Banquet to the Boa. The Native Minister.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2832, 13 March 1878, Page 2

Banquet to the Boa. The Native Minister.

(ABBIDGED FBOH TJESTBBDAY'S HIBALD.)

The dinner given to the Hon. John . Sheehan, If afire Minister, by the song of old colonists, took place at Hamilton on Monday night. There were about 60 gentlemen present, and Major \^isjK>n, J.P., occupied the chair. All the ar-, rangements for the banquet were of the most recherche* character.

After the usual loyal toasts, the Chairman proposed, amidat load applause, the toast of the evening, " The health of the Hon. John Sheehan.'' He aaidthe meeting was strictly non-political, called together to do honour, irrespectire of creed, to exalted ability, and to do honour to the first native-born colonist of New Zealand who had attained to the dignity of a Minister of the colony. _ The Hon. Mr Sheehan, who was loudly cheered, after thanking the company and. the chairman, said that he had tumbled into politics purely by accident/ At the last moment he was induced to enter the Proriocial Council, and was the first native-born colonist in that body, as well as the first in the House of Representatives. He said that, probably, success in these directions was due largely to self, reliance, and something of assurance. His friend Mr Luckie would remember that they both entered the House within the same year, that Mr Luckie proposed, and he (Mr Sheehan) seconded the address in reply, and the manner in which he (Mr Sheehan) lectured the Assembly of older members was something which eTen now, when looking back, he was surprised at. He had condemned their legal enactments, he had censured their great delays, and compared himself to John the Baptist preparing the way for a new political Messiah, who would change much of the then-existing arrangements, and the time was coming when the work under the new regime would require to be done largely by the New-Zealandborn colonists, at least by the younger genera* tion, for whom the older men were now making room. He had, as the chairman said, made many friends on all sides, and this he attributed to the fact that he had always acted on two maxims—he. never forgot a friend, and he never insulted an enemy. He stuck to his friends, and : would not easily give ear to eril reports, neither would he throw dirt on a foe. Probably this disposition had helped him to the many friends he possessed; but he was not insensible to hit own shortcomings, and he knew that people said, with some degree, of truth, that "procrastination.was Sheehan'a fail* ing " —a failing which, however, he would try to remedy. He thea referred to the importance of having a railway made between Auckland and Taranaki. He urged the settlers to insist on this, work being carried out. Even a dray road once fairly established meant a final settlement and' pacifioattbn of the country. The settlers should stick to this idc. There were only at- >utßoor 90 miles between Moxan and Tanuuki, and with what they had already, and what could now te undeilaken without trouble or fear of disturbance, the distance could safely be reduced to under 50 miles. Speaking of the coach road from Cambridge to .Taupo, he said it wan not necessary to tell them that that road would ! complete the communication between Auckland and Wellington. The present Government could not claim the- credit of ! initiating this work, but they meant tostiok to it, and csr»*y it out to satisfactory conclusion, and it might be, perhaps, if ho survived the struggles of next session, that he shall be able to enter Waikato by way of Taupo. Regarding the Thames > and Hamilton Railway; he suggested that . the people of the district should join with . the Thames people and take a leaf out of their book, lor these were. instant in season and out of season in making •- demands on Government and on Parliament, for such works as the coon* , try Urgently required. After referring to the richness of the banquet, and the kindness showed towards himself, he concluded by saying, that if his success waa due partly to fortuitous eircumsUuices, and partly to his. own perseverance and pluck, it such success should induce others of the young New. Zealanders to look for public honors, he would be glad to see them reaching him, and even, passing him, in their advaneement^MAppiause.) . **r : Amongst the other toasts were—Young•. New Zealand (proposed by Mr Sheehan and responded to by Mr F. A. Wbitaker), the Commercial and Agricultural Interests, the Waikato, the Maories. Everything was most successful with the exception that the dinner hour anuounced waa 7.30, and it was postponed till nearly nine o'clock.