then put the resolution to the meeting, and it was carried unanimously.
Mr. H. Harwood moved the next resolution - "That this meeting have viewed with very great surprise and regret the late proceedings of the Hastings Town Council to obtain an alteration in the arrangements of the St. Leonards Postal District, who are the parties chiefly, if not wholly interested." He thought it right before he commenced any remarks on that resolution to tell them that he should not have been placed in so prominent a position before them except at the request of a friend whom he and all of them very much esteemed - Mr. Wagner (loud cheers). That gentleman, although not by any means well, had nevertheless at some personal sacrifices, determined to come among them. As they were aware, he (the speaker) was not a resident, but he was a constant visitor, and hoped he should be for years to come (cheers). He therefore took some pleasure and pride in considering himself the exponent of the visitors. He really regarded it in a very solemn light that brother-townsmen who had lived so many years in friendship should, on a lamentably insignificant cause - so insignificant as to be almost beneath contempt (cheers) strive to raise a conflagration which it would be very difficult to smother. He should be very sorry to see so important a limb of St. Leonards as the district betwen the Archway and Verulam place dislocated from it. There could be no doubt that the Arch was erected as the eastern boundary of St. Leonards, but the intermediate space had been bare and barren ground. It was now one of the prettiest towns in the country. To say that because the Arch once formed the eastern boundary, it was still to continue the eastern boundary was a perfect fallacy. If it had not been for the fashion and popularity which the air and town of St. Leonards had given to it that space would not have been covered at all, or if it had, it would have been covered with a very different kind of tenements.
