VALEDICTORY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 744, 17 February 1910, Page 6

VALEDICTORY.

PAEEWELL TO DR. AND' MES.MTOWB : " -'^^:' ; :•'V^,■■^r ; Jops;;;.^;:^v•:v; : ■-.^■:; ; ■ v^. ," TheVUnitarian'.Churcsi.Uastr'iiight ;: wat ■'■, fiUedi.io tits utmost eiient:.:-wheiii-the- : ',: ' members, of the congre'gation.v and,, perEonal friends of Dr.. Tudor-Jones: gath«r« ■ ed'.to bid'.him farewell:on the eve;of..hie •.'■■'. :departure' for. England. V The:.proceedings , ; . , : ' throughout.testified, to the. high^esteem. . ■■ in which.Dr."and- ; Mrs."::TudorkJones:are -, :.. held, and-should long be a.'-very.pleasant^. .-"-'■ reoolleotion , .to' thenvDoth;-,.ylieii--they are'-." :? on the other .side'■• of: the -world.). !&•" '■■' Edchardspn .occupied:the chair, and Sthere.-,' . were, also■ associated with.;him7l|r6fessor ■ v ■■ " M r Kenzie,-- • Miss" '■'■■ Eichmond^.-'^and*^'-6£ ;.-. oourse, :. the- twosguests ~of ? the,- eyening/y',.-' ; : : ';-;• .The:chairman,' in'.his opening; ; .... saidvHowr pleased'he ; was;.to..ece:6o, many., present that;evening,;even'.though; it was , . .; • on , such'an•occasion;as:a:;fare.weU. ;Duivl- : : .-: ing 'the': four .years-;of ;:DrV : ; ; V' ministry'amongst.them he'Kad:shaken'.np ; . .... ,-v the: dry : 'bones. : pf^the^ , ' community;;.had; taught them,, to , tKnE,' taught ;them ,to : realise' and'cultivate> the .reason:-witnia- •:.-.' '.'. them;; and that'night justified.- all!','the';"•'. : :.. years'in .which He ; had .given 'his;best-:to- :;' .\ them, aided :by his ;helpinl'-and;enerceKo,.. :r ' wife. .:;:;Whatever..';gem'he;vhad;,found-,-ui;.:,..: philosophy,-in. histqry.Y-in Jiterature; ,he,',' had : handed.on to ;them,.and v riven-v :, them .of,; Ms highest.-:effor,ts;.and, : all- pf ? : "-.■,' them-J.werei^the -better■■..for.Vv ! his.v.6ojonrii-;-.V.'-. | -'".i amongst them for',':he :had',;taught''theni;:''■' to-:launoh,'Oiit';for.the'mselves,.,'and.'tp:.fol-. , '.'.';- low the gleam wherever ,they;saw s it. : :-.. : .- ( . ■•Professor ifKenzie: then, read 'out. let^' ' ter's^of./apology for,, their..absence":ffom ..'.-. Mr. Shannon; Vno-iiras! unable to be present '. :• ; owing. -.to','the illness , of.i his:..wife, , the . '•. Eabbi,'. Van/Stayaren,"who/.was unwell, 1 '■' . Mr;'Jodsten.(treasurer),:and-Mr. P.'Kummef (MauriceviUe).'.. He then.'went on to ... give a.short 'history *of the founding of : •■'- the.TJnitariani movement Tin' Wellington. ' -"-. . It.,was 'nearly four years, ;sinoe';,Dr. Van<i : -■ V Mrs. Tudor , Jones arrived; amongst ■them,:.' . "and-itq--'th'eir industry, ;■.earnestness,;and. , : enthusiasm ,the.,members.;of ;the,church ,'■■,. oweda very great deali. Dr.; Jones was still ; a:student, and that,accounted-large-ly.\for.''the 'success l with'which -he had . '.;'.■ preached- the' Gospel. ., 'Since,'he',-had beea's - v but .in'thev.oolonies.newV influences- had';" •'/ come..to. the front, and : ,he.wished:td : get- , ; ' into. close; contact; > with, them;-;. The , most ;■' satisfactory .rebognition of ;his. work would ';■ .'" .be :the;"carrying on:of:;the i.bble cause' : '.bf i : . : ■:' ■ free, Jiberal,':and;enl:jhtened 'religibn.:He. VV- * expressed , the;-hope,''in 'which;all.'wouldi .! ' join,; that Dr. Jpnes; mightjyet .return: to V: ■ .them,, with .added, power:, and vigour'!^;• ''. : .cbntinlie,liis.wprk in',,the..Di)mihiQn.,..Pro-;;.:: , fsssor Jl'Kenzie, then'.presented , .DriYTu- , - : dor ..Jones, with, a: beautifully, illuminated;' ';.".■': aaMress'■ and^-.'a : purse 'pf .'sovereigns.: ,V.- • ; .Miss Uichmondi' pn.behalf: of ;the. womei .-'■:, of ..the. 1 congregation, paid' iv Uribute. ,to ''■'-'■- the:-ivprk-- (lone • and;:' Mrs. .: Tudor :; . Jones and : 6i' the ,, example , ; they'-.had '• set'-' '•'■'■ .everybody of untiring:-work; and enthu-''; ~ siasm.'That was' what dembcracy.meant. ; . -,-': The time had; gone., by: when'the. leaders ."■/.,■ of':great■' movements .could'sit',by.