Complimentary Banquet to the Hon. James Macandrew.

Thames Star, Volume IX, Issue 3072, 19 December 1878, Page 2

Complimentary Banquet to the Hon. James Macandrew.

i , A complimentary banquet was given to I. the Hon. James Macandrewj Minister for Public Works, at tbe Pacific Hotel last night. It was got ap rather hurriedly, the fcrrival of Mr Macandrew by the ! Hinemoa on Tuesday being quite unexpected. The more credit is due to the i gentlemen who acted as a committee and [ arranged for the banquet, and to Mr C. Curtis who undertook the catering at very ! short notice, and prepared a very excel* I lent spread, which, it is needless to say, was done justice to. W. McCullough, Esq., Mayor, occupied the chair, and Alexander Brodie,£sq., County Chairman, i the vice-chair. The croupiers were Messrs 1 A. J. Allom, W. Carrick, F. C. Dean, | Alex. Hogg, and H. T. ttowe. On the ' right of the Chairman was seated the 1 guest of the evening, the Hon. James Macandrew; on the left were Mr James Blackett, Engineer-ir -Chief of the North Island, and Dr ELilgour. There were also present: —Captain Wilson and Mr J. A. - Wilson, visitors from the Cape; Messrs A. Ailken (County Engineer); E. W. Hollis (County Clerk), Major Murray; Borough Councillors A. Price, John Wilson, J. McGowan, J. M. Mennie; County Councillors John Brown, L. J. Bagnall, W. S. Greenville; Messrs G. Black, J. B. Steadman, W. Souter, J. Watson, G. Symington, S. Stephenson, A. Otto, G. Price, G. McCaul, T. Spencer, B. Mo* Donald Scott, E. F. Tizard, J. H. Smith, J. Hoporaft, W. Carpenter, J. A. Miller, J. Macandrew, W. H. Taipnri, and T. Bawdon.

j The spread having been partaken of, i Mr Brodie apologised for the unavoid- | able absence of Mr W. Davies, Chairman of the Harbor Board, through indisposition. The Chairman also apologised for the absence of Colonel Fraser, for the same reason. The Chairman then asked them to charge *heir glasses for the first toast, that of " Her Majesty the Queen." which' he considered it unnecessary to say , much about, as Colonists were noted for < their loyalty. At the present time they were called upon to express condolence with Her Majesty on the loss of a favorite daughter, the Princess Alice; and if they did not send a cable message, as was being done by a southern municipality, their sympathy with Her Majes'y and (he Boyal Family was none the less sincere. , Tout received with usual loyal demon*

strations, the Band playing the National Anthem.

The Chairman said the next toast was "His Eoyal Hignesss the Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and the rest of the Eoyal Family." Band: "God Bless the Prince of Wales."

The Vice-Chairman said the toast allotted to him was " His Excellency the Governor." He asked them to drink it accordingly. Band : " For he's a jolly good fellow." Mr John Brown, in proposing " The Ministry," said, in the absence of the gentleman put down for this toast, he had been asked to propose it. The Thames people believed that in the Ministry they had. loyal friends who would do them justice, and the Premier was their member of whom any constituency might be proud. (Cheers.) Then they had Mr J. Sheehan, who might be looked upon as their second member, as he would do all he could for them. In Mr Macandrew they had one who was the champion of Otago, and he, was there that night as their guest, having come to start a great work, the Thames Valley Eailway. He might say that when that railway was finished Mr Macandrew's name would .become as much a household word in the Thames Valley as it was in Otago. The Thames ' had also a friend in Mr BaUance. He was sorry their guests had not beon able to go further into the country than Paeroa {bat day, as they had missed seeing the best portion of the country. The Thames had in the present Ministry some of the best friends they ever had, and he was the more pleased to give them the toast. Mr Macandrew, in returning thanks, ibeing received with continued applause on rising) said he could assure them he was not going to say much. He was the silent member of the Ministry: iv fact the Minister of Works. (Applause.) Moreover he hoped in a few days they would have Sir Geo. Grey here, who could respond much, better than he could. He could safely say that the Ministry were anxious to promote the interests of the Colony, but in the premier they had one who had a special eye towards promoting the interests of the Thames, to which was owing in a great measure his presence here. He hoped in a short time—well, a year or eighteen months—to be here on a more auspicious occasion, the opening of the railway. The Ministry had a difficult task to perform. They had a little butter to spread over a great deal of bread, and he trusted they would spread it evenly. He thanked them for the way the toast of the Ministry had been received. A Mr IS. W. Hollis proposed the " Army, Navy and Volunteers," and was sure few wo.ds were required to commend the toast to their acceptance. Band: " Britannia Rule the Waves."

