THE MACANDREW BANQUET.

Evening Star, Issue 3955, 28 October 1875, Page 2

THE MACANDREW BANQUET.

The banquet to Mr Macandrew was given last evening in the large hall of Messrs Sargood, Son, and Lwmg s new building. About 35 ' gentlemen sat down, and the proceedings throughout were of a most enthusiastic nature. Mr Dunning was caterer, the room was profusely decorated with flans and shrubs, and the Artillery hand played selections of music during the evening. Half-past six was the hour fixed for the banquet, and soon after then Sir J, L. C. Richardson and Mr Rolleston (Superintendent of Canterbury) entered and were heartily received; but Mr Macandrew, with Mr G Turnbull (Deputy.Superintendent), • Sir George Grey (Superintendent of Auckland), Mr Fitzherbert (Superintendent of Wellington), Messrs Sheehan M.H.E., RunnyM.H.R.,BradshawM.H.R Stout M.H.R., Thomson M.H.R., Reid M.h!r!’ Murray M.H.8., aud several members of the Otago Provincial Council, did not arrive until half an hour later. The entry of the party was the signal for an enthusiastic burst of applause, which lasted several minutes. Mr Turnbull then took the chair having the guest of tho evening on his immediate nght, and the visitors on his right and left. Prolessor Macgregor occupied the vice-chair. The Chairman briefly proposed the usual loyal and patriotic toasts, which were heartily received and duly honored. ~T h ® Vice-Chairman proposed “His Excellency tho Governor, bearing testimony to tho able manner m wlucn the Marquis of Normanby carried out hi« duties,—(Applause.) Hie CriAiiiMAN gave “The Army, Navy, ami Volunteers,” coupling with tho toast the name of oir John Richardson. Sir J Richardson, who was warmly received responded m a few appropriate remarks, saying that as in New Zca.nnd they had no Army aud Navy, except a small frigate he had noticed, about a ton and a-half romX5 rai ) k i t 1 tllo A v rmy n?, ud Navy of the Mother Country.—(Applause.) The weapons that were formerly adapted to their style of warfare—that is their hats—were now seldom required. In the pre’ sent style of warfare, when a man can take out the wmte of your eye at a thousand yards, fists are of no use. One practical fact was il.ustrated. The army depended greatly upon an armed population able to defend itself when called out. Education was required for these reserves, as otherwise thev would be hut a mere mob. y The Chairman then proposed tho toast of tho evening “ fho health of our guest. His Honor James Macandrew, Superintendent of the Province, and one of its representatives in the General Assembly of the Colony.” He said,- I regret that some more able mail and older settler than myself hasnot been selected for the duty which devolves ou me, for such a one would better do justice to the services our guest has rendered his adopted country. At tho same time his services as one of tho pioneers of this pmee, and his steady and unselfish devotion to promote the interests of his fellow settlers, from the day he first set foot ou the shores of the Colony down to the present moment, are so well known and se well appreciated that it is unnecessary forme to say much to induce you to drink his health on this occasion with acclamation. Those who were here in early times remember the many acts of kindness he showed, and the assistance he gave them when tney were endeavoring to carve out here a career tor themselves. The Province was first indebted to him for steam communication with Australia, and he was indefatigable in starting, fostering, and helping ou nil enterprises calculated to develop the resources of the country. He also took an active per. in bringing i;u,-, exist cnee on, educational aysicni, and those other institutions which are so siic-i.-esa ully vojvUie;- iu tho Province for tho social aud intellect ual v;eh a re of the. people. It is afro well known that, uni.y oi vne great schemes which are now in opera;., u or coining into existvitee—sooh as V.;: - :v.ov:-o 1.0 -roil Fo-vpoby rf Ak-l-ioi, I telegraphic, communication turougaout tho Colony and with Great Britain, railway*, docks, inuaigra*'

tion, line of steamers between Clyde dud Tort Cbal- f mere, iSrc.—were pushed *n by Mr Maoandrew years j ago; ami time has BuoWr> iimt they were the result, of far-seeing sagacity and sound colonising wisdom. Everyone has seen and heard for thefiaselves his j O3 " the time of the discovery of the goldfields, which was tile opening of a new era in the history of the Province. The large influx of population, so sudden and so rapid, invoiced tho neesasity of able and energetic administration 111 tho management of public affairs, and when a general election came round a largo majority of the community turned their eyes towafdo Mr Macandrew as the most fitting man to fill the office of Superintendent. I. am sure I carry every unprejudiced mind with Me when I gay that few will be found, whether friends or opponents, Who will assert that he has not fulfilled the duties of that high position with great ability, unswerving zenl, unselfish devotion to the public interest, and immense advantage to tho population of this Province. And specially to mark your approbation of his action during the session just closed are we here to-night. —(Loud cheers.) I think wo are all under an everlasting debt of gratitude to that heroia band—of which MrMacaudrew and our distinguished visitors here to-night formed a part—for resisting a proceeding which would have had tho effect of depriving their fellow-settlors of political rights and privileges, before giving them an opportunity of saying whether they agreed with the change or not. I think that you will agree with me Hint our guest occupies a proud position to-night—one which must ha very gratifying to himse’f, as I am sure he never si ood higher in public estimation than he does at the present moment. I feel sure his fellow-settlers will twain ask his services, aud that, if they do so, ho will be found ready, willing, and able to do his duty again as he has done before.