papers for the victim's opponent.

There was a solid block of these gay spirits at the back of the hall.
They received the Scotch peer with huge delight. He reminded them of
Harry Lauder and they said so. They addressed him affectionately as
'Arry', throughout his speech, which was rather long. They implored him
to be a pal and sing 'The Saftest of the Family'. Or, failing that, 'I
love a lassie'. Finding they could not induce him to do this, they did
it themselves. They sang it several times. When the peer, having
finished his remarks on the subject of Mr Bickersdyke, at length sat
down, they cheered for seven minutes, and demanded an encore.

The meeting was in excellent spirits when Mr Bickersdyke rose to
address it.

The effort of doing justice to the last speaker had left the free and
independent electors at the back of the hall slightly limp. The
bank-manager's opening remarks were received without any demonstration.

Mr Bickersdyke spoke well. He had a penetrating, if harsh, voice, and
he said what he had to say forcibly. Little by little the audience came
under his spell. When, at the end of a well-turned sentence, he paused
and took a sip of water, there was a round of applause, in which many
of the admirers of Mr Harry Lauder joined.

He resumed his speech. The audience listened intently. Mr Bickersdyke,
having said some nasty things about Free Trade and the Alien Immigrant,
turned to the Needs of the Navy and the necessity of increasing the
fleet at all costs.