A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1212, 22 August 1911, Page 2

A BIRTHDAY PARTY.

SIR JAMES CARROLL, AN ILLUMINATED ADDRESS, Sir James Carroll's fifty-fourth birthday and Ms recently-conferred knighthood woro celebrated at a largely attended social in the Sydney Street Schoolroom last evening. Mr. R. Flctcher presided, and among his supporters on the, platform wero tho Hon. J. A. Millar, tlio Hon." G. Fowlds, the Hon. D. Buddo, tho Hon. C. 11. Mills, Dr. To liangihiToa, M.P., and several prominent local residents. The chairman sail they wore assembled not for any party purposes, but to do honour to a man. Many of those, present wero not of tho same politics as Sir James Carroll. To know him w</> to vaiuo iiim as a friend. Tho chairman, in conclusion, handed Sir James Carroll ,an il- | luminatcd address, and wished him on . behalf of the audieneo "Many happy returns of tho day." (Applause. ) Text of tho Address. The address was then read by Mr. J, M'Urath. It was as follows:— "To tho Hon. Sir .lames Carroll, K.C.M.G., Acting-Primo Minister and Ministei for Nalivo Ali'airs. Wo, your friends, celebrate this your fifty-fourth birthday by offering you oui congratulations on the honour conferred upon you by our Sovereign. It is an honour to yourself and to the noble race you havo represented so consistently throughout your honourable career, it is, moreover, a mark of appreciation of the splendid you have rendered in smoothing tho difficulties that have from timo to time arisen between tho races that inhabit these beautiful islands. As it. is the first honour of the kind conferred upon a member of tho Native race, wo oan readily imagina your feelings of prido and satisfaction oil their behalf. Thin, however, is no surprise to us who havo 1 . followed your career from its opening in>. the. troublous times of 1870, when you served your country with valour, earning' tho decoration of the soldier. Next, asParliamentary interpreter, you were die- ' tinguished for fidelity and picturcsqueness of language. "Entering Parliament as reprewntativo for the East Coast Maoris, whose publio . affairs you conducted with such conspicuous _ ability that you were offered and obtained a European, constituency (in 1893), a position you have held. and worthily filled ever since. "Your work in these, capacities earned for you a. place in the Ballancc Ministry/ of 1892, and we. congratulate you on being', the only member of that Ministry who.' has held Ministerial rank without a. break up (o tho present time. - , "Yours has been a great career.. built' up of a great combination of qualities— commanding ability, tact, kindliness, wide knowledge, a noble, and impressive oratory, and unselfish devotion and kindly solicitude for all struggling interests. These splendid gifts have placed you in the position you so worthily fulfil—first citizen and Acting-Prime Mia?ster of tho Dominion.

"We tru.'it that. Lady Carroll and yourself may long enjoy your well deserved honours."

Tho address bears 4675 signatures, and tho number ivlq bo mads up to 7300.

At thf conclusion of the reading, a band of Maoris, sitting close t" tho platform, delivered a ferie* of Native greetingj with characteristic gestures and every sign of enthusiasm. Congratulatory Speeches. Dr. Cabin said no honour bestowed by his Majesty tho Kin? oil a citizen of this Dominion had boon rcccivtd with such popular approval as the knighthood of Sir James Carroll. Tho speaker eulogised the qualities of tho guest of the evening, and expressed the wish that ho might, long live to fulfil tho high destiny for which Nature had so richly endowed him. (Applause.) Mr. H. S. Warden said that he took a particular interest in Sir James Car-, roll's .career, because his (Mr. WardeH's) magisterial duties in tho past had brought him into contact with his tribe. Tlio speaker had not taken , any part in polit.ice, but he had watched the game, and ho had soon that Sir .Tames Carroll had never hit an opponent below tho waist, nor attempted to sting an opponent in his honour and his credit. (Applause.) Tho Hon. A. T. Ntrala said that members of Sir James Carroll's tribe from Ilawke's Bay, the lyintr Country, and elsewhore, had como to Wellington on purpose to attend and congratulate their kinsman. Had Sir James Carroll not accepted tho honour offered by his King, lie would not havo done the right thing by his mother's people. Some of tboin wera there to re.ceivo tlicir sliaro of tho congratulations. (Applause.)_ Captain TarannUi To Ua. of Hastings (who spoke in Maori, with Dr. Te Rnngihiroa as interpreter), and Mr. A rant Eketone, of Te Kuiti, expressed grcctinss on behnlf of the Maori people. Tho Hon. A. T. Ngnta rrciteij a poem of his own composition, entitled,Sconos from tho Past."

Sir James Carroll's Reply. Sir James Carroll, who was .received with much applause, said that, ono would not bo human nt all if Olio was unmoved by such expressions. As ho had listened to Jlr. Wardell and the other speakers, lio needed all his fortitude to avoid exhibiting a weakness. Mr. garden was tho magistrate in his district..before he wag born, and administered justice wiuiout Acts of Parliament, without a Oov-ernor-in-Council. (Laughter and applause.) His authority and his Statute-book were tho old chiefs of the district. They represented tho majesty of the law, andl there were no criuics. I'eaco reigned between tho pioneers and the Natives, no was also pleased _ to see Uiero that evening tome ot his .Maori f™" ,ls ( whoso parents and grand-parents lie had known. As for hinneil, his continuous political career, graduating on untal ho found himself blushing under honours, showed, ho thought-, that he had done no great wrong t,o the country. Ho had tried to fit! a sphere ot usefulness and harmonise the interests of both races. He had, fox such was his nature, avoided making personal attacks mid w"™" 1 " ations. lio had enjoyed political llio for many years and had been associated wuii some of the greatest men in -\ew Zealand history. There was no man lie ad delighted more to be acquainted with than Sir llarry. Atkinson, a piosr«; sivo statesman who bore along tho \ciy ed"o of Radicalism, though leading a Conservative party. Tnen rhero followed John Ballance, a statesman of tho sublime order, Mr. Sicddon, who represented force ond statesmanship and had sprung from the ranks. As lor their present chief, Sir Joseph Ward (applause), it was perhaps 100 early to say much about him, as ho was still alive, lliose dcparted statesmen had been honoured by tho press and people of all parties throughout New Zealand, and he believed it would be so with the present. Prime Minister. Public men had to give up much in order to servo the people, and they got more kicks than half-pence. Thc'v were nil animated by a keen ambition to serve the people, not to gratify a personal self-interest. It was an unluippv thing that there could be such a feeling as that public men were animated by merely personal aims. Ho thanked,'in conclusion, all his and well-wishers and expressed hope that lie, would be able to retain their esteem in the future. (Much applause.) During the evening songs were sung by Miss Agnes Segrief, Messrs. E. J. Hill, R, Robertson, and C. 11. Clarksou; Mr. Montague (Auckland), Miss Havdingo Maltby. and Miss S. Rapley gave recitations; Mr. J. Parker played a cornet solo, and Mr. Borneo Gardiner rendered a whistling sslo. Mr. D. Kenny was pianist