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would relieve fishermen from having to apply to Boards of Guardians; because, forsooth, to accomplish that, the harbour must be large enough not merely to shelter in, but also to fish in during stormy weather. Nor in a national point of view was it at all shewn that Hastings offered any particular facilities beyond almost any other part of the coast; it might therefore be left as a moot point whether the ‘Ness or Rye harbour, Pevensey Bay, Newhaven, or Shoreham, might not be at least as good places for spending a few thousands as even Hastings, where there is neither indentation of the land nor back water. May I express my wonder whether those gentlemen who seemed to have floating in their minds certain visions of merchant and even of Royal Navies as riding in safety at anchor here, had really thought how many feet – shall I say miles – of break-water would be required for such a purpose? Surely it would not be more expensive nor much more utopian to talk about a large umbrella to keep off both wind and rain. I venture the opinion that the business of the meeting really was – not to express cheap sympathy with starving fishermen and drowning sailors; but, under all circumstances, is a harbour desirable for Hastings and St. Leonards. The borough has two branches of industry – one its fishing trade, the other its lodging telling. Of the first, I will only say that, no doubt, shelter would be of service in bad weather, but would it be cheaper for our boats to pay for the help an erection here would afford them or run, as they do now, to where shelter already exists? The other trade – lodging houses, would they be benefited by a harbour? I will not talk of opinions – one man’s may be as good as another’s – but before jeopardising our unexampled prosperity here, let us look at some other places. Now, of the principal sea-bathing places in the South of England, Ramsgate, Margate, Dover, Southampton and Weymouth have harbours, while Hastings, Eastbourne, Brighton and Worthing have none; and from my own knowledge, by information gleaned at one time or another at the places themselves, the state of property and general prosperity of the former towns will bear no comparison whatever with the latter ones. It was said at the meeting that a harbour was a great attraction to visitors. If so, it is really surprising that the shrewdness of English people has not led them during the last hundred years to establish their marine watering places at some of the many noble harbours and ports we have in this country, whereas there is scarcely an instance of that being done. French traffic is by some supposed to be available for the desiderated harbour at Hastings; but with Dover and Folkestone -