31

H.—2B

whole, and extends to Mrs. Seddon and the members of the family its sincere condolence in their sad bereavement." Yours, &c, Mrs. Seddon, Wellington. R. A. Strang, Town Clerk. Grey Lynn Borough Council. Madam, — Borough Offices, Grey Lynn, Auckland, 18th June, 1906. It is with feelings of sincere sorrow and regret that the melancholy occasion has arisen that I, as representing this borough, desire to address you, and my object in now doing so is to forward to you a copy of a resolution passed at a meeting of the Grey Lynn Borough Council, held this evening. The resolution referred to is that this Council places on record its deep sense of the loss sustained by the colony through the death of its Premier, your beloved husband, and also the Council's heartfelt sympathy with you and your family in this your hour of trial and affliction. Permit me, therefore, most respectfully to re-echo these sentiments, and to express the hope that such sentiments as have been expressed by so many of your dear husband's admirers all over the globe may in a measure tend to assuage your and your family's grief at this time, and may the God of love, sympathy, comfort, and consolation be your help now is the prayer of Yours, &c, Mrs. Seddon, Wellington. John Farrell, Mayor. Resolved, " That the Grey Lynn Borough Council desires to place on record its deep sense of the loss sustained by the colony through the death of its Premier, the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, P.C., and also to record its high appreciation of the eminent services rendered by him to the colony throughout his long Premiership. The Council also desires further to convey to Mrs. Seddon and family its heartfelt sympathy and condolence in this their hour of trial and sore affliction." And " That this resolution be forwarded to Mrs. Seddon by letter, and, as a mark of respect to the departed statesman, this Council do now adjourn." Greymouth Borough Council. (Telegram.) Mrs. R. J. Seddon, Molesworth Street, Wellington. Greymouth, 14th June, 1906. At the ordinary meeting of Council, held this evening, the following resolution was carried, and the Council adjourned: Resolved, "That the Council expresses its sorrow and regret at the untimely death of the late Richard John Seddon ; that it places on record its appreciation of the high qualities of the departed statesman, and tenders to his wife and relatives heartfelt sympathy in their bereavement." J. A. Petrie, Mayor. Greytown Borough Council. Dear Madam, — Borough Council Chambers, Greytown, Wairarapa, 12th June, 1906. I am instructed by the Mayor and Borough Councillors of Greymouth North to convey to you and your family the deepest regret felt by them at the great loss you have sustained by the demise of the Right Hon. the Premier. They, in common with the whole of the colonists, recognise that his death is not only a calamity to you and yours, but is a national and irreparable loss to Australasia. He has filled his role on earth in a meritorious manner, and worked for the colony, and died whilst studying the welfare of the people. I have, <fee, Horatio Dudding, Town Clerk. Mrs. Seddon, Ministerial Residence, Wellington. Hamilton Borough Council. Madam, — Hamilton, 15th June, 1906. At a special meeting of the Hamilton Borough Council, held this day, I was instructed to forward to you the accompanying letter as an expression of sympathy and condolence from this Council to you in your sad bereavement. I have, <fee, Mrs. R. J. Seddon, Wellington. S. B. Sims, Town Clerk. Dear Madam, — Borough Council Chambers, Hamilton, 15th June, 1906. In addressing you in this dark hour of trial, we recognise the futility of language to convey to you an adequate expression of our sorrow at the personal loss you have sustained through the death of your beloved husband, the Prime Minister. We would strengthen your heart to bear your heavy burden by messages of sympathy and condolence. Although we are assured that it is beyond the power of eulogy to add lustre to his name, we are equally certain that the history of his time will stamp him as one of the first citizens of the Empire, a man apart amongst colonial administrators, a great and glowing soul. His life was a term of labour and of self-denial for the land he loved, and the strenuousness of his career will be an inspiration to generations yet unborn, while his courage and nobility will shine forth as the greatest attributes of manhood. There is no home, in this our country, untouched by sorrow for you and your family in this time of bitter trial. There is no'home in this our land that does not mourn with grief inexpressible the passing of the human-hearted man we all loved, that one Who never'turned,his'back, but'Vnarched' breast,'forward ; Never doubted clouds would break'; .' Never dreimed, though Right were worsted/Wrong 1 would l 'triumph: Held, we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better, Sleep to wake. I have, (fee, Mrs. R. J. Seddon. J. S. Bond, Mayor.