THE CALLS TO THE COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9563, 20 October 1892, Page 3

THE CALLS TO THE COUNCIL.

CONGRATULATIONS TO MR

MAOGREGOR,

About 10 members of the legal profession met in the Supreme Court library yesterday afternoon for the purpose of formally congratulating ihe Hon. John IvLiegregor upou his appointment to a seat in the Legislative Council. Mr F. R. CiiAparAN, who actsd as spokesman, said : Mr fllacgregor, we have asked you to meet us here this afternoon as it is the unanimous wish of our profession that we should address you in a few words which I shall read to you upon the subject of your callpromotion I may terni it—to the Upper Houeo. ihe address which I hold iv my hand has been signed by almost every member of the profession in Dunedin—any whose names are missin<* are missing through want of opportunity on their part. The address is in these terms :— To the Hdn. John Macgrcgor, M.L.C., Dunedin. Dear &ir,—The members of your profession in iJunedm desire to tender you their congratulations upon your appointment to a seat in the legislative Council of the colony. No assurance on their part should be necessary to satisfy you of the esteem in which you are held by all the members of that body. They feel however, a pleasure in availing themselves of this opportunity of giving expression to their appreciation of your sterling worth as a member of their body and as a citizen. In their business relations with you your dealings have always been marked by that straightforwardness of action and by that readiness to oblige which makes, professional intercourse so pleasant; while your aims iv all public bodies with which you have been connected have been to further the interests of the community at large. They feel that in appointing you to the Upcer House a wise choice has been made, and that you will bring to bear upon all matters attecting the welfare of our colony a wide knowledge of social subjects, and a sound and impartial judgment. In asking you to accept the assurance of their goodwill and hearty congratulations, the members of your profession altogether avoid, as they teel sure you would wish them to do, all reference to political questions.

B. 0 Haggitt, E." P. Kenyon, Thos. K. Sidey, George Cook, I'Yed. R. Chapman, Allan Holmes, John A. Cook, J. White, Alexander Sinclair, Herbert Webb, Alf 0 ■Hanlon, D. D. Macdonald, R. L. Stanford! A. It. Barclay, Jno. A. D. Adams, James R Thornton, Fred. Fitchett, J. F. Woodhouse, H. Baron, John Mcraat, A. A. Finch, John Wilkinson, W. J. Bannatyne, Alfred E Meatyavd, D'Arcy Haggitt, Spencer Brent, J. H. Hoskiiig, Eoberfc S. Collie, J. A Hislop, J. R. Sinclair, W. D. Milne, Alex. &. Adams, J. M'Rae Gallaway, W. A. Sim &co. Mondy, Wni. A. Stout, 0. M. Mouat J. B Callan, F. Stilling, Chas. R. Chapman W. M. Hodgkins, W. H. M'Keay, Edward A. Joel, A. Bathgate, H. Turton, F. W. R Anderson, A. J. Park, Fred. Calvert, j' Wood, F. North. I desire, Mr Macgregor, on behalf of the profession of which you are a member—standing here myself as president for the year of the District Law Society—to hand this address to you as an exp.-ession of goodwill on the part of the members of the profession in Dunedin. The Hon. J. Macgregor : Mr Chapman and fellow-members of the Dunedin bar, I need hardly say that it affords me very great satisfaction»indeed to receive such a proof from you as is conveyed by this address of the regard and esteem in which you hold me. And I especially prize this expression of opinion because you are the best fitted to judge of my conduct, as a professional man in your midst, and also you are, I consider, the best fitted to judge as to my qualifications for the position to which I have been called. I confess it was not without a good deal of doubt and diffidence that I accepted that position; aud it is, I assure you, very gratifying indeed to me to have this expression of opinion from those who know me so well, and who are so well able to judge of my qualifications. It is no less gratifying to me to learu from this expression of your goodwill that during the many years I have been among you I have in my business relations with you— which have been numerous and constantgiven that satisfaction which is expressed in the address just presented to me. You may depend on it that in my future action I shall endeavour in every way to uphold the dignity and honour of the profession to which we belong, and to which we consider it an honour to belong. As we know, our profession is sometimes referred to in Parliament in terms that are anything but flattering—(laughter) ; but you may rest assured that, as far as I am able, I shall endeavour to the best of my power to uphold the dignity and honour of the profession.—(Applause.) I can really say nothing more than to assure you that I am exceedingly grateful to the members of the bar in Dunedin for this expression of their goodwill towards me on the present occasion, and for the feeling towards me during my past career that is conveyed in your address.—(Applause.)

(Pfe United Press Association.) , Auckland. October 19. The two Druid lodges in Auckland have congratulated Past-arch Bro. Jennings on his appointment to the Legislative Council. Wellington, October 19. The Wellington branch of the Knights of Labour passed a resolution to-night congratulating Bro. W. Jennings, of Auckland, on his appointment to the Legislative Council.

A rumour was current in Cnristchurch on Tuesday to the effect that the Hon. J. E. Jenkinson had resigned his employment at the Addington workshops on being called to the Legislative Council. This Mr Jenkinson denies, as he has no intention of leaving his employment at Addington.