—(Lond applause.) Mr Macandrew, who was greeted with loud and long-continued cheering, said: Mr Chairman aud gentlemen, I may say that if any man in New Zealand has good reason to feel proud at. this moment that man is your humble servaut. There can be nothiug more gratifying to public men than, in addition to the testimony of a good couscienco, to rec-ive the respect and goodwill of their fellowc.iizeiij ; and I feel that unworthy and vastly overrated ns I have'heou, there are few men in New '.tealand towards whom there has boon from first to last a greater manifestation of public confidence than myself. Gentlemen, the good opinion of my followed izena has been in the past, as I trust it will continue to he iu the future, the strongest incitement to devote myself, heart aud soul, to building up toe institutions aud promoting the interests of this great Province. It is considered almost a crime now-a-days to breathe the word, much more to assume the existence of such a thing as a Province. Well, I much fear that this is a crime of which I, for cue, shall be guilty to the end of the chapter. Gentlemen, it will be one of the darkest days that have ever dawned upon New Zealand when the Provincial sentiment shall have been extinguished. Wc hear a great deal about New Zealand becoming a great and united Colony, but I toll you that under the peculiar circumstances of the case, and in the very nature of things, New Zealand can nev r become a great and united Colony unless it is based upon Provincial sentiment. Depend upon it that it is not by destroying your Provinces entirely that you aro to promote either the happiness or good government of the people. It is not by choking up the avenues of political life throughout the Colony that New Zealand is to become cither great oi united. It is just twenty-one years this very mouth since I returned, | as representative of Dunedin, from the first General Assembly at Auckland. Well, geutlc men, from that time to the present the history of fi ma y. be said to have been very much that of a house divided against itself, the result of which has been that we are at this moment one of tho moat over-governed countries, aud one ef the most heavily-taxed countries, under the sun. From that time to this it has been a case of the lean kiue (in the shajie of Centralism) eating up the fat kiue (iu the shape of the Provinces), until at last the whole thing has culminated in an Act which, if it shoU he endorsed by the people at the ensuing election, will, before many years are over, practically result iu this Province being practically denuded of some L 200.000 a year. (Dago has hitherto managed to hold its own in as far as the liana Fund at least is concerned, and it will rest with the electors at the forthcoming elections to decide whether or not it will continue to do so in the future. There have been three great blunders committed, to which most of the political evils that New Zealand has hern heir to may ho attributed, a or w kich the > ’olony might have been a political paradise. The first was that the functions of the Colonial and Provincial Parliaments were not strictly defined, and each made supreme in its own sphere: the second was that tho Legislative Council, instead of being nominated by the Crown, was not nominated or elected by the respective Provincial Councils, as I believe was intended and recommended by Sir George Grey; and ast, not least, tho anomaly of responsible Government, in the Provinces, without tho power of appeal to the people. But for these blunders, I believe the cost of governing this Colony now would not be one half what it is, aud the efficiency of government would he much greater. The great problem which we have now to solve is how to escape from that despotic Centra 1 ism which for many years past has beeu sowing broadcast throughout the Colony the seeds of disaffection towards existing institutions, fosterlug a spirit of political discontent, bent upon establishing one Central despotic power, under the guise of justice to outlying districts, instead of leaving the people as much as possible to themselves to work out their own destiuy in their own way. Another is, how to gain the mastery over the finance of the Colony, so as to control aud reduce the enormous expenditure which is year by year assuming larger and larger proportions, io my mind there is only one way of solving these problems, aud that is by confining the Central Legialature to some half-dozen purely federal questions and leaving each island to manage Its own purely local affairs, irrespective of and independently of the other. I am sure it is a matter of the greatest pride and satisfaction to us all that we have on this occasion been honored with the presence, not only Of some of the principal members of Her Majesty’s Opposition, but by the distinguished leader of that body. To my mind, it is one of the most hopeful signs of the political future of New Zen laud, as well as highly indicative of tho gravity of the Fitnation when we find a man like Sir George Gr.y condescending to servo where once he ruled supreme X sincerely hope aud trust that the people of New Zeahiud will duly appreciate the self-sacrifice which bir George Grey has made in descending into the stormy arena of politics, and that they will rally round his banner, aud that under his experienced guidance, peace, plenty, contentment, and a healthy political life may pervade the Colony from the one extremity to the other.