The Dinner.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2837, 19 March 1878, Page 2

The Dinner.

The dinner to the Coromaadel tout took place at the Governor Bbwen~HotdL at half-past seveno'clock last nigbfctPap- ; tain Macdonald occupied the chair, udha> wai supported by the Captains of thd Thames and dqromandel teams, W« JtowsV ' M.H:k:, l and others. Mr ifcßjm*,.. Spencer was vice-chairman, and^he was supported. by Mr Carnell and othert. The dinner was a credit to Mr Georg* Symington; host of ihe Governor Bowesi," and wai done full justice to, after which the toisti were proceeded with;' The Chairman proposed " The Queea," "His BoYtl Highness. the Priaee of Wales and the rest of the Boyal Final}, '" which were loyally received. , . The Vice-chairman said the ioast to had to propose was the health of "His ■ Excellency the Governor." This was - cordially drunk. . „,-,-..-, The Chairman said he had to pnpost ' the health of the Coromandal »—«^, (Cheers.) It was the toast of the evening-, and therefore he might be excused frosi dwelling upon it a little more than on far. mer toasts. If the fortune of war had. been different to what it wai/ a# . might have been excused for doing what might be called "laving it on thieki" but as fortune had been in their fiitor h* could not go in that direction. Therefor* he must seek some other excuse. Thar* were Various reasons for their victory, fat 4 he would not go into then, beeaase per* * haps one >» that the, Ooroaaaaslat, cricketers were not used' to travail and the Thames community had^SMNW.-i----cricketers in their midst. He' (the* speaker) referred to the partieulafa eft' the game, and hoped they would jcinJM^k, with one accord in wishing success to the iCoromandel team, a aubjeet on which they (the J hames) had little to boast, aad ' he called on them to drink continued sue* cess and prosperity to the Coromaadel

team. . ' - Drunk with musical honon. Mr Gatland (Captain Coromandel team). rose in response to the tout ana said he was sorry in one sense he had to reply for the beaten team. Their worthy Chairman had given various reasons for' their defeat, but he night lay that as far as he knew their victories, had been about even. ' They wen two and ' two, and f had nothing to boast of. He would not attempt to tay why they had.been beaten, but perhapa . they were better at, home.i. ;: He had, a ' pleasing duty to perform, aid that wai to present a ball to the winning team. H« would start it rolling round the table. (A new ball was then started round the table). J Mr Gatland called upon the company ' to charge their glasses, and then he pro-. posed a toast which he was sure would be drunk with gusto. It was " The Healtk of the Thames Cricketers, coupled with name of Mr J. L. Whitford, tho Captain.'* He would not detain them with a speech, because he did not consider it necessary. Drunk with cheers and musical honon. Mr Whitford thanked them for tb# hearty manner in which they had drank their healths. He was a man of a few words, and he would say those few words in a short time. Tho match had been a very jolly one. It was due perhaps to the Thames team not drinking anything stronger than whisky and water durinf • the last fortnight. They had don* their

best, and he hoped when they nest met their opponents at Oromandel they would beat them. They had been beaten, but he trusted they would be successful on their opponents' ground. He would not detain them longer with a speech, but thanked them for the toast. Mr; Whitford proposed " Ihc Umpires and Scorers of the respective teams," couphd with the names of tho gentlemen referred to. The toast was responded to by., Mr Carnell, MrLumsden, and Mr Heron. Song—' 1 Beautiful xNell"—Mr WhitMr Eowe said he had been asked to propose a toast. He would do so with pleasure, and although he wns not a cricketer he was not insensible lo its adTantaees—morally, socially, and intellec tually. He had therefore always felt a pleasure in assisting manly games. Ho felt glad in assisting any games that developed manliness of character. Sad would be the day for the British nation ■when these games fell into disuse. It would be coeval with the decay of the n«^i arid therefore he felt pleasure in being identified with the gamea. Coroniandel'was not exactly a separate district, but what he thought was that anybody going into such games should do so with a view to win. Emulation was desirable, and he Would not care unless they felt that spirit. (Hear, hear.) In connection with this ho wat reminded of his toast, and that was " The Vice-Chairman,' who had done so much to promote the game of cricket without hope of reward, or any other motive than a love of the game. He would propose " The health of the Vice-Chairman." Drunk with musical honors and entuu-

