DINNER TO. SIR G. GREY.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 846, 10 September 1853, Page 3

DINNER TO. SIR G. GREY.

On Wednesday evening, a dinner was given to Ms Excellency Sir G. Grey at Barrett's Hotel, •which included the largest number of settlers that ever met together in Wellington on a simi-lar-festive occasion. The -new room at Barrett's Hotel, the largest in Wellington, was used for the banquet, a table extended across the apartment, from which three tables were continued the length of the room. The room was very well lighted and lined with flags which had a pleasing effect. At the end of the room, opposite the Chairman was placed a spirited and effective sketch by Mr. Maiiott, representing even-handed Justice with her scales, in the centre, on the one side a scene of internecine hostility between the two races, belonging to " times past," on the other their union in peace and industry, as characteristic of " the present time." The sketch was tastefully surrounded with evergreens and flowers. Upwards of 140 persons were present, being as many as the room could possibly contain. At 7 o'clock the company sat down to dinner. Mr.W. Allen occupied the chair, and Messrs. Carter, Masters, and Renall, acted as croupiers. His Excellency Sir George Grey was seated on the right of the chairman. Among those present were Mr. Carkeek, Collector of Customs, Mr. J. H. Wodehouse, Private Secretary : some of the oldest colonists as the Hon. H. Petre, Messrs. St. Hill, Hunter, Hort, King, D. Bell, Alzdorf, Stokes, Tame, Varnham, Loxley, Spinks, Mills, &c. The following members were also present, Messrs. Hart and Rhodes, members of the General Assembly, and Messrs. Moore, Renall, and G. Hart, members of the Provincial Council. The arrangements, considering the short notice, were very complete, the toasts were drank with the usual honours, Mr. Marriott discharging the duties of toastmaster in a very efficient manner ; and several songs in the intervals between the toasts by their sentiment -or humour, alterating from " grave to gay, from lively to severe," added to the enjoyment of the evening. The dinner having been concluded, The Chairman proposed the health of the Queen, which was drank with great enthusiasm. Mr. Marriott sang two stanzas of the National Anthem, with very good effect, the whole of the company joining in the chorus. The health of Prince Albert and the Royal Family was then drank with three cheers. The Chairman in proposing the health of Sir George Grey, their honoured guest, lamented that his powers were utterly inadequate to do justice to the services his Excellency had rendered to New Zealand. ("They will never be forgotten.") The present entertainment was an acknowledgment to his Excellency .on the part of those present of the great benefits he has conferred upon this province by reducing the price of land, by the recent purchases effected in the Wairarapa and other districts, and for the lively interest manifested by his Excellency in facilitating the introduction of the Small Farm system. From these he (the Chairman) believed would be dated the rapid progress of the prosperity of the colony. It had been said by some that the re duction in the price of land might have been made by the General Assembly ; but great bodies move slow, and his Excellency, by conferring this boon on the colony had offered immediate inducements to settlers of small capital to come and reap gold from the soil (cheers.) With regard to the recent purchases of land, if his Excellency had • left the colony without having effected them, the acquisition of these .districts might have been a work of time and difficulty. Strangers could not have dealt with this question so effectively, for the Natives had the greatest confidence in his Excellency, who was better acquainted with their habits and customs than any other person. News had that day been received of the purchase of additional districts containing upwards of 350,000 acres, (cheers.) The reduction in the price of land would have been no boon to them if there were no land to sell, but by the exertions made by his Excellency, who had done even more than his duty in Ms efforts to serve them, a deep debt of gratitude was due to him from the settlers (cheers.) .He then adverted to the system of small, farms, and the encouragement given to it by his Excellency, and referred to the arrival of the Ann, a commercial steamer, which would afford means to bring the people to this land, which they should endeavour to render as attractive as possible to new comers. The health of Sir George Grey was drank with the utmost enthusiasm. After the cheering, which lasted for some time, had subsided, Sib G. Grey begged to return his sincere thanks for the manner in wMch they had drank his health, as well as for the kind feel- ' ings wMch had prompted the' present entertainment." It was very gratifying to him to receive from them such a testimony of their approval of his efforts to do his duty, and it was also a source of the greatest possible happiness to him upon his departure to see peace and prosperity established - throughout the