^direct-'.';, 'ing; .but doing: no thing , ;theihselyes.,.;Mr.&i i '.;';, Jones'could ;not/fail".to feel'-prbud;'; and'. : happy that night.when she , ;looked round;:'■■ .' : ; and 'saw.:this .church,, which, she , : had, ' . helped;to bring into.existence. Miss Rich-: :.; mpud said they'.wero all deeply, grateful!., '■ v. fpr.what had-,been '.done-, for-', them,' and ... ". paid a high:tribute 'to tho"devotion of .'Vγ Dv. 'Jones ■ to; Hhe ,i deb I'.". She-then;' :pre-': .'.'.■■ sented,: ou, behalf : of' the • ladies -, of thai; ';'.' .'..' congregatiph, : 'a : gold watch;aiid'.chain t0,. : - ;.. Mrs.-,Tudor-'Jones.-■:• •' -,; " ; -^..:;;; ; '."■'' The , Hon.iT.Hislop.also, spoke of , the work done, by' Dr.. Jones,.and-'how. mrich- . .■: it'iad been appreciated j. au.d was'followed .;.. : : - by-Professoiv'Bqbertvfrora;:London; who ... . alsoipaid a'tribute-tq^heitiualities' which:-:.•;. h.Q : :'percdved : in'. Dr. ;Tu'dor J Johes--quali- ; - ties 'which:'would;, inevitably'.help. him.. V greatly- in Ws work.--'-- . "-:■/-;;-. ...:..> : : ..■Dγ..-. Tudor' Jones' (in. reply),, said,'that r ..'; : ; words would not'.: 6xpre's|i:. ■ theV; feeling! i ; ■■■",- which he and , Mrs.-,. Jones' entertained to-'. , wards all .present,' and'.tpi numbers- of;, . people who-;were.in various'parts:of Ne« Zenlarid and.Australia;.who-had been cop).:.; iiected.with'"the'Jmitarians;in:some ; waj;> ; ' or: another. .Before' lie ever, thought. oi>' A ., coming to New,. Zealand,; he ; received- u a. ' ■ letterifrom ,Professor,Bowie ,stating-that; ' h'o- .wanted him" to'go immediately .to New . : ; . Zealand,'and' his reply: wns that hq'-could.:- {'■; ". lipt- go.': ; As'.Proicsshr, Bowie "insisted; he- ...; finally consented to go, and tho Swansea, r : ;.; congregation: passed ;a. vote; pf censure on ; -. ; the .Unitarian 'Association 1 for being: .the ;.' •.'-. cimseVof his going. -Ho was very grateful ■.■■■/■ ~ for what hnd been-said, .and had" received, ; numbers of letters'• from ' people > telling ■;> , ; how sthevhad-bperi"helped: in-; various , \, ways'." 'fie. , had much; , , to.; say of ; the.i ...-■ : loyaltv. to the ? liberal religion-'.that ! had •'■' ; .; been , displayed;- here '■■ by the people', of. the' ;., '■■ '-. cons;rcgatioii; they-had: given', more than' -.' - he'had iever expected; and. vlie-had much; -•:■■■' "..", to-say of tho impartiality and.fairness'of :'• , the t newspapers ,iii; deahnss' \with ;them.; ~i Ther'o had;poen'.■many predictions when ■ -, > her'first came amprig.'thcm that-.Unitarian-,''" 1 would not- ,livc ,louger;':than- v six-■ '_.;" j months,"but'things.now' spoke for -them-„'■■'■ selves. AVhile Home vhe' would , ; never ' -~t forget them' iri ; Now .Zealand! and'wbUld ; \ always do his.best to:furthcr their cause.:;; i Hβ- and Mrs. ,Jpncs, though' :'';■; New'Zealand,..wished to be memberj 'of. , j the Wellington Unitarian Church' for. the , ! next twelve years, ; and to subscribe two ■ ..:,! guineas'' a■' year,' ".for the . feelve - . ycartv :[v '"> From the bottom of.his.heart he thankea ■• ■;■..:'■' them on behalf of Mrs. Jones and;himself...,; •' for the'beautiful address and.the.presen-'" :( tation, which had: been given them -that \ ■ night.'.'■'■■ Mrs. Tudor Jones also: said how ;.... < grateful : they' . were for:'* the '. ., kindn'esi,.■:','■ --' which had been shown them.''.-TheyweM',-,..; leaving!-behind them l many; loyal.--friende. , i SJie,had never expected to find a; better-; : ; . set of, women .to .work -with; .-.and i.th'oy.- V ' \ybuld carry away with them , many very ' ; j liappy- recollectipns .of New-; Zealand. . : .; '-... During the'evening, Miss' , Kennedy and'.. - I the -Misses, Newton '■ (2). performed ■'an- in-. . ■ i strumental trio, Mr. Baldwin.a. recitation,'. , "'.""' Miss: J , . Newtoiy a. song; Mr:^M.'Farlano:' .1 a'-''cello solo", and:Miis'Hardinge-Maltby'-:'-'•'■. .i airecitatioa- ;.■,-. i;; ■ .•••..■■"->.'.;;••..■•.■■;''■■" ';-.■•,"!■.■""'.'■}