CONGRATULATORY DINNER TO W. ADAMS, ESQ.

Marlborough Press, Volume I, Issue 1, 6 January 1860, Page 2

CONGRATULATORY DINNER TO W. ADAMS, ESQ.

On Tuesday, the 20th nit., a public dinner was given to W. Adams, Esq., at the Old Court House, Beaverton, to thank hiip for the manner in which he had succeeded in obtaining separation for the Province of Marlborough. An excellent dinner was provided by Mr. Pike, of the Beaver Hotel, to whom great praise is due for the arrangements made for the convenience of all present. There were sixty-five gentlemen present, many of whom resided at a considerable distance from Beaverton. The chair was taken by Joseph Ward, Esq. The usual loyal and patriotic toasts having been drunk, The Chairman proposed the toast of the evening. He said: The toast which he was about to propose to thejn was one which lie was sure would meet with a hearty response from all. It required no preface, but he could not refrain from making a few expressions of congratulation on the present occasion. It was indeed, a matter of congratulation to see so large an assembly, and those who appreciated the difficulties overcome would indeed congratulate themselves upon the possible future. Ijjiey guarantee for tlie future by looking back and considering for a moment the difficulties they had overcome. He should not attempt anjdhing like a history, the matter was fresh in all their minds. As chairman of the Separation Committee, few know better than himself what had been done, and by whom. And without lessening in the smallest degree the merit of numerous privates who had served well and truly in the cause, he must claim for the guest of the evening the still greater merit of good generalship. He had been the commander-in-chief, and they had now to thank him for his able assistance, and join him in our rejoicements of victory, The toast having been drunk, with honours, Mr. Adams, who was heartily cheered, arose and said: Gentlemen, I beg most sincerely to thank you for the honour-you confer on me this day. 1 may truly call it one of the brightest days of my life, to find my exertions for my fellow-settlers so fully and cordially appreciated;' and doubly docs the happiness come home to me, for not only have you this day shown your confidence in me as a public man, but what is far dearer to my feelings, you have long so kindly dealt with me that I am proud to he enabled to say, that from the length and breadth of this province, with very few exceptions (which I trust every day will become less), I am on the most friendly footing with all my lellow-settlers ; (Cheers.) and what on earth is dearer to man than the hand of friendship ? I have lived among you without any break for the last eight years, and am, I think, fully entitled to the name of a working settler, for, until very lately, I have been wholly engaged in the labours on my stations, and, I believe, can handle my tools with any farmer’s son. I never took any part in political movements until separation was first mooted, the first notice of which was given by Messrs. Charles Watts and Pasley. All honour to them for tire same ! They called a meeting of the settlers at the Wairau Hotel, on the 14th of May, 1857, to take the matter of separation into consideration, which meeting was very fully attended, and it was unanimously agreed to petition to he separated from Nelson, and a committee was formed to carry the same into effect. I was one of that committee, and, conjointly, we prepared a memorial to his Excellency the Governor, praying for separation. Being then quite new to the affairs of the province, many of the minor statistics put in by me were done so upon very imperfect information, and were not quite correct, which gave the opponents of the measure an advantage they took every care to work upon; but they could not contradict the main startling facts there stated : that from the sale of land £125,000 had been taken from this district, whilst from the rest of the Province of Nelson only £33,000 had been realized, and that not more than £2,000 out of these moneys had ever been expended here, whilst Nelson had benefited by the without any acting magistrate, police, schools, post-office, &c. or, to sum up all, wo were totally neglected. And, I beg here to repeat a saying of mine which has been grossly misrepresented, “ that up to that time the Nelson Government had never expended one birthing in any way to tend to the spiritual and moral welfare of these districts.” This petition was very numerously signed; and had it not been for statements, causes, and reasons well known to most of us, hut which had now better he forgotten, would have been presented, and, I believe, granted. lam justified in saying this, by the immediate passing of the New Provinces Bill, in which, let us give all credit to the Nelson members, they were among the most strenuous supporters of that measure. Separation, for some short time after this, laid in abeyance, until that hill passed; then, I believe, a meeting of the settlers was called at Beaver, and a committee formed to carry out that measure, at which Mr. Eyes was chairman. This meeting I never had any notice of, and am perfectly unaware of anything having been .done by the committee then named towards carrying out our measure; and lam inclined to think nothing was done. Another public meeting was called by Mr. Ward, which was held at the Wairau Hotel, and very numerously attended, when a committee was again formed to prepare a petition under the provisions of the New Provinces Act. I was not of that committee. A petition was accordingly prepared, being a copy of the one used at Hawke’s Bay, witli a few trifling alterations to meet the different features of the case. This petition was then numerously signed; and at another public meeting held at the Beaver, the settlers there, by a very large majority, voted for the measure, and the claim of liberty, forth, and our cry was—

