BALL TO HIS EXCELLENCY.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1914, 9 December 1874, Page 3

BALL TO HIS EXCELLENCY.

The Citizens' Ball to his Excellency the Governor and Lady Normanby took place on Monday night, at the' Choral Hall. There were about 100 couples present, and the ball passed off very successfully. The ball was opened about half-past 9 o'fclock by his Excellency leading off the Mayoress in a set of quadrilles, the other dancers, in which were Sir George Arney and the Marchioness of Normanby, G. Yonder Heyde,Esq., M H. 8., and Mrs 11, Chamberlin, Captain Beckham and Miss Williamson. The following from this district were present:-Mr and Mrs Eraser.

His Excellency, in responding to the toast of his health proposed by his Worship the Mayor, said:— I "Mr Mayor, ladies and gentlemen: I tbauk you cordially for the kind manner in which you have received the toast which has just been proposed to you, and I thank you also for the cordial welcome which you have given us to your province. (Cheers.) I am not vain enough to suppose that this reception has been accorded to me, coming as I do among you as as a perfeet'strauger, from' any merits of my own, but I attribute it rather to that feeling of loyalty which I know from experience exists in all her Majesty's colonies which I have had the opportunity of visiting. I attribute it to. that spirit of loyalty which induces you to receive with cordiality the person to whom hor Majesty has been pleased to entrust the Government of your colony. I rejoice in that feeling. I am not surprised at it, however, because I know that of all the country in the world there is none which enjoys that free and entire liberty that is possessed by English people. (Cheers.) Of later years it has been the wise policy of the British Government to extend that liberal and free Constitution which the old country enjoys to her colonies. The colonies now possess a Constitution a-i free and as liberal as any in the world. If you have difficulties which you wish to overcome, if you have reforms which you wish to make, if there is any mismanagement in the Government of your colony, you have the remedy ia your hands in a constitutional and proper manner. (Cheers.) It therefore rests with yourselves to take care that the Governments conducted in the manner you think best. I have heard even in England of some people who would uphold the Republican form of government. I own myself that Ilook upon them as visionaries, because I maintain that, except in name, we have in England the best possible system of Jtepubliean government, without any of its evils. (Loud cheers.) Wo have a Queen who is beloved, and honoured,'and revered by all her subjects, who takes the place of the President of a Republic, and in this manner wo are saved all tho difficulties and all the dangers .which attend the election periodically of a new President. But with that one exception I think that every possible good which can he obtained from a liepublican form of government is better and more securely obtained by the constitution of England. (Cheers.) You, enjoying a similar constitution in the colonies, are naturally bound to the mother country. The bond which unites her colonies to England may be in some respects compared to a silken thread-it is light, but it is strong as steel, and as hard as adamant. It is formed by mutual self-interest and mutual self-respect. (Cheers.) So long as (hat feeling exists I entertain no fear of any difficulty between the moiher country and her colonies; and long may tue day be distant whenever a difficulty of any kind may arise. Having so. lately arrived among you, I must be excused from entering into particulars of the country of New Zealand. I have read much about New Zealand. I have heard more from friends who have lived among you; but at the same time I have a prejudice in favour of forming my conclusions from my own observations in preference to taking the views of others as my own. (Cheers.) It will be my anxious endeavour, as soon as possible, to traverse tho land from end to end, and see, as far as practicable, all the resources and all the requirements of the country. I can only assure you that any ability that I may have, and auy energy I may possess, will be devoted to the utmost of my power in endeavouring to assist you in developing and promoting tho interests of the colony. (Cheers.) The ifayor, in proposing my health, alluded to the difference between the circumstances under which I have assumed the government of this colony, and those which obtained not many years ago. 'Ihere is no one >>ho can rejoice more in that difference than I do myself. It is a lamentable thing in a country to see two races warring against one another, and I trust that the peace which now reigns is permanent, and that by a system of equal justice, arid by equal administration of the laws to all, the Maori race will find that it is as much to-their advantage, as I am sure it is to tho advantaga of the colonists themselves, that peace and good feeling should exist between tho two raoes, (Loud cheers.) I will not trespass longer upon your time, as the Mayor has already alluded to attractions in the other room; but I will again thank you cordially for tho way in which you have received me in your province, I trust that though this is the first visit we have paid to you, it will be far from tho last. (Loud oheors.) Before I sit down, let mo propose " Succosb, prosperity, and happiness to the province of Auckland." - Cross,

POLICE CO U RT.—XKSTEEDIY. (More Dr, KitGOUK, Esq., J. P., andE. W. I'OCKE,?, Es(j.,/.P.) \ ' Assault. — Amelia Tliornally was charged with assaulting Mary Ann Haddocks by seizing her by the throat and arm on the 3rd instant. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Mr Macdonald appeared for plaintiff and Mr Dodd for the defendant. At the request of Mr Macdonald witnesses were ordered out of Court. Ihe case arose out of a trespass of plaintiff's goslings in defendant's enclosure Mary Ann Haddocks deposed that she lived in Richmond-street. Defendant lived in the next allotment. Plaintiff kept geese. Her attention was called by Mr Keary's girl that. Mrs rhornally s girl was killing her goslings. She went in to get the goslings out 'when Mrs I hornally seized her from behind by the throut and arm forcibly. She nearly lost her breath, and was partially insensible for some lime after. Mrs Tliornally afterwards picked up three large goslings and threw them at her head. There was nothing in the enclosure which the goslings could harm. Mrs Carey saw all that took place. Witness was crossexamined by _ Mr Dodd. • Mary Keary was also examined, and corroborated the testimony of the prosecutrix.-Mrs Maddocks called defendant a thief after she came out of the garden, but made use of no bad language before that. — • lien Tliornally, daughter of the defenI daut, was examined for the defence. She was. driving tlie geese out, when Mrs Maddocks came over to box her. ears. She said she would. Witness then called her mother, and her mother told Mrs Maddocks to go out, but she said she; had as much right there as her mother.'" ■She was told to go out two or three times. Mrs Maddocks made use of diß- - gusting language, and called her mother a dirty beast, and said she kept a dirty stinking house. She also said her mother .vas a thief, and that she (witness) was another. Her mother then took Mrs Maddocksjby thetwoshoulders, and turned her out gently, Mrs Carey was then' inside her own house.-Mrs Maddocks, besides making use of the bad language, hit her mother.—Sarah Ann Tliornally. a ! vounger child, who said she was 11 years old, was examined as to the nature of an oath, and sworn. She was then examined, tier evidence was a fac-simile of that given by the elder girl—the words being, in many instances, identical.—The Bench found the caseproved; but in consideration of the annoyance, caused by the plaintiff's geese, they would inflict a less penalty than t'hey otherwise would do. I'hey would inflict a fine of 2(h and costs, or, in default, two days' imprisonment.— Mr Dodd applied to have three days allowed for the payment of the fine.— This was granted. The costs amounted to £2 7s 6d.