PRESENTATION TO THE REV. E. ROYER.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 624, 18 January 1870, Page 2

PRESENTATION TO THE REV. E. ROYER.

On Saturday evening a large company of gentlemen, principally members of St. Patrick's Catholic Chapel, assembled in Sheedy's Brian Boru Hotel, for the purpose of saying farewell to the Rev. E. Royer, who has been pastor of that church since the settlement of the West Coast, and who is about to proceed to Oamaru, Otago. The occasion was also selected for presenting the Rev. Father with an addross from his congregation and a handsome testimonial. Mr M. Kennedy occupied the chair, with the guest of the evening on his right, and Mr P. Purcell on his left. Mr P. M. Griffen occupied the vice-chair. The Chairman, after explaining the purpose for which they had assembled, called upon the company to charge their glasses. He then gave the first toast of the evening, "The health of Pope Pius . the Ninth," coupled with the name of the Rev. Father Royer. The Rev. Father Royer returned i fianks in the name of his Holiness, and . also for having coupled his name with the i toast. He hoped that their feelings ; towards the church would not remain in , statu quo, but would go on increasing, and . that they would continue to show that they were Christians by using charity i towards all men. He asked them to join him in drinking to the health of the clergy throughout the world. This having been : duly honored, The Chairman gave the toast, "The ; Queen and Royal Family." He believed that in no part of the world was there a • more free or a better constitution than in . the Colonies, particularly in New Zealand s — (Hear, hear.) s This toast was warmly responded to by i every person in the room with the excep--1 tion of Mr Byrne, the delegate of the ; Ballarat Hibernian Society, who kept his I S3at. Mr Byrne said it might be thought » strange that he did not rise to drink the i I toast, but he was a citizen of the Great t j Republic of the West, and he never drank > to any Crown. It was out of no disr respect, lint Republicanism would not > i allf>w him t>> drink the toast. > The Chairman gave the next toast, 5 "Health and prosperity to the Rev. i Father Royer," and, in doing so, said that as their pastor was about to depart, they had met to bid him good-bye. He could scarcely give expression to his own feel-

ings in saying that the Rev. Father would be really rogretted, and would be a serious loss to the denomination here — (Applause.) He believed he expressed the feelings not only of all the Oatholics here, but also of all the inhabitants of the district of every denomination with whom Father Royer had come in contact, that he was highly respeoted and esteemed — -(Oheers.) After the toast had been drank, he would call upon Mr Griffen to read the address. (The toast wa3 enthusiastically received.) Mr P. M. Griffen then read the following address :^ iC Rev, and Dear Sir,— > On the occasion of your departure from amongst us, we, the congregation of St. Patrick's, Grey mouth, desire to express to you how deeply we regret yoiir departure, and how grateful we feel for the prosperous condition our holy religion has attained in this district under your pastoral care. For this inestimable blessing we are the more grateful, .knowing it has. been brought about by the untiring exertion and indefatigable zeal which has characterised your career amongst us. We would also add that your disinterestedness and self-sacrifice, often indeedimperrilling your life for the good of your fellow-men, have won for yon the respect and esteem, not only of your own congregation, but also of those who differ from us in a religious point of view. Reverend and dear Sir, we should feel your departure more Bincerely had we not been assured that the wisdom of your ecclesiastical superiors haa selected for you a field of exertion in which your labors will be as thoroughly appre^ ciated, and as eminently successful as they have with us. And finally, Reverend and dear Sir, we pray that your life may be long spared for the consolation of your venerated Bishop, whose esteem may yon ever continue to merit, and that you may enjoy a long and happy life is the .earnest wish of your ever faithful congregation.'* He then presented Father Royer with a purse of sovereigns. The Roy. Father Royer, in responding, said :— " My dear friends- It is with no ordinary feelings of emotion and gratitude that I receive your kind address, and the testimony of sincerity that accompanies it. Every member of a pastor's flock has claims to a share in his sympathies and affections, but in a special manner those of you, who lately enrolled themselves in a religious society, such as the Ballarat Hibernian Society. I regret that the varied and manifold cares of your extensive parish prevented me from devoting N that attention to S\ Patrick's Church that it merited. Any neglect on my part, however, was amply compensated for by the zeal you manifested in wishing ardently the progress and welfare of Gatholicity. I hope, my dear friends, that the Ballarat Hiberniau Society at Greymouth will take deep root, and bring its blessings, spiritual and temporal, to the homes of many families. Allow me. in this, my parting address, to exhort the officers and all the members to observe strictly and punctually the rules laid down for their guidance and welfare, to cultivate and develope their motto — Amor et Menevolentia among themselves and their neighbors of any creed or nationality. Commending yourselves and your families to the protection of St. Patrick, and wishing you from my heart every blessing that the Almighty can bestow on yon, I must bid you all an aficctionate and final adieu." . . The Chairman, in giving the next toaak — " Our Native iimd," remarked that it was one in which all could heartily join, as it had been very correctly said that " a man should as soon forget the mother who bore him as the land that gave him birth." — (Applause). :• Mr P. Purcblx, in responding, said no man was worthy of the name if he forgot his native land. With Irishmen it was proverbial that, even with their last dying thought, they v?o.\>ld never forget Ireland. — ((Jheers). Mr Byrne also responded, and thanked God for making him an Irishman. He would never admit that he was. an Englishman until Irishmen received equal rights and privileges as the English. — (Applause.) But to obtain that everything must be done in a fair, open, and legitimate manner that would bear the light of open day. When Ireland received equal laws and representation Fenianism would be done away with. — (Hear, hear.) He was a Fenian in spirit, if they could understand such a thing; but he would never resist the laws of the country in -which he lived. He believed that at no distant v d|ty Ireland would be equal with England in her laws and privileges. Irishmen had carried the Union Jack through many a gory field, and they would do so again. — (Applause. ) The Chairman said the next toast on the programme was somewhat similar to the last, one in which every man could join. It was— "The land we live in," coupled with the name of Mr J. Fitzgerald. Mr J. Fitzgerald, in responding, remarked that this was a free country, with a noble constitution — a country of which they ought all to feel proud, and all endeavor in their own sphere to advance its prosperity. — (Applause.) The Chairman then proposed "The Ballarat Hibernian Society," coupled with the names of Mr Mark Young, the Chairman of the Society in Australia, and also the founder of the Society, and Mr Byrne, the delegate from the parent society cf Australia. Mr Byrne said they had now touched a cord which vibrated in his heart. From the remarks of the rev. gentleman then present, and from the many kind remarks made and assistance received since he had been introduced to them, he had no hesitation in responding on behalf of the Ballarat Hibernian Society. When they spoke of Hibernians they meant Irish. Very young as he was when he left Ireland, he had no reminiscences of it, but in America he found a people who were even more Hibernian than the Irish. — (Applause.) He had those feelings instilled into his youthful mind, and when he went to Australia he found that the time was ripe for the establishment of the Society there. It had been said by a great English Lord that the Irish were aliens in religion, principles, and everything around them. That he denied. — (Hear, hear.) Wherever the Irish were placed on an equal footing with other men, they earned for themselves high positions. In Australia Irishmen were prominent in the ruling body, while five out of the six Governors they had had were Irishmen, and the sixth was half an Irishman, for he had an Irish wife.— (Laughter.) It would be a pity if the Irish isolated themselves from the rest of the Commonwealth. While they reverenced the memory of their country, they were none the worse citizens ix the land

