English and Foreign.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 659, 2 March 1859, Page 3

English and Foreign.

ill '■'■ ■ '■■ CANTERBURY-, ASSOCIATION.. '■■'[] iflP ■'■■'■' ■ vl(From!tho ?'■ Guardian.").; f :^;" .;,■.;'; Aniiniber of noblemen aad; gentlemen, ttiembors £§B<>f-the Canterbury.Association;-,^others interested lip" >tne Canterbury .colony,, entertained:Mr. J. ■Si 'iSiiFitzGerald, late Superintendent- pf. the 'Canterbury MJgJettlemenk;on, Tuesday, the '23rd ult., atthe'Albibn 'MJTiivern/Aldersgate^street. \ ;,//■ ... ' ; flB The Bight' Hon. Lord Lytteltbnj the Chairman' of ffiftlie As'socihtioii;" presided,' and Jthere were. also pre■petit' besides1 M£ c3KtzGerald, LPrd J;-Manners, Lbrd ■m; Churchill, the'RightHon.C.B. Adderley,;M.P., Hi Sir W. James, Bart.; Mr; Selfe, the Police Magisfwi rate,1 &c.y-&c.. ..-,•■•.■! \7 ;..'.;• :••,.,•. ,•.•<„•...; •: , ; ... »| I Grace having been said by the Bishop of Nelson, ;|R cloth !having,been.remoypd, -;;.;: Qh^irmanpbseryedthat.it^ afforded lum much felSiatisfactioa toj s^not R^ly ', 99 Jarge a nil mber of iwentl^aienl'lasse^bi^irtpgethe'r^.b'iit; so many repreiwjnting. important' intetes'tg,' Swlib were not present ffwist year! nor th£ yi&ar, preceding/ ;It is my intenpHloti"to*give wily 'three.toasts; arid", the first,1 1 need ||M^wcely:^ayv'i» .the" health pfher; Most Gracious j|Mftye9ty^ ''Much^weight is thrown" on this toast at j ||^piis;momentAby^thfe:conrsebf(passing eyeuts;.not l-iiiiatithaticanikdd.td her Majesty's, claims upon,the ||fc^altyf>arid;.doectiQn, of; her; subjects,-but thereare : iiß^Cunjstances ; pf' a. private and. domestic, character I^Bhnected with the rpyal family; which have bccuri|»d since itlSli^jesiy's-.eldes't 'daughter, and. the comingiorth into ::||^Alic,.Hfe',.of;;two',of'.'her :sbns," which'-are of the 1 interest to'the 'people of this and thereforejleserve ourjttention. There t^ifpt a.lso : considerations of great;, importance at this |?||||ioment with regard to theconnexion of the- crown |,|A^h;the'colonial .empire of this country, which.at a ; Ifl^table time; might be dwelt upon., VThis is the li-Misst time since the development of that colonial, lipire that wehjaye had so large and promising a, yal family, and we1 know- it has always been a ; iestiori lTvithi statesmen, whether greater strength ightnotbe given to the connection i between .those lonies and the mother country through some uiemrs of that family.;. I.will notj detain you on these, bjeets further; rbujb by so, far referring tothem, I; ought: perhaps that i { coiUd. ..■giy.'e, and you ; could | :eive,the,toast.with greater warmth. I propose■ Phe health of The.: toast was drunk with loyal honours. The Chairman again rose and said—l will now k. you'to drink .success—continued success and^ fflhcreasingp'rosperity-r-to the Colony of Canterbury. ■ f [Much^cheeringi) '■ But in ■ doing, so Ido not wish to 11 |epafate:this distinctly—in some sense hardly at all I||^from rithe rest.of.the!. Colony of New Zealand, of |»prhich;iti'is-:a part; probably several fapere: present,cqnnected)with, different, parts of that v and.w,e(know t hpw.i.ntimate is the connection between the. several 'Provinces of New, Zealand and : ijfe^whple cbuntry^of which they form a part. We .^mpw, too, how Questions of great interest l^ereare^questidns which in.our time,perhaps, ufpll never' be sblveft-rin regard- to thepermanent -■IJmkl normal riature^that is to subsist betweenthe IfflMierent: colonies ■' in that country. We: know that liiftiany of those questionsare questions of pressing IfjSjftterest at this day amongst the politicians of that tjpbuntry. Wet know that there, are the centralist pmd;prPYincialist ; and what are calledthe federalist ipiestionsio^the,.polony, arid a .variety of others I^hiph,! vMy: mjuc,K doubt that we shall see the sblii||uD9.V.of.'i^: pur^tirne./ All ,we wish is that the. pretent^gopd fefeling^ ttiat liappily subsists between the i&lffereht; Colonies" and1 the Central,' Government s|>ff -: New ij Zealand ; may ■ continue and become iapre/ and"1 xnore '; consolidated.; :And it would be 'un^atefut'Jbniisour^.part.'-meeting -as we do j jfromtime totime, mbreJespecially^ in the,interest of i |he Ganterbuty:proTincei if : did not 14he interest.(that f the.;:Central Assembly of New has taken in.thjs respect. I observe lately ftin- the, report pi',.. a^peeci^byi Mr, Stafford, the Prime SMinistejjlin.-a^yerting''to.'the' dinner given twelve K3tonthjß:' ago '§eweU^ who has since returned rt^fe'^fonjfi speaksiwith^the greatest satisfactibn :lii^4iwice,''at;;tn^t fdinner, and the interest Spltf;in'-tlife:w4tfare*of :the;'colony.'.-/-It gave me great lipfeayrire1 tb !Cread] t^a*; speech,'and I hope it will to »thers. The subject this evening is the prosperity |®f:the'; colony of: Canterbury ,; and looking back to ||phe;iast!>meetihg,''more than twelve months ago, I ffl pin. sure; there; is,,nothing that we have heard—np W piece of\inews, ; that" haspcome from the ,colony; since » outi has, afforded iis satisfaction,, Idp not recollect m it,.this|^moment'.,all.thajt took place at. the meeting raast;;> > 3^ary^^u't\''so; ';; r far>. : as I ,remember, 'all the iprog'nosticatibns" of progress" have . been fulfilled. ifProgress .of a,. material kind is sho\vn by ■ S|the\'lfin.ancial l '. i returns |;and: statistics., of theipolony, and .wjth(regard^;-tP- the character of the. §||>eople,r;and the good,effects f arising from the then Ifrecent, departure of "the J JBishbp" to that country—in |||all' these respects; -wh'atevei;;! anticipations of good wwe.then entertained are realised'otin course; of "Tea-' |Mzatioh. n,l'remember one point upon which we, Ifspoke, with' some'doubt-^Mr. -Godley willrremeni|p)er "wKati 'I' allude1 to —when -we '.spoke of 'the risk Illtiere'was* that;the'ibest<ipart;of;!the populationIjipfill not always be willing to take their due:share ||^a the.politicals affairs;pf.the;colony.7. As far as I, iiliin aware^r-as far^.a,? Lam. acquainted with the l^haracter v of' ttie .pepple^-aithough there was some ;S|jpjpund .perhaps, for ..apprehensions at the time, the. k^jcumstarices, attending the, change in the.1 political. j||* I'tjat1'tjate i 'of^^-affairs^wHich'hJftSj'noW taken place, have in itlnoldegree tended to warrant- them. ■ I shall advert in'reference to the ||||[niinistrati6ii of affairs in: Canterbury which you ||||ill: readily'anticipate;^^but apart fromthat, I may -generally thatihose who have the; organisation f§t§nd conduct of public affairs'in Canterbury are l^lhose towhpm3>ubli.C)affairs,'Cpuldbe best entrusted. ißf am not „sa welt able^as others! who are present-— Iporaeiof.. whprajitlibpp, .w^s'nal^hear.ip dwell upon |i|yiat' Ifbelieyetoibe entirely ( uridisputed arid undisgpiatable, the' extraordinary;;material'' progress—viz., i|||#e jp'rogre^s in dpmmercial;prosperity, and in all «wie': outward: and material circumstarices of the llpolony which^has taken place.- I have heard reSieritly, in that regard, what is far beyond anything gl'was aware, or- until recently Jli.could have coh||f|Bidered possible, rlihave a letter here, before me : adgyerting ittf ithe;generali condition } of the moral and Riopiar andrmaterial condition -of the;people of Caniperbury on that-point... ;Those who, can lootback to Kthe very the f Colony of Cantpr-g|bury-Trtlibsei"v^hio ,tppk,an aciiye part in those beginpiiings,^.wiltremetnber a correspondence: we had with m and the^^ttpinibn^expressed1 by^Bishop Selwyn. 'They ifyill remember5 thati'with much expression of good • ||"will and friendliness,11 think we had some reason. Ito doubt "< Whether, ih fall respects^ the outset of the was such as fnetiwith the approbation ■bfc.th.at .distinguished and?energetic prelate. ; There isno one at, this time iwhOse opinions as to the conjdition- of any., State? of. New .Zealand, and indeed to; a large extent further found about New ZeaJandi' that; I would; rely, upon sooner than Bishop ' 3elwy"n, ifrpm ■ his correct knowledge of (the 'condition and circumstarices of the colony. T. am ribt in; possession !of any recent expression of .bislipp '; Selwyn's: opinion but we know [that that right rev. prelate has met with singular !Buccess--;a -success'that: affords me subject of re-joicing—-in f-thej ecclesiastical organisation: he ■< has, Rafter; much time, much labour of his o\yn,.andco|||pperation, Of others, been enabled, to giye ; to the great I^olony 'underj his ; charge; ?WeVknowi,that he^ has in obtaining a diyisibn of Jiis diocese into, ■ H^ think, five separate !dibceses, sri.li under his own administration. ; And, he ;has further ||«btained the remarkjible success that every one of fusthose dioceseaare in the hands of intimate friends Mfc his bwriv sb that he. hasthe amplest scope for the of administration |^*nd construction for which, above almost all living f<«saeri, he is remarkable". The letter I have is from :£n©ne.'of< those 1 Suffragan Bishops—another of whom Bishop of' Nelson) I am glad to see with us to -r also wouldhavebeen present but that a l^fewldays ago he nleft. England for his diocese. I '%'ftlludeitbjßishop Abraham.; I wrote to him,'inviting too attend; arid, in-: reply ;he. stated that he was Lft£«bliged to leave .England'on the 15th,of> ; Nov.ember, i*,Vtherwise hey.should! have been glad to attend and '^ l>ear testiriiony to the great work which the associa-

