THE DINNER.

Southland Times, Issue 870, 23 December 1867, Page 3

THE DINNER.

The dmnerprovided by Mr G-. Smith, at the Prince of Wales Hotel, was, in relation to the efforts of the Host, like the Show itself, a decided success. The arrangements for the comfort and convenience of the guests were all that could be desired, and the fur Dishing of the tables was unexceptionable. About seventy gentlemen sat down to dinner, which, owing to business at the Show-yards, was not commenced as early as was announced. We hope on future occasions the recurrence of this late hour for the dinner will be avoided. The speeches of the evening may simply be taken as expressive of the gratification everyone felt at the result of the experiment which had been tried. On the occasion of another gathering, it will be desirable to render the meeting one of a truly practical character, by eliciting as far as possible the opinions of gentlemen present on the matters in which the permanent stability and prosperity of these institutions depend. The chair, in the absence of His Honor the Superintendent of the Province, was occupied by Dr Hodgkinson. W. Cochrane, Esq. officiated as ViceChairman. The Chairman proposed the first toast of the evening, " the Queen," which was drank with all the honors ; afterwards, " The Army, Navy, and Volunteers, coupled with the name of Captain Harvey," who, in returning thanks, said he had most unexpectedly been called upon to do so, and it might appear a little out of order that he should occupy such a position, belonging to an irregular branch of the service. He said "irregular/ yet for all that it was the only regular force now in the Colony. He felt a wish that the present company with which he was connected might expand into a battalion, as he believed: the time would come when we should be called on to defend our own shores. As an old Volunteer officer, he might „be , allqwed to say that the whole of- the young men of the Colony ought to be trained to arms. It must be remembered that a long training was requisite to render them efficient, and the 'result of bringing undisciplined forces into action at a hasty notice would be disastrous. He had before said that he tjrusted the volunteer movement "would

spread, and that his company would soon expand into two. He would, at the same time, express his wish that next year we might have a better Cattle Show. He would remark that in England, a large standing army was maintained, and in continental countries the youth were compeJled to undergo training for military duty. In Australia too, and in many other of our colonies, the necessity for education in military exercises was recognised, and he hoped its value and importance would be more fully realised here. When the Volunteers had beert introduced into active service, they had always acquitted themselves well, and in his own experience during the Waikato war, upon one occasion the whole of a body of Volunteers of 600 were ready and willing to enter on active service at a notice of five minutes only. Their subsequent conduct under engagement had given every indication of courage of a high order. The Vice- Chairman, "W. Cochran, Esq., proposed " The Health of His Honor the Superintendent," apologising for the absence of His Honor, on the ground of ill-health, and remarking that Mr Taylor had expressed to himself the great gratification it would have afforded him. to have been present. It would have been noticed that His Honor had shown an interest in the Association, by being present for a considerable time durino- the dav, on the Show Ground. The Chairman, in proposing "Prosperity to the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association," said there could be no doubt but that the formation and carrying out of an Association such as this was beneficial to the Province. They had made a successful commencement, and he believed no other province in New Zealand had produced a show equal to that we had seen to day. In long woolled sheep especially he had seen nothing to equal the exhibition of to day since leaving England. (Mr Eobert Aitkin just returned from Victoria where he had acted as a judge of long woolled sheep here remarked that there were none in the Victorian Exhibition to equal those shown to day) and he hoped they would regard the show as a practical matter tending to excite emulation, and to improve the stock of the province. The successful and unsuccessful competitors might alike regard themselves as having contributed to the day's success, and he trusted that those who had not been successful would still continue to furnish stock without perhaps expecting a prize. For himself he had been an unsuccessful exhibitor but still he was glad that he had sent stock. The next toast proposed was that of "The Judges," which was responded to by Mr Douglass— one of the Judges selected from the visitors from the Province of Otago, — who said he was much pleased with the Show, and especially with the part in which he had been most concerned. His duty had been among the horses, and he must tell them that before coming to the Show to-day he had imagined that Southland in the matter of horseflesh was ten per cent, behind Otago ; he had, however, been compelled to-day to give up that notion. The Chairman, in proposing " The Successful Candidates/ said the exhibitors had been at great pains and no little expense, and it could not be said it was wholly self-interest that had induced them. There was the desire to possess and to rear superior stock, and this desire was a benefit to the Province. Referring to a gentleman (Mr Sutton) who had made a recent visit to England and had imported thence first-class stock, he would couple his name with the toast. . Mr Sutton very briefly returned thanks. The toast " The Unsuccessful Candidates " was responded to by Mr John Morton. " The Commercial Interests of Invercargill, coupled with the name of D. M'Donald, Esq., of the Union Bank, and an acknowledgement of his kindness in the loan of the Show grounds," was next proposed and disposed of. " The Strangers " was responded to by Mr Vallance, of Morton Mains, recently from Victoria, who said he had been present at many cattle shows in this Colony, and in Victoria ; but that the Exhibition of to-day ranked favorably in competition with any of them — and would have been regarded as a creditable exhibition anywhere j he trusted they would go on and prosper. In reply to " The Press," Mr J. J. Ham said that the press had at all times a most difficult duty to perform to encourage progress arid to point out the means by which it was to be effected. The press of the Province had done all ifc could to stimulate Agricultural and kindred Associations, and he believed in every way to advance the best interests of Southland. The Vice-Chairman returned thanks on behalf of the ladies, Mr Thomas Perkin briefly proposed the health of the Directors of the Association, remarking that we had received to-day an illustration of what the determined combination of a few persons for the general good could accomplish, and which was acknowledged on behalf of the Directors by Bobert Hamilton, Esq. Mr Cochran proposed " Our Host," to which Mr Smith replied, and a vote of thanks to the Chairman, carried by acclamation, terminated the proceedings of the dinner of the Southland Agricultural and Pastoral Association.