Much as I valued the honour of knighthood, I still more greatly esteemed the distinction conferred upon me by my fellow-citizens when they bestowed upon me the freedom of the city--the greatest honour any man can receive. Other honours are conferred for political and other services, all more or less meritorious; but to be singled out by those among whom you have lived all your life in order to receive the greatest distinction it is in their power to offer is an honour worth living for, and particularly when its bestowal is so jealously safe-guarded and kept so entirely free from political bias as it is in Liverpool. It then becomes doubly precious. It is easy in a great community to make enemies. Even the very success which may crown one's efforts to do good may produce them. A unanimous vote of a large City Council is, therefore, not an easy thing to obtain, and is in itself a great compliment. I may perhaps be pardoned if I venture to insert a short account of the proceedings of the Special Council when the Freedom was conferred, taken from the _Liverpool Post and Mercury_:-- "In the presence of a large and distinguished assembly of ladies and gentlemen, the freedom of the city of Liverpool was yesterday afternoon presented, in the Council chamber at the Town Hall, to Sir William Forwood, the father of the City Council. Sir William was first elected to the Council as a representative of Pitt Street Ward in November, 1868, and nine years later, in 1877, he was promoted to the aldermanic bench, of which he is still a member. He was Mayor of the city in 1880-81. He is also a member of the city bench, of the county bench for Lancashire and Cheshire, chairman of the Liverpool County Quarter Sessions, and a deputy-lieutenant for Lancashire. The Lord Mayor (Alderman Charles Petrie) presided, and, preceded by the city regalia, he was accompanied into the Council chamber by Sir Thomas Hughes, Mr. John Brancker, and Mr. B. Levy (freemen of the city), Mr. R. A. Hampson, Mr. R. D. Holt, and Mr. T. Burke (the mover, seconder, and supporter of the resolution of the City Council in favour of conferring the freedom on Sir William Forwood), Sir William Tate, Sir John A. Willox, M.P., Mr. A. Crosthwaite (ex-Lord Mayor), Mr. John Williamson, and many other prominent citizens. There was also a very large attendance of members of the City Council. Alderman W. B. Bowring sent a telegram regretting his inability to be present through indisposition. "The Lord Mayor, in opening the interesting proceedings said: I have much pleasure in asking the Recorder, Mr. Hopwood, kindly to read the resolution of the Council conferring the honorary freedom of the city upon Sir William Bower Forwood.