DINNER OF THE HUTT SETTLERS TO SIR GEORGE GREY.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 586, 15 March 1851, Page 2

DINNER OF THE HUTT SETTLERS TO SIR GEORGE GREY.

On Thursday last a dinner was given by the Hutt settlers to his Excellency Sir George Grey, the Governor-in-Chief, to express their respect and esteem for him personally, and their grateful sense of the benefits conferred upon the district by the different improvements undertaken by him during his administration of the Government. The whole management of the dinner was entirely in the hands of the settlers of the Hutt, and except the invitation to the suite of the Go-vernor-in-Chief and Lieutenant-Governor, and the representatives of the two local papers, the tickets were strictly confined to those who lived in the district or owned property there, and among the latter were to be found many of those included in the invitations. For some days previously the work of preparation had been actively carried on, and the arrangements connected with the entertainment were most complete. The dinner was given in Newry Barn, the sides and ceiling of which were tastefully decorated with evergreens, two tables extended the length of the barn with a cross table at the upper end, while a large tent had been fitted up as awing to the barn to provide adequate accommodation for the numerous guests. The preparations for the repast were most substantial and would have done credit to any entertainment, all the cooking was done on the spot, and where every one was eager to lend a helping hand in promoting the object in view, there was no lack of assistance. One man gave the firewood, another sent his cart to draw it, the finest vegetables of the different gardens, the finest fruits produced in the valley were freely ofas .willing contributions to the feast, wnicn was abundant enough to have sufficed for nearly double the number of those present. The vegetables and fruits were very fine, of the latter there were several firstlate varieties of apples and pears, and some grapes grown by Mr. Hart Udv (Black Prince and Sweet Water) in the open air, in size and flavour were equal to those produced in a green house. In order, however, to enable those who were not present to form some idea of the hospitality of the settlers of the Hutt we print the bill of fare as follows: 6 large roastin g Pieces beef, 6 4 ToiJiM 8 ¥" tton ’ 2saddles Mutton, 4 Hams, p"P“' cmS, 12 12 d & 8 ’ I pfs 3 6 e An»k a 'ta > t e ’' f 4 bowJsal.d, (plum? 1 r Ras Pberry tarts, 18 Puddings, (plum), 1 Cake (superb), 6 dishes Custard, 10 do p Sis 4 i d VT%?/°- Grape8 ’ 1 b --i v / ’cu d °’ do ’ 15 do -’ 3d dozen Ginger Beer BraldvVbnH?’ ¥ d ° Zen Port ’ 2 Martell’s 7C lb T’Turnins 3 Up ’ cwt - Potatoes, (target 20 1L I S ‘ CarrOts ’ 20 Cabba ges, cEeUc. Par Snip d ° Zen Bread ' 2 As the hour of. dinner approached, the guests assembled in front of the barn waiting to receive Sir George Grey, who goTther? shortly after half-past three o’clockfand was welcomed with loud cheers and the most tiers fn ei?onSt r tiOnS ° f g °° d wiU ’ thes*twhhh a h i ne ° n either side ’ between which he entered to the banquet, while the band of the 65th Regt., which witaX?

dance, played the national quarter to four the chair was tab Renall, of the Newry Mill, whoA/ unanimously chosen by his fellow raw this office, and who discharged its , a most able and efficient manner n !i| right sf the chairman were hk i? Sir Grey, K.C.8., Lieut. Col Wi*'’ Hon. C. A. Dillon, Civil Secr e fe Wakefield, Esq., Attorney. General L 11 Wodehouse, Esq., Private Societal-’? 1 ?'') Governor-in-Chief. On his left sat If 1 cellency the Lieutenant-Governor r ' B Jn mas, Esq., Auditor-General, Esq., Private Secretary to theLkit 1 Governor, Hon. H. W. Petre, Colonial surer, and H. St. Hill, R.M. AmongtJ 7 tors and those connected with the LS trict were Hon. A. Tollemache A T 11 Esq., J. P., C. E. Alzdorf, Esq Aldred, J. Taine, Esq., Dr. Knox, fl Esq., while the body of the room ad' 1 tent were filled with the settlers of the u 1 a most respectable body, the the owners of the land they al hundred and eighty persons sat J dinner; one hundred and sixty.t Wo had been purchased at five shilling.'’! which, we understand, covered all exn I Grace was said by the Rev. J. Aldred g After dinner the Chairman proposed? health of “ Our Lady the Queen’* honours. %

After the toast had been duly resnJ to, the whole of the company rose aridl the National Anthem. xhs then proposed thehar of Prince Albert and the rest of the 0 Family, which was drank with loudappj The Chairman, in rising to propose] toast of the evening, the health of J guest whom they had met that even ; J honour, said that in the observations' about to make he should avoid, as fel possible, touching on any political diffJ ces, his desire was rather to gather id stray sheep than to scatter the flock. H progress that had been made duriagl years in the valley of the Hutt belief and was such as, when the obstas they had had to contend with were coni red no one, even the most sanguiue,® have anticipated. He thought that men eminent fortheir abilities were set them as their rulers they were bound toe ceive them with respect and, when theys their plans were calculated to promote ti good of the country, to give fidence and go hand in hand withum aiding the development of those plans, was in this spirit that they met his Em lency the Gove-nor-in-Chief this eveni’ (Cheers.) The Chairman then alluded; the disturbances which existed amongti maories on his Excellency’s first arrirtj the country, disturbances which wexensl ly, he thought, to be attributed to bad vernment, but he would refrain fromdrj ing too strongly on this point, as theyd unable to judge whether the faults thats been committed were to be laid to the cbj of the preceding Governors, or to the| structions they had received. He prefer to tread lightly on the past, afij look forward in hope and confidence to| future. In alluding to the cal discussions which had taken pM the settlement, he observed that wba they appealed to ancient history or ing events, it would be found that the is tiousness of Freedom was general!? es guished by despotism. In France, afc the struggles and sufferings of the Ret tion, they found themselves worse off is end than they were-at its and the wild excesses committed in thesj of Liberty were put an end to by the tism of Napoleon. Nor did theFrenth pear to be better off now than they ttej the times he had referred to. were who were always referring to publican Institutions of America as ps| to be followed, but these institutions,! ever free in theory, were found to bell nical in practice, and he thought in th?| sent state of the colony the less s®hl terns were copied the better. (Cheers.) main business, the chief occupation * engrossed the time and attention « country settlers and employed all ergies was the clearing of the land, an .' viding comfortable homes for their ’ and families. The Hutt settlers united body and he hoped no come to disturb them. (Cheers.) he saw a gentleman amongst them (a' 1 ’ to the reporter of the Independent)^ 1 putting his spectacles on, he hoped he wipe them well that he might see and get at the truth, for it was stra°» trouble some people would take to f falsehood when the truth lay so p' a ' 0 ' fore them. (Cheers and laughter.) b . alluded to the anxieties and sleeples-j. which the Governor must have ei| j establishing peace, in preventing tion of the native race and in se< ;K| confidence of both races, so that

the former being-wounded in the knee was j removed from the ground. An incendiary fire took place in the night of the Ist instant at Schneirsheim, near Strasbourg. Two large farm-houses and the buildings adjoining,containinga large quantity of farming stock, were totally consumed.