Sip John Hall.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVI, Issue 31, 11 February 1904, Page 4

Sip John Hall.

A COMPILIMEXT TO THE E\PKKMIEK. The London correspondent of the Otago Daily Times records the fact that the porua'i't of Sir .John Tlal], the venerable New Zealand statesman, has been formally placed in the Great Hall oi thy venerable City Guild known as "The Worshipful Company of Leather-sellers." The portrait is not only an excellent, and very pleasing likeness of. the exPrenrier, but is also so will planned and carried out in its details as lo make a striking picture. Sir John Is taken at full length, and in life size. He is represented in a standing attitude, wearing the dark Uue. gold embroidered uniform of the Imperial /Civil Service, with the star and cross of St. -Michael and St. George. It should be explained that this case has l.|cvn in no sense the ondijiraiy prcsc-rtatfjon of his own portrait by a memjber of a society as a gift to that body—a common enough occurrence. Tms case is utterly different.- A special request was made to Sir John by the court of the Worshipful Company that he would permit them to have his portrait parted to l,v pUv:ed in the Great Hall, and that he would sit to the artist to whom they should, give tho commission. That this vas no ordinary compliment may he gathered from the fact that hitherto only the portraits of masters and past-masters of the company have Jiad the honour of position in that hall. Sir John, who became a member, or, as it is techmicallod called, a "livery-man," of the company so forfr tfack as the year 1 Pv52—52 wars i ago—would long since have attained and passed the master's chair hut for the insuperable obstacle that he was in "another place"—i.e., New Zealand. But his brother liverymen, by whom he has always been greatly respected and esteemed, were determined that at the good old age of 80 years he should not again leave them for the antipodes, without leaving beh'nd him such a visible memorial of his long membership as would keep him always, as it were, before the view of his brethren, and so they resolved to make a special \xnd unique exception in his case, with the gratifying, result which tins week has witnessed. Another motive, if a subsidiary one, actuated the Master Warden and court in taking thi9 step. "We wished," he said, "to give a token of our friendship ( and good feeli'n-g towards the colony of New Zealand, our high sense of s her loyalty, and our appreciation of the great services that her Government arid people rendered to the , Mother Country in time of need. And wb thought we could do this the | most pointedly in offering a special compliment to our old and valued , colleague, thus gratifying our warm ' regard and esteem for him and showing our cordial feeling towunl Xl-w Zealand at the same time."