COSTLEY'S HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9369, 20 May 1889, Page 11

COSTLEY'S HOME.

LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONE BY THE GOVERNOR.

Ox Wednesday, April 24, at four o'clock, the foundation stone of Gostley's Home for the Aged Poor, at One-tree Hill, was laid by His Excellency the Earl of Onslow, in the presence of a large and fashions bio audience.

The trowel, silver with ivory handle, bore the following inscription : —"Presented to his Lordship the Right Honourable the Earl of Onslow, G.C.M.G., as a memento of the laying of the foundation-stone of Costley's Home for the Aged Poor of Auckland, 24th April, 1889." " The mallet, the head of which was of puriri, with tea tree handle, had an inlaid silver plate, with the date " April 24th, 1889," in the centre, and round it the words: "Costley's Home for the Aged Poor, Auckland." In the bottle under the stone were placed copies of the day's Hkrat.d and Star, and the extras with the news of the tire on the Mariposa. A number of silver Jubilee coins were also put in the bottle, together with a copy of Edward Gostley's last 'will, and the following document: —

The foundation stone of this Refuge for the Aged Poor was laid by His Excellency the Governor of New Zealand, the Right Hon. the Earl of Onslow, G.C.M.G., on Wednesday, the twenty-fourth day of April, in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and eighty-nine. This Refuge was erected by the District of Auckland Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, out of a bequest of twelve thousand one hundred and fifty pounds made to the Old Men's Home by Edward Costley, one of the earliest colonists and citizens of Auckland. He also bequeathed a like sum to each of the following institutions in this city : —The Auckland Hospital, the Parncll Orphan Home, the Auckland Institute, the Auckland Public Free Library, and the Auckland Sailors' Home. A copy of the will of this benevolent citizen is deposited herewith. Board for the year 1889 : —Charles Atkin, chairman. Members: Stephen James Ainbury, William Thomas James Bell, William Francis Buckland, Charlton Dawson, Peter Dignan, Samuel Gooseman, James Job Holland, James Marshall Lennox, Oliver Mays, Richard Udy. Architect: Edward Hartley. Contractor : Edward Austin Matthews. Contract, £7-97. Henry Nelson Garland, secretary.

Shortly after four o'clock, the Governor, the Countess of Onslow, and Captain Suville, A.D.C., arrived and were conducted to their seats, Impey's Band playing "God Save the Queen."

The Chairman of the Charitable Aid Board (Mr. C. Atkin) opened the proceedings by asking Mr. Oliver Mays to give a brief sketch of the history of the charity. Mr. Oliver Mays delivered an excellent speech, showing that amidst merely material progress colonists had nob neglected their moral or religious obligations. Mr. Atkix, Chairman of the Charitable Aid Board, also made some remarks, saying he was sure one of the greatest pleasures of Lord Onslow's life was the postponing of his departure from Auckland to give full proof that he had sympathy with the poor, and in the name of Her Majesty to lay the stone as a memento of his stay in New Zealand.

The stone was then lowered into its place by Messrs. Holland and Bartley, and His Excellency, after tapping the stone with the trowel and mallet, said : I declare this stone to be well and truly laid. Mi*. Atkin, Mr. Mays, ladies and gentlemen, —You have rightly interpreted my feelings in this matter. It is a great pleasure to me to be able to come here to-day to assist in commemorating the munificent liberality of Mr. Cosbley to the poor of the province of Auckland. (Hear, hear.) That I should have had to make some slight alteration in my arrangements is but a small matter compared with the pleasure of performing this duty. (Hear, hear.) You have spoken much of the pride the people of Auckland feel in their institutions. Pride is of two kinds. One is almost a vice when it is the pride of selfesteem and egotism, but there is another kind of pride— that which a man feels in his fatherland, colony, or city. That is the pride which actuated Mr. Costley when he left this magnificent bequest, and that is the pride we like to see, and which we find so widely destributed throughout the Anglo-Saxon race. In fact you may say there is hardly a town where this affection for one's home and country has not influenced the public spirit of our wealthier citizens to contribute to the welfare and happiness of their poorer fellowsubjects.' Mr. Costley no doubt had the means of enjoying himself in this life, but he chose rather to enjoy himself in a self-denying manner, which enabled him to give more enjoyment to those who came after him, the poor, suffering, and needy. (Cheers.) I have had some experience at home of institutions of a similar character. A benevolent ancestor of mine founded a, Home for aged poor in one of the most unlovely parts of the East End of Loudon. I was enabled to dispose of the site on which these houses stood, and erect and endow double the number, and one of the pleasantesb experiences in my life has been to see these aged people sitting in the gardens before their little houses enjoying the pure sun and air of the country, Here ; , j

in beautiful New Zealand, you have' a similar institution, a splendid'.climate, beautiful scenery, and lovely air—(cheers) —and I doubt not that many of those present will have the same feelings on seeing these aged people enjoying themselves in the winter of their lives, owing a debt of gratitude for all they possess to the munificence of Mr. Costley. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Atkin then moved a hearty vote of thanks to the Earl of Onslow for the way he had served them, and for his self-denial in postponing his departure for one day to lay the foundation-stone of the Home. The motion was carried with three cheers, and three cheers more for the Countess of Onslow.

His Excellency returned thanks on behalf of himself and Lady Onslow, who always took a deep interest in philanthropic Work, for the very kind manner in which they had received the proposal of Mr. Atkin.

The vice-regal party then drove off, Impey's band playing " God Save the Queen," and the assemblage dispersed. The building to be erected will cover about an acre of ground. It is designed on the pavilion plan, and consists of a number of buildings connected by covered ways. The central building will be 120 feet in length and 42 feet in width, two storeys high. It will include a couple of diningrooms, and three wards for women, quarters for staff, and kitchen. On three sides will be a balcony and verandah. At a distance of 40 feet in rear of the main building will be four other divisions {one storey high), 94 feet long, and 43 feet wide, at equal distances apart of 20 feet, and containing 38 beds and two day rooms. In rear of these are to be the bath-rooms and lavatories. The building will be of brick, slated roof, and plastered inside. In addition there will be a cancer ward, washhouse, and other necessary adjuncts, so as to make the institution comfortable and efficient in its equipments.