whole. of New Zealand. (Cheers.) As allusions had repeatedly been made to the state in which he had found the colony upon his arrival, and as to the manner in which he had performed his duty here, and the results which hod ensued, they would perhaps pardon him if he related to them the circumstances under which he had resolved, eight years ago, to devote every energy he possessed to the service of New Zealand. He was at that period comfortable and happy, and most usefully employed in administering the Government of South Australia, and had not then the most remote idea of being called upon to serve her Majesty in any other colony, v>hen one day a stray newspaper 'was received in which it was stated that Captain Grey had been appointed to the Government of New Zealand ; but little attention was, however, paid to that paragraph by himself, or,he believed, by any one else. Ten or twelve days afterwards he was riding with his brother, attended by an orderly, along a road which ran to the southward from Adelaide nearly parallel to the shores of Spencer's Gulf, and when about seven miles from Adelaide, he saw a large vessel beating up the Gulf, very close to the shore. Proceeding on his ride he shortly afterwards met a settler in a light cart going to Adelaide, who stopped and asked him if he knew what that vessel was. On his answering in the negative, the settlor informed him that the vessel was the Elphinstone, from Bombay, bringing Major Robe to relieve him in the Government of South Australia, at the same time giving him a bag of despatches which, upon account of their importance, had been landed by a boat from the Elphinstone, upon the coast, with a request that they might be forwarded to him at Adelaide with the least possible delay. He (Sir George) immediately dismounted, and giving his horse to the orderly, sat down under a hedge and opened the despatches, which were from Lord Stanley now Earl of Derby. From them he gathered a full idea of the difficulties which prevailed in this country, and found that he had been ordered to proceed to New Zealand with the least possible delay, to assume the Government of the colony, and to do his utmost to re-establish peace and prosperity. (Cheers.) At first he felt distressed at the magnitude of the task which was so suddenly and unexpectedly imposed upon him, but after giving the subject his most anxious consideration he rose from his seat with the firm resolution of devoting himself entirely to the one duty of attempting to restore peace and prosperity to New Zealand. (Loud and prolonged cheering.) He then closed again the despatch bag, rode rapidly back to Adelaide, gave at once all necessary orders, and in a few days was on board the ElpMnslone on his way to New Zealand — and for the last eight years had done his utmost to carry out the resolution he had formed on first receiving in South Australia the intimation of his appointment to the government of this colony. (Loud cheers.) In his efforts to serve New Zealand he (Sir George) considered himself very fortunate, because he had found on all hands a desire to help him, and by the active and ready assistance he had received from the naval, military and civil officers employed, and from the settlers and natives , peace and prosperity were soon restored to New Zealand. (Cheers.) By a strange coincidence a gentleman now present at the last public dinner given to him, had been also present at the very first dinner he (Sir George) had attended in New Zealand in a public capacity. The dinner to which he referred had been given to him at Kororareka, at the Bay of Islands, by the na\ al and military officers, on his arrival to hurry on the prosecution of the war; the present cntei tainment, on the contrary, might be justly considered as being given as a recognition of the benefits of peace. (Cheers.) In referring to the subject immediately under their notice, he would state that he had that day received letters from Mr. M'Lean, from which he learned that he had secured still larger portions of the Wairarapa than had been previously purchased, and that negotiations were in progress for other and very important districts, which he had since learned from the natives were concluded, so that he had very little doubt if they were not complete, they were in a very satisfactory train. (Cheers.)? He (Sir George) could not express how much indebted he felt himself in the prosecution of his duties to the exertions of the officers and inhabitants of the country, particularly in the last two or three years, and he begged they would kindly include, as his companion and colleague in these transactions, Mr. Commissioner M'Lean, whose unwearied exertions were beyond all praise, who possessed the utmost confidence of the natives, and who was justice and firmness itself. (Cheers.) His Excellency then referred to a late occurrence at Eangitikei, whither Mr. M'Lean had been sent express from a distant part of the country, and by his prudence and decision, and his influence with the natives, had caused to be seized and delivered up an offender who had occasioned much annoyance in the district. (Cheers.) His Excellency conclude* by proposing the health of Mr. Commissioner M'Lean, which was drank with three cheers. The Chairman proposed, the Army and Nayy — with 3 times 3. Mr. May proposed, the " Prosperity of this Province and the health of the Superintendent." He said the Province was in a more healthy-and prosperous state now than at any former period. The exports of the present year were considerably in excess of the previous one, and this prosperity would continue to be progressive. The discovery of mineral wealth in Australia had turned the world upside down, its effect had been to turn the heads of people ; however their heads were turned in the right direction, and he believed considerable numbers would ' resort to these shores. Not to be prosy he would allude more immediately to the toast he had to propose, and regretted he was not more competent to do it justice. The toast was drank with usual honours. Mr. Carter proposed, " the health of the Members of the General Assembly of this Province and the Members of the Provincial Council," and adverted to the difficulties and duties of their position He then referred to the recent purchases of land, a treasure of 2,000,000 acres, he said, had been bestowed on this Province by their excellent Governor, which would place it in a most favourable

