§
LORD J. RUSSELL rose to move a Resolution—
That this House entertains a just sense of the zeal and ability with which the late Sir William Gossett uniformly discharged the duties of the office of Serjeant-at-Arms during the period of his attendance upon this House.
The noble Lord observed, that it was unnecessary for him to dilate upon the merits of their late Serjeant-at-Arms, in inviting the House to express its sense of them. After having rendered distinguished services in other departments, both military and civil, Sir Willliam Gossett entered upon his office in this House with a high character, and he had retained that high character by the manner in which he had discharged his duties as Serjeant-at-Arms. He, therefore, moved that the House do adopt the resolution of which he had given notice.
§ SIR R. H. INGLIS seconded the Motion. 603 From a personal knowledge of the individual, and from his experience of the manner in which the late Sir William Gossett had discharged the duties of his office since he had entered the House, he could testify that the noble Lord had not overstated his merits; and he thought it not too much to ask the House to record its opinion, as a sort of monumental eulogy, of this eminent individual—eminent for his military and civil services before he entered that House, and for the manner in which he had discharged, for twelve years, with firmness and courtesy, duties which were always difficult, and sometimes (as some of them might remember) painful. He heartily concurred in the Motion of the noble Lord.
§ The Resolution carried nemine contradicente.