PUBLIC BANQUET,

Southland Times, Issue 633, 18 February 1867, Page 5

PUBLIC BANQUET,

TO CEEEBBATB THB ' OPENING OF THE BLUFF HARBOR AND INVERCARGILL RAILWAY, AT THB SOUTHLAND CLUB HOTEL. ♦>

On Monday evening a pubtto banquet to celebrate the opening of the above raUway 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 tastefuUy served repast. The chair was occupied by the Hon. Dr Menzies, M.L.C., who was supported on the right and left by T. Paterson, Esq., RaUway Engineer; D. MitcheU, Esq. ,• Wm. Wood, Esq., M.H.R. ; B. H. Moore, Esq. ; R. Buchanan, Esq. ; James Blacklock, Esq., and others. JoHir Blacklock, Esq., acted as croupier; supported by Captains Babot and Thomson, James Harvey, Esq. ; J. W. Raymond, Esq. , L. Longuet, Esq. ; C. F. O'Toole, EBq. j DrDeck, and others. The cloth having been removed, The Chaibman proposed the toast of "The Queen," which was drank with aU the honors — the company singing the National Anthem. ** The Prince and Princess of Wales " foUowed. The Chairman in proposing next "His Excellency the Governor," said he was assured that the toast would be cordially responded tp. 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 j aspersed them in the Home Office. It was to be hoped that we should know a Uttle more of him before the month was out, (cheers) and whtte he (Dr Menzies) felt the gentlemem ; present would heartily join him in 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 Ghaibman next proposed the health of His Honor the Superintendent, and expressed 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 liis heart was with them, as no one took a deeper interest in the prosperity of the j Province, and in the success of the line in commemoration of which they had met. (Cheers) He \ trusted the gentlemen present would join bim in wishing better health to His Honor. i Tbe toast was heartily responded to. , Mr Biackxock M.P.C. said it seemed to | devolve upon him to acknowledge the toast and i he did so most vriUingly. (Hear hear). At the ' same time he regretted the necessity, seeing that His Honor's presence would have added importance to the occasion, as weU 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 ;" Uving at a distance from the scene ot their dehberations, and the Province being hitherto without a raUway 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 CouncU, and in the result of their legislation. He would confine liim self on this occasion in a very few words to the result in which himself and his CampbeUtown friends were most 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 pnt into the hands of some gentleman 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 easUy be imagined by every gentleman present. He had great pleasure in proposing the toast of " the Government and CouncU 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 answer for the deeds or misdeeds of the Government, was quite sufficient he thought, for him without being saddled with those of the CouncU. 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 caU At present both the Government and Council were in a measure curtailed in their powers, stiU he beheved 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 the next step to our further prosperity. We were progressing steadtty 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 aUow us to float the debt on our own account, and have the same powers aUotted to us as the other Provinces. (Cheers.) Mr Wood, M.H.R., was loudly catted for, and in a few words thanked the gentlemen present for the honor done him and tiie other members of CouncU, and expressed a hope that they would always merit the same marks of distinction. The Chaibman said it now feU to his lot to propose the toast of the evening, " Success to the Bluff Harbor and Invercargili Railway." (Hear, hear, and great cheering.) It was very satisfactory indeed to be able to propose this toast as the completion of the raUway had been in the words of the song — " It has been lang, lang. o' comin." The idea of forming a raUway was one which had been early entertained in the history of the Province. In August, 1861, at the first meeting of CouncU, 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 raUway. The necessity for some such raUway, or some means equivalent, had begun to be felt very pressingly in the previous year. AU the gentlemen present knew very well the 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 t difficult, without giving very high freight and insurance, to get vessels from tiie 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 ifiade that whereas in '61 the tonnage inwards was 14,500, imports £55,000 ; in '62 the tonnage had sprung up to 32,800, andthe imports to £169000. 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 facUities for transit of imports and exports to and from the interior of the country. Accordingly the manner in which this should be accompUshed was carefuUy 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, fhe chief town. The Bluff bore no