—(Loud cheers.) Mr J . H. Harris, in a somewhat lengthy speech proposed “ The Laud we live in.” He referred to the remarkable changes in the Colony during the past quarter of a century, and said it appeared to him that the Provincial Council had as much right to abolish the General Assembly as the General to abolish Pioviucial institutions With the toast he coupled the name of Sir George Grey. 6 Sir George Grey, who on rising was received with loud cheers, said: I need not tell you that I feel very grateful to you for the personal compliment which you have just paid to myself. The toast is, “ The Laud v. e live in.” Now, let us pause tor one moment, and think what wo mean by that We don t mean New Zealand as it is to-day, or New Zealand as it was yesterday, or some few years ago; but we mean this—wo drink to the land that we hope to see a great laud, aud that we hope to help to make one.—(Cheers.) • We drink the toast •vith enthusiasm, because wc hope to leave a heritage worth possessing to the posterity which is to follow us —(Applause.) That is what we drink to. And let us now think how we are io accomplish that Nature has given to us a country which we may well be proud of—blessed not only with fertility of sou, with excellence of climate, with mineral wealth, with beautiful scenery, with magnificent ioicsts, ■with all the heart of man could desire When wo entered into this richly-endowed country’ we adopted what was the belief of all tho most learned amongst the model ns-that man can ruly raise the hmuau race in civilisation by the study of social and political questions, and bv every individual in the whole community being trained to take apart m its public, affairs, and to try to aid and benefit his fellow-men. With that view iustiiutions were devised ivhich opened a political career to all. We determined that the choicest and best amongst our fellowmeu should bo, iu truth our Governors, aud that they should be chosen to that post by their fellow-citizens, because the heads of each one of these great communities possess all the powers which Governors ordinarily do possess. That great office is open to the ambition of all. Then by the establishment of local legislatures, in one City m each of these great divisions, tho Legislature took its seat, in which a considerable portion of tho population might betraiued iu the art of legislation and taught to cons Mer in what way to make laws for the good of their fellow-creatures. Having done hoped that much hod been done to secure the future of New Zealand; and uouecan deny that from that system has sprung a prosperity, a contentment, a well-being, aud an advancement iu civilisation, such as the world has never before seen brought into existence in so short n space of time. And I put this to all of you: has this power of choosing your own rulers led to tumults, to sedition, to disloyalty, to anything for which you need to blush? (Cries of “No, no.”) Has this power of making your ovn laws led to oppression, led to tyranny, led to any acts of great injustice such us would justifyyouiurevoltiugagaiust those whom you have chosen to legislate for you.— (Cries of “No, no.”) Ou tho contrary, has your progress not been such as everyone of you may well bo proud of.—(Cheers ) Tlioii you may imagine that to me it has been a source, a cause of grief aud sorrow that institutions of the kind that I have spoken of should bo unnecessarily destroyed. (Cheers.) These institutions were prepared with greater care than any oi you can well conceive. From almost every na 'ion that, which was thought good was borrowed. Let us consider the real aspect of our position—let us reflect upon wbat it is. Now, ns far as the übolit ion of the 1 rovaices goes, nothing has yet been done It was proposed tint they should be iustautaucou&lv and immediately abolished, but, against that mV 1 mind revolted, and a hand of tnu* friends clusKu.il togctuei with me, and said our fellow-men ylia.l not bo rooned of the great possessions ami libcriy winch tiu>y hj ive uiuil their voice has beeu liuud. (..heoiß.) And upon this we made a stand uxid t»uu Kt.:iL'.d uiOt-your approbation iu this Ciiv.-I w he-'V; , 1 -.•(-’ll mn ,• t ;-., . ! t.v ; i';:."ui,'i\ J V’]f wucu that news reached me. It cucouraced t ! who fought for you, and struck dismay anlconster. {

