Sir George and Lady Bonham, Countess and Earl Catchcart, Col. and Elizabeth Douglass, the Hon. Mrs. Willoughby, Lady Elphinstone, Sir John and Lady Key, Lieut-Col and Mrs. Wrench, Capt. and Mrs. Dowson, and Lady Franklin. Also at the same time there were residing at Grand parade, Lady Reid and family, Lord Romney and family, and Lord Robert Arthur Cecil, M.P. (afterwards Premier) and Lady. All these visitors or residents took up their abode there either by choice or recommendation, as St. Leonards; and being acquainted with the excitement caused by the attempted change of name, were among those who either personally or through the housekeeper, requested to be retained in the St. Leonards visitors' list. One gentleman, in a letter to the Gazette, said "I am not such a fool as to suppose that Eversfield place would be any less healthy or less respectable by being placed in Hastings, but as I possess a little aristocratic pride and the means to support it, I shall go to St. Leonards and not to Hastings, even if St. Leonards be at Bexhill!" For these and the other reasons before stated the Gazette as one of the papers charged with giving out to the world an untruth, repels the accusation.]
Coun. Vidler, in seconding the motion, supported the statement that the effect of calling the best part of Hastings by the name of Hastings was injurious to the town.
The Mayor thought there were two reasons why the alteration should be made. The late Mr. Shorter used to say that great inconvenience arose from the present state of things; and then all the recent expense of drainage, &c. had been in Hastings, and not in St. Leonards, yet it would appear, according to the Postmaster, that a great deal of it had been in St. Leonards.
Coun. Putland was sorry that the subject had been introduced at that time, because he had no hesitation in saying that the West Ward was not properly represented. There were important matters - more important, perhaps, than appeared at first sight, and especially in reference to trade. He, as well as Mr. Ross, would like every tub to stand on its own bottom; but he maintained that old Hastings only embraced the two upper parishes, and did not even include what was now the most important parish, that of St Mary-in-the-Castle. The old charities were for the inhabitants of old Hastings, and could be distributed, legally in the parishes of St. Clement's and All Saints. When the late estimable Mr. Burton commenced building St. Leonards, the scheme was frowned upon by the people of Hastings, and the tradesmen of St. Leonards had to grapple with great difficulties. There was now a great deal of property about Grand Parade, London road and eastward, and there was -
