There had been a prescriptive right to call that district right to call that district[a] St. Leonards, which had never been disputed. Families - his own, for instance - came there because it was called St. Leonards. In point of situation there was a wide distance between the health of Hastings and St. Leonards. There was a popular prejudice about Hastings. If they converted so large a part of the town into Hastings, they would cloth that district with the old prejudice against Hastings. He felt that this act had been done in a manner which, to his taste, was exceedingly unneighbourly, and he might say un-English (cheers). If they were to have a conflict, let them, let them strike a good straight-forward blow. He considered the manner in which the name of Hastings was put up was nothing more nor less than an insult(cheers). It was really treating them as if they were children. He was extremely glad - he was always glad to be a peacemaker - to hear Mr. Burton read that letter from the Postmaster-General. If the ground alleged by the Council was really and honestly the true ground, it had been cut away from under their feet by that letter. The Council alleged that their motive was simply the present inconvenience. The Postmaster-General said that inconveniences did not exist. When he (Mr. H.) looked at the fact of their having yielded to this inconvenience for the last 22 years and of only just found it out, he believed that that was not the only reason. The debateable(sic) part was the ground between the Arch and Verulam place. Perhaps the Council thought it would add to their dignity and would be a very nice morsel if they could get it (laughter and cheers). If that was their object let them assert it. He hoped that it having been denied in such terms by the Postmaster-General, they would feel that the ground they started upon ahad ben cut away from under them. In conclusion, he would thrust upon the Council the adage they might "go further and far worse" (prolonged cheering).
Mr. H. Selmes rose, he said, with great pleasure, to record the resolution. He scarcely knew whether most to admire the resolution or the able manner in which it had been moved. The first intimation of that meeting was conveyed to him on the previous evening, and on being asked to second the resolution, he immediately expressed his concurrence. He had not seen in the papers all that had been said, but since he heard of the meeting he had read some of it, and was perfectly unable to account for all that had occurre. He could not understand why the Council had done this.
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