COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO MR MAUDE AT RANGIORA.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 574, 21 April 1876, Page 3

COMPLIMENTARY DINNER TO MR MAUDE AT RANGIORA.

Last Thursday a public banquet was given at Lewton's Junction Hotel, Rangiora, by the public of that town and district, to Mr T. W. Maude, ia acknowledgment of his past public services in its interests prior to his departure on a visit to England. About sixty of the principal inhabitants and electors of the district were present. The spread was provided in Mr Lewton's best style. Mr H. Blackctt occupied the chair. After the usual loyal and other toasts had been proposed and responded to, the chairman gave that of the evening, the health of Mr Maude, dwelling upon the many services rendered to the district by that gentleman. He wished him and his family a safe and prosperous voyage to England. He hoped however that he would not stay long there but return soon, and if he did so they would give him a hearty welcome. The toast was received with three times three and musical honours. Mr Maude, who was received with loud applause on rising in the centre of the room, said, on several occasions it had been his pleasing duty to address Rangiora audience?, and he had had something to say for himself, but now he felt he had less to say. The embarrassment no doubt arose from the expressions of feeling and the hospitality which he had met with. After all he did not think that he had done anything so superlatively great as their chairman had stated, or auy thing to claim the honor they had done him that evening. For his public and private acts—for in the latter he was as desirous to do his best for those requiring his services as in his public conduct —he did not arrogate to himself anything more than that he had done his best in the interests of the persons askins? his assistance, and with a hearty goodwill. [Cheers.] He stood before them under peculiar circumstances, having been so long connected with this country, and now on the eve of leaving it. He left England twentytwo years ago last October, and most of that time he had been resident in Canterbury, and preferred no country which he had been in to this. When he spoke of Canterbury, he thought there was no part of that country

he bad such an attachment to as that district. [Hear, hear. | He knew it before there were more than three houses —although there were some here who knew it before that—but there was plenty of bush. Since that time the bush had been cut, and instead of trees they now had bouses. The growth of Rangiora was perhaps not moe than tnafc of other places similar to it; After referring to the causes which had coatribute to the g owth of llaugiora, he went on to say : With regard to the remarks of the chairman, he had always advocated the railway being brought to Rangiora, on the ground that the lines should be made a benefit to the centres of population. [Cheers.] Here they were particularly fortunate in having a line to the south, west., and north, therefore in the railway scheme it could not be said that Rangiora was left in the cold. [Hear, hear.J He was not going into political matter, this being a social meeting, but he might say that there were great changes pending. The Provincial Governments had been the means of promoting the interests of the country in many important matters, and several would wish to keep them. When in the Provincial Council he assisted in the initiation of municipal institutions, and was the mover of the first Road Board Bill. Looking at the Drainage Board referred to by the chairman, it had not only made the roads better available for traffic, but when it increased the value of land from £5 to £25, there was a substantial boon given to the country, and no one would object to pay rates for snch a purpose. After referring to the railway tariff, which he thought should | be kept as low as possible, he went on to say ' —Looking back on the past in his connection with the province there was one institution he referred to with feelings of great satisfaction—the Board of Education, of which he had been a member about nine years, being a member of the first Board and up to the last when it was removed by the Council. At such a time as the present a great many thoughts came rushing through his brain regarding the course of the events of twenty-two years in the district in which he was so mu"h interested Whc.j it came to the parting, he really felt sorry to leave and say good bye. When he had accomplished one of his objects, and seen to the 'education of his family—for he considered it was the duty of every colonist to make his children useful settlers —[hear, hcarj— he should come back lo his friends here again. It was n tedious thing for him to speak of himself, but he would say that he would not feel backward in going into any house in Rangiora, and would feel that he would be well reeeived. Pie would not detain them with further remarks, but begged to thank the company for their kind expressions to himself, Mrs Maude and his family, and hoped that when he had taken up a profession for himself he would be as successful in it as in any other business he had been connected with, and if he should take a public office again he trusted he would always prove himself worthy of the reward which he had now won for his services. He now begged to thank them and take his leave of them for a short space. [Prolonged cheers.] A number of other toasts were also given, and some capital songs saDg, and after spending a pleasant evening the company broke up at an early hour.