THE DINNER.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 60, 29 November 1845, Page 2

THE DINNER.

. At one o'clock, the firing of a single gun announced that dinner was ready. A large piece of giound had been enclosed at one end of Mr. Harley's garden, in Bridge street, and was now decorated with shrubs and flowers. Provision had been made for 350 persons, and about that number partook of a most excellent and substantial dinner of beef, mutton, pork, varioui puddings, and beer. It is somewhat difficult to serve up a dinner for so large t a number, of persons without individual dissatisfaction, hut on this occasion we heard not a single complaint, and by the exertions of the committee and the waiters we believe every one rose from the tables perfectly satisfied. On tnVremoval of the cloth, " The Queen," was given by the Chairman, G. White, Esq., and before the cheering which the toast called forth had subsided, the booming of the guns caused it to be resumed with greater vigour. Mr. Fox said that they had met there for two purposes — to express an opinion' on the past and their hopes for the future. Some had thought that it would have been better to omit the former; to let bygones be bygones. He, however, in a great political event such as had brought them together, did not think that was the proper course. When Warren Hastings returned from India, stained by almost every crime which could blacken the character of a governor (txce,ptperhaps private avarict. which hchad considerately

left to hit com«ibme>,«othinrm»aeifl great an impression in his favour jn;? r « l J* *™ ** S number of addresses trhich hi* friends procured in and sent home from the country he had misgoverned. And when it was stated m Parliament that some of the natives whom he was accused of oppressing: had deified him and erected a temple for his worship, it almost turned the scale in his favour, perhapsfwould have turned it but for the masterly reply of Burke. " I know," said that great orator, " something of Hindoo mythology. I know that they sometimes worship gods whom they love, and sometimes gods whom they fear; that they dedicate some of their temples to the deities of light and plenty, and others to small-pox and murder. I shall not, therefore, seek to deprive the GovernorGeneral of his divine honours." Now he (Mr. Fox) thought that it was a duty which the settlers of Nelson owed to themselves, a diify which they owed to those who had fought their battles at home, a duty which they owed to mankind, to distinguish beyond all doubt the class of deities in which they consi dered Captain Fitzroy was entitled to rank. It might happen that some of those creeping things which in New Zealand had been drawn from that obscurity to which Providence had designed them into the full glare of official life, only to mafcfr manifest their deformities — some of those who considered it their duty to vote with their master whether they thought with him or not — might, as the crowning act of their sycophancy, prepare some address, in whicfi, comparing things the most unlikfe, they mi&'ht attribute to Robert Fitzroy the virtues "of Stamford Raffles. -If any such address: shfruld;be thought of, the proceedings bf the Nelspn settlers that day were its reply. The cannon which had forestalled the day, the cheers which had resounded at noon, and the bonfires which would light up the midnight sky, would answer it. The recall of a bad Governor, who had inflicted every injury ,on the colony which it was his duty to cherish and foster, ought to be recorded in the broadest handwriting of the people he had oppressed. J He had condemned himself; public opinion had condemned him. Let the settlers now endeavour to forgive him ; at all events, let them forget him, and look forward to those better days which he -{-Mr. Fox) trusted were yet in store for those who had emigrated to so great a distance from their native land. It was not perhaps very likely, after the bitter experience they had had, that they would throw themselves with violent love into the arms of any deputy from the Colonial Office. But he believed that if any of its servants did deserve the respect and esteem of those among whom his talents had been displayed, it was ?he officer who was now appointed to the government of this colony. He was a tried man; he had found the colony the government of which he was resigning in difficulties Httle it any less than those under which we laboured ; he had successfully grappled wjth them, and would leave it perhaps the most prosperous of the colonies in these seas. If w? might entertain high expectations of any man, we might of Captain Grej ; and if he answered those expectations, long might he live among us, and govern over us. Mr. Fox concluded by giving the toast, "Health and success to Captain Grey, the expected Governor of New Zealand."' This toast was received in the most enthusiastic manner, and the cheering was again prolonged by a round from the guns. Mr. Domett was glad that the toast which had just been handed him was one which it was necessary to say very little upon. It was, "Success to the New Zealand Company, and the health of Mr. Fox." He had only two remarks to make upon the former part of it, and they were, first, that whatever might be thought of the Company, or however diversified the opinion of peopl? upon its proceedings, one thing was undeniable, that many of the individuals composing it, and most of the directors in particular, bad embarked in lhe concern as much of their private property as perhaps all the settjers and other land purchasers pul together. So at least they were sailing in the same boat with the colonists, and had as much even pecuniary interest in its success as we could have. Another thing was equally undeniable; namely, that it was principally owing to th* continued, able, and unrelaxing exertions at home of those members of the direction who were also members of the House of Commons, that the triumph over the evil policy which had almost ruined die colony, evinced in the recall of Captain Fitzroy and appointment of Captain Grey, was to be attributed. It was owing to them that they were met together then to celebrate these events. He agreed perfectly with Mi. Fox, and he believed withthem all, that what they had to do respecting Captain Fitzi oy w as to forget him as fast and forgive him as fully as they could. Captain Fitzroymight go to— (a place not intended was here suggested) — lie, did not mean there, but to the place^he came from, in peace; though it was hardly ttf be denied that by creating general confusion- he was, however unconsciously, doing the work .of the lord of the place they had suggested. "Mr. Fox, in his eloquent speech, had spoken of the merits of Captain Grey^and he (Mr. Domett) believed he might assert fliat the new Governor had given sufficient proofs of his possession of thequalities most necessary for the performance of the difficult and arduous duties before him. One thing was certain ; he would do his best to relieve us from the' disgraceful and dangerous position of prostration at 'the feet of the maories, of lying at the mercy of savages, to which Captain Fitzroy and his; precious advisers had brougbtus. Our skulls, thickest as well as thinnest of them, would no longer, if he could help it, be rendered blocks for maori tomahawks to practise upon. But he would beg -t« remind them, with respect to their hopes for the future, that they should be sobered by judgment, limited by reason. They were not to expect the appointment of a new Governor would all at once "put money in their purses," or meat in their pots. A hundred Captain Greys — a whole regiment of Greys — could not do that. They must still depend as much as ever upon their own energy and industry r However admirable a government or governor, these qualities alone could not ensure to the labourers comfort or competence. But when good and wise government restored security to life and property, they might naturally enough expect emigration to recommence, capital to now in, the resources of the country to be developed, and then eventually in the coune of time (heir comforts might