in which they lived— (Hear, hear.)— and over the destiny of that great Southern Empire they would exercise a great inflneuce for they were prominent in everything. In this new country of New Zealaud, he had also found the Irish prominent in developing its resources. They •were not dead to the great march of progress which was going on in the old country, aud they loved to see that progress. — (Hear, hear.) It was one;* of the missions of the Hibernian Society to instil into the minds of the rising generation the love of the country from which they came, and a longing for that land ; but still they did not intend to isolate themselves and become an independent community in Australia. He had given.much attention to Friendly Societies, and early in life in America he became an Oddfellow and saw much good in that Society, but still among the flowers of Eden the trail of the serpent was over them, all as far as Irishmen were concerned. He had been taken to task since he came to this country for the name Hibernian Society, and confining it to members of a particular creed ; and he had been asked to call a spade a spade ; but, in his opinion, a Hibernian must be a Catholic. He believed that the Hibernians would exist to the end of the world, and that the angel who blew the- last trumpet would also be a Hibernian. In Australia they had raised no party feelings. It had been said that the Hibernian Society was piopagai ing these feelings, but he answered that they were not. Scotchmen had their Caledonian Societies, and the English their societies, and why should not the Irish have their Hibernian Society, so long as it was compatible with the laws of the land in which they lived ? — ("Applause.) He would always endeavor to respect the laws of the country he lived in. In Australia the Hibernian Society was first looked upon as a Fenian association. He thought Fenianism had been subverted on many occasions ; but as a Rev. Father at home said — "If to love my country is to be a Fenian, then I am a Fenian." — (Cheers.) But there was no necessity for such feelings here, where every man was equal and admitted to all privileges with others ; in the Colonies he had never seen being an Irishman made a barrier to a man's advancement, so long as he was an honest man. He sincerely hoped that no party feelings would be introduced into this new country ; he trusted that the Society would continue to see here an illustration of the Angel's song — "Peace on earth, goodwill to all men." — (Applause.) They were all passing away to the dim and pathless shore of eternity, and he believed it was every man's mission to do something that would "leave his footprints on the sands of time," and, in establishing this Society, they were endeavoring to do something that would be remembered with honor after they were gone. They were endeavoiing to raise their countrymen in the scale of life, and with advancing education he hoped that the time was not far distant when all prejudices would be buried in oblivion. — (Applause.) His countrymen must be educated tobe equal to those around them ; .that was one of the missions of the Hibernian Society, and they would be educated, and raised in the scale of society morally and socially. He impressed upon them that the Hibernian Society had no political object, indeed one of its laws prevented any political matter whatever from being discussed. Their actions and their motto were "Love and benevolence." After returning thanks on behalf of Mr Young, and thanking Father Royer for the manner in which he had noticed the Society, Mr Byrne sat down amidst applause. The Chairman then toasted "The Press," remarking that its influence was immense either for good or evil ; but happily it was mostly used for good, and the Press of Greymouth was no exception to that rule, — (Applause.) Mr A. F, Stark replied on behalf, of the Grey River Argus. The remaining toasts, which were duly honored, were — " The Ladies," proposed by the Chairman , and responded to by Mr • P. Purcell- ; " Our worthy Host and Hostess," proposed by the Chairman, and responded to by Mr Sheedy ; c ' The Chairman and Vice-Chairman," proposed by Mr Byrne, and responded to by Mr Kennedy ; " The health of Mr Byrne," proposed by the Chairman, and duly responded to ; and "Farewell to Father Royer, and may God bless him." The company then dispersed, after spending a very happy evening.