ays Galt, 'was a man not overladen with worldly wisdom, and
had been chosen into the Council principally on account of being
easily managed. Being an idle person living on his money, and of a
soft and quiet nature, he was, for the reason aforesaid, taken by one
consent among us, where he always voted on the provost's side; for in
controverted questions every one is beholden to take a part, and the
bailie thought it was his duty to side with the chief magistrate.' Our
own special qualifications for office were, we must be permitted in
justice to ourselves to state, different from Bailie Weezle's by a
shade.

It was generally held, that if there was nothing to do we would _do_
nothing, and if nothing to say we would _say_ nothing; and so
thoroughly did we fulfil every expectation that had been previously
formed of us, that for three years together we said and did nothing in
our official capacity with great _eclat_, and regularly absented
ourselves from every meeting of Council except the first, to the
entire satisfaction of our constituency. It will not be held,
therefore, in the face of so important a fact, that we include in our
description all the town magistracies under the existing state of
things, and most certainly not all modern town councillors.

Nothing, however, can be more certain, we repeat, than that they
differ from their constituencies as a class, and that they are chosen
to represent them in municipal affairs, just as another and higher
class is chosen to represent them in the Legislature--merely because
there is no other class in the field. The solid middle-class men of
business have, as has been said, something else to employ them, and
cannot spare their services. They cannot accept of mere notoriety,
with mayhap a modicum of patronate influence attached, as an adequate
price for the time and labour which their own affairs demand. It is a
peculiar class in the municipal as in the literary field, that 'weigh
solid pudding against empty praise,' and come to regard the empty
praise as solid enough to outweigh the pudding. Not but that it is a
fine thing to be in a Town Council, and to see one's fortnightly
speeches flourishing in the public prints. Where else could some of
our Edinburgh worthies bring themselves so prominently before the eyes
of the country?

Where else, for instance, could Councillor ---- impart such universal
interest to the fact that he taught in a Sabbath school, and rode out
of to