tjon had origiriated' in theiir colony.( Me had heard tlie Bishop_of New Zejiland say that in no part of the Australian coloriies was there, so far as he could judge, a more loyeable community tlian that of Can-, terbury; and that the scheme of the founders of the colony had been successful. • I read this letter with great, satisfaction, because Bishop Abraham had been itpon the most intimate terms with Bishop Selwyn throughout the whole time he was there, and I think what he says tliere expresses the deliberate opinion of Bishop Selwyn in favour both of the, .principles uporoyhich.puri colony was fpundeil arid tlie progress which, '. upon those principle's, it lias made. (Cheers.) I might quote other'authorities in the same directioiij but I; will mention: only one, that of the highest civilauthprity in the colony, Governor Brown. lie, in speaking of: the highest terms of our colony, says something which, perhaps^ I ought not to mention, But you will1 not object to riiy referring to one sentence ho uses; which, in a few words expresses the complete realisation—with regard to the, moral condition of the people of Canterbury—of the hopes the associations entertained. He says, "In your colony of: Canterbury you'have sent us out to New Zealand a slice of English society without the plums; left put." (Cheers and a laugh.) I.feel that; I Jrnve detained you quite as long as I intended in dealing. shortly with these different' points in relation to the present condition, and the prospectsj which are better, I hope, than the present condition, of the colony of Canterbury, and I have only now to ask you to ; drink prosperity and increasing prosperity^ to; that, colony. , :