position, and from which they might confidently expect a great amount of prosperity -would emanate. There was a general call for Mr, Hart, but Mr. Rhodes on the part of 1 the Members returned thanks for the toast. Mb. Hart said, a subject had been placed in his hands than which he could hardly have had one presenting more difficulty from its frigidity to deal with in a, manner consistent with the circumstances of the company there, but he would endeavour to view it in an aspect interesting to them. It might be a proud boast for any man that by invention, judgment, forethought and perseverance, he had been the means of founding a colony, but it was a prouder position for any man that by caution, prudence, watchful energy, generosity, and great personal exertion, and by the judicious use of means placed at his - disposal he had raised a colony from the point of ruin, from the depth of misery, to that prosperity which now gave to New Zealand its brilliant promise for the future. (Cheers.) At the same time they must recollect that a colony might advance to the highest degree of material prosperity, but if due care were not taken to secure the proper means for educating the people, the eflect of such,.a4vances would not be to raise them.in the social scale. And for continued, able, and liberal exertions in this respect the colony was greatly indebted to the distinguished guest of the evening. (Loud cheers.) He (Mr. H.) was not apt in quoting figures, but on looking into the Educational returns published in the Auckland Government Gazette, he had been agreeably surprised at the number of schools and scholars at work in the province, and he believed that very few of the company were aware of the extent of the means employed, and of the liberal support which those schools had received from His Excellency. But if the plans which had been long under consideration should be carried out, the works now in progress would be but the foreshadowing of the future — they would be indebted to His Excellency for the erection of a College, in which without distinction x of religious sects all might receive a complete education not to be obtained elsewhere. (CheerSv) Such an institution was well calculated to break down the animosities which existed between different sects. At a time of life when the young man is able to learn, he will be taught by experience that whatever may be the distinctions of creeds, there is in the heart of his fellow-man something in common vath what he finds in his own, and Avhile he justly values those religious principles which are the beacon to keep him in the right path, he may still respect those whose creeds differ from his own. (Cheers.) Hence would arise a community united in feelings, able and willing to pull together for the common benefit. Such results, if they should to any extent be shortly brought about, would be attributable to the vase and liberal forethought of their honoured guest. (Cheers.) He (Mr. II ) would therefore propose with especial reference to the exertions of His Excellency in this behalf, success to the cause of Education in this province. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Hort said the toast he was about to propose was rather a sentiment than a toast. He would propose " Civil and R-eligious Liberty," that principle which was in his opinion the brightest gem among the inestimable privileges of Englishmen, a principle which Great Britain preeminently enjoys. (Cheers.) The time had been when religious prejudice prevailed to that extent that a man almost hated his brother man, and what, he would ask, had altered that spirit, what but the spread of education had broken down those prejudices, and caused men of all creeds in the present day to unite together for the common good ? These enlightened principles were fully acted on by their honoured guest;' he (Mr. H.) believed that no one had a deeper feeling of tolerance for the opinions of others than his Excellency, and whatever difference of opinion might have existed on political questions, this principle had been carried out by his Excellency to its fullest extent. (Cheers.) Mr. Hort then referred in forcible terms to the danger and distress which prevailed in the Province when his Excellency first came to Wellington, when even his (Mr. Hort's) going to the Hutt was considered so full of danger that Major Last had entreated his family to dissuade him from his purpose. But, said he, look at the colony now, each man under his own vine anil fig-tree enjoys the blessings of peace and prosperity, and these blessings would descend to their children and their posterity, who would bear in grateful recollection what had been done by his Excellency. (Cheers.) He (Mr. H.) considered the School at Thorndon the best monument in Wellington to his Excellency (cheers) and Lady Grey (Cheers.) He believed the extension of education would greaUy promote the means of social enjoyment, and would cause all the benefits to be derived from civil and religious liberty to be realized by them to their fullest extent (cheers.) Mr. Moore in acceding to the request made to him to propose the toast he was about to give them, felt bound