MMMJiiiiatf——nfcm.iiwi ■■ i mt—i Tim i •»«•« nation into the hearts of those who were opposed to yon, and its result was that nothing was (lone, r. ud the wliolo question rusin yci iu y. nr bauds. (Cb'.jis.) Ton are the judges who urn to detenu ine what is to take place. And now let me tell you what must he the real effect of the proposed measure —the abolition of the Provinces, I hardly kuow what the term means, hut I can say this: if the cntral Government determine to change the federal system of this country then tiio law of the Empire has invariably been that each of the federate! bodies has each and all separately the right to determine whether they will come iu again under the new federation or not, and on what terms they will enter that federation. Say to yourso.vcs: " Wo, as men, if the Constitution is to bo changed, have a light to determine the form of Government under which we will live here-after.”—-(Cheers.) The British Parliament will never interfere with you ; having once given a free Constitution to a country it will never itself take it away again, and it will never attempt to compel a tree people afterwards to live under any ,- orm of Govern uent that may bo repugnant to .them. — (Bond cheers.) What we have met here for tonight is to make history. This great gathering will long live iu people’s minds, and you are all here to listen to argument which is to induce you to determine iu what way you will shape the future 1 history of New Zealand. —(Cheers.) Ton are set- j ting one great example to this country, and to those j who are to follow us : you are hero to-night to give thanks to him who has conferred benefits on yon ; ' to encourage other men to come out at this crisis into political life ; to show to all the inhabitants of New Zealand that it is worth while to sacrifice their owu ease, their own comfort, and their own wealth to serve their follow men, when they get such rewards. And we are here tosbow that from North to South iu this great country hearts beat warmly and strongly when they sec great public services rendered to any part of New Zealand. In making the demonstration yon have made this day you have done that which will encourage those who desire to serve the public in every part of the great Colony of New Zealand. In conclusion, I beg to thank you most heartily for having done so, because it; must, encourage all of us who are trying to do our duty to the people of tins country.—(Loud and prolonged cheering.) Sir j. Richardson proposed “ The Pioneers of New Zealand,” iu a few telling sentences, concluding by saying he could u ontion the gradually fading names of men whoso eloquence Lad reverberated in the Senate, and he hoped that in the Colony there would yet be raised a race of a similar class. Mr Fitzheebert, who rose amidst loud cheering, said, in responding to the toast, and after referring to his acquaintanceship nineteen years ago with Mr Macandrew and the late Capt. Cargill, founder of the Otago settlement: The pioneers of New Zealand, and the pioneers of what? the pioneers of sheep and cattle upon a thousand hills—is that whir. we arc all to be pioneers of? If so, all I can say is that, for one, mine has been a lost vocation. — ((Jhcers.) Not the pioneers oi mere cattle and sheep, but the pioneers of something far greater. Is that all wc have lived for to the age that many of ns have lived ? Is it simply to amass wealth and to leave it to others to be quarrelled and squabbled over P—(Laughter and cheers.) I tell you very plainly—and I say it plainly to those who are gold-seekers and money-seekers—that if you despise, as seems to be a kind of fashion amongst mankind in these days, the study of those great questions of social and political character, you will find by-and-bye that the very foundations upon which you have reared your superstructure of wealth will be swept from beneath you, and you will go into the morass of a perfect chaos.— (Cheers.) Great as are your schools—great as are your hospitals—valuable as your asylums—excellent as your museums—admirable as are your roads aud your bridges and ymir intercommunication iu various ways by steam ano otherwise, what are they compared with those institutions which have been the parent of all ?—(Cheers.) And now at the dictum of a few men calling themselves a majority these institutions are to be swept away, of all the audacious attempts that were made to take away the life of any institution from the people that attempt is the most glaring which has been recent ly made at Wellington in the Assembly to deprive you and despoil yon of rights which are the parents of all the blessings that you live under. If you are the men that I take you for.jyou will declare as your mind at the busting.?, and exact from evoiy man that ho shall not falsely represent you. We have done our parts as faithfully as ever any men placed out iu the dark oh vedettes, and we have absolutely stood our ground as manfully as any soldiers could do to fight and do our best. We refuse to surrender the citadel, and to-day it is handed to your hands and to your keeping. If you do not do your part, shame upon you. 1 tell you very plainly that you have to look out that you have not wrested from you those great and valuable estates that yet remain, and that the real reason why immediately, without benefit of clergy, the Provincial Councils aro to be forthwith abolished is this .- that t; ey are too keen watchers and critics over the interests of the people iu respect of the disposal of the waste lauds.