The toast was drunk-with enthusiastic cheers,

The Chairman—lf I had the faculty I should have : a great tendency to be .extremely prosy and 'gar.rulous in j speaking? on any of. these subjects in I connection with the .Canterbury colony. But that; is a tendency I should resist' niore than on any other; occasion wheri giving tlie; toast I am about to propose, and- which I' am sure you anticipate—" The ■ health of -Mr.-. FitzGerald;"- (Cheers.) Both on the well-established ground that in the presence of any one we should not dwell at too great a length on any pariegyribal remarks, and because I know-well that your time is not without.limits and that we all desire, that as»much of it as possible should be given rather tp hearing from ,Mr. •FitzGerald himgelf. infprrnation of an interesting, and no doubtj of a useful kind., with reference tb the colony with which he is.,so intimately familiarj rather than in listening to ine,'or perhaps anyfone else here present ; this evening. I. shall, be glad ; tp ..believe ;that ■ Mr. i EitzGerald will; ,be able —physically, able, I mean—to dwell •at greater length on the • sub- \ ■jectthan he would have been some time.ago. No; doubt all:,who are; here present, .and.were;at, the meeting last year, will remember tlie anxiety we were then in as .to the health of our^chief superin- i tendent, and Ik any sure it will afford us all great pleasure to find that his return to this country has led to—l wish I could say complete restoration, but at all events,.to , some amelioration of his, health ; and that the laborious work hehas had herecut out for him, as emigration; agent, has not retarded his recovery. • But although it.would be both needless and unsuitable that,l-should dwell at any length on those operations, and benefits connected with his career that have brought' together this numerous and respectable assembly this evening, and which, I kriowi have conciliated for him the good feeling of all in the cplony.and; all in this country also, who have the. interest .of.the colony at heart, I must say a word.br two of what I know from my own knowledge of Mr. FitzGerald from the first moment the colony was set-on foot. With regard to the main point, the administration of public affairs in the colony—admitting;the high character and ability of the'gentleman ripw occupying the posti of siiperiri--tendent, I do not think it possible that he, or any successor to Mr. Fitzgerald, could be so fully quali-i fled as: he proved; himself to be during the time that he^filled the office... : (Cheers.) I would speak with the utmost kindness, and the utmost hope, of Mr. Mporhouse ; but lam certain that neither he:nor" any1 other person the colonists could have selected can, for. grasp; of, mind, knowledgev of; great public principles,' indefatigable industry, or lofty tone of character, becompared with him. they h;avelps(;;|whose resigriatibn'ali regret, and who, but for that resigriatiori, they would have re-elected as long as he chose to hold office. I need scarcely, revert to events that have given us the pleasure of his conipany for some time past in this country, and will for some time tocomej but'l do trust, op grounds both private and public/ that 'at the end of the time he proposes to spend in England, he; will be able to return to the colony,, and' tp resume, either in the. province of Canterbury or in the larger, field ;of New Zealand, the important arid leading part/he is so wellqualifiecltb exercise, arid to which he attained in sb: short a time after the- constitution was: given to .those colonies, -ilhave no doubt that, hpweyer valuable areihis seryices in this cpuntry in conducting the jemigratibri affairs of New Zealand, that-the great iand distinctive; qualities of Mr. FitzGerald, and his high tone of character, will have more usefully; and. ;more lastingly!good ( results in watching over the for- : tunes' of that giant infant which you sent, forth than in any other way.' As I have said, his/services have been given not only in your own colony, but in the administration: of the . affairs of Central New Zealand. Whether he will, on,his return, be still able to devote his attention to^the same objects I do not, know ; but this we know, that in whatever sphere his services are given, his heart will be with thecolony of Canterbury. .: (Cheers.) ; It is a satisfactory trait in his characterjasitit is with some few others, but, not so many as we wish to,see, that h'el should desire to found his family and end his life in the colony. It is a a source of some disapointment; ■ that there arc-not; so many exceptions as we could wish to the cbmnion ruleiof colOniallife—that people go out, as they go tOi India, not with the heroic desire to found new names and new families in distant parts of the world, but merely to make fortunes and then return home. It was the hope: and intention of those who founded the colony of Canterbury that in doing so we should be following theexample of those who.founded the British colonies of North America, and that those who located themselves there would take a pride in being looked upon as the founders of a new colony and a,new State. Mr. FitzGerald, as an honourable exception to. that rule, has shown a bright-exaimple which I' hope others will follow; and I trust that lie will be able to return and resume his duties as in times past. I beg with, all cordiality to propose "The health of our distinguished guest, Mr. FitzGerald," with three times three. ■;,...■...:■

