PRESENTATION TO MR ROBT. WILKIN.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2060, 30 September 1880, Page 3

PRESENTATION TO MR ROBT. WILKIN.

Pursuant to announcement a number of gentlemen met at the Agricultural and Pastoral Association's offices, Hereford street, on Wednesday afternoon for the purpose of witnessing a presentation to Mr Robert Wilkin, who has been intimately conneoted with the association since its foundation in Canterbury. The Hon. the Premier occupied the ohair, being supported on the left by Mr J. R. Hill, vice-president, Mr Wilkin and Sir Craoroft Wilson occupying seats to the right. Tho Chairman said—Gentlemen, —Tcu are no doubt all aware of the interesting occasion on which we have met. It is to make a formal presentation to our friend, Mr Robert Wilkin, of his portrait, painted at our expense. I will therefore, without further delay, proceed to business. (He then continued—) Mr Wilkin, —The very gratifying duty has been entrusted to me of formally presenting to you, on behalf of a large body of subscribers, a portrait of yourself, painted by Mr Mcßeath. Upon the occasion of your recent visit to the Mother Country, your friends and fellowsettlers took the opportunity of expressing their feelings of regard and esteem by attending in large numbers at a public dinner which was then given to you, but they also deeii-od you i should possess some more permanent record of their feelings, and therefore requested you would, during your sojourn in Britain, have your portrait painted by a first-clues artiat. This has been done in a manner which will be admitted to be highly satisfactory to all parties conoerned, and which presents to üb, and will present to those will come after us a speaking likeness of one of the best colonists and most worthy men whom Canterbury has numbered among its settlers. This portrait speaks to us of one who, bringing to New Zealand a large experience gained in other colonies, was foremost among those early settlers who undertook tho development of the resources on which the first progress of a new country as a rule depends; of one who from his first arrivul among us was ever ready to give his valuable and cneerful aid to every useful local work and local undertaking; of one who was for a long time, by the confidence of his fellow settlers, a valued member of our local Council, and was also a member of the Provincial Government at a time when that Government undertook work which has hod the most important influence on the welfare of Canterbury ; of one who has worthily represented us in the Parliament of the colony, where his brief and pithy speeohes had more influence and did more good than tho floods of oratory with which we have been blessed in these latter days. It is the likeness: of one who was virtually the founder of the flourishing association in whose rooms we are met, and which has done so much towards the advancement of pastoral, agricultural, and other industries in Canterbury and even in New Zealand. It speaks to his many friends as the likeness of a man whom more than any other that I know—has been resorted to by those in want of a counsellor and friend, and to whom no one ever applied without receiving tho benefit of his calm, sagacious, and judicious counsels. It tells us in short of one who has never wearied in working at any work which could promote the well being of his fellow settlers or the welfare of his adopted country, and who, in every relation of life—as citizen, father, and friend has endeared himself to those among whom he has lived, and let an invaluable example to those who will come after him. I feel sure this painting will be a valued heirloom in his family. We live in a country in which such possessions are as yet scarce, but the old country, rioh as it is in such relics, possesses few which I think should be more valued by any family than a painting which is at once a speaking likeness of so worthy a membor of it and a proof of the regard and esteem in which he is held by hie fellow settlers. In conclusion, lam speaking the feelings of all your friends when I say we deeply regret the illness from which yon have recently suffered, we sincerely trust you will soon be restored to perfeot health, that for many years you will be eparod to your family, and your adopted country, and that the day will be far distant, when in our midst this speaking likeness will have taken the place of the living original. I have very great pleasure, Bir, in requesting your acceptance of the portrait, a copy of which now hangs in this room. I have also to present you with a formal address to yourself and Mrs Wilkin, which accompanies it. [Applaute.] The address referred to was in illuminated writing and tastefully framed. The allusionß to Mr Wilkin's services as a citizen in the Premier's speech were warmly applauded. _ Mr Wilkin, on rising, was greeted with applause. He said:—Mr Chairman and Gentlemen, —It would indeed be a piece of great affectation on my part if, in standing up to thank you for the presentation of the portrait and this address, I were to say I was not deeply moved ; and I am only sorry that my paucity of words will utterly prevent me expressing my feelings in an adequate way as I could wish to do. Therefore, although I may say but little—and that little perhaps not much to the purpose—you will, I feel sure, accept that as the best thanks I can give you for the great honor you have conferred upon me. [Applause.] With regard to myself, I feel that I could derive no greater gratification, after living for twenty years in this community, than that of reoeiving suoh a mark of respect as that which you have this day shown to me, because I hold that any one of proper feeling must always oonsider the respect of his fellow citizens as something worth living for. [Applause.] And I feel confident, gentlemen, that my children will all entertain the same feeling as I have that they will look upon you always as having done honour to their father, and would ever in their hearts regard as their friends those who had been their* father's friends. [Hear, hear.] With regard to this association, I have been mixed up with it perhaps to a greater extent than with any other publio work, and have ocoupied myself in connection with it a good deal in one way ' and another. But it would be scarcely fair to speak of what I may have done, inasmuoh as it was with me a labor of love, and I never regarded it as labor at all. It was, indeed, a part of my nature to do everything I oould to advance the interests of those pursuits amongst which I was bred and born, namely, agricultural and sheep farming. It was, as I have said, instinctive in me to turn my attention to those eubjeots and do what I have done. I feel, as Mr Hall said, greatly pleased to look at the association and consider its position now as compared with what it was ten or twelve years ago. The progress made has been due, not only to what I have done, but to the united efforts of a strong and good committee, composed of disinterested men, who looked beyond their own personal interests altogether, and did their utmost to carry out the idea they had in hand. Whilst touohing upon this subject, I would also like to eay that if I derived no other gratification from my connection with the association, I should still have the keen satisfaction of having been brought into friendly relationship with a number of gontlemen whose acquaintance I esteem a very great honor and olwayß shall. I can assure you that Mrs Wilkin and my children will be exceedingly proud of the honor you have done me, and I will now ask you to allow me to conclude by heartily thanking you once more. [Applause.] The Chairman said this disposed of the pleasing duty they had met to perform, and he was auro all preaeut would join with him in wishing Mr Wilkin a speedy return to health and strength. [Applause.] Later on the Chairman said he hud boon reminded that he had omitted to state, what perhaps was known to many then present, that the copy of Mr Wilkin's portrait which now hung in tho hall, and which wasi the work of tho artist who had painted tho original, had been presented by Mr Wilkin to the A. and P. Association. Mr J. T. Ford proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman, and remarked that it was no doubt a matter of general satisfaction that Mr Hall was enabled to be present to make tho presentation. The motion was carried