Banquet to Mr Bryce

Feilding Star, Volume IX, Issue 143, 3 July 1888, Page 3

Banquet to Mr Bryce

(N. Z. Times' Correspondent.) The Bryce banquet on Saturday night last at Wanganui was a great success, the covers laid not being sufficient for the. number that attended. The Mayor of Wanganui occupied the chair, and Messrs Poison, Bamber, aud Peat the vice-chairs. There was a fair attendance of members of the House ol Representatives, and both the town and country were well represented. After the usual loyal and formal toasts, . Sir John Hall proposed the toaet of the eveniug, in doing which he stated that the presentation and the banquet were not the outcome of the recent election contest, but the result of the observation of a long, useful, and worthy career in public and private life. As a private individual Mr Bryce was one of the band of early settlers who had endured great privations in founding the colony. When Mr Bryce left office the Native difficulty was at an end. Referring to the JJusden case, Sir John Hall said Mr Bryce had not been afraid to risk his all in what some of his friends reckoned a foolhardy pursuit. He (Sir John) had been present during the whole of the trial, and he believed that the manner in which Mr Bryce had given his evidence had a great deal to do with the verdict of the British jury. Sir John Hall here read the following address, and presented it to Mr Bry&J — l{ The Hon. John Bryce, Wanganui. — Dear Sir, — It is the desire of many of those who have the honor to number themselves among your friends to present you with some token, however inadequate, of the very great esteem in which you are held by them ; of their regard for your personal character, their acknowledgment of the high integrity of your public life, and their recognition of the many and valuable services you have rendered to the colony. We have therefore selected a library as the gift which, of all others, would probably be most congenial to yeur tastes, and Uoeful to you in the long public career which we are satisfied yet lies before you, and we now beg of yon to accept it at our hands. That your energies will in the future be as nobly directed toward the welfare and advancement of New Zealand as they have been in the past, is our asserted belief. Earnestly hoping that you may long be spared to serve the <solony with which your name has been so honorably identified, and with every kindly wish for your welfare, sre beg to subscribe ourselves — Your sincere and loyal friends." Mr Bryce, replying, said he felt convinced that it was not for any merit of his own that he was being treated in the way he was that night. He felt that he had been considerably over-praised, but at the same time it would be more than human to express dissatisfaction with the remarks made. Sir John Hall had introduced him to life, and so acted as a kind of • godfather ; and- it appeared wonderful to him (Mr Bryce) that during so many years of public life he had escaped with so little blame, and had received so much praise. If in the position he had been placed that night he was egotistic he would have to be excused. He had a craving for good books, and if he had not before had a good library, it was only because he could not afford it. He could, however, accept this gift without any of the sense of humiliation that might attach/ to other gifts. Nothing they could have presented him witfe could have given him greater pleasure than these books. Sir John Hall had given him credit ' for the Farihaka affair, but had not alluded to the magnanimous conduct of the Government in receiving him back into the Cabinet after his separation from them. Sir John Hall, too, had generously kept in the background all mention of his having attended the Law Courts in London day after day anxious not to miss an opportunity of giving bis evidence, though at the time he was in delicate health. With regard to Parihak.s, Mr Bryce said the idea of armed resistance from the Natives had now passed away from the Europeans in and out of the House. There was one peculiarity about this testimonial to him, that was Hhat it came to a defeated man, and. not one who had been victorious, and therefore it had all the more value in his eyes. On the question of ever returning to public life Mr Bryce said the colony was now in a difficult position, owing to depression,' and though it had been said that a man talking depression ought to be kicked, he had never shirked this subject. He had no doubt it would be many years before New Zealand would see an overflowing treasury, on account of the enormous drain that was going out of the colony. If he said he would retire altogether he would be acting contrary to his life. He had no doubt made mistakes like other members, and no doubt the feeling wa-| strong, especially in Waitot&ra ; although it did not follow their decision was correct that he was unfit for public " — life ; but it might be that circumstances would be too strong for him and might bring him into public life again — (applause)— but at the same time he might say that his inclinations were not in that direction. In coil- : elusion, Mr Bryce thanked them f6r the presentation, and said he would not forget it, if coascious at all, when the dark angel beckoned him away. The other toasts were — " The Army and Navy," by Mr Bruce, responded to by Mr T. Mackenzie, M.H.E., "The Ministry," by Mr Poison, responded to by Messrs Fergus and Fisher; " The Legislature," respond* ed to by Messrs Fulton, Dodson, and Scobie Mackenzie ; " The Native flace," by Mr Allen, M.H.R, responded to by Mr J. Bryce; "The ladies," by Mr McGregor, M.H.R., v r pjpui**A?d to by Messrs Anderson and ILH.B.'s. - About 150 were at the banquet in i fae Theatre Royal, and the gallery ' tras well patronised by Indies.