The toast having been drunk with honours,

Mr. FitzGerald—My Lord Lyttelton, and my lords and gentlemenT—lt is npt;easy at any time to.express the feelings that naturally arise at finding oneself the recipient of so great ,an honour as you have conferred upon me; still less. is it to do so after the expressions which >my Lord Lyttelton has used in proposing, my health,; expressions which it, was impossible for me to listen to without being painfully conscious of how little I deseryed them. I can listen to such expressions without pain and without vanity only when I recollect that I do not stand here in my private capacity, but, in some sort, as the representative of that community of which your lordship, was one of the earliest tounders and the most munificent, patron; and I can accept such expressionsi not as applicable to myself, but! as. indicating the strong affection which your lordship and the other members of the association have ever displayed towards the : colony of Canterbury, and whiph have this evening overflowed in' language so lavish'in its generosity towards one who: has ;no :merit -beyond that of being ■, the: representative of its interests, and who as your lordship has said, is permanently connected with its.fortunes, (Cheers.) Your lordship has observed that it would be expected of me that I ■ should say something about the Canterbury Settlement. In responding to that suggestion I cpuldnot,' of ( course, ou an: occasion like this, attempt „to r lay, .before , you any long array of Btatistics. Indeed,, I should be sorry to repay .your kindness by anything so tedious. But I will, with your permission, allude very briefly to one or two; general results, to show: that. Canterbury has ,not been altogether such a failure as has been represented. The first resultl will allude to is this—that though the first settlers landed in the country only in 1850, immediately after the, harvest of, 1853 the colony became,! and ever, since; that time; has con r tinued to be an exporting community. (Cheers).

I mean that/from'three years afteriiti; first founda;: tion the colony of. Canterbury has not only fed itself, but has exported food,; and that largely in proportion to the number of its coloiiists, to the other. ( settle : merits of. New Zealand and to the',Australian colonies. Now, that, I say, is a fact which.has, so far as I know, no exarhpjle in the history of British colonization. (Cheers.) The second'; result I will direct your attention to is of the same character. I received by the.last mail a'letter from the collector of customs of the: port of Lyttelton, ; stating that during the first half,of the.present year the exports considerably exceeded the imports'. : Now, I am quite aware that most of .thewool is exported during the first half of the;year, and that jhat circumstance necessarily: swells the aggregate, exports for that period.. But looking .to the figures in former years, compared with those of.the present time, lam sure we. shall see at the end of the year a relation between the'exports and imports,' most remarkable in any colony in the eighth year of its existence, and indicating a singularly sound . state .of trade and of progressive commercial ; prosperity. , It : must be borne in mind likewise that when we read the returns of imports—they do not mean exactly the same as they do .in an old country—we do not mean by imports, articles for current consumption, or for reexport—but also horses, sheep, cattle, and agricultural machinery, which are, properly speaking,' capital for.inve stmerit and for stocking the country, and riot annual imports to be, balanced by annual exports. There is another remark I would wish to make—a remark of some importance to those-who read the statistics of New Zealand. .It is this— : that. Canterbury is not like many places in the Australian, colonies, or even in New Zealand, which are marts of trade into which goods are constantly; being imported; to be exported again to other places. Canterbury is the ultima thule— the terminus, as it were, of the commercial route; almost all her imports are for the use of her own community,, and almost all her exports are the , produce of the industry of her own population. Keeping that in mind, I will only refer to one other fact in reference to the statistics of Canterbury. I will state, partly from a return that has recently appeared, the exports at three different, periods, viz., | 1853, 1856, and, the first half of the year 1858,-and1 I imagine there.can be no surer test of the steady progress of a, country than the measure of the increase of its exports in successive, years, when; those exports, as., in thecase of Canterbury, are the produce almost, entirely of the country itself. " The r exports of Canterbury at the three periodsil have i. mentioned' as given in this return are as follows :— 1853, £2800; 1856,' £59,000; and the first; half of 1858, £109,000.- And 1 must further observe; that -these figuresl are far from conveying the whole truth; for the returns from which they are derived give no information:as to the export trade coastwise, whereas it is well known that a large portion of the wool and other produce of the colony is exported round the coast to other parts of New Zealand, and do not appear in these returns at all. Again, if I turn from these matters of trade to matters connected with the sale of the coloniaT lands I shall find the same general result. The fact lam about to state will not, I know, surprise your lordship, who has ever been the advocate of the high price of land in the colony; but it may surprise those who do not understand how it is that what, is called high-priced land maybe much cheaper in the end than low-priced land. After the colonising operations of/ the Canterbury Association ceased some years ago, there was no land sold in the Canterbury block at the high price. The public had no confidence that the price was going to continue as it then was; but as soon as the .Provincial, Government had! power to deal with the question satisfactorily;, and the public; had confidence rthat the question was settled-^and settled; as Lbelieve it is for many years to pome, tp the perfect satisfaction of the farmer, the laborer, and the.squatter—-the sales ,of land commenced, and have continued steadily to increase to' the present day. The l&d/ sales at Canterbury have advanced now to such a large. su,m that although I cannotItell. you the actuajl revenue arising from them.l am informedjby .another;private ■letter from.th^.cqlony—. - ..o™. X» j[..~- „ . , ' Mr. Godley—£3B,ooo iff tKiffliist six months.: ;

