The Governor after Dinner.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 5, 8 December 1869, Page 1 (Supplement)

The Governor after Dinner.

At a dinner given at Newmarket, near Auckland, on the Prince of Wales’ birthday, in connection with the New Zealand Agricultural Society’s Show, Sir Georgo F. Bowen replied to the toast of “Tho Governor ” in the following terms : “ I assure you I rejoice greatly to find myself among you on such an occasion—being present, not so much in my official capacity, but rather as a country geuvlomau (loud cheers), lam very glad to seo before me so many excellent representatives of a class which has done so much for the extension of the noble, the truly 1 heroic work of colonisation—-I mean tho British farmer (cheers). You all may remember the lines of the poet— Princes and peers may flourish and may fade; A breath can make them, as a breath hath made* But a bold yeomanry, their country’s pride, When once destroyed, can never be supplied. (Cheers.) As to the show to-day, I an> sure that it is only the germ and promiseof what may be expected when peace and confidence shall have been restored throughout this Colony (hear). Considering the effects of tho unfortunate disturbances which have prevailed in this island, with little intermission, for the last ten years, I must say that the progress of New Zealand in material prosperity has been truly wonderful, but especially so in all the elements of agriculture. . . Your chairman (Mr Allan Martin) alluded to the fact of my being an Irishman (cheers). The pig. they say in Ireland, is the 1 gintleman ’ that pays the rent (laughter). But I think there are very few amongst you who know much about paying rent in' New Zealand, for here I am happy to observe that nearly every man is his own landlord (hear). 1 do not wish to detain you with any statistics, particularly after the dinner of which we have partaken. I remember the advice of an old friend, an Irish bishop, upon this subject, which advice I will strictly follow on this occasion. ‘Avoid,’ said my old friend, the Bishop of ————, * speeches after dinner, for I assure you that, from my long experience, I have found, in the word’s of the apostle, that a man sees through a glass darkly’ (laughter and cheers). While talking of Irish bishops, one naturally thinks of Irish governors, to one of whom my friend the chairman alluded. It is most true that, of the six gentlemen who have had the honour of being appointed Governors of New Zealand, five have been more or less connected with the Green Isle. So it has been On the other side of this part of the colonial empire, for all the governors who, till a few years ago, ruled over Australia, were Irishmen, with one exception ; and of Sir Charles Darling it was wittily observed that in that case he had had three wives, and they were all Irishwomen. Sixteen thousand miles of sea are between us and the passions and prejudices of the old world;, the cries of political discord are beard but indistinctly across half the globe. Lord Stanhope, in his History of England, states that George 111. observed that, after so long an experience as his Majesty had bad of publie affairs, he never found an. Irishman that would speak well of another Irishman, ‘ except with an objectami that he never knew a Scotchman that would speak ill of another Scotchman ‘ except with an object’ However, gentlemen, I think it is the better plan for Irishmen to take a leaf out of the Scotchman’s book, and adopt the sentiment of an Irish poet:— Still let the orange lily bo Thy badge, my patriot brother j. The everlasting green for me. Ami we for one another.”