PUBLIC BANQUET.

Southland Times, Issue 631, 13 February 1867, Page 2

PUBLIC BANQUET.

TO CELEBBATE THE OPENING OF THE BLUFF HARBOR AND INVERCARGILL RAILWAY, AT THE SOUTHLAND CLUB HOTEL. ♦ On Monday evening a public banquet to celebrate the opening of the above railway was held at the Southland Club Hotel. About forty gentlemen, representing the various professional, mercantile, shipping, and agricultural interests, sat down to a substantial and tastefully served repast. The chair was occupied by the Hon. Dr Menzies, M.L.C., who was supported on the right and left by Jas. Paterson, Esq., Provincial Engineer; D. Mitchell, Esq. ; Wm. Wood, Esq., M.L.A V; J. W. Moore, Esq.; R. Buchanan, Esq. ; 'James Blacklock, Esq., and others. JnHir Blacklock, Esq., acted as croupier, supported by Captains Babott and Thomson, James Harvey, Esq.; J. W. Raymond, Esq.; L. Longuet, Esq.; C. F. O'Toole, Esq.; Dr Deck, and others. The cloth having been removed, The Chaibman proposed the toast of "The Queen," which was drank with all the honors — the company singing the National Anthem. " The Prince and Princess of Wales " followed. The Chairman in proposing next "His Excellency the Governor," said he was assured that the toast would be cordially responded to. His Excellency was a man of great experience in colonial matters, and a man of great natural sagacity, and who was, perhaps, more favorably known for the last year or two in consequence of his having in a very honorable manner stood up in defence of the colonies against those who aspersed them in the Home Office. It was to be hoped that we should know a little more of him before the month was out, (cheers) and while he (Dr Menzies) felt the gentlemem present would heartily join him ih drinking the Governor's health he trusted they would give him a royal welcome when he came amongst them, and that by and bye having formed a personal knowledge of him they would be better able on a future occasion to drink his health. The toast was drank with enthusiasm. The Chaibman next proposed the health of His Honer the Superintendent, and expressed his regret at his absence that evening. It was his Honor's misfortune. He had been confined to bed for many months, but he (Dr Menzies) was quite sure his heart was with them, as no one took a deeper interest in the prosperity of the Province, and in the success of the line in commemoration of which they had met. (Cheers) He trusted the gentlemen present would join him in wishing betttr health to His Honor. The toast was heartily responded to. Mr Blacklock M.P.C. said it seemed to devolve upon him to acknowledge the toast and he did so most wil-ingly. (Hear hear). At tho same time he regretted the necessity, seeing that His Honor's presence would have added importance to the occasion, as well as tended to their social conviviality. He regretted also most sincerely the cause of his Honor's absence, and he thought in expressing that feeling of regret he carried with him the heartfelt sympathy of all present (hear, hear and cheers.) In the name of his Honor he tendered his sincere thanks for the honor done him. (Applause.) Mr Longuet proposed the next toast, " The Provincial Government and Council of Southland ;" living at a distance from the scene ot their deliberations, and the Province being hitherto without a railway to the capital, he regretted that he was not so well able to do justice to the toast as many gentlemen present, but he took some interest in the Government and Council, and in the result of their legislation. He would confine himself on this occasion in a very few words to the result in which himself and his Campbelltown friends were moßt deeply interested—theßailway (cheers). Upon two separate occasions the Bluff people had prepared at some trouble and expense to welcome in a fitting manner the train which was to inaugurate the opening of the line, but on each occasion it was a false alarm. He was proud to think the line was now really opened, and he was sure that any seeming'remissness on the part of the Campbelltown people when the real train did arrive would be attributed to the cause he had just mentioned. (Hear, hear, and cheers). He was sorry that the toast had not been put into the hands of some gentlemen better able to do it justice. (Hear, hear), but it was a toast which, as Mr Squeers said of nature, was " much more easier imagined than described," and could therefore easily be imagined by every gentleman present. He had great pleasure in proposing the toast of " the Government and Council of Southland." The toast was duly responded to. Mr Blacklock said it appeared from the programme that he had been appointed to rise a second time, and he felt as if inclined to object to it from want of " Notice of Motion." To assert for the deeds or misdeeds of the Government, was quite sufficient he thought, for him without being saddled with those of the Council. However, in name of both, he begged most sincerely to. thank the gentlemen present for the hearty manner in which they had responded to the call. At present both the Government and Council were in a measure curtailed in their powers, still he believed they had now turned the corner of adversity and the next step would be an enlargement of their legislative powers. The securing of the land fund would be