be increased, even money might be got. The heairti ofMttFbx was, luckily tob, a theme it did n6t require him to comment much upon. They knew him well, and that he had the welfare of the colony at heart. He had come in a difficult time, and managed well. He (Mr. Domett) did not know whether or not Mr. Fox had ever done things disagreeable to them or not [cries of no !] ; he might or might not have ; but if he had, they should always remember that Mr. Fox was the agent of others—had to attend to the interests, manage the property of others — to- neglect which, not to do his utmost for the benefit of which, would be a dereliction of his bounder) and positive duty. He most cordially wished him success, and knew they would join in the wish. He thought he had better now give way to Mr. Fox and sit down, in the expectation, since he had made so eloquent a speech upon so bad a subject as Captain Fitzroy, of hearing a much more eloquent and excellent one from him when he had so much better a subject for it as himself. The toast was drunk with the greatest applause amid the roar of the guns, after which Mr. Fox briefly returned thanks. The Chairman, on proposing "The health of the Committee who had managed the festival," said that although the present meeting did not exceed in number the population of an ordinary parish in England, he would venture to say that if such a meeting had keen proposed there to express an opinion of the conduct of " the powers that be," that not one-hundredth pait of them -would have dared to' attends without first obtaining th'epermission 5 of their employers. At home,* the'name r of labourer was- synonymous with that of pa.up.ci;! buj; here every man was a labourer, and living under no apprehension of losing his work'for the free expression of his opinions. He observed that the circumstances I which had brought the present meeting together would convince every independent-minded man of the folly of attempting to uphold a Government which was so utterly destructive to the interests and prosperity of the great body of the people. The gentlemen who bad consented to fill the vacancies caused by the resignation of the former magistrates could scarcely be expected to have given this meeting their countenance, but they must still feel they cannot venture to defend the conduct of that Government of which they have consented to become the instruments. The company shortly after adjourned to the Green, where races of various kinds, jingling, and other amusements, instantly commenced.