This gentleman being about to revisit his native country, and it having been considered proper that some testimonial should be presented to him in acknowledgement of his exertions in the cause of temperance, and in the promotion of the moral and intellectual welfare of the community, a public meeting for the furtherance of the design was held at the Royal Hotel last evening.

The Honorable the Attorney-General having been called upon to take the chair, the learned gentleman, in accepting the invitation, said that he rejoiced to see the wealth, intelligence, and respectability of the colony so well represented on an occasion when they were come together for the purpose of giving expression of their feelings towards a gentleman so well entitled to the gratitude of the colonists of New South Wales as was their friend the Rev. John Saunders. It would indeed have been an indelible reflection on the community at large, were they to allow him to leave their shores without some public demonstration of the high and universal esteem in which he was deservedly held. It was well known that Mr. Saunders possessed talents of the highest order; but in what cause has his energy been put forth - to what purpose has his talent been directed - how applied? A nobler answer to such a question could not be given, than could with propriety be given on behalf of the Rev. John Saunders.

From the first moment of his landing on these shores, his energies and talents had been devoted to the promotion of the best moral and social interests of the community. It was well known that on every occasion his eloquence was always available in the public advocacy of benevolent of philanthropic objects; and in the committee-room no man was more regular in his attendance, or rendered more efficient assistance than Mr. Saunders.

The great cause, however, with which that gentleman's name was more particularly connected was that of temperance; so much so indeed, that on one occasion he, the Attorney-General, recollected he was styled the father of the temperance movement; an honour, however, which was modestly declined. It turned out, on enquiry, that about six weeks before the arrival of Mr. Saunders in the colony, a few gentlemen had associated together with a view of offering some opposition to the tide of intemperance then so prevalent among all classes of the community; one of those gentlemen, Mr. Edward Hunt, was present, but the rest he believed were no more; but although the paternity had thus been disclaimed by Mr. Saunders, he had since that time been more than a father to the cause, and by his eloquence on the platform, by his pen, and through the medium of the press, he has nobly exerted himself in support of the principle, and that at a time when some degree of odium was attached to the advocacy of temperance - when it was not so fashionable to countenance the movement as it has happily latterly become.

From the year 1834 to the present he had been unwearying in his exertions, almost labouring against hope, and kept the even tenor of his way; and now, on the eve of his return to his native land, the retrospect must be most gratifying and encouraging to him: for it was not Mr. Hunt alone, but many thousands had enrolled themselves as members of the various temperance and total abstinence societies which had since then been instituted throughout the colony, and the effects of which were both seen and felt in every grade of our society.

He (the Attorney-General) would only allude to those general matters: not himself belonging to Mr. Saunders's congregation, he should make no reference to his labours as a minister of the gospel. But though they differed in some respect, on this certainly the most important of all subjects, that was no reason why he should refrain from coming forward on such an occasion as the present, he would indeed be sorry if such a doctrine should be countenanced in a Christian community; and from the presence of a reverend friend opposite (Mr. Dean McEncroe), he was glad to see he was not singular in his views. He regretted as much as any one could the departure of Mr. Saunders from these shores; he would carry with him his (the Attorney-General's) best wishes and regards, and his labours and virtues eminently entitled him to the best wishes and regards of every colonist of New South Wales.

The Honorary Secretary announced that he had a letter from His Honor the Chief Justice, stating that the pressure of business prevented him from attending the meeting, and from several other gentlemen. Mr. Palmer read the following from the Honorable the Speaker of the Legislative Council: -

Bungendore, November 24, 1847.

Dear Sir, - I have the honour to acknowledge your letter of the 19th instant, in which you intimate to me, "that it has been proposed by the friends of the Rev. Mr. Saunders to present him with some testimonial of their high esteem on the occasion of his leaving the colony for England, and requesting that I would attend a public meeting, proposed to be held on the 30th instant, at the Royal Hotel, with the view of carrying out the abovementioned object." I regret exceedingly that my absence from Sydney will prevent my attendance at this meeting. It would have afforded me no small satisfaction to have been enabled on such an occasion personally to have offered my humble testimony as to the worth and many excellencies of character of my friend Mr. Saunders. I have known him intimately ever since the period of his arrival in the colony, and I can with perfect sincerity say, that it has never been my lot to meet with any one, whose conduct in life has been more strikingly marked by actual benevolence, and elightened zeal, than has his. I lament his departure from the colony, and will most willingly co-operate in carrying out any proposal that may be made for presenting him with a public testimonial.

I am, dear Sir,
Very respectfully yours
C. NICHOLSON

To J. H. Palmer, Esq.