thq next step to Our further prosperity. "We were progressing steadily and surely, and we had a desire to reduce our debt to what is considered a fair average of the debt of other Provinces. (Hear, hear.) He thought the General Assembly would see cause to allow us to float the debt on our owm account, and have the same powers allotted to us as the other Provinces. (Cheers.) . Mr Wood, M.L.A., was loudly called for, and in a few words thanked the gentlemen present for the honor done him and the other members of Council, and expressed a hope that they would always merit the same marks of distinction. The Chaibman said it now fell to his lot to propose the toast of the evening, " Success to the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill Railway." (Hear, hear, and great cheering.) It was very satisfactory indeed to be able to propose this toast as the completion of the railway had been in the words of the song — " It has been lang, lang o' comin." The idea of forming a railway was one which had been early entertained in the history of the Province. In August, 1861, at the first meeting of Council, the subject was broached ; and at each succeeding meeting the subject progressed further towards maturity, until, in the session of February, 1863, the bill was passed whereby the Government was authorised to construct the railway. The necessity for some such railway, or some means equivalent, had begun to be felt very pressingly in the previous year. All the gentlemen present knew very well tbe history of the misfortunes connected with our harbors in '61 and '62, so that he need not refresh their memories on the point. The result was that, as trade increased in 1862 it was found difficult, without giving very high freight and insurance, to get vessels from the neighboring colonies to come into our harbours at all. The trade was increasing very quickly, and he (Dr Menzies) found from a note which he had made that whereas in '61 the tonnage inwards was 14,500, imports 55,000 ; in '62 the tonnage had sprung up to 32,800, and the imports to 169,000. It was clear enough that, in order to have any trade worth mentioning, some efforts must be made to render the ports more safe, and give facilities for transit of imports and exports to and from the interior of the country. Accordingly the manner in which this sho old be accomplished was carefully considered for a considerable period. The original idea was that the Bluff being the most convenient harbor for vessels of a character which then bore the most traffic, steamers from Melbourne, that that should be the terminus from the chief town. The Bluff bore no good character, but, unfortunately, the other harbor bore a still worse one. The original intention was to make a railway from Invercargill to the Bluff, but another idea was subsequently grafted on, and a branch was made to the Mokomoko — what is now called Stanley. The increased safety for vessels lying in port was no doubt the chief reason which led the Government to propose this scheme, but there were other reasons which bore considerable weight. It was clear enough that by erecting proper wharfs at one port, that the insurance of vessels would be very materially diminished, and probably the freight also, as there would then be facilities for discharging. The easy transit of imports to the chief town in the Province was another consideration. Then again for a very considerable distance around the town, the only material was the gravel in the stream close upon the town, and along the shore of the estuary. This gravel was sufficient for the light country traffic, but it subsequently broke down completely ; when the traffic to the goldfields started up, and heavy drays put on, something better was required in order to enable merchants- here to transmit their merchandise to the town after it was got to the port. And here it might have become necessary to make a railway for that alone, seeing the only stone was to be found on the line of the railway to the BlufF. This gave another sufficient reason. And then a still greater reason occurred early in 1863. By the time that the Provincial Legislature had determined to construct this work, the discovery of the Wakatip Goldfields was made, the richest field that had been discovered in New Zealand. Up till that time the trade increased enormously. On the discovery of this field it was very soon ascertained that goods could be sent up from here at less expense and difficulty than they could be sent from Dunedin. It clearly became an object of the highest importance to secure this trade, and the previous considerations which had been already mentioned rendered it all the more necessary to take immediate steps. Tho trade sprung up to a wonderful extent. He would again refer to his notes with reference to this point. He had adverted to the large increase ofthe trade through 1861 and 1862. He found that in the year 1863 the tonnage inwards had increased from 32,862 to 72,563— (hear, hear)— and the value of the imports in the same period from £169,000 to £866,000. This clearly was a very important increase, and one which the Government was bound to foster in every way it could. The trade depended upon a large influx of population. The population at Wakatipu in the course of 1863 was about equal to the population of Southland, or indeed greater, the former being estimated at from 10 to 12 thousand, whereas the population of the latter never rose to nine thousand. The cause then of this enormous increase in the traffic was a large influx of population. It happened unfortunately that with this great commercial prosperity it was a hot house plant got up under conditions which proved to be ephemeral. The increased population was of a migratory character, readily attracted to other fields and taking no permanent root in the Province^ — (hear, hear) — and so when thiß population melted away as it did early in 1864 the commercial prospects in this town suffered a serious blight in their spring. But