PRESENTATION TO MAJOR SCULLY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIII, Issue 34, 18 December 1885, Page 7

PRESENTATION TO MAJOR SCULLY.

(Napier Telegraph, November 27.)

In the old Council Chambers at noon to-day, in the presence of Messrs. Colenso, Tiffen, Cornford, R. D. McLean, Twigg, J. Heslop, F. Sutton, J. A. Smith, Banner, Liddle, J. Sidey, Oonroy, Cohen, Duncan, Begg, Sheath, Lee, Bowerman, St. Clair, Birch, Swan, Mayo, Turley, Gow, Knowles, Ormond, Caulton, the Eev. D. Sidey, and others, Major Scully was presented with a bag of over 300 sovereigns subscribed by tbe public of Hawkt's Bay, as a mark of their appreciation of his valuable services -when bead of the police force of the district. Mr. Ormond was voted to the chair. The chairman eaid he bad much pleasure in taking the chair, when they had met to present their old friend, Major Scully, with a testimonial. The small gift was an evidence of the appreciation i they had for his past services to them and to their district, during the ! many years which he had been in the responsible position he bad occupied as chief of the police. It would be satisfactory to Major Scully, as it conveyed the knowledge that a large number of the settlers of all classes,and of all shades of opinion had joined in the testimonial. He would leceive it, as it came to him, as an evidence that they desired to show their appreciation cf the services rendered by him ia the past. He (the chairman) was specially thankful of beiDg put in position to present the testimonial, as in the past he was the superintendent of the province, the head of the executive, of which Major Scully was an official, and, therefore, he (the chairman) had as good, if not a better knowledge than anyone else could have, of the services rendered by Major Scully. As head of the police he never forgot that he was one of the settlers, and while doing his duty did it in the least unpleasant way possible, which of itself was a great qualification on the part of an officer holding such a position . He would refer to the times, which a great many of the settlers before him would remember, when tbey had not the quiet easy going times they now had, when Major Scully was at the head of tbe police force, and w hen a deal of danger attended the position. He referred to the days of native difficulties, and being head of the executive, he knew that at any time, night or day, Major Scully when called upon was ready, and the work was faithfully and satisfactorily done. On such an occasion it was reasonable for him to refer in such terms and call back to mind the services Major Scully had done for them in the past. Hecould not help saying that he— and he was quite sure his opinion was shared by a great majority of the people— regretted they were paiting with the services of Major Scully. To his mind an officer like him, who had done faithful service in the past, should have received every possible consideration fiom the Government, and been retained as long as his services could have been useful to the community. He believed the bulk of the settlers of Hawke's Bay thought that he might have been continued in the position he had held with satisfaction to the settlers and credit to himself for many years to come. He therefore regretted it was tbougnt proper by the Government that those duties required a younger man to perform them. He could not allow the opportunity to pass without expressing that regret, which he knew was shared by the bulk of the settlers, [t remained for him to make the presentation of the purse of three hundred and thirteen sovereigns, and to express most sincerely and heartily the hope that Major Scully's declining years would be spent in comfort, prosperity and peace. Major Scully, in reply, said he felt that he w»s not able to say anything in consrquence of tbe generous way in which the public bad treated him that day, as well as all the time he had been amongst them. He could not find words, nor had he the ability to speak such words, as would convey to them the gratitude he felt, for what had been done for him. He hoped the community would prosper, would continue to prosper as it had done hitherto. He thanked the public for their generosity to him. Hitherto they had done more for him in their consideration, in their kindness, which to him had been far more than all the money in the world. The feeling that was displayed when the Government talked of moving him was five thousand times more than he expected. The public came forward in a manner that he never expected would have been bhown to a person of greater abilties and more faithful services than he had ever given. He had ouly one thing to regret, that he could not impart his feelings to the public, which was unfortunate for him. He hoped they would excuse him ; it was not a fault of his, it was the feeling of gratitude which prevented him saying all he ought. He wished them all every happiness in their families that the Almighty could prosper them with. Cheers for Major Scully and a vote of thanks to the chair brought the proceedings to a close.