Mr. FitzGerald—£3B,ooo for the first half of. the present year; and I. assume the prospect for the. future is much beyond that, for my private correspondent tells me that no less than £75,000 is estimated as the expenditure in the course of next year in the making of roads alone, by which the value of the land will be materially enhanced. (Cheers). But at the time we were settling our; land price we were told by many people—your are doing a most absurd thing to fix your price at 40s. an acre while as good land can be had in the Australian colonies for £1 an acrei and whilst in the neighbouring provinces pf. Wellington, Nelson, and Ofcago you can buy landr as, good at 10s., and Avhat-rthecomniis-sioners Call pastoral .land at 55. : an acre. We rejected these warnings and prophecies of. failure, and we fixed the price of the land at 40s. an acre, although we knew that in Auckland land is given away for nothing at all. Yet such is the result of the experiment. It may be said that, this high price, of land prevents poor men from becoming possessed of the' soil. Now, I will say nothing of the th Jeorybf'the subject; but lean state that, in practice, the .labouring men of Canterbury become possessors of the|r farms, and as much laud as they can till, iii as short a; timeas in any other part of our'colonial empire, and that there.is now as large, if not a larger proportion of our labouring population proprietors ipf land in Canterbury as in any other British colony. (Cheers). I believe we are now selling in Canterbury, as much land at 40s. an acre.as they are giving away in Auckland,for nothing; and I am certiain; that of the land in Canterbury five times! .as much will.be in profitable occupation within a given time as of that they are giving away. These are sbme..o'f.;the results of what has been called the great' Canterbury failure. (Cheers arid laughter.) I will indke one observation, if you will bear with me, as to the cause of all this. I cannot upon such an occasion go into an enquiry of allthat has led to this result; but I may say generally that I am unable to find any cause for these things except the principles upon vyhich the colony was originally founded. There is one of those principles which. I consider of so much importance that I cannot refrain from alluding to it. I mean the, preliminary surveys. I look upon that as perhaps the most important point in the work of colonisation. You may talk of free grants of land, but unless you can give the settler a guarantee that the survey shall show him what land has been bought, and what remains open to be purchased—unless the surveys are such that he can recognise upon the ground what he has seen on the map, and can describe from, the map what he has selected on the. ground, and unless he can do this what security has he that he may not be building his house on another man's land ?—unless, I say, such a guarantee as that you can afford him, a free grant of land may be the worst bargain a man can make—it is like a gift of a small estate with a heavy lawsuit on it; it may be only an inducement to spend money upon what may turn out to be a most ruinous speculation. But in speaking of the advantages of Canterbury, it is right to notice the fact that Canterbury has been subjected to great disadvantages, which have operated as serious draw-, backs to its progress. The first of these was the discovery of gold in the Australian colonies. No one who was not present at the time can form any idea of how a young colony like Canterbury could be affected, by that circumstance. It. at once reduced the capital of the settlement by one-half. -Imagine the case of a man who came out to invest a few-hundreds or/thousands, when the price of "labour was from £20 to £25 a year, and sheep 14s. or 15s. each, suddenly finding, when he had purchased his land, labour risen to £40 or £50 a year, and sheep to 355. or 40s. each. That of itself was epough to ruin so young a colony ; even now I hardly-know' why the colony was not deserted, and that it was riot, I can account for only by the fact that there were some, under the guidance of Mr. Godley, who were animated by- a determinatioii to carry their project to a successful issue*—and perhaps that some, too, were too poor to get "away, The next great difficulty the colonists experienced—and I do not mean, in;alluding to this point, to contro: vert hi any way what Lord Lyttelton has said—jone 'great difficulty the colonists' have experienced was

