Farewelling the Premier. THE BANQUET AT THE EMPIRE.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 94, 19 April 1902, Page 7

Farewelling the Premier. THE BANQUET AT THE EMPIRE.

THE faiewell banquet to the Piemiei which was teudeier) by the citizens of Wellington who weie earliest in the held to purchase guinea tickets, took place at the Empne on Fnday night and passed oft veiv jolhlv In honour of the occasion, the stylish front ot the hotel was dieted in bunting, and a croud of citizens, who were not stamped with the guinea maik. stood twooi three deep on the opposite side of AVil-hs-<.tioet to watch the big wigs" ainve Inside tho dining hall, the tables had been auauged m the form of tlneo sides ot a square, witli an additional table bi-sectmg the mtenor of the square And in order to avert aiiv scrummaging for seats, the menu cards, which Mr Fied Havbittle handed round to the bamiuetteis as they disrobed ' for action contained a kind of box-plan with each man's name printed opposite his allotted section * * * The artist who laid off these sites was ingenious At the upper end of the feast caie was taken to keep Hi<Majest\'s Ministeis at aims-length, Jn sandw idling the en ie element in between ' The Ma\oi, of course presided with the Premier Hon Pr Grace Sir Joseph Wai d Judge Edw ards Hon. Mr .Can-oil, and Mr Beauchamp on his nghthand. the Hon. Tammy" Duncan being fiist man round the corner On the left of the chairman sat Su James Prendergast Hon Mr HalJJones Mr. Nicholas Reid Hon Mi W C Walker Mi John Duncan, Hon Mr C H Mills and then lound the coiner Mr. James Coates and the Hon Mr McGowan The rest of the compain weie sorted out with care *■ * * Dr Purely and Mi Fred Haj bittle wei c able to discuss amateur theatricals The Re\ . C S. Ogg, ot the Presb>terian kirk on the Ten ace. was chatting away quite chirpily with Mi P. S. Gaivev, who runs an institution ot a \athei ditferent kind at the other end of the Terrace, and Mi. Martin Kennech was blandh explaining some interesting subject (probably the Kelburne tramway) to a Maori exquisite with a striking coiffure who turned out to be a chieftain and musician fiom Gisboine called Rangima. Mr Tom Wilford. M H.R , was engaged m brisk com eisation with Mr David Nathan while at their back and only sepaiated In the table's breadth from the Picmiei was that pushing American newspapei man--the friend of no end of multi-million-aires—O W McMunan Mr R. A Loughnan, a journalist of the New Zealand order was his neaie^t neighbour. * * ■• The compaiu plodded steadih thioueh a menu of sixteen courses, which they took entirely on trust because they were, printed wholly in French of the cookery-book variety Onh one man went wrong and he was a Good Templar who attempted to wrestle with ' cemes a la vesuviennes," and found to his honoi, aftei he had quenched the volcanic flames that he was imbibing bianclv w ith his cherries Although it took fully two hours to eet down a.s far ci* the ice cream or slace au moka " a« Mr Man del calls it. no one seemed a bit fatigued, unless it weie the two camera fiends who were peiched aloft on top of tho plate closets waiting anxiously for the time to snap off the compaiu by flashlight and get home to their beds The man who drew un the toast-list deserves to be honoured for his humanity in giving but few opportunities for gas and taking the time saved out in excellent music And here let us say the mupical arrangements wwp m the capable hands of Mi F J Hill and thnt the entertainment he served up wis of the- best * * * His Worship the Mayoi is not a windbag and, therefore the three lova! toasts weie disposed of m a businesslike wa\ . Miss Phoebe Parsons sang "God Savo the King" and was lomed by all hands in the last verse Mr. E. J Hill, m dulcet voice explained very melodiously "I care not if the Cmv I hold" (which cup may either be one of the many bowling trophies he has won this season or else indicated that he bore no animosity to the convivial cur>) At any rate, the company encored the serotrment and the singer, and Mr Hill responded with "Julia Darling Julia " Just before the toast of the evening came on. Miss H Lorraine Tanslev sang very sweetly, and in finished style. ' iSlumber Yet " and upon being encored supplemented it with "If all the Stars were Mine " • * * It was Sir James Prendergast who proposed the Premier's health and altihough he stammered a bit over it, the right chords were struck and all sorts of

