209

H.—2B.

Citizens of Napier. (Telegram.) Mrs. Seddon, Sydney. Napier, 11th June, 1906. It was with the deepest feelings of regret that my Council received the news of the sudden death of your late husband, the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon; and on their behalf and on that of my fellow-citizens of Napier I desire to express to you their entire sympathy and sincere condolence with you and your family in the sad bereavement that has befallen you. Carnell, Mayor. Ratepayers of Northcote. Dear Madam, — Northcote, Auckland, 18th June, 1906. It is with sincere grief that I forward you a resolution passed at a meeting of Northcote ratepayers : " That this meeting of Northcote ratepayers tender to Mrs. Seddon and family their heartfelt sympathy in their sad bereavement." Yours, &c, Mrs. R. J. Seddon. H. Cadness, County Councillor. Settlers of Oparau Kawhia. (Telegram.) Mrs. Seddon, Wellington. 13th June, 1906. We, the settlers of Oparau Kawhia_ condole with you in your recent bereavement. Residents of Otira. Dear Madam, — July, 1906. I have been entrusted with the transmission of a letter of condolence to you on your sad bereavement by the residents here. As the letter explains, it was from no want of sympathy with your loss that we seem to be late in giving expression to our feelings, but from a deep sense of your great loss, and that of New Zealand generally, that we refrained from earlier approaching you on the subject. A good many of us knew your late husband from his earliest career on the West Coast; and, long before his great talents had given New Zealand beneficial laws, we knew his worth as one who was prepared to fight for the weak against the strong. May the memory of his great achievements for New Zealand and the Empire be a solace to you in the coming years of your widowhood. Yours, &c, Mrs. Seddon, Wellington. Fergus Barrowman. Dear Madam, — We, the co-operative workers and residents generally of Otira, desire to condole with you and your family in the great loss you have sustained by the death of your illustrious husband. We have refrained from earlier intruding on your great sorrow from a deep sympathy with your position, but as the majority of us have come under the magnetic influence of his handshake, and were privileged to call him friend, we feel we must give some expression to our feelings at so great-a calamity befalling you and your family and New Zealand at large. Yours, &c, Mr. T. W. Fell, Sunder Singh, Mrs. C. Fell, Margaret Stenhouse, Andrew Stenhouse, And 107 others. Mrs. Seddon, Wellington. James Greeney, Residents of Oxford. (Telegram.) Mrs. Seddon, Wellington. Christchurch, 18th June, 1906. Oxford mourns your and our country's great loss. John Ingram, Chairman, Road Board. Residents of Pahautanui. (Telegram.) Mrs. Seddon, Wellington. Pahautanui, 16th June, 1906. On behalf of the residents of Pahautanui, I offer you our heartfelt sympathy at the awful calamity that has befallen you and this colony by the death of your devoted husband, whose name has been immortalised by his magnificent deeds and whose name will stand out conspicuously upon the scroll of fame for generations to come. A. Nicol; Citizens of Palmerston North. (Telegram.) Mrs. Seddon, Sydney. Palmerston North, 11th June, 1906. Accept profound sympathy from citizens. Mayor.

27— H. 28.