THE KYNNERSLEY MEMORIAL.

Westport Times, Volume VIII, Issue 1152, 20 February 1874, Page 4

THE KYNNERSLEY MEMORIAL.

A public meeting was held at the Masonic Motel b.st evening. The Ma\or, J, W. Ilumjhrey, Bs'q., in the chair.

The chairman read the advertisement convening the meeting, fur the purpose of." considering the desirability of erecting a monument to the late Mr T. A. S Kyunersley, as a memorial of his connection with the South West Goldfields" Mr Kynnei's. ley's name, he said, was familiar to i bem all, and would be in itself a lastin.-; memorial of the good he had done by his zeal ami energy as Commissioner of the goldfields To give expiessinn to the respect felt by. all classes ihe present, movement had been initialed, and it was only lit that it should commence, as had been the case, iu West port where Mr Kynnersley hail been best known, ami where his influence and energy had been most beneficially felt He had no doubt that the efforts now contemplated Would meet with ready response, and would be largely followed up throughout the province. He need hardly say, as one among the many •who respected the memory of Mr Kynnersley, that the movement would have his cordial sympathy and sup port.

Dr Giles, R.M., said he was sorry to see the smallness of the meeiing, (the attendance increased shortly after proceedings had commenced) but he did not accept the scant attendance as any index of public interest in the movement. Many no doubt who were ready and anxious to support whatever steps should be decided on, considered that they could not do much te promote preliminary action by their presence that evening. A week ago a few residents had met together to consider the desirability of action, and had decided to leave it to a public meeting to settle what kind of memorial should be obtained, and the best ways and means of obtaining the cooperation of all who sympathised in the cause. Not that any doubt existed as to the reasonableness of the hope for prompt response to anything the private friends of Mr Kynnersley might have surixested, but it was considered that the formal as well as tacit approval of the people of the .goldfield was needed, so that the persons carrying out the purposes of the movement should have the authority of public sanction, and also that the public should have an opportunity of expressing feelings on the subject and suggesting any desirable line of action. He moved the following resolution.

"That it is due to the memory of the late Mr T. A. S. Kynnersley that his connexion with the Nelson SouthWest Goldfields should be commemorated by some permanent memorial, and that for the accomplishment of this end it is desirable that designs should be obtained for a suitable memorial to be erected in the town of "Wcstport, and subscriptions for the purpose collected throughout the Nelson Goldfields."

The resolution he remarked comprised two parts. The first, setting forth that the action proposed was due to the memory of Mr Kynnersley was so self assertive that it was hardly necessary to descant thereon. He believed that the unanimous consent of the people on the goldfields would he obtained. Already at Charleston and other places great interest had been evinced and wishes expressed for early information :as to action in Westport. At Greymouth also the subject had been the subject of private discussion, and had also been referred to by the . press. Tie noticed that the Greyin outh Mail contained an article referring to the subject, but evidently written in ignorance of the action that had been already initiated in Westport. The artie'e, in strongly urging that a Goldfields Memorial should he erected, said, " wo have no hesitation in saying that it is the duty of the people of the "West Coast to erect a monument to the late Mr Kynnersley, who certainly did more to make the Coast than any m?n who has hitherto been amongst -us", and again "That some tribute will be paid to his memory there is no doubt, and we think the initiatory steps in the matter shou'd be taken on the Coast where the deceased gentleman was so well known and so greatly respected, and where he 'SO cheerfully encountered 'the hardships that doubtless tended greatly •to accelerate his untimely decease." While taking these expressions as indicating the general opinion in favor of the erection of a memorial as "the proper thing to do, he would 'diverge a little from the main subject «to express disapproval of the kind of '■writing 'adopted by the writer in ■ another portion of the same article. The writer in lauding Mr Kynnersley had no doubt an earnest intention to promote the movement, but in lavishly bestowing praise upon the departed he should not have done so at the expense of every one else. The writer had drawn a strong contrast between Mr Kynnersley's administration and subsequent administration of goldfields affairs, and in lamenting Mr Ivynncrs•Jey's early death, had attributed it to st'aightened means, resulting from the neglect of those he had faithfully served. He would not argue that such reasons were unjust or fallacious, but he must emphatically say that they were indiscreet, and calculated to injure the success of the movement. It was also short sighted, and really did no honour to the memory of Mr Kynnersley. Coidd it be supposed that Mr K} uucrsley's light was so

