A LIBERAL DEMONSTRATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2318, 4 August 1898, Page 2

A LIBERAL DEMONSTRATION.

PRESENTATIONS TO MR AND MRS

SEDDON. V\ T ELLINGTOX, July 31

The Opera House was crowded to the doors on Saturday night on the occasion of a public demonstration tendered by tho Liberal party to Mr and Mrs Feddon in honour of tl'o former's f.fty-tl.ird birthday.

Mr William M'Lonn, ox-M.11.R., was in the chair, and peats on the tta^o wore filled by members of tho Ministry and the Governlr.ent party in the Hon^e, severM meinbcis of the Legislative Council, and other supporters and well-wishers of the right lion. genllor.i:ui. T'ue chairman, in hi-- opening addrf«-, tvfci'red at length to the ina.iy positions Mr Kcdd< n had ably filled during hw long Cciiecr ol public life, and briefly citlogibed t'.ie policy and l''O ad)niniolrati"n ( f 'he tfeddon b'o-.c'ramcut. lie i^gai'dod that night's, great demonstration a-> a prof of t!:e tvua feeling of the people in appreciation ol tie phenomenal success of Mr Scd('on during bit. i! 0 yea iv of hard politicil life.

Mr h\ 11. Frarcv, ex-M.J1.1!., on ivl.alf <>f tlio .labcivl party, pro oi'lrd Zslrs fc>eddon with a iiCi'id^omely Ira:rjei! and illuminated ad dro-;, o\prcohin3 t^e a.'hnirntion of her many good qualities as a. a ife, m ;thev, oud citizen, and l>cv efforts lor the boom' advancement ol the people. Mrs Seddoi* was al*o pre^ent-Hl with a ,-iJicr tea tray and a \ahiabl<? g-ol 1 v, atoli and chain," as a mark of pppiveiation ol her tsrme-i i:i the Liheial cau-i. Mrs Scddui) appropriate 1., lCjvlicd in a few Avcrd-i. .\Tr Soddon, who was enl'iu^faslically re ccived, also spoke, and expressed ln-^warmest tiianks lor Iho honour thai had boen eonfcfred op his amTp and holpmate. lie '-aid he greatly appreciated tho Lindner* that had been extended to one v. ithout who-c lielp and odvico he would ne\cr ha\e been Ti i:\ie Mmi-tei of the colony. A gold wale!) anil cliom, mitalily inscribed, and an addre>*. were a'^o presented lo J\fr Beddon. The address t>e( fort 'i that \.i- r-up porters, rcjoicerl that lie liarl !'<-kl Iho boncurable po j iuon (,f leader of li o i.f"-.ij3o ol New ZoaUxnd for a lonj>ev period t'l.tn any of Ins ]jredcre?'-or->, and they acki'fi.vl™',. "-il tl«r»t a^ leader of the progre^^o party he 1 :al c\er do.ie his ulmo'.t to boiler the loulitioin >>f iilo of t!>e inhahUants of (ho i"!oi\y. jfr J. Kcrr, lU.L.C'.. oli'ercd a fe-v con gradilatory remarks, in wliich be nnde hn r f roforence to the many %ood and wort'jy moa «irp< ill >Seddon had pa'-^ed throucfi) the Logislaluvo for t''e i cr.fiil of (!.e people, lie now 100 led uiKio Mr .Sedrlon a? " tiio Urand Old Man of Xcw Zealand." The Hon. W. M'Cullousli. M.L.C.. expressed hi; pleasure j if. being pre eiit on sutli an occasion, nnd thought tho Liberals of Wellington had done tho proper thins in thus vecognioing (ho good fen ice-: of the leader of t!ie,par(y and hi.< worthy wile. On beiialf of the Liberal-, of Auckland, he heaiidy concurred in all (hat had lallen from the previous spearsk < rs and in iho s-oiilhn^rts expri^jtsl in ti.o. 'ulivo •» pro entcl to Mr an<l Mrs Seddon.

Mr Millar, M.I 111., al-o <-,pr ke. Ho said if the prc-opla'i.-n luvl been niadp a u.ilional one Ihp call would have been willingly responded to by Liberals in all parts of ihe colony. 110 doi 1 fired lliat until tho P.allanco party c;r.ne into power I'icio I'Sid ne\cr been an lio;ie;t aUvnipt made liy any (.:o\i.'riiment to i>elter tl.c c\mdili»niH of \Vo ma^-os.

