BANQUET TO MR A. D. BAYFEILD.

Inangahua Times, Volume 75, Issue 75, 28 August 1878, Page 2

BANQUET TO MR A. D. BAYFEILD.

On Saturday oyoning last Mr A. D. Bayfoild, who has sinco taken his dopant turo from tho Inangabua, was outer* lainod at a publio banquet, in Dawson's Hall. Tho chair was occupied by Mr Warden Shaw, and tho viecuchair by Mr M'Loan. Tho following gonllomon woro also prosont t— Messrs Bull, Aiken, Rev Mr Kempthorne, Campbell, M'lntosh, Brown, Montoilh, Broad, Lewis, Williams, Smith, Loo, Trennory, On pios, Allen, Mont* gomery, Lccoh, Crofts, Woolloy, Dal lon, Emmanuel. Kolly, M'Kay, M'Gttffln,

M'Mnsters, Dunn, Lucas, Munson, Cavolb Gnllaghor, M Ginley. Potta, B^cs and Beoohc. Tho Chairman road lotter-t of npolosy from Messrs Rood, Arohor, Gallagher aud Walker. Tho Choirman in proposing tho usual toast of "I lor Majesty," said that sho rulod over Wales, Ireland, Scotland and Englanp, tho initial letters of whioh mado hor a "wiso" Quoon. Tho toast wus drank enthusiastically. Tho Chairman, in rising to proposo tho toast of tho ovening, said that ho regretted vory much tho oooasion which had colled thorn togothor tbat ovening. . Thoy had mot, ho might say, tho largest and most influential gathering evor bold in Reofton, for tho purposo of oxprossing thoir regrot at tho doparturo from th» district of ono whom thoy wero all sorry to loso (lioar.hear. A paper had boon plaood in his (the Chairman's) hands, which was I in tho form of a parting addross to thoir guest, but tho words of whioh, ho folt, but vory inadequately convoyed Iho sonse of regrot folt by nil prosont at Mr Buyfoild's approaohing doparturo. Tho ad« dress was as follows : — To A. D! Baybbimj Esq. Wo, tho undersigned rosidents of Reofton nnd Inangahua County, tonder to you our aincorost and heartiest expression of rogrct at your approaching departuro from amongst us. During five yoars you havo worked with us nnd oncouragod us in our efforts to dovolop tho rosoourocsof this distriot and 'further tho happiness and prosperity of tho community, nnd wo cannot but doploro your loss at a time whon every good man and truo is wantod. Nevertheless, tho futuro is bright for you and yours ,• and wo aro glad at your prospeot of advantage. Take with you a momonto from thoso who aro your friends but do not measure thoir friendship by its worth. We say farowoll, and may God bless you. Tho addross was not to bo rcgardod as a moro formal ono, for it had been penned in tho fullost sincerity and though it conveyed but a feint idea of the rogrot folt at Mr Bayfeild's sovoranco from tho community, it nevertheless enabled his friends to record in moro lasting torms their esteem for him. They all folt that they wero about to. loso ono whom they could ill spnro from tho community, but as it wos to bo, all thoy could do was to giyo utloruneo to their regret as thoy had done, nnd to oxpross the kindliest regard Lv his futuro wolfaro and advancement, (hoar ho;ir). Tho Chairman here prcsontod tho guest with a haudsomo and costly silver sorvico consisting of hnr pioocs. Mr Bayfeild in acknowledging tho compliment paid him said ho came quito unproparod to rocoivo tho very flittering compliments showered upon him. Uo wus at a loss to find words in which to adequately thnnk tho?o present, for tho compliment dono hitn. Ho was glad to find howovor, that ho* would leavo bohind him many frionds, few enemies nnd a host of noquaintanccs. (Cheors) Ho was not going far away, and ho would still rotain somo intorost in tho district, aud thoso horo could roly that nothing sliould bo wanting on his part to ndvauco tho district in every way within his powor; Ho would cherish tho address prcsontod to him nncl it would always romiud him of tho many warm friends ho had loft bonin! him. For tho more tangiblo cvidonoos of thoir ostoom whioh his frionds had honored him with, ho could only say that thoy would bodcaily prizod and would bo handed down to futuro generations of young Bayfoilds to the succession of all timo. (Groat chcor ing) Ho again thanked thoso prosont for tho groat honor they had dono him. Mr M'Lonn said that tho next toast had boon ontrustod to him and ho hoped, as i:idood ho folt confident, thoy wou d nil try and do it sufllcont jusfcioo Tho toast was that of ' Tho Mining Intorest,' (Cheors.) Wo woro all moro or loss dopondent upon tho prosperity of that in« dustry and woro it not for tho groat strides it had mado iv this district during tho last fow yoars tboro wonld huve boou littio oooasion for tho pleasant reunion of lhat ovoning. (Cheors.) Of tho old pionoors of tho distriot— thoso who had rustioatod upon cola and boilod oats. (Groat laughtor.) Ihoro woro but fow romainiug. There was present that evening, howovor, onj who had been amongst tho earliest piN griras to tho Hold, and who had sinco spent many years of tho bost period of his life in helping to opou up what, dospito the present depression, was undoubtedly tho most important mining oontro in tho oolony. (Hear, hoar.) Ho would, then oouplo with tho toast tho namo of Mr John Tronnory (loud ohooring.) Ono who had always boon a staunoh champion of tho field, and not afraid to launch out his monoy to dovolop it. (Hoar honr.) Mr Tronnory had undoubtedly dono a vory Kraal deal of good and ho (tho speaker) would thoroforo ask thorn to drink the toast enthusiastically. Driuk accordingly with threo timos throe, and ' llo's a jolly Rood follow. Mr Trennory thanked the vico«chairmau warmly for his eulogistic remarks, and was glud to think that ho had boon docmod worthy of so many compliments, Liko Mr Bayfeild, howovor, ho had not como prox parod for suoh nn ovation, and ho thoro« [bro felt somewhat at a loss how to acknowledge tho honor sufficiently ; tho peoplo loro bnd known him for a long timo and boy therefore know that ho oould not