al- j though the depression which resulted from this course was so deep for a long period after — nearly three years — we have now secured this railway, which we are now met to commemorate the completion of. Had this railway been completed sooner, it was impossible to be proved a success from the want of population numerous enough to make it pay. Yet, the check given to tho place was partial, and he was firmly convinced only temporary.. It had been found that during the period of the deepest depression, indeed all through it. the extension of settlement and the progress of the country districts went on in a wonderful manner. To any one who was familiar with the country in '63, and who rides through it now, it must be perfectly clear that the country has prospered in a most extraordinary manner and that whatever injury may have been inflicted by the misfortunes of '64, the people suffered less in the country than in the town. The country had prospered wonderfully. The area of cultivated lands had increased enormously. He could not say how much it amounted to in the end of last year, but it had sprung up from something like 16,000 acres in Dec., 1863, to 70,000 acres in Dec., 1864. (Hear, hear:) Even during the year of the deepest depression here, that increase has gone on much in the same ratio, he knew well, (hear, hear, and cheers,) and the stock on runs and farms had increased, Without paying any. attention to financial or commercial embarrassments, (laughter), when the circumstance of the Province permitted the resuming of colonising, and when we had a stream of immigration setting in towards tbis Province consisting of the class most likely to become permanent settlers, and when with this increased population and increased trade it would foster increased progress, and when the Province became the home of thousands of prosperous and contented men, . (hear hear, and cheers) in the view of a commercial enterprise he was convinced that the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill Railway could prove a great Jsuccess, (cheers) and there were other results of a much wider character that would attend the extension of a similar system of railways of which this was only the first or mutual step. He believed it was only a question of time that a railway would be made throughout the whole length of this land, (hear, hear, and applause), depending very much indeed

,on the re-establishing of the financial Credit of the country. The extension : of such a system must neoessarily increase the value of our ttttlf branch here, for this would be the last ooiinedt* ing link Of the New Zealand trade Mfll the Australian. (Hear hear). The eiten** sion of the Southern Island Railway would necessarily after a time lead to the Australian trade being connected more directly with the port and Province of Southland (cheers.) In a long transit there were many classes of goods in whioh the railway could successfully compete with the steamers. Then there- were some further advantages which the extension of such a system would necessarily lead to; Our coming into more iutimate connexion with other Provinces, thereby increasing our knowledge of our fellow colonists, and binding us more closely together. It may assist also still further in solving some problems of politics which puzzle us just now, and release us from causes of' an 4 noyance tO which the anomalies .of our present political system subject lis, and above all it would certainly by the facilities of having communication be conducive to the attainment of a harmony of interests and community of purpose as a colony which must precede our ultimate intelligence as* a homogeneous nation. (Hear, hear.) Suoh a point perhaps was beyond the mark at present, but none could watch the march of- publio opinion at home, without seeing that that lay before us at no distant future. (Cheers.) He felt confident that the people of Southland would have cause -to remember with pride that the first important link of that material bond of union was formed by the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill Bailway. (Great cheers.) Mr Johk Ross, in responding to the toast, said he regretted his inability to do it justice, and he would make his. remarks as short as possible and they would be of a general kind. Their respected Chairman had treated one part of the railway question, and he would therefore addresss himself tp another part of it. He had often heard it asked, and often asked himself, fdo you think the Bluff | Railway will pay.' Well he felt often inclined to I answer the question in the way his countrymen usually did by asking another. What do you I mean by paying ? Do you mean it will pay 10 percent? Then he should say it won't pay for many years to come, but he believed that many people when they speak of it paying, they mean will it pay working expenses, will it continue to be an expense on the revenue of the Province. As far as he had been able to judge he thought there was no fear of that. (Hear hear.) He believed that, with proper management, and he had no doubt it would, be properly managed,, (hear, hear,) it would pay its working expenses, and eventually, as it became connected with other lines to be made in future years, yield a handsome revenue. (Hear hear, and cheers.) Thie had been the case with railways wherever they had been made in similar circumstances, and he did not see why the same results should not attend our railways. He had great hopes of its paying, from the population being more of a locomotive nature ; when men had separated themselves from the ties of home they travelled much more, and in the colonies their means