ADDRESSES RO THE GOVERNOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2300, 31 March 1898, Page 9

ADDRESSES RO THE GOVERNOR.

' " THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.

On Thursday morning Bishop Nevill and a -'number of clergy and laity representing the Anglican Church waited upon his Excellency the Governor in order to present an address on behalf of their church. Amongst those present were Dean Fitchett, Archdeacon Robinson, Beys. Canon Richards, Canon King, W. CutzonSiggers, C. S. Bowden, W. Ronaldson, W. Blathwayt, H. S. Leach, W. Davidson, T. W. Kewless, Messrs C. H. Statham, H. F. Hardy, Blathwayt. Dean Fitchett read the following addreaB :— » "To the Right Honourable Uchtred John Mark, Earl of Ranfurly, K.C.M.G., Governor and Com mander-in- Chief of the Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies. "May it pleaee your Excellency,— On the occasion of your Excellency's first official visit to Dunedin, we, the bishop, clergy, and laity of the Otago Diocese of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England, desire to convey to your - Excellency our ..loyal greetings, and to declare homage and devotion to her Most Gracious • Majesty the Queen. "As churchmen we have a peculiar satisfaction in welcoming to the Colony of New Zealand, in the person of your Lordship, the head of a distinguished family which has been clcsely associated with the administration of the Church of Ireland, to which church it has gives more than one bishop and other ecclesiastical dignitaries. "We sincerely pray that your Lordship's - tenure of the high office of Governor in this v colony may, under the blessing of Almighty God, tend to the welfare and prosperity of all classes of citizens, and to the promotion of the interests of the Christian faith." -'' (Signed by the Bishop, the Dean, Archdeacon Robinson, and a number jDf representative clergy and laity.) His Excellency replied as follows :—: — - •• To the Bishop, Clergy, and Laity of the Otago DMceae of the Church of England. "My Lord Bishop, — I beg to thauk you for^ your loyal greetings, and tor the expressions of "devotion and allegiance ta her Majesty the \ Queen contained in your address. j • '• I also wish to thank you fo? your kind welcome personally, aad your allusion to those members of roy family wEo have held high ecclesiastical effica in Ireland. I regret that (Hsestablishmenc should have. separated in some measure that branch 01 the church from her Eogiuh sister. " I trust that my tenure of office here may be fraught with good to the colony, and it shall ever be my endeavour to further all objects, both religious and secular, that tend to | the progress of New Zealand and to the j spiritual and temporal welfare of the com- < munity. ~ " (Signed) Banfubly. "Government House, " Dnnedin, March 2*, 1898." His Excellency said thai he would take the opportunity afforded by the presence of a number of clergy "to spe«k concerning the j unifying of societies for charitable and philanthropic objects where such might be ] possible. Ha had observed during his short j experience in New Zealand that many societies 1 were so scantily supplied with funds that they J were barely able to exist. The idea semed to ! be that there should be as many societies in 1 this small population as in London. He had i been intimately associated during ten years in London with the Society for the Protection of Women and Children. Recently in Auckland he had been able to secure the amalgamation of an Auckland branch of this society with the Society for the Prev«ntion fcf Cruelty to Animals. As the result the two societies, . which were in some respec'-s similar in their objf ct, were able to keep a paid inspector. As he knew that the clergy were generally the prime movers in all philanthropic work he thought this a suitable opportunity of making the suggestion thai; societies where possible should join forces. Bishop Nevill, in thanking his Excellency for the suggestion, said thathe would no doubt ■ have noticed that in this colony individualism was rampant. He should b8 glad if his Excellency were able to extead his unifying influence to ecclesiastical matters. Hss Excellency laughingly replied that he preferred not to mtddle with fire. After thanking ills Excellency, the deputation withdrew. PRESBYTERT4N CHURCH OF NEW ZEALAND. At the Grind Hotel, at 10 o'clock on Thursday morning,a deputation from the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, consisting of the Right Bey. the Moderator (the Rev. Gordon Webster), f the Rev. Wm. Gillies (of Timaru), and the Rev. A. Bruce Todd (of Geraldine), and Messrs A. Scott, James MKerrow, and W. Allan (elders), waited upon his Excellency the Governor, and presented to him the following address, which was read by the i Moderator : — ■ •• To his Excellency the Earl of Ranfurly, " Governor of New Zealand. " The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, on this the first occasion of its being assembled since your Excellency, as representative of our Most Gj"aciou3 Sovereign Queen Victoria, assumed the high and responsible position of Governor of this colony, desires to extend to you a very loyal welcome. We beg to assure you of our gratitude to God for the continued life of her Majesty, and for the prosperity which has attended her reign ; of our hearty loyalty and attachment to her person and Government ; and of our earnest prayer that she may still be spared many years to reign over her vast Empire ; and that the God of Providence and Grace may crown her ripening years with more abundant honour and glory. We also desire to assure your Excellency that as a church and as individuals we will ever esteem it an honour and privilege to co-operate with your Excellency in all that tends to the promotion of moral and religious well-being of the colony and of that righteousness which exalteth a nation. We express an earnest hope and prayer that under your Excellency's administration of the affairs of the colony prosperity may abound among all classes. May it please your Excellency. Signed in name and by appointment of this assembly at Auckland, the 14th day of February, 1898. " Gordon Wbbstek, Moderator." His Excellency replied as follows : As the representative of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen, I beg to thank you for your .welcome and for the very loyal expressions > contained in your address, and I join with you in the earnest desire that she may long be spired to reign over a loving and devoted - - people, bound to her by the deepest ties of both affection and respect. I also gladly receive your assurances of sympathy in all efforts tending to the promotion of Christianity *nd the well-being of the people of this colony, laa I am woll aware of the good influence of

your church in every part of the world. lam glad to see you 60 well represented in the Province of Otago, and I cannot but believe that the prosperity of this City of Dunedin during the 50 years of its existence has been mainly due to the spread of those principles which you so faithfully propound.' I trust that my few years in your midst may be years of prosperity and advancement to New Zealand, that peace and happinees, religion and piety, may be amongst you now and for all time.