The unseating, therefore, of the late members for New Windsor upon the grounds stated in the Report of the Committee is, I venture to suggest, unprecedented in the annals of election petitions, and affords just ground for complaint, and for giving, in future cases some appeal, where there may be a similar miscarriage of justice.[4]--I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, G. J. DURRANT. Henry Labouchere made his maiden speech during the six months that he was member for New Windsor. It was upon an uninteresting and complicated subject--namely, the inadequacy of our Neutrality Law to enable us to fulfil our international obligations towards foreign countries. The debate, begun in February, continued well into the March of 1866. Labouchere made his speech on the 22nd of February. During the course of it he said that, having passed ten years in the Diplomatic Service, he had given some consideration to the subject of International Law, which had led him to believe that, from defects and inefficiency, our Neutrality Law was fraught not only with future danger to ourselves, but was calculated to prevent us from acting justly towards our Allies. He quoted, in support of his argument, the relations of England with the United States of America, the sympathy of America with Fenianism, and our loss of commerce with America.[5] On March 7 he voted in favour of the Church Rates Abolition Bill, which was read for the second time on that day and committed. Of course he was very funny on the subject of the election at New Windsor. He was fond of relating how it was that he first became an M.P. "I had to kiss the babies," he said, "pay compliments to their mothers, and explain the beauties of Liberalism to their fathers, who never could be got to say how they would vote. On the day of the election everything {82} turned upon half a dozen votes. I remember one Tory went out to fish in a punt, and the boatman who accompanied him was induced to keep him well out in the middle of the river, until the polling hour had passed. Another aged and decrepid Tory was kept in the house by having cabs run at him whenever he tried to issue from his door. Finally the Liberals won the day. On this the Tories petitioned. The committee decided that there had been no bribery, but unseated my colleague and myself because they thought that we had hired an excessive number of committee rooms." And again: "One man at this election amused me. He hung about outside my committee room, and whenever he saw me he wrung my hand. On my first interview with this patriot, he informed me that, at an early hour of the morning, he had personated Dr. Cumming, and had voted for me as that divine. Each time I saw him during the day, he said that he had been personating some one, and always a clergyman. I remonstrated with him but uselessly."