Mr. Michie said, after the well merited eulogium which the honorable and learned Chairman had passed on the Rev. John Saunders, it was not needful for him to do more that ratify it; he most cordially participated in the feelings which had been expressed, although mingled with something like melancholy at the prospect of losing one of the salt of the earth. He had for the past five or six years been acquainted with Mr. Saunders, and was satisfied that he had entitled himself to a public acknowledgement of his exertions in withdrawing men from the gin-shop and the pot-house, in which he appeared to have had an influence as great as that of the great Father Mathew himself.

He (Mr. Michie), however, would not attempt to gild refined gold or paint the lily; he knew of many instances of Mr. Saunders's active philanthropy, but would content himself with simply but most sincerely moving the first resolution, namely: - "That in the opinion of this meeting, the valuable services rendered to the moral, social, and general interests of New South Wales, by the Rev. John Saunders, principally through his philanthropic exertions during the last thirteen years for the advancement of the great cause of temperance throughout the colony, entitle him to the gratitude of all classes of this community."

The Rev. Dean McEncroe rose with very great pleasure to second the resolution, having been acquainted with Mr. Saunders from the first meeting on the temperance movement at which he was present, now about thirteen years ago, and in the advocacy of which he had persevered to the present moment. No testimonial, he was assured, which it was in the power of the public to bestow, could equal that which was borne to Mr. Saunders by his own conscience, in having discharged what he considered was his duty; and it was therefore not alone to pay a tribute to his worth, which he certainly deserved, but also with a view of inducing others to pursue a similar course of conduct, that it was proposed to bestow on Mr. Saunders a parting testimonial.

The colony could very badly spare such a man as Mr. Saunders at the present time: for although there were many who spoke very highly of the beneficial effects of the temperance movement, in which he had borne a so honourable and conspicuous part, they did very little towards promoting its objects. Many of our legislators were of this description, for while they extolled the principle of abstinence from intoxication liquors, they thwarted the endeavours of the philanthropic by lowering the duties on spirits, the consequence of which was visible in the increased number of inquests, and the increasing number of inmates of the lunatic asylums.

It was quite vain to look for the full benefit which ought to be derived from adequate religious instruction without laying the axe to the root of the tree of intemperance, and thereby preparing the minds of the population for its reception. He hoped that one result of this demonstration would be seen in some other individual coming forward to occupy the situation about to be vacated by. Mr. Saunders. He had great pleasure in seconding the resolution.

The Chairman put the resolution, which was carried unanimously.

The Rev. Dr. Ross moved the next resolution: - "That having learned that Mr. Saunders is about to return to Great Britain, this meeting is of the opinion that he ought not to be allowed to leave these shores without some appropriate testimonial of the sense entertained of his character and services by the colonists at large."

He (Dr. Ross) should have preferred that this motion had been placed in other hands, because his intimacy with Mr. Saunders might lead to the supposition that the reasons for which he supported it were overcharged. It might not be out of place to observe, that Mr. Saunders came to the colony at his own expense - and that not for the purpose of trading, or of making money, but for the some purpose of doing good. He had now been thirteen years in the colony, and his labours had been unceasingly devoted to the good of the colony, without one farthing of expense to the public, or to the Government, having been supported entirely by his own congregation; and on this ground alone, if on no other, he was entitled to the thanks of the community. As a religious man, and as a religious teacher, he was a man of most Catholic spirit, in whose heart bigotry found no place - in the arms of his charity embracing men of every creed, hailing all as brethren, and without inquiry as to their belief, ready to promote their interest, whatever that interest might be. There was not a benevolent institution which had not received his support, freely given, and which had not found in him a ready and a powerful advocate. He was a man of superior talents and of great attainments, which he had frequently devoted to the improvement, instruction, and amusement, of the inhabitants of the city. He was a man of great mind, in whom nothing mean had ever been discovered, or even insinuated. He now was about to leave the sphere of his labours without a stain upon his character: no man could charge him with anything either low, mean, or immoral. His coming here was a public blessing - his leaving a general loss. May he carry with him the Divine benediction!

Mr. Thomas Stubbs seconded the resolution, which was unanimously adopted.

Mr. W. T. Cape was very happy in an opportunity having been offered to him of bearing his testimony to the valuable services for which the colony at large was under obligation to the Rev. John Saunders. In a young community such as this, the minds of men generally were so actively and constantly engaged in their own private affairs, that but few were to be found, who could devote their talents, their energies, and their industry, to considerations of the public good in the manner which Mr. Saunders had done. Thousands throughout every district in the colony, and even beyond the boundaries, owed him a debt of gratitude for his efforts in the cause of temperance; and beyond a doubt, but for those efforts in this direction, the employers of labour, notwithstanding the difficulty under which they were pressed, would have been in a far worse condition; and he had great confidence that many would come forward and express their sense of the value of those services by a liberal response to the call which would be made upon them by the Committee which that meeting would appoint to carry out their views. But it was not on the temperance question alone that Mr. Saunders had beneficially exerted himself, but was an active member of every philanthropic institution in the city; and throughout his career had been teaching many great and important lessons: that the greatest efforts of a community should be directed not merely to relieve indigence, but to dry up its resources; to supply moral wants; to spread purer principles and habits; to remove the temptations to intemperance and sloth; to snatch the child from moral perdition; to make the man equal to his own support by awakening in him the spirit and the power of a man.