i in ;i |he, interference ;of the .Government of New Zealand. Your scheme," my 'lonlj is one that, to have perfect development, ought to have been founded whete^thfire v ,was no other Government to overshadow it, and. blight its growth. It required that no unsympathising, still less any hostile hand, should interfere with" it, and mar its free course. The Government of.New Zealand has been nothing but a drawback to the colony from the beginning. It abstracted from us a consid6rable portion of our revenue to pay the salaries of Judges who visited us, perhaps, two or three,days in as many years, and of officials who could only obstruct us. . Then we had .the disadvantage arising from the attacks made upon us by the late Governor, Sir George Grey, an-1 his Attorney-General, and even since the Constitution Act has come into operation the greatest injustice of all has been perpetrated upon the settlement in the saddling upon it a debt of £66.000, being one-third of the debts incurred by the Ne.v Zealand Company, in founding, the settlements of Wellington, Nelson, and New Plymouth.; lam quite aware that arguments may be adduced in another ..point of; view in favour of a general government for New Zealand. I "do not deny that. What lam saying is that, looking to your settlement only, and with respect to its interests alone, I am satisfied that if you had founded it.in a country in which there had been no ■ government but your own, the advance would have been much more rapid than it has been. There is another disadvantage—a disadvantage of a physical nature—which, however, I mention merely to say that I hope the difficulty consequent upon it has been overoome—l allude to the vast chain of mountains which extends between the seaport and the inland plains, cutting off almost all communication between the inland country and the point of export and import. I refer to this for the purpose of stating that I was enabled to send but by the last mail a tender for the construction of a railway from the port to the interior. (Cheers.) The cost "will be comparatively small, and I.have every confidence that - the present public-spirited Superintendent and his remarkably intelligent' Provincial Council will be induced to accept the tender, and that in two years from.the present time we shall .have the locomotive shrieking over the Canterbury . plains. Another point, while speaking of the difficulties which Canterbury has met and overcome, I , would advert to. —a matter which, although the evil has long since passed away, at one time assumed the aspect of a heavy impending calamity; I mean ; that cloud which for a time overhung the relations between the Canterbury Association and the colony —the war of angry words, the complaints of disap- . pointmenton'the one side and retorts of ingratitude on the other. I know that lam here treading on tender ground, and I may be told that I ought hot in a scene like this unbury the dead.feelings of past years. But, my lord, as I.was,a party, perhaps not the least prominent party, to expressing the colonial view of those questions upon which we differed from the association, it is not I think unbecoming in, me, and I am sure it is due to you, that I should take this publis occasion of expressing my regret if any passing word of mine should have caused the slightest annoyance, to your lordship or any other member of the association. (Cheers.) And in expressing that sentiment, I,»know that I am declaring,, not my own .feelings, merely,;'but the I feelings of the great majority of the people,in the colony,. I may, however, be allowed to say on their behalf that their complaints arose-from? their deep attachment to,the very principles'which you yourselves had taught us. It was from $he feat of losing those ad vantages, which it was-your earliest lesson we should most highly value in,, politics—-the ad vantages.of free local: government;,and," in .higher matters, the bishopric, the permanent provision for our clergy, ;and, anV.endovvmentfpra college and school affording the higher sort of educution-^-it was,l sayi in the prospect, as we tho.ught, of losing.those adjuncts of. civilisation without which yre would never have left our liomes:int this country;to settle in that far-off land—it waifurider' these circuin-' stances that the complaints of the colonists found angry expfession. f^bafeli l,all.th.e, struggles ;6r. triafs ■'•ojf.'dliap^^ the task of founding" or a^^^ have elicited. It ds a source of great^satisfaptjion to me that the causes which drew forth1 'tnosenexpressions have passed away ;and still more thStthey hay c passed away jn the, realisation of those great advantages to which at onetime we did not see our way; and lam here to-night to say—and I know I-am speaking the minds of all the thoughtful and considerate-minded amongst my fellow-colonists—that the Canterbury Association has now substantially performed everything which it promised nine years ago; at least that the performance has been far : nearer to the intention than, it is-generally given to mankind in this world to realise. My lord, I will not occupy your time much longer f but when speaking of the ; advantages the colony; had enjoyed I forgot to mention one of the; principal—viz., the; men with whom the colony has been associated. In the presence of those around me. I cannot speak as I would wish upon a topiciupoh-which, if I expressed the feelings of the colonists, I ought to be most eloquent. I can • not speak in the terms I would wish of one who, for the first two years—the most trying years of our settlement —was our Governor, in all but name, and who has left behind him an example of what- a Governor in such circumstances should be. Nor can I speak as I would'desire to do of those who in this country, during the same, period, maintained the credit and interest —I may say the very existence— of the colony by unremunerated gifts of labour—by sacrifices of precious time—and, more than all, by the. mose, princely, sacrifices of a pecuniary nature from which at that time you could scarcely expect even to have been relieved. My lord, this last is a debt which we can and will honestly pay you; but the first never: or if ever, it must be the payment of " the grateful mind," which— By owing owes not, but still pays, at once Indebted and discharged.» . You must seek your payment in the conviction that many thousands of your fellow-countrymen have been raised by you from a state of penury and Avant to a position of independence and comparative affluence. You must seek it in the belief that you have grafted another bud upon the old tree of England's empire which, small as it now is, shall one day, by the blessing of God, become a fair and lordly branch; and you must seek it in the reflection that by your means has been kindled up in the dark places of the earth another torch lit with the sacred fire from the altar of God to transmit and shed abroad that light which shall never be extinguished until the day when its glory shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. (Cheers.) And if amidst such considerations as these it is any satisfaction to you to know it, I can assure you that the names of the founders of the Canterbury Settlement will never be forgotten by the people of that colony—nay, rather I am well persuaded your names will loom larger arid larger through the mists of time. And as your names will not be forgotten, so I hope it will be many years before the influence which you have given to the colony will be lost. It is visible still in the general tone and bearing of the people—in the tone of the public press—in the discussions at public meetings—in the debates in the Council—and, above all, in the absence of that hateful political rancour, personal abuse, and those base attacks on private character that too.often mar the face of a colonial community. (Cheers.) I will not attempt to dilate upon this point, for it is one upon which I cannot trust myself to spekk with moderation; indeed my difficulty in addressing you on the subject of tlieiOanterbury Settlement is lest I should be betrayed into that tone of self-congratulation and inflation which is the common vice of small, especially colonial, communities. I, of all men, can never speak of Canterbury with moderation. I served Canterbury for four years in a public capacity; and I can speak of that public—that unfettered democracy which some men dread, not as a hard taskmaster, but rather as a considerate and affectionate friend, indulgent to many faults, and generous in its appreciation of very slight services. I will conclude rfiy remarks with one more observation. There has been a rumour on several occasions that your lordship and other members of the association have intimated an intention that at some time or the other you would pay us a visit, and I am glad to take this opportunity of assuring you that nothing would give the colonists greater plea-

sure than to be allowed the honour and happiness of showing their hospitality, to yvhr lordship and the other members of the association who may be disposed to visit the colony; and to,have the opportunity of-expressing personally that respect and gratitude to the members of tht' Canterbury Association which I have endeavoured so feebly to express this evening. (Much cheering.)

The Chairman —I am not going to give another toast, but simply to repair an omission I find Ihave made. I nover intended that you should drink prosperity to the colony without providing for a response; but I find in proposing that toast'l did not couple with it any name.1 I will now supply that; omission by proposing the health of Mr. Godley, in connection with the toast we have already drunk. (Cheers.) In whatever assembly we may meet, I am certain that no one can be so properly called upon to speak to that toast as that gentleman. Ifc was he who first conceived the scheme of the colony in its great and main features, and he gave to it tha utmostof his exertions and great ability to the full extent that his health would permit. To this day he maintains his interest in it,and I believe he is as intimately acquainted with'its .affairs as any one can be who has but recently returned from the colony. I beg to propose, and I do so with the greatest pleasure, "the health of Mr. Godley, in connection with the colony of Canterbury,"