good character, bui, imforfcunately, tbe other harbor bore a stiU worse one. The original intention waa to make a railway from InvercargiU 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 hy erecting proper wharfs at one port, that the insurance of vessels would be very materiaUy diminished, and probably the freight also, as there would then be facUities 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 irf the stream close upon the town, and along the shore of tbe estuary. This gravel was sufficient for the light country traffic, but it subsequently broke dotal 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 tbeir merchandise to the town after it was got to the port. And here it might have become necessary to make a raUway for that alone, seeing the only stone was to be found on the line of the raUway to the Bluff. . This gave another sufficient reason. And then a StiU 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 tiU 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. The 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 ihe traffic was a large influx of population. It happened unfortunately that this great commercial prosperity was a hot housa plant got up under conditions which proved to be ephemeral. The increased population was of a migratory character, readtty attracted to other fields and taking no permanent root in the Province — (hear, hear) — and so when this population melted away as it did early in 1864 the commercial prospects in this town suffered a serious bhght in their spring. But although the depression which resulted from this course was so deep for a long period after — nearly three years — we have now secured this rattwav, which we are now met to -commemorate the completion of. Had this raUway 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 w»s 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 heen inflicted hy 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 tp_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 weU, (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 this 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 InvercargiU RaUway could prove a great success, (cheers) and there were other results of a much wider character that would attend the extension of a similar system of raUway s of wliich this was only the first or initial step. He beheved it was only a question of time that a raUway 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 countiy. The extension of such a system must necessarily increase the value of our Uttle branch here, for this would be the last connecting link of the New Zealand trade with the AustraUan. (Hear hear). The extension of the Southern Island RaUway would necessarily after a time lead to the AustraUan trade being connected more directly with the port and Province of Southland (cheers.) In a long transit there were many classes of goods in which the raUway 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 ictimate connexion with other Provinces, thereby increasing our knowledge of our feUow colonists, and binding us more closely together. It may assist also still further in solving some problems of pontics which puzzle us just now, and release us from causes of annoyance to which the anomalies of our present political system subject us, and above all it would certainly by the facUities 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 inteUigence as a homogeneous nation. (Hear, hear.) Such a point perhaps was beyond the mark at present, but none could watch the march of pubhc 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 InvercargiU RaUway. (Great cheers.) t Mr John Ross, in responding to the toaßt, said [ he regretted his inabttity 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 to another part of it. He had often heard it asked, and often asked himself, 'do you think the Bluff Kattway wiU pay.' WeU he felt often inclined to answer the question in the way his countrymen usually did by asking another. What do you mean by paying ? Do you mean it wiU pay 10 percent? Then he should Say it won't pay for many years to come, but he beheved that many people when they speak of it paying, they mean wiU it pay working expenses, wiU 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 beheved that, with 'proper management, and he had no doubt it woujd 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.) This had been the case with rattways wherever they had been made in simUar 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 traveUed 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 succeed so well in other places — to have a very low fare, and induce the pubUc to take advantage of it when they had no wish to do so. To hold out to them the inducement of cheap bargains^ and they would be oftener on the raUway than they could afford. (Hear, hear.) He should Uke to see such fares as would induce the whole population to go two or three times a week. 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 raUway was made it was found to succeed pretty weU. (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 he attended with a deal of good. From what he had read and seen it appeared astonishing to him what a little inducement was necessary to cause ships to visit a place, and if by the plan just mentioned, ships could be got to caU oftener, we should find trade would follow, because when ships were there, trade must be. He would now thank the gentlemen present for their patient attention. (Applause.) Mr Blacklock said he would 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 reUance. He referred to Mr Paterson, the RaUway Engineer, (loud cheers). The gentleman referred to was not here when the raUway was commenced, and possibly what h e (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 generaUy 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 smaU 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 RaUway Engineer. (Cheers.) The toast was drank with all honors. Mr Patebson 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. His connection with the raUway works had been but recent, and so far as the designing of these works was concerned he had nothing to do. His work had been confined to completing the designs of others : rather an unpleasant i dutyinsomerespects. He was very glad that his services seemed to have been appreciated. He was also glad to think, after the vf ry long delays which had taken place, the Bluff Harbor and InvercargiU RaUway had at last been opaned for pubUc "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 during the lastweek passenger trains hadbeenrunningwithout the slightest irregularity — rather an unusual circumstance with a new raUway. He had been connected with a good many rattways, and he did not know any which at first opening coidd 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.) Since the raUway was opened, a month ago, £600 had been received for transmission of goods and for passenger fares. That was a fair test of what would Ukely be taken in the future. This sumwasequaltoabout£l9perday,and 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 pajing working expenses. But he did not think that the raUway should be looked upon exactly