PRESENTATION TO THE HON W. JENNINGS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXI, Issue 12, 6 January 1893, Page 18

PRESENTATION TO THE HON W. JENNINGS.

(Auckland Star, December 21.) Last evening a number of friends of the Hon W. Jennings, recently appointed by the Government to a seat in the Legislative Council, met in the Oddfellows' Hall, Cook street, in order to present to him a token of their esteem ia the form of an illuminated address, in recognition of his elevation to the Upper House. There was a good attendance. Mr J. D. Connolly, United States Consul ia Auckland, presided. The addres 0 , which wa9 designed by Mr Gulliver, was very handsomely executed. The Chairman, Mr Connolly, in making the presentation, sild that while they were there to congratulate Mr Jennings on hi elevation to tha Legislative Council they ware also there to celebr ite in a measure the political recognition of labour, one of the most important events in the history of labour representation in any part of the world (applause), and full of and hope for the toiling

masses of mankind. Mr Jennings bad been intimately connected with every movement of a progressive character in this community, calculated to advanca the welfare of the maasea. But perhaps, the mißt pleasing reflection of all, le that daring all the years of his connection *»ith the labour interests, he had not, even in the most trying moments, permitted himself to be betrayed into the use of an expression that could be construed by even the most fastidious into violent or intemperate language. On the contrary, ha hid ever counselled prudence and moderation in the discussion of subjects affecting the welfare of those whosa cause be had so ardently espoused, and enjoying as he did the unbounded confidence of bis co-labourers his mature ljudgment and wise counsels bad invariably prevailed. He represented that element who believe there is no natural antipathy between capital and labour, but that whatever feeling does exist, if any, is of false and artificial origin. And in this respect it was clearly the dnty of every man who loved his country and kindred to exercise lawful and honourable means at his command to dissolve those senseless and profitless barriers that had proved so destructive and detrimental to each contending element in the past. Nor had he (Mr Connolly) any hesitation in saying, from what he knew of Mr Jennings' efforts in this direction already, that he was certain he would persevere in the good work to the end. It was only within recent years that the great masses of men began to realise how shamefully they had been mis-governed in the past, and their most sacred rights and interests abandoned by an arrogant, domineering class ; long accustomed to power, yet heedless of their sacred tinsts and responsibilities, they have mercilessly and unscrupulously violated every principle of justice, and integrity toward those whom they governed. But to-day education ii tearing the mask from their faces, whilst the genial rays of enlightenment and liberty are penetrating into the darkest and deepest recesses of their most impregnable fortresses, and are conjointly unveiling their impostures, and holding up their vicious enormities to the rays of the living sun. There was a time when the "lower" classes were debarred from the privilege of law-making, but those days were gone never to return. The real obstacle to the enlightenment of the masses bad been pure selfishness on the part of those who were in power — " the upper classes." But now in many countries the mantle of iniquity had been torn from the shoulders of the privileged classes, and all, as in New Zealand, had an equal share in the government of the country. At the present day, while many other countries in the world were discussing and seeking after reform, here in New Zealand the subject had been crystallised and had become law, aad the rights and happiness of the masses had become firmly established, ani placed, let them hope, on a basis as firm as time itself (applause). He believed that measures like these would succeed if they remembered public weal before private gain, and set steadfastly in view the good of the commonwealth. By good laws and the prosperity of the people they could set an example to the rest of the world. Ha could not but feel that the progress which liberty had made, and was still making, must prevail. They held in this country, for weal or woe, the welfare of millions of tbe human race, and they were bound to exercise their power with wisdom. He was one of those who felt that the onward and upward march of the haman race could never cease, and that its progress would be f uad to be as irresistible as the heavenly orb at noon- day, at the zenith of its power (applause). There was another thing. Tha time was rapidly approaching when thera should be no more drones in the human hive, when the workers should have their due, and when all men should cheerfully labour for the common weal, when the days of the autocrat, the selfish and the tyrant should be over. They were over already ; even the handwriting was on the wall, the days of the enemies of progress were numbered, aud there was every hope that with such a powerful ally as labour tbe cause of progress would be steered to a happy haven (applause). Referring to tha recipient of the address, Mr Connolly went on to say th tt he trusted that the life and character of Mr Jennings in his Dew sphere of usefulness would afford no chance to any to reproach him for the way in which he bore his new-born honours The Hon Mr Jennings waa received with loud applause. He thanked them very eincere'y for the very handsome address with which he bad been presented that evening, and said that he would endeavour as far as he could to maintain the good opinion of hie friends and fellow-citizans. He took it as a great compliment that Mr Connolly, the representative of a great country like the United States of America, should take such an interest in him and in the cause of labour in New Zealand. It would be looked upon throughout the Colony as a great and worthy step for Mr Connolly to take. Mr Jennings touched upon the question of trades unionism, and said that as a firm and ardent supporter of trades unionism, he thought every inducement should be given to good men to take a prominent part in the movement He urged a comradeship amongst the workers, bucq as that of which instances had recently occurred in Australia. He thought that the question of poverty in New Zealand could be in a great degree accounted for by the growing and universal use of machinery, Oa the question of immigration and the settlement

of the land in New Zealand, he thought that their first duty was towards their own people. If the people, of England wished to shirk the responsibility for their own poor, and desired to shunt them ont to New Zealand, they should be told that they had quite sufficient land for all their people in Great Britain and Ireland locked up in the hands of the wealthy as deer parks and unoccupied tracts of land, which could and should be made to support England's poor. New Zealand had enough to do to look to her own population (applaust). Mr Jennings concluded by assuring those present that he should endeavour to justify the confidence placed in him by his friendß and fellow-citizens. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the proceedings.