BANQUET to MR BRYCE

Patea Mail, 19 December 1881, Page 3

BANQUET to MR BRYCE

AT WANGANUI. The complimentary banquet to the Hon. John Bryce, was given in the Theatre at Wanganui on Friday night, about 150 sitting down to an unusually good spread. The Wanganui Rifle Band was present. Mr R. Pharazyn presided, Mr Freeman R. Jackson acting as vice-chairman. The Ministry was represented by the Hon. Walter Johnston.

Mr Pharazyn, in proposing the toast to Mr Bryce, traced that gentleman’s career from his early struggles as a working settler, his work in various local boards, afterwards as member of the Assembly, Minister of the Crown, up to the crowning success at Parihaka. He was always recognised as a man of judgment and honesty of character—and became known as “ Honest John Bryce.” In responding, Mr Bryce said that be did not know that his voice ever faltered or his heart failed him when he had an opponent to meet or an enemy to face. But both heart and voice failed that night when he listened to the flattering remarks which had been passed upon him. The position of prominence he had been forced into lately was not of his own self-seeking, and was one which he would have avoided if he could have done so consistently with his doty to the public. After giving the reasons which led to his resignation as Native Minister, the attempts made by Government to arrange with Te Whiti, and to the adoption by Government of the plan of settlement proposed by Mr Bryce, which finally led to his rejoining the Ministry, the speaker said when the history of the West Coast for the last 10 years came to be written it would form a very interesting chapter. There were curious things connected with it. Buckle, the historian said that the scenery of the country had an influence on the men that inhabited it, and the theory was borne out by the native race on the coast. All the great prophets of the Maori race came from Mount Egmont. Te Hira, who started Hauhauism, came from there, and Motu’s frenzy originated in the same quarter. The latter chief persuaded his people that by waving their hands they could prevent bullets striking them, but to prove this theory Titokowaru, at Sentry Hill, lost an eye, and he (Mr Bryce) thought it almost a misfortune he had not lost the other one. Other superstitions came from the same locality, but of all of them none obtained such a hold on the native mind as Te Whiti under the shadow of Mount Egmont. It was difficult to describe his superstition, but it was certain that he believed in himself and that supernatural manifestations would be displayed to manifest his power. Actually the natives went to the meeting at Parihaka with clothes to cover the bodies of the dead, who were to be raised to life at the word of Te Whiti. He mentioned this fact to show the peculiar difficulty in dealing with such a superstition. On one occasion Titokowaru, who was jealous of the prophet’s influence, rose quietly after Te Whiti had made a speech, and asked him, “ Who is behind you f” Te Whiti, changing his voice from mild and placid accents to the tones of a lion, replied “I am the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.” Titokowaru sat down, merely saying “ That’s all—l only asked.’’ It had been said publicly that all Te Whiti wanted was to bring his disputes before the Courts of law, but whenever this course had been suggested to him he had rejected it with scorn. One great difficulty had been left out of sight in the matter—the religious frenzy he had alluded to. The ploughmen did not go on the reserves to preserve Te Whiti’s rights, but to aim at establishing his sovereignty in some wonderful manner, for they believed he would be king not only of New Zealand, but of the whole world. Mr Bryce then described the arrest of Hiroki, and how that native arose in the middle of the crowd, where he could not be identified, and made two or three steps forward. Even then it could be seen that H ; roki expected to see the pakehas fall down, struck by the mana of his lord, Te Whiti. He strongly denounced the conduct of a high church dignitary who had publicly stated that the movement on Parihaka was got up for electioneering purposes. The condition of things was dangerous in the extreme to the settlers who were at the mercy of a madman. The work which had been done then was the abatement of Te Whiti’s tremendous mana, and it had to be done in a manner which left no hope of wavering on the part of the Government. His policy had been not to provoke war, though he never entertained any doubt of their ability to cope with the natives, especially with the aid of the A.O.’s, than whom no better military body existed in the world. With them he

Mr T. Fergus was elected for the Lake district by 334 votes, Thomson having 232 and M’Bride 103. The P,A. telegrams received here were awfully muddled. Mr Fergus was stated to be one behind, and eight reports were to come in. The truth was there were only eight polling places, and his majority was 102. The cricket match on Saturday was decided on the first innings, for want of time to finish. The eleven of banks and civil servants got 64, against 56 by Patea Club eleven. The highest score for the banks was Mr Tennent’s 33. The highest for the Club was Mr Tapi in’s 17.