— i Loud cheers.) Mr Davie had much pleasure in proposing “The Opposition,” coupling with it the name of Mr Thomson, M.H.K. He thought we were under great obligations to that band of members who had succeeded in securing for the people au opportunity of stating by what form of Government they themselves are to be’ruled. Mr Thomson, in responding, alluded to the pluck manifested iu the Assembly by the small Opposition party, owing to which alone the Abolition Act was prevented from coming into operation until the day after the next session of the Assembly, and the members who are sent up to the next General Assembly will thus have the whole of nest session to review the action of last session. Mr M‘lndoe proposed “Provincial Institutions.” Mr Eolleston responded, rising amid prolonged cheering. He said: Mr Chairman and gentlemen, standing ns I do by the side of one who has been rightly called the father of the Constitution Act of New Zealand, and but /or whose exertions we should now be standing over the closed grave of Provincial institutions, you will readily understand that it is with considerable diffidence that I rise to respond to the toast of “ Provincial Institutions.” When I look at the great progress of this Province during the past eighteen yenrs. I cannot but think that it is a somewhat strange thing that we should meet here to-day to talk of the destruction of institutions under which these gre't results have been obtained.—(Hoar, hear, and cheers.) I believe that to the Opposition’s exertions is owing the fact that the people of New Zealand will have it iu their hands to prevent the surrender of institutions to which they owe so much. It is no small victory that has been accomplished. It will be a very great wrong if the people will suffer their institutions to pass away from them without the remonstrance which they now have the power to make on the hustings in the election of their representatives to the next Parliament. I believe this is a political move, that this proposal for a violent political change is a red herring across the scent, which will lead the people away from the conservatism of the administration of our affairs, which deserve all the attention that can be given to them, I believe that iu this Province, and iu the Province of Canterbury, the whole energies of the people are particularly required at the present time to the encouragement of the settlement of the people upon the laud.—(>,beers.) On our own exertions, and on the determination of the people to see the people settled on the land, will depend much of the future of the Colony. AVe should do a great wrong were we to allow ourselves to be led awav by violent pressure from without, aud have forced upon us changes which would deprive the people of the rights which really belong to them.—(Cheers.) Professor M‘Gheoob proposed “ Friends from a Distance,’’ coupled with the names of Messrs Sheehan and Bunny. Messrs Sheehan and Bunny both spoke to the toast, and wore heartily cheered during their respective speeches.

Me Muhkay proposed “ The Coming Struggle.” coupling with it the name of Mr Stout. hlr Stout sai l, in the present state of political affairs, there were three questions to be considered. "ho first was, by whom was this Constitutional change demanded ? the second was, whv demanded •* and the third was, how demanded P He woo d ask lutm to keep these in their minds at the ensuing general eDchon. TJo would ark any unprejudiced man to rake their Provincial Council with all its faults and failings, and the way it did its business, and contrast it with the way the business was neglected in the Central Legislature, in Wellington Any one came away from Wellington with the feeling that the Provincial Council managed its business much bettor than the Central Legislature. He told them, and it was even acknowledged by the Treasurer, that so far as the Councils with all their expenses were concerned, they could not save any money by Abolition. He concluded by asking each voter to judge for himself, and to regard his vote as a sacred trust.—(Loud cheers.) Mr Donald Huid proposed “The various interests and industries of our adopted country.” The interests of the country were intimately bound up with the object for which they assembled there that evening. Ho asked them it it would be for their interest that they should havo removed from them the institutions which encouraged these interests ; to have taken away the control of their waste lauds, and to lose their present opportunities ot bringing direct influence on the Board : that the appropriation of the Provincial revenue should be taken entirely from out of their bauds, and placed iu the hands of a body, three-quarters of whom were elected by persons outside of the Province, and who Knew nothing of the circumstances of the Province In addition to Mr Stout’s three questions, be would give the following ;-What is to bo gained by the e muge, and what is to be lost P If they considered these, he 1 nought the people of New Zealand were not prejiared to sweep away Provincial institutions. Jttr M. Dermid responded briefly, those present begiumng to show signs of weariness. Mr C. t>. Kkkves proposed “ The Press,” which iCast was anything but favorably received. The proceedings concluded with the Vict-Chaik-mak proposing “The Committee,” responded to by Messrs itnowN and Caukick ; three hearty cheer's for the visitors from the North, a vote of thanks to Messrs Sargood and Co. for the use ot tlio building, and (ho singing of the National Anthom.