THE GOVERNOR'S DEPARTURE Auckland, January 5.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 333, 12 January 1889, Page 3

THE GOVERNOR'S DEPARTURE Auckland, January 5.

The ceremony of presenting His Excellency the Governor with a farewell address from the citizens of Auckland look place in the Art Gallery hist evening. Theie was a good representative attendance, and amongst the audience wore a fair proportion ot ladies. Thoro were also present in fcho hall: .Sir George (<roy, for. Campbell, Dr. Laishley, Dr. Dawson, Dr. Purchas, Messrs T Peacock, M.H.K., F. Lawry, M ILK., U AI. Clark, J. A Tolo, Shirley Bauci, iJ. J. Holland, Atkm. (.irey, Boardman, Upton, Ireland, Ueed, MoCullough, Speight, (ioidou, Taio. Sir William Jervois, who woic ins O.C.M.U. decoration, cut. red iho hall aoconipamed by his A. D.C , and was enthusiastically received. ii.sj Worship the Ma\or, who pie.su led, slid hU> duty that evening \sa& a simple one. He wa*, on bohalt ot the citi/en-3 of Auckland, about t-j piencno to His Exeolloncy the lioxcmoi of thi-> colony a tare we! I address?, lie tound that this was the last occasion on which we would met His Excellency as (Governor. Veers ago, beioje William Jervois was apjtointed governor c»f New Zealand, we heard of him as a statesman, soldier and engineer, and \\ lieu ho came amongst us wo found that what was .-aid of him was true, and that De wa-> as good a Oovernor a* he was. an engineer. The colony %\a^ m a defenceless coudition.when he took olhcu, but he was leaving it able to give a good account of itself lo any unwelcome visitors, and othei colon icV besides New Zealand weic indebted to Sir William ior their defences. The tact that his period of olHcc a^ Cove, nor had como to an end V\ti= unnei stilly regretted thioughout the length and bicadth of New Zealand. The jiddiets, which wa* handsomely engrossed \\ us a^> tollows :—: — To His Excellency Sir William Francis Duunniond .Jervois, X.C.M.C, etc. We, the citizens of Auckland, take the occasion ot this >our lat>t \isit to this city as our Governor, to express our high sense of the manner in which you have discharged the duties of the otiice yon aie now about to vacate. Wsdesiregratef ully to acknowledge the statesmanlike method which has characterised your action as Governor, and bhe important services which by your professional skill you have been able to render to the colony We sincerely regret that you are about to lea\e New Zealand at an early date, and that your term of oiiice amongst us is nut to be lenewed. We also desire that you should comcy to Lady Jervois our best wishes. We sincei ely hope that she may bespeedily restored to health. Jn expressing our regret that you are about to leave New Zealand, we but echo the feelings of our fel-low-colonists, from the north to the extreme south ot the colony. We shall in the future watch your career with the most hearty sentiment? of esteem aqd good will. — A. E. Dkvoki;, Mayor of Auckland ; M. Niccol, Chairman of the Harbour Board ; W. H. Coli'.eok, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce ; C. ArKiN, Chairman of the Hospital and t'haiitable Aid Boaid ; J. H. Uptov, Chairman ot the JBoaid ot Education ; J. Logan Campkell, Yice-Pie»ident of the Society ot Arts ; Andrew Bull, President of the Industrial Association ; Tiioaia.s Tpdeiiope, President of the Tiades and Labour Council. The Mayor added that theie had not been suifh'eient time to get the addicts more generally signed. His Excellency the Governor, in accepting the addres", said there was nothing which was more gratifying to him than the fact that during the six years of his residence heie he had had the hearty goodwill of the people amongst whom he had lived. Although it would be difficult indeed for him to -ay that he was not glad to go back lo the mother country, for certain leasons to which he would presently allude, yet he and hi^- family left New Zealand with the most heaitfelt regret — and that, ho might say, nob only because of the manner in which he had been so heartily recei\ed, but because he believed that taking all circumstances into consideration, thciewasnota finer colony on the face of the earth than this coion\ of New Zealand. He was sine that he would look back, when he was going through a winter in the old country, to the sunny skies that they were now enjoying, and the beautiful climate ol this countiy. The Mayor had honoured him, and they had also honoured him in the address, by xeferring to the services which he had lendered in New Zealand. A greater pleasure be colild not have than to deal \\ ith the defence of New Zealand. He remembered that it was because ho was engaged in connection with the defences ot Australia that he became acquainted with this colony, it had been said to him here and elsewhere in England, " What is the good of defending those places'' Nobody will ever come near them when the defences are completed." To this he had always replied, " That is exactly the object foi which they are constructed " — (laughter and cheers) — and he believed they would most thoroughly attain that object, and then, it was to bo hoped, people would see that there was good in the ' defences. He had contemplated very much, like his friend Sir George Crey, whom he was glad to see present on this occasion— (cheers) — he had contemplated whether he should not take up his abode altogether in this part of the world. He had talked over the matter with Lady Jervois; but they had come to the conclusion that as they had grandchildren and other ties at home, it was impossible that they should tako up cheir abode elsewhere than in the mother country. Ifc was a fact that very strong efforts were made by the (iovernment CT here to retain his services in this colony, and that he should be appointed for another term; but he had telegraphed to the Secretary of State, intimating that, whatever the circumstances, he begged to decline any such honour, as he was not ! able to avail hin^selt of it. He was quite sure that they would find in his successor — be did not know him, but from all that he had heard of him, trom his .knowledge ot what he had done in the Colonial Office and as President of the Colonial Conference — he was sure that they would find him exactly the man they would like to have as Governor of New Zealand. (Cheers.) He would say, another word before he closed with reference to Lady Jervois. (Cheers.) He assured them that she regretted most extremely that she waß unable to accompany him on the present occasion. She was suffering from bad health, and in the voyage home intended to go by Cope Horn, to avoid transhipment. He was sure that she would appreciate their courtesy, and he was sure — if he might venture to speak thus of his own wife — that no one deserved it more. (Cheers.) She was, without exception — as he had said once before at Christchurch— the best woman he had ever met. (Laughter and cheers.) He could .only again thank them for their kind address, .and, tor the kind reception which they had uniformly given him whenever he had como to A uckland. He thanked eve^ry- , one throughout the colony for the courtesy they had ever shown him ; and so long as his life lasted he would recollect the six years of his existence in New Zealand as amongst the best of his life. (Lotid and prolonged cheering. )