J. Marshall,
J. B. Taylor, Gavin Thomson,
A. Methven,
Mortimer E. Murray,
Adam Lind,
W. R. Dalziel,
John Gerrard,
M. S. Tonnochy,
Geo. F. MacLean,
F. Douglas,
H. Johnson,
C. Don,
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Logan Russell, Patrick Gifford, D. Morrison, Andrew Brown, James Berwick,
Edmund McLeod, Geo. Murray Bain,
D. R. Robertson, C.B.,
John Scott MacDonald,
A. Ross,
John Jack,
Crawford D. Kerr.
Mr. Mercer rose to reply, but a minute or two elapsed before he could sufficiently command his feelings to pro- ceed. At length, he said, that a set speech on these oc- casions was utterly out of place, and the golden rule of brevity was the best that could be observed.
Still, the very high compliment paid him must be ac- knowledged, not as it was felt, but in some way or other, and he was satisfied no offence would be taken by his breaking down,
The testimonial which they were kind enough to offer him he regretted to say official rules obliged him to decline, but as the case was, he might say, singular, private and peculiar, instead of being connected with public business, he did indulge a hope that his strict reading of the Colonial Regulations might be wrong, or that his official superiors might see fit to relax the rule in his favour.
In the meantime his duty was to decline the Testimonial, and he knew that the common sense of Scotchmen would not allow offence to be taken by the generous intenders of the gift.
As regards their very kind compliment to Mrs. Mercer, he was the last to offer any objection to it, and he rejoiced to think that all present were agreed that Mrs. Mercer
17
had occupied ber station, even in the highest place, to the promotion of a good understanding, the increase of ge- niality, and the good of the Colony.
He believed that he owed this compliment mainly to the fact that for the past few years he had presided over the annual St. Andrew's Dinner and had done his best to give that festival éclat. At any rate he would always have a very pleasant recollection of his St. Andrews' Dinners, and would never forget his "Brither Scots" whom he had met there. "In particular," said Mr. Mercer, "I shall never efface from my memory our meeting of to-day; and while thanking you, one and all, for your kindly feelings towards I shall best draw these few remarks to a close in an adaptation of our own ploughman poet's words:
me,
The bridegroom may forget the bride,
Was made his wedded wife yestreen; The monarch may forget the Crown
That on his head an hour has been; The Mither may forget the bairn,
That smiles sae sweetly on her knee; But I'll remember you, my friends,
And this that ye hae dune for me."
Mr. Mercer resumed his seat amidst loud applause, and the meeting shortly afterwards separated.
III.
On the morning (13th May) of Mr. Mercer's departure from Hong Kong, the following address was presented to him by the Chinese community. The papers by the mail which brought Mr. Mercer home, do not of course con- tain this tribute of respect, as it was offered too late for insertion in their overland issue.
This Address is in large Chinese characters, written on white silk, about 20 feet long by 4 deep.
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