weak that it would not shine of itself, hut needed the factitious aid of all ether lights being darkened so that hy contrast we might discern it ? Under such .circumstances even a rushlight would shed a (winkling lustre! It was true that Mr Kyunersley had been iu straightened means, illness having deprived him of the power to perform public duties; but it was not true that such condition was caused by the neglect of the Provincial Government. Speaking as the familiar friend of Mr Kyunersley, and avoiding any minute reference to private concerns, ho could say that the Government had nothing to reproach itself with, in its recognition of Mr Kynnei'sley's merits and c'aims He made these remarks because he deemed it unwise- that anything Offensive or indiscreet should he imported in the rtis. ussion. In his opinion if honor could nor, bo done to the dead without giving otfei.ee to the living then i 1; would be almost a pity that anything should he attempted (applause). Referring again to the resolution, it was almost superfluous to say more, bu 1 ; on a subject so personal it would be hardly satisfactory to put the resolution before the meeting on it own bare merits. He would therefore venture to make a i'ew remarks, inadequate perhaps to the subject, but still expressive of his own sentiments and deep regard. Dp Giles then referred at some length to the never wearying zeal and versatility of talent displayed by Mr Kynuersley iu the early days of the goldfields, and the abundant illustrations of these qualities ) r et to be found in official records, which apart from the undying recollections of his virtues written on the tablets of memory proved that if his life had been spared he would have earned fame in the annals of his adopted country. Referring iu eulogistic terms to the personal qualities of Mr Kynnersley, endearing him to all who knew him, the speaker said such qualities were not easy to enumerate to those who did not kuow him, and to those who did present laudation was unnecessary. He had most of the qualities that helped to make a man popular, most of those which men have whom the world calls great. He was generous, noble, and brave (as a naval officer, he perhaps had not many opportunities of showing this latter quality, but those who knew him best and had to some extent fathomed his mind knew that he did possess all the attributes of cool and dauntless courage). For his, the speaker's, part he could but say that if his country ever needed dauntless courage, cool heads and administrative skill, he hoped she might find many such as Mr Kyunersley. (Long continuous applause.) To say also that Mr Kynnersly was a true and generous friend was saying but too little. All who knew him knew that if once a friend he was always a friend, and even his opponents—he would not say enemies, for he had none—must admit that he was most generous in his opposition, taking no advantage to damage or gain a point. Above all—his best trait—he was a just man at heart, and bore no malice. Such was the man whose character and memory faintly and inadequately pictured at the best, they had met that night to revere. Taken away from them in the full flush of manhood, at the early age of 34 years, at a time when his friends and the public might have expected that, if he had been spared for other years of active endeavors, his memory would have been honored by a memorial national in character and splendid in design. To those present, to the people of the goldfields who knew him best, it was left to do the little that they could, and to hand down to posterity a token slight in itself but earnest of respect and esteem. Referring to the second part of the resolution, he (Dp Giles) said the points for consideration would be what to do, and how it could be most suitably and practicably accomplished. Assuming as a foregone conclusion that a memorial wouli bo erected, the expression already given to outside opinion both at Greymonth, on the goldfields, and elsewhere, was that it should be a goldfields monument. Mr Kynnersley's remains had been buried at Nelson and it was necessary as a matter of respect that the customary memorial stone and enclosure should be erected above his grave, but such details were apart from the question of erecting a monument to commemorate his services on the goldfields. The monument should be erected on some central position on the goldfields, which meant of course at West port as the chief town of the goldfields, and the scene of Mr Kynnersley's most active exertions. To the Committee should be entrusted the selection of a site and the selection also of a monument as artistic in details as could be obtained for the money likely to be contributed. Nothing elaborate in statuary could be expected, but the design in his opinion should be artistic and grace!ul, and might bear some reference, either by inscription or device, to all the leading places on the goldfields wherewith Mr Kynnersley had been connected. Some might argue that monuments were idle and pretentious things and of no use, but in this he did not agree. Monumental records should hot be disparaged. True they were not at all times artistic or even appropriate, but in his opinion a town abounding in monuments indicated a community whose aspirations extended beyond the passingday, and who did not eat and drink merely to live for the present, but who, reverencing the past, forged links of honor connecting them with the future.

In such a form what was worth recording was handed down to posterity and the present generation became lifted above the so called utilitarian habits of the time and made their mark in history. In this instance the people of the goldfields would be doingjustice to their own sentiments while doing honor to the memory of one they all esteemed. Mr I). Kbhk seconded the motion, which was carried uuanimouMly amid appplausc. Dr. Thorpe proposed,

" That for the panose of carrying out the object in view the following gentleman be appointed a committee, with pnwer to add to their number, Ur Giles, Messrs Dobson, Andrews, Kerr, Humphrey, Graves, Field, Powell, Corr, Monro, Gilmer. Tyrrell, and the "mover (Dr Thorpe)." l'he duties of the Committee, he explained, would be to obtain the support of ihe community, and co-operate with other committees appointed throughout the Goldfields.

Mr Fikt.d seconded this, as an old resident on the Coast, and one who had learned to respect Mr Kynnersley, and felt that '.he people owed him a deal of gratitude. Mr Labatt suggested that the name of Mr O'Conor, M.H.R. should be added to the Committee list. The Chairman reminded him that the Committee would have power to add to their number any person whose assistance would be deemed necessary or desirable.

The motion on being put was carried unanimously. Mr Munro proposed,

" That the Committee now appointed endeavor to obtain the co-operation of inhabitants of other portions of the South West Goldfields."

He bore testimony to the zeal and fearless manner wherein Mr Kynnersley had exercised his manifold duties. For several days he had been preparing himself, to speak before the meeting, with facts, figures and anecdotes, but the elaborate and eulogistic 6peech of Dr Giles had been so comprehensive that there was no necessity to further dilate on the subject. He had been very much struck with Dr Giles' speech, which was the best he had heard for a long time, and in listening to it he could not help thinking and wishing that Dr Giles would more often take an active part in public matters. The terms of the resolution he had proposed he considered essential to the success of the movement. It would have been unwise had Westport people attempted to keep all the honor to themselves. Their friends throughout the goldfields would be anxious to reciprocate with them, and it would be one of the main objects of the Committee to make the movement general rather than conservative. The purpose of the Committee world have his hearty co-operation and support. Mr John Gilmer seconded the resolution, which was put and also carried unanimously.

A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.