were greater. (Hear, hear.) They could afford to spend more in travelling. He thought .the gentlemen in charge of the railway should make it as popular as possible — (Hear, hear) — that instead of putting on very high fares, they should adopt the system which had been found to suoceed so well in other places — to have a very low fare, and induce the pubhc to take advantage of it when they had no wish to do so. To holdout to them the inducement of cheap bargains^ and they would be oftener on the railway than they could afford. (Hear, hear.) He should like to see such fares as would induce the whole population to go two or three times iaweek. The returns would prove much greater than was now anticipated. It had always been said that we should have to depend more on the, goods than on the passenger traffic. He thought that a mistake. He had known districts where the travelling was not really so great as here, where the people were a stay-at-home people, and perhaps their only means of conveyance a mail coach, carrying one or two passengers; when a -"railway was made it waa found to succeed pretty well. (Hear, hear.) But here one could not go out without seeing people on horseback. Another idea occurred 'to him. If the Bluff were made a free port of entry it might be attended with a deal of good. Erom what he had read and seen it appeared __ astonishing to him what a little inducement was necessary to cai.se ships to visit a place, and if by the plan ju t mentioned, ships could be got to call oftener, we should find trade would- follow, because when ships were there, trade must be. He would now thank the gentlemen present for iheir patient attention. (Applause.) Mr Biacklock said he wotd 1 now ask leave to propose the health of a gentleman for whose professional and private character he had the greatest respect, and he thought that everyone who had had an opportunity of meeting with the gentleman in his private capacity would coincide in his opinion. In his professional capacity he (Mr Blacklock) had had frequent opportunities of meeting with him, and could say that he had always found him to be one in whom he felt confidence in dealing, and in whose opinion he always placed implicit reliance. He referred to Mr Paterson, the Railway Engineer, (loud j, cheers). The gentleman referred to was not here when the railway was commenced, and possibly what he (Mr Blacklock) was about to state might be new to him as well as to many here. The matter had been referred to by the chairman, but he (Mr Blacklock) thought it was not generally understood, namely, the reason why the Mokomoko Jetty was extended such a distance into the New River. (The speaker here went into an explanation.) In reference to small fares, he said it was a moot point; but, if thought expedient, the fares could be changed. It was always more pleasant to reduce fares°than raise them, therefore the Government were chary of starting at too low a point. (Hear, hear.) He would now ask them to drink the health of Mr Paterson, the Railway Engineer. (Cheers.) The toaßt was drank with all honors. Mr Patjebsojt said he could not but feel highly flattered at the manner in which Mr Blacklock had spoken of his services, and also at the manner in which his remarks had been received by the gentlemen present. Hiß connection with the railway works had been but recent, and so far afc the designing of these works was concerned he had nothing tojdo. His work had been confined to completing the designs of others : rather an unpleasant dutyin somerespects. He was very glad that his ser-. vices seemed to have been appreciated, He waa also glad to think, after the vny long delays which had taken place, the Bluff Harbor and Invercargill. Railway had at last been opaned for public traffic. After the five miles upon which an embargo was laid had been placed in the hands of the Engineer, within ten days it was opened for traffic, and it had been regularly used since that time for the transmission of goods ; and within the last week trains had been running without the least inconvenience, and with a new railway was rather an uuusual circumstance. He had been connected with a good many railways, and he did not know any which at first opening could compare more favorably in this respect. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He thought that the hopes entertained by the gentleman who had addressed the meeting stood a tolerably fair chance of being fulfilled if the traffic continued in the same ratio. There was, at least, the chance of its paying its working expenses. (Hear, hear.) At the very leasVtsinoe the railway was opened, a month ago, £600 is due for transmission of goods and passenger fares. That was a fair test of what would likely be taken in the future. This sumwasequaltoaboufc£l9perday,'an4 considering that the passenger traffic had only been conducted for less than a week he thought there was a very fair prospect indeed of it at least pai ing working expenses. But he did not think that the railway should be looked up*frn exactly in the light of a purely commercial speculation. It had advantages much wider spread than that. Taking a view based on one month's working." The receipts £600 showed a clear gain Of at least unequal amount. That traffic could not haye been carried on by any other means for" double