in the Ught of a purely commercial speculation. It had advantages much wider spread than that. For instance, the amount of £600 received for last month's working, represented a gain to the community of at least an equal sum, as the traffic could not have been carried on by any other means for double that amount. Passengers even at the present high rate of fares pay 8s for an easy hour's ride to Bluff, whereas formerly los had to be paid for being jolted for three hours over a particularly rough road. Then there was the goods transit which could not by road be accompUshed under £3 per ton. Time, also, was a great element of cost in thiscountry. (Hear hear). Timewas money, and soon amounts to a good deal when money is at 10 per cent. It was hardly fair to look at rattways here simply as commercial speculations. The capital expended on roads and simUar works was not expected to become directly reproductive, but as soon as a raUway was completed, it was at once expected to be remunerative. This Bluff RaUway would be a very Unimportant link in the extension of railways throughout the Island. He begged again to thank the gentlemen present for the honor done him. (Loud Cheers.) Mr Moobe was sure the toast he had to propose, " The Mercanttte Marine," would he frankly received by att present. (Cheers.) He would couple the toast with the health of Captain Babot, of the ship Water Nymph, and the health of Captain Thomson, tbe Bluff Harbor Master. The mercanttte marine was an interest of considerable moment to aU communities, and especially to ourselves at the present time. _, The Chairman had referred to the facUities offered by the Bluff RaUway 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 Bliiff Harbor had had rather a bad name for some time, but tbis 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 un- j fortunately occurring one after another gsve the place a had name. But great changes had f aken place, a lighthouse and jetty had been buttt, and we had now an experionced pilot there (hear), who merely needs to be known to have his services duly recognised. (Loud cheers.) With these and the facUities ofiered for transit by the raUway, there is now nothing to prevent the mercanttte 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 the 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 facUities for loading and discharging were offered. He would leave Captain Babot, and Captain Thomson to enlarge Upon the topic. Captain Babo-j?, in replying to the toast, said he had had the honor of being connected with the mercanttte marine for the past twenty-one years, and felt proud to respond to this expression o& the community of feelings which must always exist between the mercantile community of New Zealand and the mercantile marine of Great Britain. (Loud 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 1,500 bales of wool, (cheers), and this had been accompUshed by the facUities offered by tbe rail- 1 way, 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, aU the ports in New Zealand, he did not think a ship had ever been dispatched 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 facihtiea of Bluff Harbor. When alongside the wharf he had no anchors out, the ship was simply made fast, and thus sbe 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 wha*fj ■»» 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 pUot, 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. (Lottd 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. For a considerable time past no difficulty had been experienced in this respect. He considered it a port of easy access, and 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'Toole having been loudly caUed for favored the company with a speech, giving a detaU 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 Habvey, 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 Bmaller Bettlers 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 forgotten. Those men who had first entered into the wttderness and raised their homesteads there had found means of carrying down from the interior their produce, namely, wool — which is our main export stitt. He proposed " The Pastoral Interest of Soutliland." 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 sorry was not more fuUy 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 weU-built Uttle ship, stout, staunch, and strong : stirring times come ; the goldfields appeared ; she enters the race for ™nw» o^^iuoo the large -cUppers — her neighbours ; she carries on too much saU : what was the consequence ? She soon ran aU 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 still 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 efforts of those enterprising firms i known as the Company's. He believed he was 1 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 ; but if a few of those who viewed the squatter with jaundiced eye could look behind the scenes, he was inclined to think they would alter their opinion of a joUy squatter's hfe. He would say encourage pastoral interest in every shape and form ; allow runholders, many of whom have a desperate struggle to keep their heads above water, to draw breath, and recover, and with the increase of means wiU come the power to more fully develope the great natural resources of this Province. An instance has been shown us this 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 seek to disparage smaU farmers, but a short time ago there was a perfect crusade against the squatter. Southland was to be solely a community of small farmers : every man was to sit under his own vine or fig tree — an Utopian idea, which has never been reahsed in any country and not Ukely to be in this Province. 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 wiU only give us a pauper population. What was wanted to resusictate Southland was a class of men to come amongst us that could make a start with, say, 500 sheep and upwards. He would reiterate — without any disparagement to the small farmer — that the pastoral interest is the mainstay of Southland. He would again thank the gentlemen present for the hearty manner in which they had drank success to the pastoral interest. Mr John Mitchell, 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, and 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 sott and climate of Southland, to prevent agriculture being carried on profitably. It had many advantages over Austraha ; it had several disadvantages in regard to the harvest. Amongst others the uncertainty of the weather, but he considered the disadvantages the AustraUan 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 RaUway. 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, aad 22,000 aores had been Put

under cultivation. Tbe Southland land lavs were Überal, exoept in one thing. A settler had to pay down 20 shillings for as many acreß as he got possession of. He ought to have a right of leasing as many more acres along with the purchase. Every farmed ought to have sheep, and so represent both the pastoral and agricultural interest. (Applause.) Mr Wood proposed the " Professions." Dr Deck responded. Mr Wood next proposed the Press. Mr Ham, dn 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.