Banting, W. 8. Lay, a W. F. Tyler, The result was a gathering at the Customs Club on Thursday night, at which Me. J. Harding presided over a large gathering of members of the Customs Service, Mr. Richer being on his J. KR. Harding said:—The very the same time very has been allotted to me this 2 presenting our esteemed Coun joner with some slight token of our respect and revacd, Alth agh, unfortunately, I aim lacking in the necessary eloytence, still 1 feel that tonight my tuk is really an easy one, and for this reason, that [am sure that we all of us assembled in this room ye mind in this matter. It may ys just as well thet I should be voicing our sentiments two quately j for were Tto say all the nice hings we all feel about our Commissioner it might really be too much for his modesty. Gentlemen, when? the subject presenting Me. Rocher with address was Hest mooted two points were noticeable, The first was that everyone who was spoken toon the subject immediately said: "Why, that was the ye was thinking of myself," and the second point was that way A most exception step to take to present an outgoing Commissioner Well, the first of these points required no answer, and to. the second the answer was exceedingly simple. That answer was that Me. Rocher was a very exceptional Commissioner, and hind served in Shanghai under very exception and during a very exceptions period.
Tthi 1 all agree that the last two or three ye: have formed probabl the most except nal period politically in tory of China since the Customs ice was started. It may be asked what ies have tod with the collection of revenue, Well, neod scarcely tell audience formed of Customs men that the work of a Com i e this covers vast fiekl. ited a some of us in the general office may be limited, to the dexterous use of the red and blue pencil; nor to the valuation of imports and exports, which work is so ably performed by our outdoor staff; or to the ast Postal service of this port, s0 well directed by our absent fri Donovan; mor to the light gaarding of our coasts, which Mr. Tyler, the Revenue Or department endea not only these very matters which the Chi £has to superintend, but many others—many complicated questions which might seem at first sight to be beyond the ken of the Customs. And through all this exceptional period, throught all this exceptional work, Mr. Rocher has laboured with exceptional ability and energy, and, what is even more important, with exceptional success. Gentlemen, whatever he to and to the Service; whether it be the prevention of plague, the collection of wharfage dues, the preservation of game, or the hunted and une other important matters he has taken up—all have been successfully started. There is one personal mutter which Lam glad of this opportunity tw refer to, and tint is the part taken by Me, Rocher in successfully urging on the higher authorities in Peking the necessity for increasing our pay. (Loud applause.) While we are all of us deeply grateful to the Inspector General for the energetic way in which he took this question up and brought it to a successful issue, we shall, I believe, vone of us ever forget the debt of gratitude we owe to Me. Rocher and to two of his colleagues, for their untiring efforts to place the matier before the higher authorities ina suitable manner. There is another point to which I should like to allude, and that is to the noble example of what I might term international courtesy shown during his career in Shanghai by our missioner. (Applause.) I take it that even in this cosmopolitan community, in this cosmopolitan service, there has rarely been. one of nationality so generally respected and liked by his fellow workers of all other nationalities, and in these days emotional jealousies and bickerings—jealousies unfortunately occasionally. fomented by an injudicious portion of the is a pleasure to know and to serve with a gentleman, who, though doubtless a patriotic and loyal Frenchman, not allow his nationality to influence kis conduct in the least degree in either his public or private life. (Appliuse.) Me. Rocher's unfailing courtesy to all has earned him the affzetion and respect not only of his own staff, bur of the entire community of Shanghai, Wo all regret, ler, not only the fact of your us, bat the fact that your dopwture hus been' hastened by temporary failure of health, ant we sincerely hope that your health will be speedily restored in anier that you thoroughly enjoy your well-earned holiday, ad that having been thus refreshed you may again return to Shanghai us our Commissioner, (Prolonged applause.) Before sitting down I must express our Madame R cher also is not in 1h, and offer yon our hopes for her speelly recovery. Mr. Rocher, we ati wish for yanand Madame Rocher a very pleasant voyage and a very happy holiday, and a safe rotten to Shanghai, where you will be heartily welcomed back. shall now pre sent you, in the name of the Foreign members of the Service in Shanghai, with thi little memento of our esteem and cand, and Twill ask Mr. Lowder to My' read the address—which Ives ately worded by Mr. fully iMuminated by Mr. nel by no less than 183 foreign members of the Service in this port. T regret that it has not been pos: sible fox all thos" who have signed to be present here to-night. Some have already \tone on leave, some are absent on duty, others, Lam sorry to say, are on the ick list, bat I feel sure that although absent in body they are all present with us in the spirit to-night. (Loud applause.) [UMr. E.G, Lowder then row out the address, which Jay on the table near the ch: er feait dishes which accompany it The address was us follows Stn,—While your approaching departure is deeply regretted by every member of the Customs Service in Shanghai, we find some consolation in the opportunity it affords us of offering you this expression of our sincere esteem.
Without relaxing the discipline necessary for the efficiency of the large staff over which you preside, you have, by your unfailing courtesy and consideration, eurnfed the hearty loyalty of all your sub-oni In gaining the universal respect of this cosmopolitan community, by the admirable
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.