PRESENTATION TO CAPTAIN JACQUEMART.

Evening Star, Issue 3400, 14 January 1874, Page 2

PRESENTATION TO CAPTAIN JACQUEMART.

Yesterday the Mayor, City Council, and Town Clerk of Duhedin.on behalf of’the City, and. the Provincial Treasurer, and Provincial Solicitor, as representing the Provincial Govemment, went on board the F.RW.S. Vire to present to Captain Jacqueraart acknowledgements by the City and Provincial Council of the services rendered by him and his officers to the shipwrecked passengers by the Surat. The boats of,the Vire conveyed the deputies on board the vessel, then at anchor in the stream. 1 Captain Jacqueraart and his officers received and accompanied them to the cabin, where the Mayor presented to the captain a handsomely bound album containing portraits of himself, the City Councillors, and the Town Clerk, and about eighty well-selected views of scenery in Otago from Messrs Burton Brothers’ collection. His Worship said it afforded him and his Councillors great pleasure to convey the thanks of the City to the captain and his officers for the great kindness shewn by them to the shipwrecked immigrants. That assistance was generously given before it was possible for the Provincial Government to make arrangements, for relieving them. He trusted the trifling gift he' was instructed to offer would be accepted, as well as the address, which he would read! His Worship read the address as follows ‘‘To.Captain Jacqueraart, of the French war ship Yjre ; We, the Mayor and Councillors of the City of Dunedin, desire, on behalf of the citizens, to express our hearty appreciation of the prompt and generous assistance rendered by you and the officers and men under your command to the passengers and crew of. the ship Surat, wrecked near Catlin’s river, New Zealand, on the Ist January, 1874. We beg your acceptance of the accompanying album as a slight souvenir, which will tend to remind you in after times of the place and the people to whom you rendered such. tinjoly and Clmstian assistance. Wishing yourself, officers and crew every happiness and prosperity, we remain,” &c., &c. 1 The Mayor’s speech and the address were translated for Captain Jacqueraart by M. Jules Lanseigne. Captain Jacquemart thanked the Mayor and Councillors for the kind manner in which his Worship had acknowledged the relief • afforded to the passengers by the Surat ; but’ he had only done his duty—a duty enjoined upon the French navy/to afford help to any w h° were in need. It was, therefore, not so much to.him that thanks were due, as to.the French Government. He begged his Worship to convey to the citizens of Dunedin thethanks °f himself and officers for the kindness' with which they had been treated. They had visited many places, but nowhere had they received BWh kmdffe#; as in Pungc^in,

i p^inc Q&ige Tara* bull* and the TrpvmraM Sofiidtor, .?Mr Turton, tnpti v .came forwari.;; Mr Turnbull addressing paptain Jacqueraart: Captain absence of the Superintendent of <the PftSMrie, I have the honor to present you *lth a'letteV which I hold mmvband, relating the late,ffisaster to the as yon caused a greatdeal of excitcment-in Dttnedin during the last few weeks, riiffiJjAri&ririectiou “with which you have laid the Province under a deep debt of gratitude to yourself, to the officers of the ship, and to the crew which you command. The letter is as follows“ Superintendent’s Office, Dunedin, 7th January, 1674; Sir In the name and on behalf of this Province, allow me to convoy to'yourself and officers Tts'bestthanks for the very great service,you have so willingly rendered in proceeding to the’sbene of the -wreck of the Surat, and conveying the shipwrecked immigrants to Dunedin. Tke Provinco will cherish a, grateful, recollection of tho service, and of your humane attention to the comfort of the immigrants; and I trust you will ’ be good enough to accept the pieces of plate, which will beforwarded-througa the proper channel' to your Government for: presentation, as a trifling memento of tho obli- , gation under which we foel to you. I enclose ■ a copy of the report by the Chief Harbor-master of his trip m the Yire to the wreck.-I have,; : &c., James Macanubew, Superintendent. ”■ ihe plate consists of a tea add coffee, service,' egg-stand, and silver salver and inkstand, which will be forwarded through thfeir'proper channel by the Government for presentation to you. I have only to say it is a small acknowledgmsnt of what you have done, and I trustthat tho presentation will be-accepted in tho same spirit in which it is offered, arid that it will be to you a memento -of the good-feeling entertained towards you by the inhabitant of Ufcago and Dunedin. I have rio doubt the circumstances will bo made known.to the Governments of both England and France, and hti&Y tend to still further Cement that friendship which now so happily exists betweeri-them.'! Captain Jacquem;irt replied in French, ofwhich we give the following free translation;— I am deeply grateful to the Province of Otago for the handsome present which has been given me. I did not need this new mark of. kind-, ness to keep me in remembrance of your thanks/ Already you have acted most liberally to jus, m the hospitality we have received, and believe ■me, xt afforded me great pleasure to do you the small service which the unfortunate shipwrebltof the Surat gave opportunity for. 1 Geritle'men, the Government think tho service rendered acquires additional value through its being disinterested. We sympathise fully in.that feelirig ; but it is impossible for me to. accept this liberal mark of your acknowledgments before my <xovernment permits me to do so. Nevertheless, I trust you will accept my sincere thanks,, and that you will convey to the inhabitants of ‘your City tho thanks of myself and officers for tho warm and cordial reception which they have given us. It only remains for me to say that' wo shall feel most happy to return amongst you and to renew those ties of .friendship which we have formed. v . f>. A light refreshment prbvidedon board the Vire was partaken of, in the. course-.-of. which tier Majesty s health was proposed by Captain J acquemnrt, and responded to in British fashion by all present, the French officers joining, most heartily. The Mayor and Council and Provincial Go vernment were similarly toasted, and as his Worship and two or,three Councillors were leavmgthe ship’s side, they received-special injunctions from Captain Jacquemart to Carry the hearty thanks of himself and officers to the 1 ladies of Dunedin for the kindness received from them.