VETERAN CIVIL SERVANT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 418, 29 January 1909, Page 6

VETERAN CIVIL SERVANT.

W..% X ME.'., C. T. ,'BEIJZONI RETIRES. '. ;, ;^;;;AN^By33NTFUL : CAEEEE.. X : :'■': \:. : i 1 Mr.; C.'.T. Benzoni, ■ Deputy-Eegistrar, of Friendly -Sooieties, and' Eegistrar of Copyrights, I, is ! retiring 'from the 'CiVil Service on superannriatipn'attheend of , ibis month. Mr. Benzoni I has'-been a- memb'erVof;. the Civil Servioo-.for. over 80 "years. , - Though! older nowthan he was orice/'his Vitality, is still remarkable; he lias not beeniaway from-the'offica through sickness or; on'leave ;for a.singlelday., excepting stattitory' .holidaysjin : "2o years. -•< . .. . ".'•-. -.'.- '.-■ Mr.-Benzoni had'an.eventful career.befqro he .'joined'the'service. ,v As a boy hewas placed -.with f'.a firmiin this;'native >city of Xondon,..but; the. Crimean War offering'him more he;, atthe.instance of Mr.' Sydney Herbert,.entered the Department. Hβ picked up ,av good : deal , '; •of '.field: experience, -and. .was. i specially:commended;for "general aptitude and 'perseverance";-in;'-• the ; ■'.report .on the ' .Medical '; Staff ■■■■'.CorpsV examinations at'-Jort. Piti Eβ (then/went -.with' yliordvElgin's expedition; to China;.serving;under-Gaptain (now Lord) Wolsa--ley.'i.'The,.', steainer ,f Transit,..: in. ; which ; Mr. Berizoni's. company -travelled, 1 ■was wrecked in : the; Straits ; of- Sunda,: and on reaching: Singa,'pore -the lores ,v.'as diverted by. Lord Elgin to. •Bengal; consequent, on ; ,tlk'; Indian Mutiny. Mrl. Benzoniiwas-.subsequently employed' in, China iri ordnance ;i_details:, ; for..'-. the bombardment.' of Canton gunboat duties on- the 'Cantort.Eiver.v,.,He' ,was.afterwards';attaphed to theEpyai'Engineers.and was'present at-the.de-.struction'bf.tb.e'fortsafc Taku, in the;,Gulf,of ■ri-tchi-li, and'tlie;.Pei-ho Eiver.;- Returning to. •England he obtaiijed special authority to study tin", the General ,Surgery, at..Aldershot,: and later performed the-duties-of compounder' of'metlir -cin'es, etc.,' with, the Eoyal Artillery_'staff. . He -.yolunteered : jvnd proceeded to : British North- : America •when : the' Guards and : Eifle' Brigade ;.ivere dispatched. t.o,Cajiftda : owing to; the United States doop-of-war Jacinto: having taken, tiie, Confederate ■States'.Commissioners (Messrs. 'Mason, , . arid: s Slidell);', from .the , .English mail' steamer.' \Trent... . Arrivins Home, he was detailed for the -Royal. Victoria;Hqspital, Netley, and ''attached to : the i consumption '■ branch of •'the■ Purveyor's Department: (Commis'soriat); '\ •'-''S..--:v.', '.■■'■'"' , '..': : ';" ■■:' '■ ■ '■ ■■■:' ' ■■- '/, On volunteering- again'at-the War Office for ; adtive service,-Mr. Benzoni was, on the.recom-:mendation.'of.-the..'Military -Purveyor-iri-Chief, sent to New/Zealarid,\and served with Lieut.-: : General Cameron's' 1 force in the Waikato: enmIpaign."' Althpugh.it.was:intimated to him'that ihe ,wqnld-receive''substantial staff-preferment .ifihe repiainedTin tb.'e''lniperial Service, he,,on rther-departuTei of. the:-troops-for England, fol-.lowe'd-rninirig and journalistic pursuits'in Anck'land.; until J IB7O, v when he .was appointed Field Quarter-Master Tyith'chaige' of the' field- commissariat in the rexpeditidn against Te'Kooti iri the Patatere district.- 'He then accepted an apnpintmerif; |';.in '/'the.'.' Stores \ Department. under iColonel Gorton; was. transferred in, 1873 to the 'Publib v .Wprks : arid; Gpldfields' Departments'.'as ichief ■ clerk,'' promoted ; under-secretary' : .in March 1879;;arid'.was acting-.unde'r-se'eretary' -for' eighteen .■months: 1 ; He. was retrenched in 'ISSS;' \vheit'' :the; penartment was re'-constrricted :under.^'a professional , head.: Subsequently he ivas -;appointeA;'a3:'tlie''Clerk of tHe-'Kisiidly. So T ' Ijbieties". ■ Eeristry. Office, then a ; branch of.-,the Treasury'Departrnent{jind'later on'succeeded to his present positions'. :.i, ■; ' : ' ■'