BANQUET TO THE PREMIER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIV, Issue 81, 11 April 1902, Page 2

BANQUET TO THE PREMIER.

ENTHUSIASTIC FUNCTION IN WELLINGTON. PEE PREsS ASSOCIATION. V Wellington, April 10. v The Premier was entertained at alp banquet st the Empire Hotel this > evening. There was a large and d -If; preventative gathering of citizens, the i Mayor, Mr J. G. W. Aitker, presidi. p. v The toasts honoured were the " Go-I'] vernor," Hnd the "Guest of the ever;- o ing." The latt 1 v<s pr p"Bfd by Sir f James Prc-ndergast, who paid tribute h to the humanity at d bravery of the c troopi in South Africa, and also j, eulogised the services of the Premier to I the Empire in r»gara to the war. He a hoped advantage would be taken of th" j coronation to show the world •th 1 solidarity of the Empire. Tt.is c lir-y, j he said, could not be better represented ] on that occaeion thin by Mr Seridon. , (Cheers.) He manifestly pcsse>S"d the capacity of guaging public opinion and announcing what was likely to be ac cep : able to the people, Hon. Dr. Morgan Or.*ce, in supporting the toast, said that although lie hnd differed from Mr Seddou [.optically ha admitted the sagacity of tho 1 Pi omiur, and uf what he had done for the colony. The Premier replied in a fpee>tb 1 freely punctuated with applause. He 1 announced that he had received thfollowing communiration from Air W. L. Allardyce, Adminis tft'ur of Fiji : " I desire to of!or you and t. e poopl. o' Netv Z-aland congratulations on th" occasion of this c,.li>ny brtiusy connected with New Z-alaiul by cable." (Loud and c ntinued applause.) Thsticiminunicatiou was only the t- ivruoner of a much closer communication with Fiji, (dries of " Hear, hear.") The Premier was still speaking when the telegraph office closed.