Ilisc ! from every plain and valley, Mountain top and.pottage door, Every man amongst you rally, From our centre tefour shore. Let’s be true to one another, Unity is power and strength; Hand to hand each man and brother, We shall conquer them at length. (Cheers.)

This cry was well met; and the best proof that can be given of its being the unanimous feeling of the districts was shown in the: signatures of the whole of the resident electors! with the exception of about six! From the unfortunate course taken of striking so many of the electors off the roll it became advisable to have the petition presented before the old roll passed away, ».. the present roll not containing half the names that are fully entitled to be placed thereon, so many old settlers, and some of them large holders, have been omitted. Still it is, however unfair (until further registration), the Electoral Poll of--the district, and we must;abide by it. A meeting of the committee was then called to arrange as to forwarding the petition to Auckland ; and as it was, from the shortness of the time, considered most important that a special messenger should take the same, I was requested to <k>. so. I accordingly started, and on my way. through Nelson left, in courtesy, with the Superintendent copies of the petition, plan, &c., also copy of a petition praying that Waitohi be made a port of g: entry. I arrived in Auckland on Saturday, the 24th of September. On the following Monday I presented the petition, and was in attendance at the Government Office every day until the 4th a day of October, when the Order in Council was signed, making this a new province, under the name of Marlborough, to commence from the first day of November, 1859. I have heard it said the same was done by the Council at Auckland without due consideration; hut such was far from being the case, for the members of the Council required all conditions to he fulfilled, and treated the matter with very full consideration and attention before allowing it to pass. lam . glad to take this present opportunity of saying that, as your agent, I was received by the Council atAuckland with every courtesy and consideration, yet everything relating to separation was treated by them in a most strict and businesslike manner; and, as an old practitioner, I may he allowed to say, I never met with sounder and more clearheaded men than the prqjent, Council at Auckland, and the''''colony Tnay justly he proud'of having such a talented Executive at the head of affairs. On my return from Auckland, I came down the East Coast to Napier, being very desirous, by personal observation, to judge of the progress and prosperity of those who were the first to avail themselves of the New Provinces Act. I called upon Mr. Fitzgerald, the Superintendent of that province, and he very kindly gave me every information I required, as to the working of the same. The Government at Napier have made the best road I have ever seen in New Zealand, to connect the beach with the town, passing over hills similar to the port hills at Nelson. The harbour at Napier is at present a poor one, hut is capable of being much improved, which I ivas informed was very shortly to be done; and from the other Avorks already performed, I am satisfied it Avill he executed . Avell. Hawke’s Bay has the advantage of d fine unsold country, hut Napier is very badly off for Avood and water; yet, cA’en under these disadA'antages, it promises soon, by the energy and unanimity of its inhabitants, to take its place among the foremost provinces of the colony. A A'ery short time since, HaAvke’s Bay had only a population of 200, now it numbers,about 3,000, and the increase has principally taken place since separation. We have many ad\'nntages that Napier has not; avc have some of the finest harbours in New Zealand in our province; %ve abound in splendid timber and Avater; AA’e have yet some few thousand acres of good land to sell. Let us shoAV ourselves true prototypes of IlaAvke’s Bay in energy and unanimity. I have heard many observations as to the irregularity ot our proceedings in obtaining separation; some say Ave have no right to have our northern boundary so near to Nelson: a learned laAvyer says our southern boundary is illegal, not being far enotigh off; again, that our petition vras signed bv a dead man. I can only ans Aver to this, that l"believe I had about 180 lively signatures of men avlio were residing above ground at the time, and I trust they may be for many years to come. As to the former objections, I Avouid reply in the Avell-knoAvn term of one of Nelson’s Executive, “It is all bosh!” There maybe some avlio still think Ave have been premature; I believe this number is very small. There is one fact clear to us all; the longer Ave Avaited for separation the less land avc should have. I have before stated, that up to 185.7, £125,000 had been realized by the sale of land in these districts; since that time, £32,000; making a total ot £157,000 that these districts have yielded by the sale of land to the Nelson province. I think this is the most conclusive answer that can be given to the advocate of procrastination, that had the first memorial been carried out, we should have saved more than £27,000 for the use of these districts. We have, therefore, paid a ouraffperastination. turn to brighter themes, one ot the first fruits ox separation is the gratifying visit of his Excellency the Governor to this province. I am sure avc all feel grateful to him for the very courteous and kind manner he displayed toAvards us, and the practical and considerate remarks he made for our benefit. One thing is very certain, he left our shores with the sincere and heartfelt*' good Avishes ol‘ his god-children lor his happiness and Avelfare. Gentlemen, in conclusion, 1 thank you most cordially for the patience Avith which you have listened to me, and again returning you my Avarmest thanks for the'honour conferred upon me this day, I conclude by proposing that the motto of our neAv province may truly be “ Concordia crescimus." (Loud elieeis.)

