PRESENTATION TO THE REWARD. MOREAU.

Otago Witness, Issue 1029, 19 August 1871, Page 3

PRESENTATION TO THE REWARD . MOREAU.

The testimonial ffoiii the Protestant of Duvwelin to the Rev. D. Moreau, Avho i* on the eve of his departure for £he North Island, took place jn the QiiJ Council Chamber, on Monday >at no^, in the presence of a large number (of «>\xr leading citizens. Within the space 'tet apart for the transaction of the Corporation business were His Worship the Mayor, the Revs. E. G. Edwards and E. H. Granger, Messrs J. Lanseigne, W. ■Strachan, *&re.

The presentation was made by Mr H. .J. W.4IIKR, who, in addressing Father Moreau, said : — Reverend Sir, I have thet-ss. requested by a large number of my fellow-Protestants in Dunedin to present you with this testimonial, which is expressiA'e of the esteem in which you are held by us. Having lived in this city for a considerable time, I have had opportunities of meeting you when engaged in the good work of charity ; and I myself can testify that the character given you in this testimonial is fully deserved by you. I regret that some one abler than myself — one better able to do it justice — was not selected to make the presentation ; but 1 should be wanting in duty Avere I not to make the attempt, the task having been entrusted to me. A small purse of soA'ereigns has been collected, and Avill be presented to you. The (injount is £81 os. — (Applause.) I shall briefly read the testimonial, which is as folioAvs :—: — To. the Rev. Father Moreau,

We, the undersigned Protestants, of Duuedin, beg to present you Avith the accompanying testimonial of our esteem and respect for your kind and genial feeling towards all classes during your long residence amongst us ; and we trust that you may be long spared for a life of similar usefulness. We beg to remain, &c. [Hore followed over 109 signatures.]

I have merely to observe, Sir, that your departure from amongst us is viewed with regret by all classes of the community, The testimonial Avill be illuminated and forwarded to you after your departure. In conclusion, I have to convey, on. behalf of the Committee, their thanks to the Mayor for the use of the Council Chamber for the purpose of our meeting to-day.

Father Moreau, avlio was visibly affected, and spoke with considerable j difficulty, replied much to the following effect : — I am very sensible and grateful for the honour that has been paid me by such a large number of my fellow citizens. Of course, I can have little to say about myself ; my residence here has been so long that the people of Dunedin are fully in a position to appreciate my actions. It Avill be tAventy-nine years tomorrow since I left France to come to New Zealand : and I am now leaving Otago for another part of NeAV Zealand. I Avas first sent to labour among the Maoris, and in all probability I shall labour among them again. lam very thankful to you for this testimonial. This mark of esteem from the citizens of Dunedin recalls to my mind the many kindnesses I received from all classes in 1859, and the kindnesses I have met with in. travelling through the country districts on different occasions during my sojourn here.

The ReA'. E. G. Edavakos said : I desire to add a Avord or two to what Mr Walter has said. I should like to say that the clergymen and members of the Church of England here unite in wishing Father Moreau all health and happiness. We thoroughly sympathise with you in the disasters Avhich have befallen your Church in France — more especially in the heaA'y losses you have sustained by the death of a number of your clergy, and particularly in the death — 1 may say heroic death, indeed, the martyrdom — of the Archbishop of Paris, There is one thing I .should like to mention, which is this : that throughout that most unhappy Avar, Avhich, I hope, is now ended, a good feeling has always prevailed between the Roman Catholic and j the Protestant clergy. It is only the other day that I was reading an account of a wounded soldier being taken to a hospital. The clergyman attending him was of your own church, and when he found out that the soldier was a Protestant, he at once sent a message to the Protestant minister, and attended the wounded man until his own clergyman arrived. Similar acts were performed by Protestant clergymen for Catholic soldiers. I think this is one of the very feAv bright features of this most unhappy Avar. I can again assure you that you take with you the hearty good, wishes of the clergy and members of the Church of England. — (Loud applause.) Father Mokbau, in reply, expressed the hope that the disastrous Avars of France were now over, and that, under

God's providence, she would soon recover from their effects. She unfortunately was

now a large field for the exercise of charity.

Mr J. G. S. Gkaxt respectfully requested, on behalf of the outside public, to be allowed to express to Father Moreau the almost universal feeling of sorrow and regret at his departure from Dun ;dm, after a lengthened period of usefulness in this the first city in the colony. — (Applause.) He did not know what other jieople might think of the reA'. gentleman's deportment throughout his stay here, but he (Mr Grant) had never seen his angelic presence amongst them except to dispense benignity and charity. To him, the rev. gentleman had seemed to be almost a re-appearance of that distinguished French prelate the Archbishop of Cambray, whose whole life and labours had been in the cause of charity. It was greatly to be regretted that Father JMorcau was leaving Dunedin. because he (Mr Grant) had a mournful presentiment that the fires of sectarian bigotry wore to be rekindled here. For himself he had never yet spoken in approbation of any man in this colony, but he could not help expressing his heartfelt ! sorrow that they were about to lose the rev. gentleman, not so much because he Avas a member of the most ancient Church, but because he was a distinguished ornament of our common humanity. — (Loud applause.) He could assure the rev. gentleman — whatever differences of opinion there might bo about his (Mr Grant's) peculiarities — that he was most heartily sorry at his departure. He could only add, '' May God's peace accompany you. '" — (Loud applause.) Father jMoreai" said that as regarded what Mr Grant had said, he had come here by obedience, had remained here by obedience, and left here by obedience. On leaving he felt that the parish was in better hands ; and he hoped there would always be peace in the Cimrch. The proceedings then terminated.