Banquet to Mr Henry Sanson.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue III, 11 October 1890, Page 2

Banquet to Mr Henry Sanson.

On Tuesday evening a large number of people took the opportunity of testifying to their estimation and respect for Mr Henry San- . son by tendering him a banquet in the Public Hall The Advocate s>npj;lies the following particulars :— ln spite of the | threatening appearance of the weather about ninety persons, over a third of whom were ladies, assembled, occupying nearly all the seating accommodation. Mr J. A. Bailey occcupied the chair, having on his right the guest of the evening, and on his left, Airs Henry uanson. The Key. Mr Cannel was vice chairman. After the usual loyal toasts the Chairman pi^oposed " the guest of the evening." He said their l'rieud and guest, Mr Sanson, was about to ieave the district where he had beenso long and so favourably known, and the people would miss him, in the first place, because he had been a familiar figure at their social gatherings. They would miss him. too, as a public man, and he took it that their loss would be a heavy one, for Mr Sanson had taken an active part in all their public movements. Mr Sanson bad been one of the original promoters of the Hufct Small Farm Association, who took up tho land around Sanson, and although I he (Mr Bailey) did not wish to de- • tract from the services of those who were associated with him in the .' initiation of the settlement, Mr Sanson was one of the main pillars of the association, and was entitled 10 the thanks and gratitude ot the community. Though doubtless there had l-een some friction between their guest and other members of the County Council, he would bo missed at the council table, where his knowledge and experience had made him a valuable acquisition. He had also j taken a very active part in educational matters. Mr Bailey referred to the time and circumstances con - nected with the conimeuc ment of their first school in Sanson, in which movement their guest had taken a leading part, and to his services as member of the Education Board, and said that he hud received letter! from AlrSanson's colleagues on that board, bearing testimony to his ability and faithfulness in the discharge of his dudes. He was Chairman of their School Oommitte, and he (Mr Bailey) had worked with him, and 1)« could say that, for the manner in which ho had attended to their interests, every parent who had children a tending the school owed Mr Sanson a debt of gratitude. He went on to enumerate the public positions Mr San<on held in the community. They had. he said, given him a monopoly of ihem, and it would seem, when they thought of this, that they had either been very selfish or very incompetent. Mr Bailey concluded his address by wishing Mr and Mrs Sanson and their family a happy and prosperous future in their new home. — (Great applause.) The toast having been drunk with musical honours. Mr Sanson rose to respond. After thanking the company for the honour they had done him and his family in gathering there to take leave of him, and the close friend ship which had subsisted between himself and the chtdrmau for many years, he said he had felt himself honoured in the offices they had bestowed upon him, and he had always taken a real pleasure in doing what he had been able to do for the district. He had a restless mind which must be doing something, and if not good he supposed he would be doing evil. Putting joking aside, however, ho did not know what he would do when he got away from the district. Pie had spent twenty years of the best of his life in it, and he referred to the pleasure hp had had in interconrse with the people, and now the crowning point of his gratification wag in seeing so mauy gathered there to I Bay "good bye ' [Je hoped they' would not turn him out of his offices, ' H« would lib* to have h«ld lug seat '

on the school committee bad it been pracfcioabte for him to attend, and he would be a member of the Educad m Board as 1 ng as the committees wou d elect him. Ec again returned thanks to those who had honour d the tonst so hearily, and took his seat amid great applause. Many other toasts followed and an enjoyable evenioj? was brought to a close by singing Auld Lang Syne.