With these remarks Mr. Cape moved the following resolution: - "That in furtherance of this object a subscription be now entered into, and that a committee be appointed to receive the same, and to apply the proceeds in such a manner as to them shall seem best calculated to carry out the spirit of the foregoing resolutions."

Dr. A'Beckett had great pleasure in seconding the resolution, and bore his testimony to the high respect and esteem in which Mr. Saunders was held - in doing honour to whom they would confer honour upon themselves, showing that they were capable of appreciating so estimable and so honourable a man.

The Rev. R. Mansfield did not know what he could say in addition to what had already been said in reference to Mr. Saunders, to all of which he cheerfully subscribed with all his intellect and all his heart. He had had the pleasure of knowing Mr. Saunders from the day of his arrival until now that he was about to make his departure from the colony: and a man he more respected, esteemed, and loved, he did not know. He had seen him in every variety of aspect and situation - in the pulpit, the lecture-room, the committee-room, the study, and the drawing-room; and he was always the same.

Until the arrival of Mr. Saunders in the colony, he (Mr. Mansfield) had never bestowed any serious attention to the great subject with which the name of Mr. Saunders had since been principally connected. But since that day another spirit had come over the city and the colony; and their state now, compared with their state then, was as different as it was possible for any two things to be: and this change was almost exclusively to be attributed to the efforts of Mr. Saunders in the great cause of Temperance. And here he would just notice one fact: Dr. Ross had referred to the disinterestedness of Mr. Saunders in seeking no reward from the State or from any other quarter for his services in the cause of philanthropy and temperance. He (Mr. Mansfield) knew that Mr. Saunders incurred pecuniary embarrassment by his exertions in the cause of temperance - a person responsibility which to this moment was hanging over his head. This circumstance, he hoped, would serve as an incentive to a liberal subscription.

The reverend gentleman concluded by moving the following resolution: - "That the committee do consist of the following gentlemen, with power to add to their number: The Honourable the Speaker of the Legislative Council, the Honourable the Attorney-General, J. P. Robinson, Esq., M.C., A. Michie, Esq., A. a'Beckett, Esq., L. Myles, Esq., J. P., A. Sillitoe, Esq., J.P., A. H. McCulloch, Esq., R. Sadlier, Esq., R.N., T. Holt, junior, Esq., the Reverend Dean McEncroe, the Reverend Doctor Fullerton, the Rev. Dr. Ross, the Reverend William Binnington Boyce, the Reverend Ralph Mansfield, Messrs. W. Beames, R. Bourne, T. W. Bowden, T. Cadell, H. Dixson, W. A. Dobson, P. J. Elliott, J. Fairfax, A. Foss, J. Hoskins, Edward Hunt, J. Howison, I. M. Illidge, L. Iredale, D. Jones, T. Jones, G. A. Lloyd, G. Oakes, S. Owen, C. Scott, J. N. Smith, T. Stubbs, and G. Rattray."

Mr. Alexander seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously.

Mr. J. N. Smith moved, and Mr. A. Sillitoe seconded, that John Alexander, Esq., be requested to act as Treasurer, and Mr. J. H. Palmer as Secretary.

The usual vote of thanks to the Chairman was then passed, and the business of the meeting terminated.

The sum of one hundred and twenty guineas was subscribed in the room.

A numerous and highly-influential meeting was held on Tuesday evening, at the Royal Hotel, for the purpose of presenting to the Rev. John Saunders (who is about to revisit his native country) with some testimonial in acknowledgement of his exertions in the cause of Temperance, and in the promotion of the moral and intellectual welfare of the community.

The Chair was taken by the Attorney-General - who remarked, with pleasurable feelings, on the wealth, intelligence, and respectability which had assembled for the purpose of expressing their feelings of gratitude to that undoubted friend of the colony the Rev. John Saunders; and it would have been a stain on the community at large had that gentleman been permitted to have left these shores without some demonstration of the high esteem in which he was held. Independently of his exertions for the promotion generally of moral and social intercourse, the cause of temperance was sincerely and warmly advocated by him; in fact he was by many styled the father of the temperance movement. After stating the difficulties the reverend gentleman had met with in support of this principle - almost laboring against hope - he (the Attorney-General) concluded by observing that although Mr. Saunders would leave these shores accompanied by the general regret of the community, yet he would at the same time carry with him their best wishes and regards, and the balm of an approving conscience.

