ess, and his defiance of the
feelings and opinions of his political associates, for sturdy and
commendable independence. He alienated many friends by his conduct on
this occasion, but he won his election, coming in at the head of
the poll. By dint of strenuous exertions--made necessary by his
obstinacy--Mr. Scholefield came in second. The poll stood at the
close--Muntz, 2,830; Scholefield, 2,824; Spooner, 2,302; Allen, 89.
From this time till his death, ten years later, he and Mr. Scholefield
held their seats without further opposition.

In the House of Commons he succeeded, mainly by force of lungs, in
gaining attention; but he was looked upon as a political oddity, whose
utterings were amusing, if nothing more. The only good I remember him
to have done as a Member of Parliament was inducing the Government of
the day to adopt the perforating machine in the manufacture of postage
stamps.

His personal appearance was remarkable and handsome. He was tall and
exceedingly muscular, and must have possessed enormous physical
power. At a time when shaving was universal, he wore his beard. It is
generally believed that he never shaved. This is a mistake. He shaved
until he was nearly 40 years old. His youngest brother, Mr. P.H.
Muntz, the present M.P., as a young man had been sent for some years
to North Germany, and when he came home in 1833, he had a fine beard.
Mr. G.F. Muntz thereupon resolved to allow his to grow, and when he
went to Parliament this peculiarity attracted much notice. H.B., the
celebrated caricaturist, was not slow to make it the subject of one
of his inimitable sketches. In the collected edition there are 917 of
these famous pictures, all admirably drawn, and excellent likenesses.
Mr. Muntz is depicted in No. 643, under the title of "A Brummagem
M.P." The historical stick, the baggy trousers, and the flowing and
Homeric beard, are graphically represented. The reason given for his
carrying the stick was quite amusing. It was stated that the then
Marquis of Waterford had made a wager that he would shave Muntz, and
that Muntz carried the stick to prevent that larkish young nobleman
from carrying the intention into practice.

The family from which Mr. Muntz descended was originally Polish,
but for a few generations had been domiciled in France, where they
occupied a handsome chateau, and belonged to the aristocracy of the
country. Here the father of Mr. Muntz was born. At the time of the
Revolutionary delu