The advanced radicalism of Birmingham was not less marked at the time of the Prince of Wales's visit, and the Mayor of that year, Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, had the reputation of holding not merely democratic but republican views. All this made the more marked the cordial reception of the Royal visitors, both by the authorities of the town, and by the masses of the people. The words of the _Times_ of November 4th, in its record of the visit are worthy of being recalled, especially in what it said of the Mayor: "Whatever Mr. Chamberlain's views may be, his speeches of yesterday appear to us to have been admirably worthy of the occasion, and to have done the highest credit to himself. We have heard and chronicled a great many Mayors' speeches, but we do not know that we ever heard or chronicled speeches made before Royal personages by Mayors, whether they were Tories, or Whigs, or Liberals, or Radicals, which were couched in such a tone at once of courteous homage, manly independence, and gentlemanly feeling, which were so perfectly becoming and so much the right thing in every way as those of Mr. Chamberlain." To the address of the Corporation, read in the Town Hall, by the Recorder, the Prince made the following reply:-- "Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen,--In the name of the Princess of Wales and in my own, I thank you for your address and for the kind terms in which you refer to our visit to your town. It has long been our wish to come to Birmingham, a city so celebrated not only in England, but throughout the world, as one of the chief centres of our manufacturing energy. It will be, I am persuaded, a source of satisfaction to the Queen to hear that the loyal inhabitants of this borough still retain so lively a recollection of the visits which with my lamented father she paid to Birmingham. Since that time the progress which has been made in the varied industries of this town has been most remarkable, and I trust that the condition of its working population, on whose exertions its prosperity so much depends, has improved in a still greater degree. In conclusion, gentlemen, I have only to express our earnest wish that Birmingham may long continue to enjoy that pre-eminence which it has so justly earned." At the luncheon subsequently given, the Mayor proposed the health of the Queen, as "having established claims to the admiration of Her people by the loyal fulfilment of the responsible duties of her high station, and at the same time the nobility of her domestic life has endeared her to the nation. The care and solicitude she has manifested in the happiness of her subjects causes her name to be honoured at all times, and among all classes and ranks of society."