A letter from the Chief Justice was read, stating that press of business prevented him from being present at the meeting; also a letter from C. Nicholson, Esq., the Speaker of the Legislative Council, expressing his regret that absence from Sydney prevented his attending the meeting. Other letters of a similar import were read.

Mr. Michie, in rising to move the first resolution, did not deem it necessary after the well merited eulogiums which had been passed by the Chairman on the Rev. John Saunders, to say much more on the subject, he could bear ample testimony to the truth of all that had been advanced, and would beg to move "That in the opinion of this meeting, the valuable service rendered to the moral, social, and general interests of New South Wales, by the Rev. John Saunders, principally through his philanthropic exertions during the last thirteen years for the advancement of the great cause of temperance throughout the colony, entitle him to the gratitude of all classes of this community."

The Rev. Dean McEncroe seconded the resolution, and spoke of the benefits which the colony had derived, to his knowledge, from the efforts of Mr. Saunders from the first meeting of the temperance movement which he attended about thirteen years ago. He trusted others would follow Mr. Saunders's example, by laying the axe at the root of the tree of intemperance. He had much pleasure in seconding the resolution, which as put and carried unanimously.

The Rev. Mr. Ross moved the next resolution as follows: - "That having learned that Mr. Saunders is about to return to Great Britain, this meeting is of the opinion that he ought not to be allowed to leave these shores without some appropriate testimonial of the sense entertained of his character and services by the colonists at large." He was sorry the resolution had not fallen into better hands, for from his intimacy with Mr. Saunders, his observations may be considered partial. He might however, venture to state that the reverend gentleman came to this colony at his own expense, about thirteen years ago, and that his unceasing labours for the good of the colony were carried on without one farthing of expense to the Government - having been supported entirely by his own congregation. As a religious man, he was of a pure Catholic spirit, embracing men of every creed, and hailing all his brethren. He was now about to quit the sphere of his labours. His coming here, was a public blessing - his leaving us, a general loss - may he carry with him the Divine benediction.

The resolution was seconded by Mr. Thomas Stubbs, and adopted unanimously.

Mr. T. W. Cape, in rising to move the next resolution, bore testimony to the valuable services for which the colony at large was under obligation to the Rev. John Saunders, not only with reference to the temperance question alone, but as a member of every philanthropic institution in the city. He moved the following resolution: - "That in furtherance of this object a subscription be now entered into, and that a committee be appointed to receive the sums, and to apply the proceeds in such manner as to them shall seem best calculated to carry out the spirit of the foregoing resolutions."

Seconded by Dr. A'Beckett, and carried unanimously.

The Rev. Ralph Mansfield, after speaking of Mr. Saunders as one whom he had intimately known from the day of his arrival in the colony, and whom he respected, esteemed, and loved, observed that certainly the origin of the temperance cause might be dated from that epoch; and he would here take occasion to observe that he (Mr. Mansfield) knew that Mr. Saunders was at present involved in pecuniary embarrassments by his exertions in that cause - a circumstance which, he trusted, would stimulate to a liberal subscription.

He concluded by moving the following resolution: - "That the committee do consist of the following gentlemen, with power to add to their number: the Honourable the Speaker of the Legislative Council, the Honourable the Attorney-General, J. P. Robinson, Esq., M.C., A. Michie, Esq., A. a'Beckett, Esq., L. Myles, Esq., J. P. A. Sillitoe, Esq., A. H. McCulloch, Esq., R. Sadlier, Esq., R.N., T. Holt, junior, Esquire, the Reverend Dean McEncroe, The Reverend Doctor Fullerton, the Rev. Mr. Ross, the Reverend W. B. Boyce, the Reverend Ralph Mansfield, Messrs. W. Beames, R. Bourne, T. W. Bowden, T. Cadell, H. Dixson, W. A. Dobson, P. J. Elliott, J. Fairfax, A. Foss, J. Hoskins, Edward Hunt, J. Howison, I. M. Illidge, L. Iredale, D. Jones, T. Jones, G. A. Lloyd, G. Oakes, S. Owen, C. Scott, J. N. Smith, T. Stubbs, and G. Rattray."

The resolution was seconded by Mr. Alexander, and carried unanimously.

John Alexander, Esq., was requested to act as Treasurer; and Mr. J. H. Palmer as Secretary.

After a vote of thanks to the Chairman, the meeting separated - one hundred and twenty guineas having been previously subscribed.