to say he wasuttcrly, and entirely inadequate to render it even an instalment of justice. He had always felt the great importance of our relations to the native race, and was sure no one could but admit that they formed one of the most considerable elements in our prosperity. Yielding to none in his desire to see the natives properly use and enjoy the great blessings of civilization — to see them taught how best to develop and improve the resources of these islands, so bountifully gifted by nature and Providence — to see them brought into harmonious relations with their colonizing brethren — and regarding all that tended to these ends as amongst our first duties — feeling all this, and much more than he could attempt to express, he did not shrink from attempting, however feebly, to express his sentiments on such an auspicious occasion as the present, and he therefore with great pleasure gave the toast of " the Aborigines, their happiness and prosperity (cheers.) Intimately connected with this toast was the name of their honored guest of this evening (cheers), than whom, he would be bold to assert, no man in his position had done, -or possibly could have done, more to aid and achieve these great ends, which he had always from first to last kept steadily in view, and towards which, through danger and diffi-

culty, he bad fearlessly and manfully steered his course ; — how- far he had; succeeded, let every man who could remember the condition of the native Arfd their relations -with the white men e*i§Pryears ago, and who could estimate their condition and relations now, judge for himself ; — his own estimate was that the strenuous efforts of Sir George Grey Had been nobly crownqd with success (cheers). He thought it impossible to overestimate the importance of this great feature in His Efccelcellency's policy. Look at Auckland, with its tens of thousands of natives, able, if united for one common object, to sweep all before them into the sea ; and then look at the Cape of Good Hope, at the millions of treasure, and hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives sacrificed there. Compare the results of two different lines of policy, and then, he asked them, was it too much to assert a belief that if the Caffre had been treated like the Maori, an immense amount of human suffering might have been averted, and an immense amount of treasure saved for better purposes than being spent in war (cheers). If we considered that for every soldier shot down in battle.we might have had a plough and a team of bullocks upon the land — which, he would ask, was worth thesacrifice, which was the nobler object to obtain ? Appropriate to this subject, he would ask permission to relate an anecdote which had come to his knowledge, and he hoped he was not transgressing propriety in doing so. He (Mr. M.) wad not quite sure of dates and figuresy but the main facts he could relate confidently, and if he erred, there were those near him who Would, he hoped, be kind enough to set him right. About seven years ago, a 'Governor Bent to a native tribe a present of a horse and cart, and a plough, and a person skilled in agriculture was directed by the Governor to accompany the gift, and teach the natives how to use it. Time passed on, and after an interval of some years, the Governor was requested by the chief of the tribe to pay them a visit. On his arrival, he found drawn up before the assembled tribe twenty horses, twenty ploughs, twenty carts, and with them twenty natives dressed as English carters ; in front of these were the original horse, cart, and plough the Governor had given them. These had been diligently employed by the natives in the cultivation of the soil, and with the money obtained from the sale of their wheat and other produce, they had added to their power of production by the purchase of more ploughs and horses, and to their enjoyment of the comforts and appliances of civilized life. Advancing to meet the Governor on his arrival, the chief said, "We have sent for you, Governor, to come and see us. This" (pointing to the original plough) "is your egg. These" (pointing to the others) " are what it has produced." The incident he related had occurred in the Northern Province. The Governor's name was Sir George Grey. (Loud and prolonged cheering.) This, gentlemen, (continued Mr. M.), was no solitary instance — it was but one of many similar acts, differing only in degree, illustrative of the general policy of his Excellency. He did not think any one would be found to deny this. Who would be bold enough to say what might have resulted from a different or hostile policy 1 ? Who would be bold enough to say what may be the result, when upon the solid foundation of this wise and beneficent course, a superstructure shall be raised perfect in its parts, and conferring immortal honor on him who laid the foundation stone (cheers). Then it might be, and he fondly hoped it would be, that history would write amongst the names of the benefactors of the human race, and the most useful men of his age and time, the name of Sir George Grey (loud cheers.) E Tako returned thanks and spoke at some length, in the native language, with great animation and considerable fluency, and was very much applauded. At the general request Mr. Bell ro&e to explain what Etako had said. In giving an outline of E. Tako's 9peech it could not fail, he said, to give them great pleasu/e to see a native among them on the present occasion. In his address he had said that the time had been when the two races had been opposed to each other, but now the great object