[Per Star Carrier Pieon.]

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1679, 6 July 1875, Page 3

[Per Star Carrier Pieon.]

The train arrived in 20 minus. 120 invitations had been issued. In cceequence of the Hero leaving, many wereirevented attending who would otherwise {We been present. The guests were struck withjjhe' magnificent appearance of the vessel!. Everything is very superior. The following is a list of tfce who accepted invitations : —Messrs. O'Arke, B. lraland, Dr Goldsbqro, Captain 4derson, E. Lewis, Stewart, Dacre, Mjdonald, W. F. Wheeler, H. S. Meyers, % "Reid. McMillan, Cunningham, Gaptainfhomas, Shera, D. Hean, Luckie, Mills, ;<istoms, Davis. Representing Brogden T.Niccol, Bell, G. S. Graham, Chirg, JSyan, !. Mccol, J. Y. Stevenson, Biss, J. Pqtds, H. Brett, Grant, Brewer, Harditt, Gbdhue, H. B. Morton, Captain Wing, i\ n der Heyde, Barstow, and about 20 othejij Ltinner was served shortly after 1 o'<o<k. Afterwards Mr G. McLean took thtekir, and Oapt. Malcolm the vice chair. | \ Onehunga, %>.n. About 70 gentlemen sat down to a ffatclass luncheon supplied by the Comjat's providore, and laid out in exTsellentytle, Justice was fully done to the good this pj ovided. When the cloth was removed-I Mr George McLean, one of the direct* wbo occupied the chair, gave the "Qu& and Royal Family" and "The Prince a| Princess of Wales." The Chairman then gave " His Honor t| Superintendent, and Success to the PiS vince of Auckland." The Hawea was tfi first passenger steamer of her class which ha] visited the Manukau, and he trusted would be supported by the people of tM province. jSnckland was about the principal city of New Zealand. He had heard some| thing about it being in poor circumstances^ but anyone who had seen the wonderful^ impovements he had witnessed since his] arrival would be agreeably disappointed. He was pleased to see suchprospenty. In this province we had many things they had not in other provinces. He would refer more especially to the magnificent kauri forests which enabled their shipbuilders to turn out such beautiful vessels. He had cruised amoDg the islands in one of Auckland s favourites, and he was confident that no stronger or smarter vessel could be found.' Bat he would tell us of our faults as well as of our good qualities : the wharf accommodation at Unehunga was anything bub good. He alluded especially to this because it was a fault which required mending. T^ c, s Pea^ er then alluded to the Thames Goldfields, which he described as the richest that had ever been found. AucklandJgda brilliant future before her, and inciea^^ettlement would increase her prosp<«| In the absence of His Honor the SupSrjntendent, from whom he had received a letter explaining and apologising for his absence, he would couple with the toast the name of the Hon. Mr O'Jiorke. ■ . Mr G M. O'Eorke very much regretted that Sir G. Grey was not present. He thanked Mr McLean on behalf of his Honor, aud felt sure that that gentleman was heartily sorry at not being able to be there. He felt his inability to fill Sir George's place. The Superintendent -would have been able to contrast New Zealand to-day with her condition twenty years ago, when there was only one funnel on the coast He recollected making a visit to Dunedin in the brig Victoria which was the mail 1: ju: y1" the period. He

steamer they ,weio 'visiting. In the days of the old Nelson they were always expecting their mails long before they arrived and very often after keeping a look out for days together, she would turn up in the Waitemata. Mr McLean had referred to the want of wharf accommodation at Onehunga. He was pleased to inform them that plans had already been prepared, providing accommodation for such vessels as the HaWea. (Cheers). . Mr th M. She fa called upon the company present to fill up bumpers to the toast he had now to propose. He was certainly pleased that the honor of proposing the toast of '• Prosperity to the Union Steam Shipping Company " had been conferred upon him, and he called upon them to respond to it with "three times three." He considered the Company had inaugurated a Dew era in the coastal service, and he wished them to join him in wishing success to the vessel they were on, and the Company. From time to time they had heard of the energy and enterprise of their Southern friends, but he looked at the presence in their waters of this magnificient steamer as indicative of the growth and prosperity of Auckland equally with that of the South. Those who had spoken of the province as a pauper province, had calumniated and maligned it. He would now ask them to drink the health of Mr. McLean, Captain Malcolm, and prosperity to the new Company. The toast was responded to with "Three times three." Mr McLean said as one of the directors and the only representative present, he thanked them for their good wishes. He had omitted to mention that he had received apologies for non-attendance from Mr Justice Gillies (an old friend of his) and other leading citizens of Auckland. Many were under the impression this was a new company, but he wished to inform them it was only an extension of the old Harbor Co. He was glad to see that the Taupo had arrived, after a rapid run of 62 days. There was no need to describe her. for she was an exact counterpart of the Hawea. It had been said that the boat was too large, but he believed that the growing trade of the colony would bo sufficient to induce them to place a third boat on the line. Over £90,000 of their capital was already paid up, and he believeded jthat there would be little difficulty in increasing it. 'lhey had several other boats on the coast. Mr McLean then gave some particulars of the power accommodation, &c, of the Hawea all of which have been already given iv our columns. They had tried, in point of fitings, to make people as comfortable on board as at home. He hoped other companies would not look upon them in the light of an opposition. In conclusion, he called upon them to drink success to the New Zealand Shipping Company, coupled with the name of Mr W. F. Wheeler. Captain Malcolm in returning thanks said he was filling the place of one who was well known to them. Captain Wheeler had been obliged to leave eitner his wife or the ship, aud they could not be surprised at the choice he had made.

Mr W. F. Wheeler returned thanks on behalf of the N.Z.S.S. Company. Mr R. Y. Shephenson, on behalf of tae *A.S.P. Company, and Mr M. Niccol, on behalf of the .North Shore Ferry Company. The health of Captain Wheeler was then proposed, and was responded to with " honors." Mr D. M. Luckie, M.H.ii., proposed " The Agents," which was rcspoLded to by Mr. G. Yon der Heyde, M.H.ii., who proposed " The Press." Several other toasts having been duly honored, the Company returned to town by special train.