FAREWELL TEA-MEETING TO REV. W. C. OLIVER.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3051, 6 April 1881, Page 3

FAREWELL TEA-MEETING TO REV. W. C. OLIVER.

A farewell tea meeting to the Rev. W. C. Oliver was held in the Trinity Church Sunday school-room last evening. About 300 persons sat down to tea. The tables, which were bountifully supplied with all necessaries to make a tea meeting successful, were presided over by Mesdames Cato, Hutchinson, Martin, Prime, Laws, Sykes, Garry, Peacock, Edser, and Miss Moeridge. After justice had been done to the good things provided, the company adjourned to the church, where a public meeting was held, the chair being occupied by Mr W. Price. Addresses appropriate to tbe occassion were delivered by the Revs. D. Sidey, P. H. Cornford, and Penny, each gentleman speaking in highly complimentary terms of Mr Oliver, both as a minister of the Gospel, and as a private gentleman, expressing regret at bis removal, and hoping that his ministry in the circuit to which he is going will be as successful as it had been in Napier. During the evening Mr T. Laws, on behalf of the congregation came forward and presented Mr Oliver with a very handsome gold English lever watch as a high appreciation of his services as a pastor. He said the members of the congregation could not allow him to leave without in some manner showing their affection and sympathy for him. Mr Oliver, in reply, said he did not know how to thank them for their kindness. He felt like Tennyson when he wrote " I cannot think the word ' Farewell.' " It was hard to say good-bye to those one had formed such strong ties of friendship with. He wished before he left them to thank the choir for the able manner .in which they bad assisted him during his ministry here, also his fellowWorkers, the ministers of the other churches in the town for their kindness and co-operation with him, and lastly bis congregation for their attendance on his ministry. This being the last occasion on which the Rev. J. J. Mather, of Hastings, would appear before a Napier congregation before bis removal to Auckland, he also took occasion to bid them farewell. In doing so, he also wished to add his testimony to that already given of tbe high esteem in which Mr Oliver was held. He had received much valuable assistance from him during their joint residence in this district, and had always found him a genuine f/iend. He was glad they were both going to Auckland, 80 that the same pleasant feelings and intercourse might continue. At intervals during the evening the choir, under the leadership of Mr W. L. Prime, rendered some very choice selections of sacred miißic in a very creditable manner.