THE DUKE'S REPLY.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10999, 24 June 1901, Page 7

THE DUKE'S REPLY.

After a few minutes' interval his Worphin the Mayor was called forward, and his Royal Highness, speaking in a olear, ringin" voice which could , be heard with more than complete distinctness throughout the whole of the Chamber, replied as follows: —

"Mr Mayor and Gentlemen,—-On behalf of the Ducfott* and myself, I thank you sincerely for the hearty welcome you havV. offered to us in the name of the citizens of Christchurch and foe various bodies who represent them..

"I am specially interested in the greeting accorded to us by the Old Age pensioners of the district. The working of the system which has been established in New Zealand is being closely watched in the Mother Country, and I am glad to be able to gather information respecting it during our visit. It is a great pleasure to us to come amongst you, and to see for ourselves something of the remarkable progress which has been made by this city and district since the Canterbury Pilgrims landed, some fifty years ago. Favoured though you are by a splendid climate and a rich and fertile soil, that progress speaks volumes for the courage and perseverance of the pioneers who peaoefully wrested the province from the wilderness, and also for the intelligence and resource of those who have folloAved them. You have here established a new England bound to the old by a two-fold cord of love and affection and the deeds of your sons have proved *hat they have nobly learned the lessons m loyalty taught them by their fathers and mothers. In the name of the King I thank you for Ihe renewed assurance of that loyalty. Wβ also thank you for your kind wishes and expressions in regard to our voyage. Wβ shall always cherish gratefully memories of the warm-hearted kindness and hearty generosity we have everywhere met with in New -Zealand, and it is our earnest prayer that the progress and prosperity you ztovr enjoy may continue to group from day to day."