they denounced the publicity, (for his speech was paraded by the
press,) lest the fair name of the queen city should suffer abroad. A
beautiful farce followed this grave exposition. The board of
aldermen, composed of fourteen men of very general standing,
remained mum under the accusation for a long time. Its object was to
show up the character of a class of officials, whose character and
nefarious arts have long disgraced the city. But in order to make a
display of his purity, Mr. C--, a gentleman entitled to high moral
consideration, chose to make it a personal matter; yet, not content
with a private explanation given by Mr. R--, he made a call through
the press. Mr. R--responded in a proper and courteous manner,
acknowledging the due respect to which Mr. C--'s private character
was entitled; thus increasing the ambition of the board generally,
who, with the expectation of Mr. R--making a like acknowledgment to
them as a body, (not excepting their honorable head,) made a demand
in joint-officio. This being duly signalized through the columns of
the Courier and Mercury, Mr. R--met it with a response worthy of a
gentleman. He referred them to the strongest evidence of his
assertions, in the countenance which they gave to a class of
officials too well known to the community for the honor of its name
and the moral foundation of its corporate dignity. Thus ended a
great municipal farce, to prolong which the principal performers
knew would disclose the intriguing scenes of their secondary
performers. The plot of this melo-comic concern was in the sequel,
and turned upon the very grave fact of Mr. C--having some time
previous withdrawn from the honorable board, to preserve some very
delicate considerations for conscience' sake.

How much spiritual consolation Mr. C--realized through the
acknowledgment of Mr. R--, or the honorable board in joint-officio