&afc amount. Passengers even at the present high rate of fares pay 8s for an easy hour's ride to Bluff whereas formerly 15s had to be paid for being jolted for three hours ovar a p *:ioularly *ough road. Then there was the goods transit which could not by road be accomplished under £8 per ton. Time too a very great element in fids country. (Hear hear). Time was money, and soon amounts to a good deal of money when money is at 10 percent. Itwas hardly fair to look at railways M simply a commercial speculation. When capital wm laid out upon a road the money was not expected to be got in after in a hurry, indeed a considerable sum had usually to be expended i** maintenance. But as soon as a railway was completed, it was at once expeoted to be remunerative. This Buff Railway would be a very unimportant link in the extension of railwnys throughout the Island. He begged again to thank the gentlemen present for the honor done him. (Loud Cheers.) Mr Moobe was sure tbe toast he had to propose, " The Mercantile Marine," would be frankly received by all present. (Cheers ) He would ijbuple the toast with the health of Captain Sabot, of thb ship Water Nymph, and the health bf Captain Thomson, tbe Bluff Harbor Master. Tne mercantile marine was an interest of considerable moment to all communities, and especially to ourselves at the present time. The Chairman had referred to the facilities offered by the Bluff Railway to the intercolonial trade, but he (Mr Moore) was happy to say that we were securing some other trade. The Water Nymph had lately come in, and he hoped she might be the forerunner of a great many more from London and elsewhere. The Bluff Harbor had had rather a bad name for some time, but this had arisen from no fault of the harbor, but from its not being known. (Hear, hear.) A few years ago people in England scarcely knew where the place was. Three or four wrecks unfortunately occurring one after another gsve tbe place a bad name. But great changes had f aken place, a lighthouse and jetty had been built, and we had now an experienced pilot there (hear), who merely needs to be known to have his services duly recognised. (Loud cheers.) With these and the facilities offered for transit by the railway, there is now nothing to prevent the mercantile marine finding their way to the Bluff, as they do to every other place. (Cheers.) lt had been said that Southland was the end of the world, but if it is, the end of it is also the beginning. If you come one way, it is tiie end, if you go another it is the beginning. (Laughter.) Mr Ross had thrown out a very good suggestion, which he (Mr Moore) thought might however be attended with some difficulties, but if the Bluff could be made a free port, there could be no doubt that plenty of vessels would visit it ; they would have no difficulty in finding their way into Bluff Harbor, more particularly now that so many many facilities for loading and discharging were offered. He would leave Captain Babot, and Captain Thomson to enlarge upon the topic. Captain Babbot, in replying to the toast, said he had had the honor of being connected with the mercantile marine for the past twenty-one years, and felt proud to respond to this expression of the community of feelings which must always exist between the mercantile community of New Zealand and the mercantile marine of Great Britain. (Load cheers.) This had been his first visit to Southland, and he had every reason to be pleased with it. He had been here about "six weeks, and during that time had discharged 750 tons of cargo, and shipped 15,000 bales of wool, (cheers), and tbis had been accomplished by the facilities offered hy the railway, and by the willing assistance of the officials at the Bluff. (Cheers). This was his seventh voyage to New Zealand. It was the quickest dispatch he had met with, and knowing as he did, all the ports in New Zealand, he did not think a ship had ever been dispatohed from any of them in a shorter time. (Renewed cheers). Then he was twelve days doing nothing at all, in consequence of tho Railway not being opened, had it been his ship might have been discharged in three weeks. Such were the facilities of Bluff Harbor. When alongside the wharf he had no anchors out, the ship was simply made fast, and thus she lay, during a seven days gale, about the -second worst they had had at the port. The harbor he considered a safe one, provided the ship got alongside the wharf j as for steamers, they could come in at all times. To bring in a sailing ship it required a good deal of tact and talent. With a good man as pilot, the Bluff was one of the best ports in the colony, and ought to be the Liverpool of New Zealand. (Great cheering.) He (Captain Babot) said he would not detain the gentlemen further ; he was off with their wool, and hoped to be back next season for another load. (Loud cheers.) Captain Thomson thought the only part left for him to speak upon was the safety of the Port, lt was capable of admitting of any steamer at anytime of the tide and in all weathers. Eor a considerable time past no difficulty had been experienced in this respect. He considered it a port of easy access, *nd that steamers in their course could put in and discharge passengers and cargo without losing any time. The port was of ample size to accommodate any amount of shipping ever likely to be there, even should this become the terminus for the whole Island. Mr O'TooiiE having been loudly called for favored the company with a speech, giving a detail and in a manner altogether original his early reminiscenses of the Bluff. Want of space alone precludes our presenting a report of it to our readers. Mr Haevet, in proposing the next toast — "Success to the Agricultural Interest," said he felt it unnecessary to say a single word in praise of the companies who had placed so much land under cultivation, or of the smaller settlers who had displayed so much energy in the face of so many difficulties — bad roads and high price of labor, &c. But the