iuc( compliments weie paid tlie <uic\st of the Lnomng. Di Giacc supported the toast in a chaiactenstic speech- -fluent, racy huinoious and genial. And lie also managed to ticad on a few coins before lie had done. But that is another stor\ The toast was chunk with musica.l honours and checis and lust when the latter were dying awa\ Tomin\ Wilford with a look of tender solicitude at the Piemier. stiuck up — It's the most dishtressful countiy that lvei \et w as seen — For they're hangin' men and women for the weanng of the green Nevertheless, King Dick was not to lie diawn He sliook his head lauglunolv and Tommy subsided Mr John Prou^e sang ' Gipsy John," in first-class style, and answeied the inevitable encore with 'Ti ankadillo '' a quaint little ditt\ by Molloy * * * When the Premier roso to reph a large-sized ovation stiuck him squaie on the ch<"\st and fairh took his breath aw a,\ That is to sa\ . the company sprajig to their feet like one man, and lifted up their lungs to veil their loudest cheers Enthusiastic spirits like Fred Havbittle and Ted Hill stood on their chairs in order to reach their highest notes in the cheering scale and C W. McMurran hauled out of his pocket a. eraudv stais-and-stripes handkerchief and gracefully fluttered it in fiont of the astonished Premier * * * When Uie clamour died awaj. King Dick let lunifeelf go, and made one of his best efforts in the aftei-dmnui oiatoi\ line. He piled on the agom toi about an houi, but it was woith listenmg to. First of all, he dwelt upon the warmth of the demonstrations at all parts of tihe colony. Then, he struck d different kind ot note as he letened to i)ie lonely Ijancdsbure lad w ho. less than foity years ago, landed on the Melbourne wharf, with little com m his pocket, and certainly no notion of the destim that awaited him The expansion of Greater New Zealand was intioduced by the reading of a wire announcing the completion of cable communication between tins colony and Fi)i and finally Richard John struck tho familial subject of the wai and .sailed away on the out<-ti etched pinions of Imperialism, raising cheers right along the line especially w hen he charged the Home authorities w ith being squeamish about "hurtin°- the Boeis " and also when he declared with clenched fist, that not one inch of soil would be given the Boers to flaunt an independent flag on. And theie was tremendous applause when the Premier intimated "If the occasion arises T shall speak at Home with no uncertain sound on this question " He closed his peroration by saving "The Empho will survive so long as it obseives the motto 'Fear God and honour the Kinc ' " wanted to know in a stage whisner "Which King s " but the eonundium lapsed * # # Miss Phoebe Parsons came toith. and sang Farewell to Summer " and upon being recalled &he made the hit" of the evening with 'Robin Adair," which she sang with artistic taisto and charming expression It touched the hearts of the older boys \ isibly The Hon. Tain in v Duncan closed his eyes and nodded his head m time to the music The Hon J. 1,111J .1,111 es McGowan's hps were seen to be mo\ ing in unison with the singei's, and when she had complied with the encore Richard himself called out 'We must have hei back again " and so 'Rohm Adair" had to be sung tlnee times before they were content. The duet Excelsior " wa.s given with admnable effect bv Miss Tanslev and Mr E J. Hill * * ♦ After the Mayoi's health — proposed b\ Mr Seddon — had been diunk with cheers Fied Townsend audibly remarking Pity we can't give a cheer for the Mayoress, " the Chan man pithily replied and the toasts wore over. But not the programme. For King Dick called upon the Maori virtuoso Rangiuia to sing 'Home Sweet Home" and while Rangiuia was warblmg in Maori and English the camera fiends shot off their lightning, and left the banquetters sw allowing clouds of smoke However they had voice enough left to sine 'God Rave the King" and "Auld Lang Syne" with clasped hands It was well after midnight when the convives got out into the street, and as we plodded home we passed the youthful figure of John Plimmer (whose 90th birthday is in June next) sealing the steep height of Pli miner's Stens with a brisk step and needing no aid from the strapping young grandson who accompanied him.