Mr Seymour proposed the Province of Marlborough, and hoped that though it was the youngest province, it would not be the least m Mr. Pas ley returned thanks, and hoped that the province would do honour to its new name. Mr. Goulteb rose and-said: However great the advantages possessed by a province might be, if it had not a good port it must be subjected to great difficulties, which would inevitably check the trade and prosperity of its inhabitants. He alluded to the province of i aranaki, which, although in possession of a most fertile soil, laboured under many disadvantages through the want of a good liarbouiv s At Picton, e province of Marlborough possessed one of the finest harbours in New Zealandyf and when a road was made to it, the province would have every facility required for its imports and exports. He, therefore, proposed “ Prosperity to Picton, and success to its inhabitants.” * §8 , , w Mr Downes returned thanks. He hoped that all would prosper together ; that unity of feeling would subsist and improve ;, and all disputes and ill-feeling be done away until. (Hear, near.; Mr. Gilson proposed “ The Separation Committee,” without whose exertions, separation would not have been obtained. Mr. Seymour returned thanks, and expressed on behalf of the committee the satisfaction it afforded them to find that their exertions had been

successful, and bad met with the approbation ol his fellow-settlers. Separation being now obtained, he hoped that in future all would join in one bond of unity. Mr. Watts said he could not take much credit to himself for what had been done. They must thank Mr. Adams for separation; without him they could have done nothing. Sonic blamed Mr. Adams for the part he had taken, but when he looked at the gentlemen assembled there that night, he thought that the number who disapproved of what he had done must ho small. Me (Mr. Watts) and Mr. Pasley had been the means of getting up a meeting in 1857, for the purpose of petitioning for'separation. Up to that period only about £2OO (exclusive of the grant for the Waitohi road, which, he believed, came from the General Government), had been expended on the Wairau roads. Since that time many thousand pounds had been obtained from the sales of lands in the province, which had all gone into the Nelson Treasury. At first he was not inclined for separation, hut merely wished to petition the Nelson Government to give to this province a fair share of the proceeds of the land sales. It was, however,thought by the majority or that meeting that after the treatment we had received very little was to be expected from any application made to the Nelson Government. We, therefore, determined at once to go in for separation, which, he was very glad to say we had at length obtained. They would never have wished for separation if the Nelson Government had treated them properly. Mr. Adams rose, and said that he considered the ground-work and real stability of this province depended very much upon the success and energy of our agricultural brethren. Me ivould therefore propose “ Speed the Plough, and would with that toast name Mr. Wratt’s health, lie being one who had done much in the cultivation of land in the province. (Cheers.) Mr. Wratt responded, and said that he had about seventy acres under cultivation, for which he had to thank the plough; it was not himself, but the plough that deserved their cheers, mi u was the foundation of all comfort in the cultivation of land; and therefore all honour was due .-to-the plough. Several other toasts were given, amongst which were “Beaverton,” “Our Neighbours in Nelson,” “Nelson Provincial Council,” “General Assembly.” Between the toasts, many good songs were sung, and after thanks had been given to the chairman, at about twelve o clock the meeting broke up.