himself said, on his own
responsibility, and as a perfectly independent candidate. It is not too
much to affirm that it was his pluck and independence that carried him
through. He had little difficulty in forming a committee, including, for
the most part, gentlemen of considerable local influence, and that _sine
qua non_ having been obtained, the rest was comparatively smooth
sailing. Mr. Hastie, his opponent, was a quiet and easy-going member, who
never did anything, either good, bad, or indifferent, to distinguish
himself in the House of Commons, and who, as one of his _quasi_ friends
declared, had not even the merit of being a regular attender, although
he had represented the city in Parliament for ten continuous years. On
the nomination day, Mr. Dalglish was accompanied to the platform by
Bailie Galbraith, Mr. W. West Watson (City Chamberlain), Mr. David
Dreghorn, Councillor Moir, Mr. Walter Paterson, and other gentlemen, who
still figure in the ranks of our most prominent citizens. His nomination
was proposed by Bailie Galbraith, and seconded by Mr. W. West Watson. Mr.
Dalglish delivered a thoroughly characteristic speech, of which we are
in a position to give the salient points. He said:--"I shall not refer
to my antecedents as has been done by my hon. opponents; but this I will
say, that for the future I am prepared to do everything for the
advancement of the interests of the people. I am anxious to see not the
reform of 1832, which was a mere sham and delusion, but a reform which
will give to every householder a vote, and a vote to every man who pays
a direct tax to the Government. (Great cheering.) I am in favour of
every social and sanitary reform in this city; and if our local
philanthropists--the Hendersons, the Campbells, and the Clarks--will
turn their attention to the centre of the city, where the masses of our
population are congregated, and project some scheme for the opening up
of the closes and winds, and the building of better houses for the
working classes, I shall be ready to support them. (The city improvement
scheme was at that date in the matrix of the future.) I have much
respect for the voluntary system of education, but I feel that it does
not reach all the children of a large city such as Glasgow, and that
therefore a national system of education is required. I would also
support the establishment of schools for the teaching of children,
because I believe that he who teaches should first be ta