siasm. Mr Spencer thanked them for the way. the toast had been proposed and drunk.* Brought up and educated as he had been in a sporting County, he could not but agree with the Duke of Wellington that on their cricket grounds were formed the characters of the fighting men. He could bat aay that their Chairman was entitled to 'as much tbimks as himself for what had been done to make the ground so good. He would again thank them for the way the toast had been drunk. Recitation from "The Lady of the Lake "—Mr G. A. Buttle. Song -Mr Lublin—" Pull together. Mr Steedman proposed " The health of Mr Murphy," who had done so much to conduce to everybody's comfort that day on the field. Drank with musical honors and cheers. Mr Murphy returned thanks. The motiTe he had for doing so much to jn«kelhe thing a success was in reciprocity of the kindness he had receiTed, with olherfV'on thei r ?isifc to Coromandel on a previpiw occasion, when he was new to cricket* but had been most cordially receiredi .He was rery thankful for the way ihey had drunk his health. f Song^-r" Sweet Annie of the Vale, — MrT^ Lawless. . Mr K. Macdonald Scott proposed " The Mining Interests." It was a very important toast to the people of the Ihamcs, and he was sorry it was not entrusted to bis friend Mr Kowe. There was no doubt a deprestion, but such had occurred before, and he could say that, as one who bad been connected with the Thames for a number of J«*W* I»e be '. liered there would be. ..bright things again. He was of opinion ttiafelttienhe* Thames Borough should merge into the County or the County into the Borough, because he'felt sure that from Tapu to JLroha the mining interest, was involved. Me would couple the toast with Mr JRowe's name.

Drunk with cheers JMr Bowe returned thanks. He did mot *ee : that there was anything in the present time to unduly depress them. He wu closely hound up with the Thames, and he was sorry to say that when periods of depression came he suffered with the" rest, but he was inclined 46 adopt the motto they sometimes Baw _u-*» If I have been extinguished yet. there rise a thousand beacons from thespark I bore." If proper facilities had been afforded for settlement, thousands of people who had gone to other colonies would have been here now, and instead of the depression in mining and depreciation , in business there would hare been a large ] amount of prosperity; and this state of things was in. a measure due to their want jo( unanimity; It was a shame upon the Government that such facilities were not afforded. Without unanimity they would never progress. They. mu9t not allow jealousies to interfere. Ihe old Cornish motto " One and all" should actuate them. There was another thing, the ex■ceplionat circumstances they were placed under. In other parts of .New Zealand they had their miners'rights and other sources of revenue. lie had endeavored to make these thing 3 known, but he found that he was not duly appreciated. He could challenge them to institute comparisons with other parts of New Zealand. Let them have fair play and then he believed they would compare with other p laces in the Colony. (The speaker jjLplogised for a digression into politics, but matter was forced upon him by the tO^"*) **c h°Pe(* tneJ would wipe away i^ocal jealousies.and unite in their efforts ti'"»r lne Beneral 8 004- **c no Ped that such efforts, would ultimately work out a state of prosperity in mining affairs, and that th&' Coromandel people would do better than thej had done in this resPCMrB. McDonald Scott proposed "The Ladies," couplied with the-name of Mr Cameron. Mr Cameron responded tor the ladies. , Mr Steedman proposed "Our Local Governing Bodies/ in which he referred to the efl'orts of Mr S>sncer in providing grounds for recreation purposes, and word the necessity of the local bodieg providing some such grounds, instead of leaving it to private individuals. Drunk with cheers. Mr Bowe thought the local bodies had done as much as thoy could do.. They had agitated and fought for what.was referred to, but at present without success. They had used every possible effort, !fcut a united effort was needed to .obtain what they had indicated. These ithings had come to other portions ■of Now Zealand without effort, and they should endeavor to obtain the. .■game advantages from the Governmeat. Outside the Council and inside iho would do his best to obtain theso advantages for the people. „„.* Mr Spencer responded with diilidence. He had offered the recreation ground in ihis possession some years ago, but had :not been favored with an answer. He 'was not going to hawk the same about. He had done the best he could in this Mr Gelliori proposed "The Chairman"in complimentary terms.

Drunk with cheers and musical honors, and responded to by Mr.l. TC. Macdonald in a humorous speech, m the course of which, referring to the procre-s nuulw by some junior cricketirs, he said that unloss there should be another match this season this would be the last occasion on which he should, aa an active cricketer, occupy the chnir ou any other sunh yalherine. because by next year tho. rising lalent would famish an eleven without him. Mr Macdonald then proposed " The health of Mr and Mrs Symington," which was duly responded to by Mr Symington. .