egulated mind, he had never met with. A man with a larger
family he had never known (cheers). The parish required a man who could
be depended on ('Hear!' from the Spruggins side, answered by ironical
cheers from the Bung party). Such a man he now proposed ('No,' 'Yes').
He would not allude to individuals (the ex-churchwarden continued, in the
celebrated negative style adopted by great speakers). He would not
advert to a gentleman who had once held a high rank in the service of his
majesty; he would not say, that that gentleman was no gentleman; he would
not assert, that that man was no man; he would not say, that he was a
turbulent parishioner; he would not say, that he had grossly misbehaved
himself, not only on this, but on all former occasions; he would not say,
that he was one of those discontented and treasonable spirits, who
carried confusion and disorder wherever they went; he would not say, that
he harboured in his heart envy, and hatred, and malice, and all
uncharitableness. No! He wished to have everything comfortable and
pleasant, and therefore, he would say--nothing about him (cheers).

The captain replied in a similar parliamentary style. He would not say,
he was astonished at the speech they had just heard; he would not say, he
was disgusted (cheers). He would not retort the epithets which had been
hurled against him (renewed cheering); he would not allude to men once in
office, but now happily out of it, who had mismanaged the workhouse,
ground the paupers, diluted the beer, slack-baked the bread, boned the
meat, heightened the work, and lowered the soup (tremendous cheers). He
would not ask what such men deserved (a voice, 'Nothing a-day, and find
themselves!'). He would not say, that one burst of general indignation
should drive them from the parish they polluted with their presence
('Give it him!'). He would not allude to the unfortunate man who had
been proposed--he would not say, as the vestry's tool, but as Beadle. He
would not advert to that individual's family; he would not say, that nine
children, twins, and a wife, were very bad examples for pauper imitation
(loud cheers). He would not advert in detail to the qualifications of
Bung. The man stood before him, and he would not say in his presence,
what he might be disposed to say of him, if he were absent. (Here Mr.
Bung telegraphed to a friend near him, under cover of his hat, by
contracting his left eye, and applying his right thumb