in his mind was to see the two races united in one ; not one above the other, but placed on an equal footing, that they should be united in customs, laws, and government ; and, in fact, that they should be united as one people i under the government of the Queen. | [At the conclusion of his speech, turning to his Excellency, Etako said " While the Gover- ! nor is with us we shall do well, but as soon as he goes away both the natives and white men will go astray.] Mr. Masters proposed " Prosperity to the Small Farm System/ and dwelt at some length on the advantages arising from a reduction in the price of land, and the benefits from small farms in increasing the population and exports of the Province, and suggested that the first town should be named Grey as a memorial of their excellent Governor. Mr. Duncan proposed " The City of Wellington and its Commercial and Shipping Interests," and in doing so contrasted the present state of prosperity of those interests with the uiter prostration of all branches of trade at the time of the Governor's arrival in the colony. The commercial interests had greatly improved within the last two years, and the value of the exports had considerably increased. The coasting trade was profitably employed, and owing to the liberal policy of the Governor would continue to increase to a great extent. He then referred, as in some degree connected with the toast, to the arrival of the steamer Ann, and anticipated the-hap-piest results to the commerce of the colony, from its connexion with so wealthy and liberal a Company as the Oriental and Peninsular Steam Company. (Cheers,) Mr. Bell in proposing " The Pastoral Interest" said the settlers of Wellington must feel an interest in the success of, and wish pros.perity to those interests, as the stockholders acted as the pioneers to settlement, they opened up the land and attracted people to the country. He believed the settlement of a country was best promoted by the stockholders, who would occupy the land in the first instance, and gradually retire as colonization extended. When, as would some day be the case, the .settlers swarmed into Wairarapa, they would find .it very greatly to their advantage that

the valley had been previously occupied by the Stockholders, from whom they would obtain their supplies at a more moderate rate than would hate been the case if they had not preceded them 1 , (Cheers). His Excellency now retired, and on leaving the room was loudly cheered, and received every demonstration of respect and regard. In the temporary absence of tHe Chairman, who attended his Excellency out of the room, Mr. Moore occupied the chair, and in an appropriate speech proposed his health, which was drank with three cheers. Other toasts followed ; on the health o£ Captain Gibbs, of the Peninsular and Oriental Steamer Ann, being drank, Cap*. Gibbs in acknowledging the toast said, he was glad to find so strong and general a desire expressed by the colonists, both at Nelson and in this place, for the establishment of steam communication between the different ports of New Zealand. The Peninsular and Oriental Company were anxious to extend their line to New Zealand, and complete the chain of communication which connected the different dependencies of Great Britain in these seas with the mother country, and he had no doubt if the proposals of the Company received j the favourable consideration of the Government and the co-operation and support of the Colonists, that the attempt to establish steam in New Zealand would be perfectly successful* (Cheers.) It was in contemplation by Capt» , Sparkes, the Superintendent of the Company at Sydney, to extend the line with two vessels of adequate power, which should run monthly between Sydney and this port, while the Ann would be employed between the different settlements of New Zealand, and it was his (Capt. Sparkes') intention, on the Ann's next trip, to visit Wellington in order to effect the arrange* ments to which he had referred. (Cheers.) In this way the line of communication would be complete, and New Zealand would enjoy all the advantages which steam had already conferred on the Australian colonies in the means of expeditiouslycommunicatingwiththe mother country, and would also be connected with the East Indies, China, and other countries visited by the Company's vessels. A good deal would depend on the quality of the fuel to be obtained and the cost of obtaining it, but on this p< int he could state that he had tried the coal at Nelson, and if it could be supplied at a moderate rate, it wnuid answer every purpose. (Cheers.) Something had been said about a wharf, but for the purposes of the Company a wharf whs not indispensably necessary. All that would be lequired was a vessel to be moored in the harbour in which, to save time, the cargoes of the steamers on their arrival might be discharged. Such a vessel could be purchased in one of the Australian ports, and sent to Wellington by the Company in the first instance with a cargo of coals. She could then be moored in the harbour, and the between decks fitted up for the reception of goods, and placed by the Government under the control of proper officer as a bonded store. This was the course pursued by the Peninsular and Oriental Company under similar circumstances in all the ports they visit, and they now owned sixteen thousand tons of shipping which were applied in different ports to the purpose he had described. (Cheers.) The Company did not separate until a late hour, and the entertainment passed off in the most pleasant and satisfactory manner.