PRESENTATION TO MR W. CONYERS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1617, 26 April 1879, Page 3

PRESENTATION TO MR W. CONYERS.

On the opening of the through line to Invercargill those taking part in the trip determined to present Mr Conyers with a memorial of the occasion—something which he could look back to as connected with one of the great epochs in the history of the colony. The task of carrying out the details of this was entrusted to Mr John|ollivier —and the intention was to present Mr Conyers with the commemorative gift at the banquet at Invercargill. Unfortunately tbe accident, which everyone in the colony deplored, prevented this intention being carried out. It therefore remained to select some other time, and no more auspicious one could have been chosen than the present. It served a double purpose, viz., the presentation of the memento and the affording those assembled the opportunity of congratulating Mr Conyers on his first public appearance since his accident. Yesterday afternoon at four o’clock was fixed for the meeting, and Mr Charles Clark placed his large auction room at the disposal of the gentlemen who took the matter in hand. The room was very prettily decorated with bouquets and pot plants, and on a table in the centre stood the memento itself. It must certainly have been a happy thought that prompted the selection of an article so appropriate and handsome as the one presented to Mr Conyers yesterday. It was imported by Messrs B. Petersen and Co., and is peculiarly suitable for the occasion. Indeed, had it been manufactured specially it could not have been more so. The clock is a model of a steam engine short of the smoke stack, having the steam chest which is surmounted by the governors. The clock face is inserted in the front of the engine model, and has below it two smaller faces, one on each side, covering a thermometer and barometer. Each of these faces are enclosed in a large cogwheel of German silver. Below, upon which the clock is mounted, is a traversing turntable, the rails being of German silver, fitted with holding points, &c. On this the clock can be turned round in any direction. A silver plate on the front bears the following inscription : —“ A memento of the opening of the through line of railway to Invercargill, 1879.” It will thus be seen from the brief description of the character of the memento that no more appropriate present could have been made. Shortly after 4 p.m. a goodly number of persons assembled, including amongst others His Worship the Mayor, Mr Knowles, Under Secretary for Public Works, Messrs Hannay, Back, Badham, &c. Mr Charles Clark having moved that Mr John Ollivier take the chair, that gentleman introduced Mr Conyers, who was received with a hearty round of cheering. Mr Ollivier —Gentlemen, I don’t think it will be necessary that I should detain you by addressing you at any length, for I think you are as well aware as I am myself of the reason of our gathering here to-day. Those of you who were with us will remember the memorable occasion when we were going down, at the invitation of our friend here, to Invercargill, on the opening of the line. What a delightful trip we had until the occurrence of the sad accident, to which I will not further allude. Talk of a happy family; we were a happy family on that occasion, if ever there was one. Gentlemen, we were as happy a lot of boys upon an outing as it ever has been my good fortune to meet during my twenty-five years’ residence amongst you. Well, whilst we were enjoying this trip, some particularly happy spirit suggested that such an important and interesting event to our friend, Mr Conyers, as the opening of the through line to Invercargill ought to be remembered, not only in our recollections, but by something substantial as a memento to Mr Conyers, so that he also should remember the occasion. It was therefore suggested that we might give him a diamond ring when we got to Invercargill. We should of course have a lot of things to growl about to Mr Conyers, and when we had had our growl at him we could give him the diamond ring. This was felt to be a good idea, and it was intended to purchase the ring when we arrived and present it at the banquet as a memento of the day. This, however, as you know, had to be abandoned. Now, gentle men, I want you to divest your minds of any idea as to this being a testimonial to Mr Conyers. This little present which we are going to ask our friend to accept is only intended as a memento of the important occasion to°which I have alluded, and not in any way as a testimonial to Mr Conyers. Gentlemen, when the proper time arrives for a testimonial to Mr Conyers, “Testimonial John,” as some of my friends call me, will be found laboring in the direction of assisting to present to him such an one as will be worthy of the man. [Cheers.] This is not as I have told you, a testimonial, but a small memento of the time when the through line to Invercargill was opened. I don’t want to occupy your time unnecessarily on this occasion. If I were to descant on the merits of Mr Conyers I should talk to you till six o’clock. If you want to know how Mr Conyers is esteemed : go 'amongst the men, where ho is beloved. [Cheers.] He is the right man in the right place, and a most distinguished officer of the Government. [Cheers.] It is with the greatest possible pleasure that we see him here to-day so well as he is under the circumstances, but I may tell you that ho is under special orders not to make a speech. I am his guardian, and as such I shall exercise my privilege to prohibit him from making a long speech. It has been well said that “ speech is silvern but silence is golden,” and I feel sure that the silence of our friend, under the circumstances, will be far more eloquent than his speech, [Cheers.] I will now ask you, gentlemen, to fill your glasses and drink health and happiness to Mr Conyers and all belonging to him. [Cheers.] Gentlemen, I am going to ask you to drink the health of Mr Conyers, and may he speedily bo restored to that physical power which he possesses so fully. In doing this, I should like to ask Mr Conyers to accept the clock you see before you, and I want to tell you a little story in connection with it. When it was known that we were proposing to present a diamond ring to Mr Conyers, a gentleman who is present to-day—Mr Passmore—said, “What are you

going to present Conyers with a white elephant for ? He does not care for diamonds. Now, there is a clock which I feel sure he would bo delighted with far more than diamonds.” So that you see, gentlemen, the happy tholight of the clock you now see before you is duo to Mr Passmore. [Cheers.] Mr Conyers, I have now, on behalf of our friends who accompanied us on the trip, to present you with this memento of that day, which will bo for ever memorable in the history of New Zealand—the day of the opening of the through line to Invercargill. [Cheers.] The health of Mr Conyers was then drunk with three times three, and three cheers for Mrs Conyers. Mr Conyers, who was warmly cheered on rising, said —1 can hardly find words to express my thanks to you. Your gift is a handsome one, and I shall, I can assure you, prize it as a memento to me of a day which I shall never forgot as long as I live. I thank you sincerely for all the kindness I have received from you and your handsome present to-day. That I trust will bo handed down as a heirloom to my descendants as a memento of the work accomplished on that day. I thank you, sir, for all the kind words you have said of me—fur more than I d( serve —[Nc, no.] In all that I have done I have looked upon it as a duty I owed to my fellow citizens, a duty which I trust I shall be found ready and willing at all times to do. As you are aware, I am still under medical care, so I trust you will once more accept my grateful thanks for your many kindnesses to me. [Cheers.] The other toasts proposed were “Mr Ollivier,” by Mr Conyers ; Messrs Hanney, Back, Smith, and Lowe,” by Mr W. Day ; “ Mr Knowles, Under-Secretary for Public Works,” by the chairman ; “ His Worship the Mayor,” by the chairman; and “Mr Passmore,” by Mr Thomas ; “ Mrs Conyers,” and “Mr Charles Clark.”