not the advantages of travelling by rail. Every event of
the kind, however, was duly chronicled in the _Gazette_, but they must
be men of superior mark indeed, or peculiarly notorious perhaps, for
their movements to be noted nowadays. Besides the "royalties" noted
elsewhere, we were honoured with the presence of the Chinese
Commissioner Pin-ta-Jen, May 7, 1866, and his Excellency the Chinese
Minister Kus-ta Jen, January 23, 1878. Japanese Ambassadors were here
May 20, 1862, and again November 1, 1872. The Burmese Ambassadors took a
look at us August 14, 1872, and the Madagascar Ambassadors followed on
January 5, 1883.--Among the brave and gallant visitors who have noted
are General Elliott, who came August 29th, 1787. Lord Nelson, August 30,
1802, and there is an old Harborneite still living who says he can
recollect seeing the hero come out of the hotel in Temple Row. The Duke
of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel dined at Dee's Hotel, September 23,
1830. The Duke's old opponent, Marshal Soult, in July 1833, seemed
particularly interested in the work going on among our gun-shops. Lady
Havelock, her two daughters, and General Havelock, the only surviving
brother of Sir Henry, visited the town October 8, 1858. General Ulysses
Grant, American Ex-president, was soft-soaped at the Town Hall, October
19, 1877.--Politicians include Daniel O'Connell, January 20, 1832. The
Right Hon. Benjamin Disraeli, who visited the Small Arms Factory, August
18, 1869, was again here August 22, 1876, immediately after being raised
to the peerage as Earl of Beaconsfield. The Right Hon. W.E. Gladstone
was welcomed with a procession and a "monster meeting" at Bingley Hall.
May 31, 1877. The Right Hon. R.A. Cross, Home Secretary, honoured the
Conservatives by attending a banquet in the Town Hall, Nov. 20, 1876.
Sir Stafford Northcote, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, came here Oct.
19, 1878, and was at Aston, Oct. 13, 1884, when the Radical roughs made
themselves conspicuous. Lord Randolph Churchill was introduced to the
burgesses, April 15, 1884; and has been here many times since, as well
as the late Col. Burnaby, who commenced his candidature for the
representation of the borough July 23, 1878.--In the long list of
learned and literary visitors occur the names of John Wesley, who first
came here in March, 1738, and preached on Gosta Green in 1743. Whitfield
preached here in Oct., 1753. Benjamin Franklin was in Birmingham in
1758, and for long afte