Mr 11. A. Coraford (of Napioi) and Mr Geo. Fisher, M.H.8.. added their conaratu-

lations to tho iijht lion, gentleman upon his mouy years of public usefulness.

Mr >Seddon, in lciurning thanks for (ho pic-enlations that had been made to him, said it v.afs pleasing for a public man to> know that bio bumble services were appreci:>ted by bis fellow-men. He felt that hewis not worth}' of the good words that had bc^n spokon, find the kindness that had been extended to him, and those dear to him* lie eo'ild say. bb r >we' er, that ho had without faltering done his best to promote the wellbeing ol the peojjlo of the colony. It could never be said of him that when a just claim cams before Parliament he had not don& what was ri'Jit according to his lights. IT» claimed that his (4o\ eminent had greatly benofued the ma'se I *, while property-owners lind nolhirg to complain of. and the Minister" for L?ndd had gieatly promoted the settlement of the people on the land. Re predicted a groat futuie for the mining industry » v.luth v:o\i!d tend to make New Zealand ono of the most prospoions countrie" on the faroof tho <jlobo He combated the ronlenlion thai tho Government had set class ngninsfc das 1 ;, nnd said he hoped this would never be done by any ppily in power. If dining tho ln c t few yeais the condition of the toilers of the t'ciony had been considerably bettered, ashe eonteiide 1 it had. he arked no piaiso for hijnsel 1 "'. Tho credit res'ed with tho pcoplothemselves, \\ho had returned their own representatives to Parliament. He ridiculed the-oft-repeptcd story that the finances of New Zealand wore in jeopardy, and asked whero war, tho proof of the slateiv.ont that, the (fo\c!i.Ti..')it had lof-t the confidence of the f\.ul In The Opposition weic believed tob'j pi.iilhvj! to sol before the people, but howas al n ny time prd]*arcd to lay the works of th<-' Liboial paily at the feet of tho people and lot them jmlge. He deprecated the facb Ilia I on s=ovne> occaeions acrimony and personal abusp voiP r:nriod beyond tho precimU <;i Pnrliai.iciit. In cone ludinj: what W;:-- n 'e;i b<:of 'pee'h, Mr St-dtlon a<--ain o\-piecj-0.l hj< v.,u.iie-t ibnnk.^ foi the hiwnu he and i'.i^ wife hail rrcfi-eJ [hat evening, waking p.uliculur mention of the e'evr"" :uifl' luvu'.ifui v. orktiransbin contained in the addn v.'- .Mid if.vollei vMr YWi- >„ ai.l-J JJ . on he]iiilf < f Iho ro"'mil Ico which organi-ed tho cKnioi'ffi-a'Jf'i. th::n!.o.! llui ku(lippc>p for tliei: aMendnr.co. and e\pic^od Uk> opinion that the QPthonng.' would do a &icit amount o! g"'"' *<> th©' Libo\.vl prxity. In ie pon.-e to loud cnlls. the Uon. .1. It. Ward. M.U.r... came forward and said hewished, in tho mo-t earnest 'cnse. lo e\p-'-oss bis wnrmeot r(\^ard« for the "record' Promicr of New /Coahnd and his most estimable rtifp. . The meflino; conr lucled with a vole of thanks In the chairman.

'J'he isolated ward nl, Masted on EospitalE was burned on the 28th. There was a fiie in the buiMing all night.

The sixteenth annual show of the Auckland Poultry, Pigeon, and Canary Association -wig opened on tho 28th. with 1023ont^'M. Among ont^ide exhibitors me \Y. (lons (n>rM church), T. (.'. Dawson (N.'picV A CH.ind (New Plyinovth). nw\ T. V.'cUh C.Usbovue). iVm-.ag the local exhibitors Mpsm-s Reid Bros , of 'Mohitapin stand out, vntb n big entry list. With a beautiful d;uk Draluna cockerel they c<u-vi (i 3 off a first jiri'.o nnd a silver cup presented by the Union Company, also a. roaible, timepiece presented by Messrs Sargood, Son, and Eveu.

1851 1 1808 J