ealous of the praise which had been--perhaps
undeservedly--bestowed on his (Mr. Pickwick's) researches, and smarting
under the censure which had been heaped upon his own feeble attempts at
rivalry, now took this vile and calumnious mode of---
'Mr. BLOTTON (of Aldgate) rose to order. Did the honourable Pickwickian
allude to him? (Cries of "Order," "Chair," "Yes," "No," "Go on," "Leave
off," etc.)
'Mr. PICKWICK would not put up to be put down by clamour. He had alluded
to the honourable gentleman. (Great excitement.)
'Mr. BLOTTON would only say then, that he repelled the hon. gent.'s
false and scurrilous accusation, with profound contempt. (Great
cheering.) The hon. gent. was a humbug. (Immense confusion, and loud
cries of "Chair," and "Order.")
'Mr. A. SNODGRASS rose to order. He threw himself upon the chair.
(Hear.) He wished to know whether this disgraceful contest between two
members of that club should be allowed to continue. (Hear, hear.)
'The CHAIRMAN was quite sure the hon. Pickwickian would withdraw the
expression he had just made use of.
'Mr. BLOTTON, with all possible respect for the chair, was quite sure he
would not.
'The CHAIRMAN felt it his imperative duty to demand of the honourable
gentleman, whether he had used the expression which had just escaped him
in a common sense.
'Mr. BLOTTON had no hesitation in saying that he had not--he had
used the word in its Pickwickian sense. (Hear, hear.) He was bound to
acknowledge that, personally, he entertained the highest regard and
esteem for the honourable gentleman; he had merely considered him a
humbug in a Pickwickian point of view. (Hear, hear.)
'Mr. PICKWICK felt much gratified by the fair, candid, and full
explanation of his honourable friend. He begged it to be at once
understood, that his own observations had been merely intended to bear a
Pickwickian construction. (Cheers.)'
Here the entry terminates, as we have no doubt the debate did also,
after arriving at such a highly satisfactory and intelligible point.
We have no official statement of the facts which the reader will find
recorded in the next chapter, but they have been carefully collated
from letters and other MS. authorities, so unquestionably genuine as to
justify their narration in a connected form.
CHAPTER II. THE FIRST DAY'S JOURNEY, AND THE FIRST EVENING'S ADVENTURES;
WITH THEIR CONSEQUENCES
That punctual servant of all work, the sun, had just risen, and begun
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