VALEDICTORY LUNCHEON.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2605, 12 August 1882, Page 3

VALEDICTORY LUNCHEON.

A luncheon to bid farewell to Mr J. R, Hill, one of the peat presidents of the Agricultural and Pastoral Association, took place at the rooms of Measra J. T. Ford and Co. today. About seventy gentlemen aat down to a very excellent luncheon, capitally served by Mr Joseph Buggy. The chair was occupied by Mr Henderson, the president of the association, having on hie right the guest of the day and Messrs Bruce, Boag, Moßeth, Walla and Murphy, and on the left Messrs Norman, 8. Qarforth, Gilmour and J. E. Parker. The vice-chairs were filled by Messrs P. Cunningham and D. Oraig. Ample justice having been done to the admirable luncheon served. The Chairman rose and read letters of apology for non attendance from Mr Robert Wilkin and Mr Ohryatall expressing their regret at not being able to be present, and speaking in the highest possible terms of the services renc'ercd by Mr Hil to the association and public generally. Mr J. T. Ford, on behalf of Mr Charlies Newton, expressed the regret felt by that gentleman at; not being able through illness to bo present to wish God speed to Mr Hill, whose friendship ho highly valued, and whose efforts on the part of the Association he fait would not soon be forgotten. The usual loyal toasts, those of “ The Queen and Royal Family,” having been drunk, Tbe Chairman then gave the toast of the day, “Our Guest.” [Loud cheers.] He had hoped that Mr Robert Wilkin would have been present to have proposed the toast, but unfortunately this was not so. They bad known Mr Hill in various capacities connected with the Association, and he could hardly meet Mr Hill in the street without his proposing something for the good of the Association. Mr Hill was leaving them, not for long, and when he returned to them, as he hoped he would, all they could hope was that he would evince the game interest in the Association that ho had done in the past. [Cheers.] He gave them the health of Mr Hill, with the hope that he would have a safe and speedy voyage, and soon return. [Cheers ] The toast was drunk enthusiastically. Mr Hill, who wi s warmly received on rising, said it was a laudable ambition on the part of any man to desire to win the good opinion of those amongst whom he resided. If the high honor they had paid him that day was a proof that he had done so, then he could say it was one of the happiest periods of his life. He felt now, when the moment of departure had come that he deeply regretted leaving his friends, but he wished to say that h i could not take all the credit Mr Henderson had given him, He looked round that room and he saw men there who had assisted at the birth of the Association, and who had brought it up to the high standard of the best society of its kind in New Zealand. [Cheers ] He had only followed in their footsteps, and had only to claim a sincere wish on his part to keep up the high standard to which those gentlemen had brought the Association. [Cheers.] It had been aptly said that the man who made two blades of grass grow where only one grew before was a public benefactor, and so, he contended, was an association which had made two and a half pounds of wool grow where one grew before. Their Association had introduced the ordinary breeder to the stud breeder, and had, by inducing competition, so grealy improved the breeding of animals as to confer a deep and lasting benefit on the country. He was not used to pnblio speaking, but ho requested them to believe that he felt very deeply the honour they had done him that day, and if he failed to express the way in which he felt it, this was owing only to the lacking of the power to speak at length. Once more he thanked them for the kindly way in which they had drunk his health, and assured them that he would never forget the kindly friends he had made in New Zealand. [Cheers.] Mr Hill then proposed the next toast, "The Agricultural and Pastoral Interests of Canterbury.” They had a fine soil and a fine country, and the interests to which he had referred are the backbone of the country, enabling, as they did, men to realise an independence, and to keep themselves and their families in comfort. By and bye, when, in addition to the export of wheat and other grain and wool, they added the export of froz.n meat, there would be no end to the prosperity off the country. It was owing to the agricultural and pastoral interests succeeding in their midsts that they were many of them in the positions they occupied that day. It was due to this that their companies thsir shipping and other companies existed. But still, while the progress in the past had been great, fit was nothing to what would be its progress in the future. By-and-bye they would see the country dotted over with homesteads and farms carrying a thriving and contented population, [‘dear, hear.] He would couple the toast with the name of tbe Hon. J. T. Peacock. [Cheers.] The toast was drunk very enthusiastically. Hon. J. T. Peacock said that he thought that the despised iquattooraoy had in the past done a great deal towards ensuring the prosperity of the country, and then they now found that in connection with the frozen meat industry, to which reference had been made by Mr Hill, the squattooraoy and agricultural and pastoral interest had to go handin hand. They had the country, the soil, and the climate, and all they wanted was a careful administration of their loans. In the past they had ignorance and bad roads, now they had knowledge, good roads, and railways. If he might be permitted to digress slightly from the subject, ha might say that thor, in common with many others, must regret that they had lost the control of their own affairs by abolition. As Mr Hill was leaving them it might bo interesting to moi tion that for the first quarter of 1882, up to March last, they had exported 862,265 sacks of wheat and 171,990 sacks of oats, barley, and other cereals. This showed that they were doing good work, and in this the Agricultural and Pastoral Association had greatly assisted. With respect to the railway rates, he must ask their pardon to say that he thought the farmers were quite right to biing pressure to bear on the Government io order to reduce the rates for carriage of produce, aid he trusted it might be successful. [Cheers.] Mr John Ollivier proposed "The Chairman,” Mr Henderson. He trusted Mr Henderson would long continue to give the Association the benefit of bis valuable services. [Cheers ] The toast was drunk amid cheers.

Mr Henderson responded, thanking those present for ths hearty way in which they had responded to the toast so kindly proposed by Mr Ollivier. He esteemed it a great honour to the president of ouch an association as the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association. He, though not able to make speeches, felt a deep interest in the work of the Association, and should always do so. His earnest wish was to see it prosper as much in the future as it had done in the future. Mr H. R. Webb proposed the health of «* Mr P. Cunningham, the Vice-President.” That gentleman had taken a very deep interest in the Association, as indeed he did in everything for the advancement of the colony generally and Canterbury in particular. [Loud cheers.] The toast was drunk amid cheers and with musical honors, Mr P. Cunningham responded briefly, and the proceedings terminated.