COMPLEMENTARY ENTERTAINMENT TO THE HON. MR. FOX.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4198, 3 September 1874, Page 2

COMPLEMENTARY ENTERTAINMENT TO THE HON. MR. FOX.

Last Presbyterian School"room, Willis"'Street,'there was a numerous assemblage of-the'advocates of tbe special object of the,meeting being''to'express thanks to the, Horn Mr." Fox; M.H.R.,'. Jochis action during' : the' session in : forwarding- : the. objects' r '6f the societies' repre-' s'erited—objects ' r in - which' he " has' ; otherwisetaken ;such'' aii 'active arid earnest'interest. The .attendance would, nodoubt,. have been much larger had a- more "commodious room--been available.,' AJs it was; adrhission had to: be by i. ticket 'of - invitation', - : and, : even thus ' limited,the school-roomwascrowded to excess.. .After tea aiid : accompanying' Mr. Oaraon, the chairman, next'to whom Mi - . JTox >and Mrs.' Fox' r occupied seats, addressed the meeting as to the object "for which the ' meeting had been called, and expressed with the applause of those pres"eut,"llie, feelings entertained towards Mr. Fox by the membersbf the different societies and others, in regard? to his exertions, both" in and out of Parliament, . in the cause'of total- abstinence.' ;At the con- ' :clusiori of the chairman's remarks, Mr. Eraser' read an address which had been prepared forpresentation to the guest of the evening, and which was as follows : ' ;3>kar £>ik axi>- Brothkr,—The announcement of your-contemplated visit to your Fatherland, has impelled the various sections of the Total Abstinence; organisations in Wellington to give expression to their sincere-admiration of the philanthropic spirit,: the. rare eloquence, and the unwearied seal, which have distinguished'youradvocacy of the Temperance caused; ..The abstainers of -\Vclilngton_have not failed to notice that what to you has been a "labor of love" has' yet: been a' severe' and has necessitated' the'exercise of much patience;'moral courage, and sell-denial., But; they can assure "youi.that although they: have been able only very; slightly, if at all; to ' strengthen your, iands,; they have not been ternstod-or apathetic spectators " of ; your earnest - endeavors to arouse the popple to a comprehension of. .tlia.vast amount of sin and misery which Hows directly from indulgence in 1 Intoxicating liquors. : They desire also to express their appreciation of, and. sympathy with your strenuous efforts, in your placein. Parliament, 1 to obtain legislative recognition of therijfhtof ithes peopleto a voice in the management of a traffic which involves such fearful consequences,;and to" place such restrictions-upon it "as would tend to lessen its power for evil. ■ Your co-workers in the noble cause l recogr-iso -how i disinterested, youri efforts have been. They feel how deep must have been the conviction, and how nrm the resolve, which led you voluntarily to relinquish the highest position in-the State with all its honors and . emoluments, and to devote your, acknowledged great - abilities, through good and through evil rep'ort.to the. ,adVoCacy of a ! cause though;many politicians and writers' still affect'to gnec'r at it and hold it as of little^practicalvalue; has pernaps done more—with the ' single exception of. religious truth—for the well-being. iof countless thousands, of, families than any other, means that can bo mentioned. ....... "You, Slr,'have.-been : so "long and honorably-associ- ■ ated with the general progress of New Zealand, and •■ have been able by. the Divine blessing toj render, it eo -many great se'rvicei, that your name is one of the few iwhich have become•"hou»ehold , words." Yet, great as those services have at least do not-regard-as inferior to any of them ;the fact that you have strivbn heartily to repress drunkenness,! '■ to limit the facilities for and temptations f to. drinking, and to diffuse among all classes of your fellow-colonists.the. . principle and practice of temperance, and CPnsenuontl J" the blutings flowing from It,

And now, honored Sir and Brother,, they pray th»t the Divine presence and blessing may accompany yori and Mrs. Fox in your visit to your native land, that you. may have a safe voyage thither, a pleasant sojourn there, and a safe and not very! distant return to New Zealand. ' ' J Mr. Fox, in acknowledging the address, expressed his thanks for the 1 manner in which he had been entertained and referred to by the chairman, and by those whom the address represented. He said that with him it was a labor of love to promote the work in which they were interested; and, in his journey through America and in England, it was his purpose to gain information as tcrthe same work, hoping to return to renew and promote, as far -as was in his power, a work in which he took the ver.v greatest interest. If, indeed, he were to again enter Parliament, it would be particularly to further the one object with which he had so strong a sympathy. : The speech of Mr. Fox, which was lengthy, and listened to with much interest, was followed by addresses from Mr. G. Hunter, the; Eev. Mr. Ward, the Rev. Mr. Richardson, and Mr. Eraser; and the meeting was concluded at ten o'clock by the whole party uniting in singing the National Anthem. In the foregoing we have simply given; from hearsay, a short statement of the proceedings at a meeting'which seems to have been of a very interesting and gratifying character,' and we may be permitted to suggest that, on occasions of entertaining prominent public men, even for interest taken in any particular cause, there might be paid to the Press the compliment of an invitation to be present. .■;•■•■. It may be meationed that, among other apologies for non-attendance read at the meet-, ing, there was one from the Rev. W. West, and one from the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse,'who in his letter said :—"No one more thoroughly appreciates the praiseworthy motives and disinterested zeal which' characterise Mr. Fox's philanthropic efforts."