pioneer settlers must not be forgot. Those men who had first entered into the wilderness and raised their homesteads there had found means of carrying down from the interior their produce, namely, wool — which is oar main export still. He proposed " The Pastoral Interest of Southland." Captain Raymond, in replying to the toast, said that a subject of such vital importance to the whole community as the pastoral interest of Southland merited a more able response than he was capable of giving. He had the honor, on behalf of the pastoral community, which he was ■ariy was not more fully represented on this occasion, to thank the gentlemen present for the hearty manner in which they had drank - success to their interest. The pastoral interest, he might say without egotism, was the mainstay of Southland. Compare, he said, Southland of former days to a well-built little ship, stout, staunch, and strong : stirring times come ; the goldfields appeared i she enters the race for renown against the large clippers- — her neighbours ; she carries on too much sail : what was the consequence ? She loon ran all the copper off her bottom, became a dismantled hulk, and is now laid up in ordinary. But she was only disabled ; she was not a total wreck. Southland has Btill great resources left. We could produce a description of wool second to none in the world. Look at the monster waggon loads of wool daily thronging our streets. Look at the effects of those enterprising firms known as the Company's. He believed he was safe in stating that the immense sums expended by those spirited gentlemen are mainly with a view to pastoral purposes. He was sure every well wisher to the Province wished them success. Gentlemen more directly representing the pastoral interest, namely, the runholders, were a much envied class j but if a few of those who viewed the squatter with jaundiced eye could look behind the scenes, be was -inclined to think they woull alter their opinion of a jolly squatter's life. He would say pastoral interest in every shape and form ; allow runholders, many of whom have a desperate struggle to keep their heads above water, to thaw, break, and recover, and with the increase of means will come the power to more fully develope the great natural resources of this Province. An instance has been shown us thiß evening by Captain Babot, of the Water Nymph, what the Province could do. He

(Capt. B) had discharged his outward cargo, and loaded with wool in the short space of seven weeks. He (the speaker) would not Bcek to disparage small farmers, but a short time ago there was a perfect crusade against tho squatter, Southland was to be solely a community of small farmers : every man was to sit under his own vine I or fig tree — an Utopian idea, which lias never beer realised in any country and not likely to be ir this Proviuce. *Many*of the advocates of such a system regret having done so ; — they were aU producers — no consumers — poor men ; — they grew their oats, but there was no one to buy. The small farm system will only give us a paupe. population. What was wanted to reinstate Southland was a class of men to come amongst u-i that could make a start with, say, 500 sheep and upwards. He would reiterate — without any disparagement to the small farmer — that the pastoral nterest is tin mainstay of Southland. He would agoin thank tha gbntlemen present for the hearty manner in which they had drank success to the pastoral interest. Mr John Mitoheel, in a speech of some length, proposed " The Agricultural Interest," and called upon Mr James Mackintosh, late of Victoria, to reply. Mr Mackintosh, who was most cordially received, said he was at a loss to understand why he had been selected to respond to this toast. He was a stranger, amd as yet scarcely connected with any particular interest, though he hoped to be in some future time connected with that of agriculture. He could see nothing in the soil and climate of Southland, to prevent agriculture being carried on profitably. * It had many advantages over Australia ; it had several disadvantages in regard to the harvest. Amongst others the uncertainty of the weather, but he considered the disadvantages the Australian farmers had to contend with much more numerous. His sympathies were with the agriculturists, and he thanked the gentlemen for the cordial manner in which they had honored the toast. Mr Mackintosh then referred to the Bluff Railway and Harbor, and complimented Captain Thomson, the HarborMaster, whose name was now well-known and respected by Melbonrne merchants and shippers. He contrasted the appearance the business of the port and Province presented now to what it did some years ago, and expressed his confidence in the good that would certainly result from the opening of the Railway. The land laws in Victoria were next referred to and contrasted with those of Southland. From liberal terms being offered in Victoria to settlers in 12 month's time capital had been invested there by men of limited means to the extent of half a million, and 22,030 acres had been put under cultivation. Tbe Southland land laws were liberal, except in one thing. A settler had to pay down 20 shillings for as many acres as he got possessed of. He ought to have a right of leasing as many more acres along with the purchase. Every farmer ought to have sheep, and so represent both the pastoral and agricultural inierest. (Applause.) Mr Wood proposed the " professions." Dr Deck responded. Mr Wood next proposed the Press. Mr Ham, in the absence of Mr Reynolds, responded. The toast of "The Ladies," "The Host," " The Chairman," &c , followed, and the meeting broke up at a late hour.