make a spoooh and did not oft on try to; while in the district he had dono his best to push it ahoad and would still continue to do so ; ho was not going to run away. Ho bad cast his lot here, and ho intended to raako a fortune here before ho left. (Loud cheers.) Mr Crofts said ho had been callod upon to proposo tho next toast which was that of 'Tho Innngahn County Council ' with whioh ho would oouplo tho names of Mr Kelly and Caples. County Councillors, like nil other official.!*, did not recline upon beds of roses, but, aftor all, ns with Councils so with individuals, unless n person hud I somo enemies ho would never know how Ito esteem his frionds. (Ilcnr, heat) The occasion of their assembling that ovening was to bid faro well to ono of that body i who wos about (o leavo tho district and what seemed to heighten tho compliment they woro des rous of paying that gentleman, was tho fact that looking round tho tnblo ho (tho speaker) saw present tho representatives of all classes and croeds in tho community (Cheers), nnd this gayo to tho assembly a siguilicrtnoo which suoh gatherings did not at all times possess (Loud Cheors). Tho man who know how to entertain and uphold his own contentions opinions nnd convictions without obtruding thotu offensively upon thoso ub ut him was suoh n man as uo community could offord to loso. (Loud app'nuse) Mr Kelly in replying to tho toast and that ho thought tho Council would compa ro not unfavorably with similar bodies in other places ; they woro throughout moved with tho ono desiro to do the greatest possiblo good to all parts of the county alike. Thoy could not however, hope to pleaso everybody but thoy hud done thoir lies', and uo ono could try to do moro. (Cliecrs) Tho Chairman next proposed tho * Agricultural Intorest ' coupled with tho name of Mr John Willia us of Fcru flat. Mr Willinms suitably replied. Mr John M'Guffin proposed the toast of tho ' Bunking lulorost ' and cupled with it tho unmos of Mr Camplvdl of tho Bank of Now Zoaland and Mr M > ltoitli of tho National Bank, to whioh both gcnllemcu replied. Mr Bayfeild proposed tho toa 4 of ' Tho Chairman ' referring at somo longth to tho recent propoeod judicial changes and congratulating tho district upon etill retaining Mr Warden Shaw's services. Mr M' Loan al«o spoke to tho toast endorsing wlint hid boon said. Mr J. M'Q-tfllu spoke at somo length to tho tonet, warmly cuolugising Mr Shaw'n many good qu ditice. Tho Chairman nutably repliod, Tho toasts of tho I idios, responded to I y Mr Hull, and tho * Prow ' by Mr Potts concluded tho programme A numbor of songs woro rendorjd bat.voon the tcists un 1 on tlm wholo n most pleasant evening was ppjnt, the oo nputiy separating nt 11 3'J p.m.