The toast was drunk with cheers,

Mr. Godley—My lord and gentlemen, it is with hearty feelings of satisfaction and pleasure that I find myself year after year attending these social meetings of the friends of Canterbury—such meetings as I believe no other colony can show—meetings eminently characteristic. of the social, genial, and friendly feelings which have always marked the efforts of the friends of Canterbury, and which have contributed in no small degree toits success, (Cheers) I should certainly feel extremely diffident of my own powers of returning thanks for the colony of Canterbury—indeed, I should feel as though it were cnot my place to do so—if it were not, as your lordship has said, that Ihave been more intimately, and longer, and more essentially connected with that colony even than most of those who have been actually colonists. I have been; as I-was recently told by a writer in a daily' newspaper, " the notorious author of the great Canterbury failure." (" Hear, hear," and a laugh.) At least, then, I have a right to speak a word in my defence, and to represent the case as it is. After the speech.which Mr. FitzGerald has just made it would ill become me, however, to detain you more than a very few. minutes ; but I wish, on the part of the colonists, whom you have done me the honour to allow me to represent, to make some very few additions to the statements which Mr. FitzGerald has laid before you as to the progress andptospects of the colony. He has told that the exports of Canterbury were in the last half year £109,000. I should like to add to his statistics the statement that the public revenue of the colony during the last six months amounted to £48,000 ; that is to say, that it has a revenue amounting to £96,000 a year. _ (Cheers.) And I want to point that particularly, because figures do not generally leave any strong impression upon the mmdi. I want to. point it by saying that, in proportion to the population, that is more than double the amount of public revenue any community has ever bad to dispose of since the world began. It represents £14 a head upon the whole number of the people of Canterbury, and is, equal*- therefore, to what the revenue of this country would : be if-it amounted to £420,000,000. ■The. revenue of the empire averages about 5.% per head, arid the revenue of the richest community_in the world, up to this time—l mean Vict'oria—amount^ to about £8 per head ; that is, with a population of nearly half a million, it has a revenue/of;; three millions and a half to dispose of; fwMte: Canterbury, with a population of 7,000, has £96 } 000 revenue*. (Cheers.) As Mr. FitzGerald has shown, ; ,the{£'xports of the colony show equal prosperity, and.. I' think I may say that the moral progress of the people, their advance in religion and education; quite corresponds with the material progress. No/doubt there are great drawbacks in the colonial life in Canterbury, whiph we are endeavou*ing to correct. 'These' are, principally the want of labour, and the-want of education. -To meet the first of these drawbacks—the want of labour—Mr. FitzGerald is sending out ships freighted with emigrants, at the rate of a 1,200-ton' ship a month ; and to such an extent has the introduction of labour in this way gone on, that from March 1858, to March 1859, the population will have increased by 2,000 people, or 20 per cent. (Cheers.) I see, too, that great efforts are making to remove the other great drawback —the want of education—by the organisation and establishment of a higher school, a grammar school and college, and by tlie ; exertions which the bishop has made, in his. own energetic manner, to organise a staff of clergy to visit the various stations, at regular intervals. Therefore, I think I may say that the moral progress which Canterbury presents, corresponds with its material progress. I will now say a word on the special topic of this evening. There is no person present, I believe, who has had so much to do with, or seen so much of Mr. FitzGerald, in both his public.and private capacity, as I have* Therefore I may speak with the force and authority of an eye-witness of his work in the colony. Upon this part of the subject others have spoken of what they have heard and read; I speak of what I have actually seen. Mr. FitzGerald was the first who landed in Canterbury after the settlement was founded, and I never shall forget the emotion with which I threw myself into his arms when he landed. Both of us, lam sure, will look back on that moment as one of the most affecting and memorable of our lives. When he came out he had special duties to perform in connection with me, which he performed with that energy which he brings to bear upon everything in which he engages. And he had a still higher duty, for he was the editor of a newspaper, and, as such, undertook the responsible task of providing the intellectual food, the material for thought, and the incentive to action, for the young community. In such a community it was all important that the editor of the first newspaper should be a man of high aims and aspirations; and by the manner in which Mr. FitxGerald edited the newspaper, which we commenced the first week after the colonists landed, he rendered as essential a service as'Hvas ever rendered to a colony. I will venture to say that any man who was in the habit of reading the 'Lyttelton Times' of that day will agree witli me that no newspaper was evericonducted. with loftier aspirations or with a more honest desire to elevate and raise the tone of the people amongst whom it circulated. (Cheers.) There is nothing for which the colonists have to thank Mr. FitzGerald more than that great work, which was mainly instrumental in introducing: that tone.and feeling which have remained the characteristicsof social lifein Canterbury ever since. (Cheers.) So far as I know, the Colony of Canterbury affords the only instance of a small community where there are two newspapers which do not abuse each other. ("Hear, hear," and laughter.) I read them both regularly, and can assure you they actually praise each other, and I believe that to be a miracle without parallel.. (Laughter.) I read the ' Canterbury Standard, and the • Lyttelton Times,' and Ido not believe that I ever found in either a word of abuse against the other. I attribute that, and the good feeling that prevails amongst the colonists generally to the" manner in which the ' Lyttelton Times' was conducted by its first editor; and I have remarked that in all the public affairs of the colony Mr. FitzGerald has always dealt with them in such a way as showed that he was ever conscious of the moral dignity of his position. (Cheers.) There is no position on earth where men of similar capacity and means—men of that class to which our colonists generally belong—can exercise such immenso influence and acquire such immense power as that in which those who first go out to a new colony, and become the seed-plot and nursery of a new nation, find themselves. And unless we keep continually before their eyes the power and the deep responsibility that ought always to be connected with that power, there is a danger of the whole course ujf the growing nation'being turned to degeneracy. If the founders of the American Republics had been formed of the same materials as the settlers of California, the genius and liberties of America would have been lost injinarchy or absorbed in an inevitable despotism. It was beeauss, on however small a scale, they were senators aud soldiers, impressed

yitb'a due sense of the heavy responsibility that Tested upon them, .and not mere money-got ters, that ■they .-suueeecleU fin .Slaying 'the tfouiulutions of the f^restest Te]inbHc "in the .worlcl. v(Clieers.:) They •■never Uost -sight --of the responsibility of tlie task tthey had .undertaken—they felt ■■that they wore s'going>for«.'high;pbßitionnu>'the eyes of the world, ■ and to -set-an example Tor-all ages. .Feeling tflris, 'the early settlers of ;New Zealand accomplished "their mission,iandat^ms always noenithe great endeavour '6f.my;"friend.Mr. to keep con-stantly-before the eyes of the Srst colonists of Can%terbupy etheduty which they, in like- manner, have jimlertaken.^anfl I cannot-tell you how'much'l appreciate the godil ho has done in that way. (Loud cheers.) I have taken up more of your time than j intended, and I will only further express on behalf tof the colonists of Canterbury, whom you have done me the honour to allow mo to represent-in connection with this toast, the great pleasure and gratification which they will feel when they knowthe maniner an which theirmosfctiistiuguisheu' representative, Mr. PitzGerald, has been Teceived by this company, and their hopes that lie -Trill shortly be enabled to return, withrenewod health and vigor, to resume the' .heroic career.that has been temporarily interrupted.; ,j(Gh<?ers.) Mr. Godley shortly again rose and said—Thei'e is one toast which is never omitted by tlie friends of Canterbury; and it now devolves upon-me to pro-. ;}>ose the health of one who has. given Tip more of wliis time and made more sacrifices on belialf of the colony than any other person. I give j'ou"The health of Lord Lyttelton, the Chairman of the Canterbury Association." ■iThe^toast was drunk-with double honours. ::, ■ The Chairmaniin-acknowledging the compliment, ■said—l have to. thank you, gentlemen, not for the first or second-time, for your great kindness in drinking my health in so prominenta manner, in • „-.connection with the Canterbury Association. I '.assure- you that it is to .me: the most gratifying cir- < cumstance that has happened to me during the -whole of my public life and my connection with public affairs, that I^should have been ■ enabled to take the part I have done in aiding and prosecuting . this great work. (Cheers.) .What I have had to? -<10, however, has been attended with by no means • so much labour and responsibility as from what my; . friend Mr. Godley lias said might be supposed, ■ though it is true that on one or two critical occa- . sions I have been able to do some slight, but I be"lieve some good service. (Cheers.) I can only say that whatever I may think of the great heroes of . Christian colonization of former days—of Perm, of Baltimore, or those who, in respect of this work, were, and are, tlie real practical makers and foun-; ders of the colony of Canterbury—s\ich men 'as[ Godley, as Wakefield, as ITitz'Gerald, it is sufficient for me, if in the opinion of posterity hereafter— " Forsitan et nostrum nomen miscebitur illis." (Cheers.) With regard to what Mr. FitzGerald has said in reference to an incautious promise—as it seems to have been taken to be—that I, and some • mother members of the Association would at some -time pay a visit to the colony—what I have to ■say is, that I confess I never thought should be so taken at my word. I hardly know when this alleged promise was made, but I believe it was under some great temptation—at some farewell dinner • -or v breakfast just before the setting out of one of "the expeditions to the colony. I know that, upon • some such occasion I said that I hoped I should be able to visit the colony of Canterbury within about fifteen years from that time; and seeing how literally my friends in the colony have interpreted my -words, I. have watched the course of events, thiuk-ing-'that every year brought me nearer to the fulfilment of my promise. T can -say for njyself, and I am sure I may say the same for my" right honorable friend near me, 'Mr. Adde'rly, that' nothing would give us more pleasure than to;be'able to visit the colony. But we don't know what may intervene to prevent us. There are ten thousand difficulties in the way. I have always said that I would go, or that I hoped to go, when the cathedral is built, and • I trust that will be before the time I have mentioned. But to all,who look forward 'to the accomplishment of such an expedition .', as has-been sug- ■ gested, I would sincerely recommend ,-that^they should lend their aid towards the completion =of the Leviathan, whreh would probably take us out : in about a month, and return in the same time, for I cannot understand in what other way/it would be practicable for us to go. I have said that I had very few toasts to propose, and these have been disposed of; but before we separate I would ask this company to join with me in the expression of our sincere good wishes in behalf of my right reverend -friend who is about to take charged the hew dio- ■ «ese of Nelson. (Cheirs.) 1 have already referred. - to that great imperial work which has been so ably - carried on in these remote countries by Bishop Sel■wyn. -We know that in the. excess of his missionary - and apostolic zeal he has extended his labours far T>eyond the colony to which he was appointed, and that he was not Only the Bishop of Auckland and ; New Zealand, but the missionary Bishop of a great ■ part of Australia— " Super et Garamantas et Indos, Protulit imperium." But the more that is the case the more it is important that the growing community in his original ; diocese should each of them, as opportunity occurs, be served by. additional Suffragan Bishops. I would only further express my sincere good wishes in favour of every-effort for that purpose, and a hope that we may soon see such Bishops appointed to every diocese in New Zealand. There is one such Bishop here present,-and I sincerely commend him and his cause to your sympathy and prayers. I beg to propose "The health of the Eight Rev. Edward Hobhouse, Bishop of Nelson." -{Cheers.) The toast having been drunk, Tlie Bishop of Nelson returned thanks, ffe said that he was but a very raw recruit in the New Zealand service, and felt somewhat ashamed when called upon to speak in the presence ef those who had given to that service so much time and attention, and who had so warmly expressed thxjir kind and affectionate regard for him, and their commen- . ration of his work; They could understand better than he could describe his feelings at receiving such a murk of sympathy from so^distinguished a com- ; pan/on leaving his country to enter upon a new : ■ scene of labour which he could scarcely realise, and without'any prospect.of returning. He had said that he was a recruit in the New Zealand service, and until that morning he could not say that he had done one single-thing to profit the colony. Now, however, he could lay claim to having done one thing which, lie hoped would be useful. He held in • his 'Hind a letter from tlie Vice-Chancellor of Oxford, granting £150 for the purchase of Clarendon "books, to be selecteubythe association for the use of the College of Christchurch. This was, he believed, the first public recognition of the value of • the Canterbury College. He rejoieea at this, because he was confident the books .would he profitably bestowed, and because it showed that the Univfjt'sities of tins country were ready to pour forth thftir treasures for the benefit of these young com--.nuniiies. In conclusion, lie remarkedthat he should . look upon New'-Zealand-as his permanent future liovnc, ;urd expressed-a hope that underJßroviden.ee, ~h? might be useful to the colony. Tl:;; company'then separated.