Captain Wilcon returned thanks for the Army and Navy. ' He was received with applause. He had had the pleasure, df associating for years with officers con-' nected with those nervices, but had not;, belonged to either of them. As a memsi ber of the public service at the Cape and 1 as an Englishman he was proud of the, way the ioa^t had been'received. Major Murray, for the volunteers, returned thanks, and said little had been left for him to say by the proposer of the toast. The volunteers of the North Island had done their duty in the field, and would do soDfeain if called upon. |{c regretted Mr. Macandrew could not stay to see the turn out of volunteers on Saturday next. i Mr Hopcraft returned thanks for the Colonial Forces.

i Captain Taipari said (interpreted by !MrH. T. Kowe)—l am very happy to see you all present this evening, especially the Mayor newly elected, the late Mayor, and the Minister of Public Works. This my word to you: lam glad to. see how you .hare..drunk..our healths. lam glad to see all the Chiefs Assembled here tonight. This is all. , The Chairman called upon air to fill bumpers for the next toast on the programme. That having been done, he said it was with' the greatest pleasure that he asked them to drink the toast of " Our Guest, the Hon. James Macandrew." (Cheers.) The Thames community were deeply indebted, to Mr Maeandrew, for had it not been for his consenting to include the Thames and Waikato line in the schedule of lines to be constructed during the present recess there would hare been very little chance of a sod being turned for at least the, next 18 months. Mr Macandrew had said to the, apeakes in Wellington, that not being at all acquainted with this part of the Colony he had been induced to place the line in the schedule by the representations of Sir George Grey, Mr Sheehan, Mr Rowe, and other friends of Auckland in the Assembly. This-was Mr MacandreW's first visit, and he was pleased to hear him say that he hoped to come again. 'When we had such visitors on the Thames we were sure to ask some favors, and with Mr Macandrew's expressed willingness to help us there was every prospect of our getting something from him. A friend like our guest was'one worth having,' as witness the result of his exertions oa be* ; half of his own province, Otago. It was to Mr Macandrew, more than any other public man in i the oouth, that Otago owed, in a great measure, its prosperity. From his first arrival in that province he had taken a .prominent part in local politics, and in every movement-having for its object the welfare and advancement of Otago. As Minister of Public Works Mr Macan* drew was most anxious to promote the good of the whole Colony (applause), and with that object he intended seeing as much of the country as possible,' the bet* ter to ascertain the requirements of the different districts. From his present visit to the Thames he would, no doubt,! be enabled to speak with authority upon all questions touching our welfare. He had every hope that before long the Thames would have fresh tokens of Mr Macandrew's good intentions. It might give our honored guest pleasure to know that the line of railway which he was so instrumental in having commenced was first mooted by an old friend of his own, and one of the. best 'friends the Thames ever had —the late John Williamson. (Cheers, hear, hear.) Mr Williamson's idea, first spoken by him in 1868, was that a line of railway should connect Tararu, Grahamstown and Shortland, and eventually to connect with the upper country, the opening of which for years was a burning' question ori jthe Thames. Mr Williamson.had expressed a hope that he might live to see such a work consummated. However, his old friend had taken his place and was about having the line constructed. (Applause.) He, the speaker, trusted that Mr Maoandrew would take up the cudgels for this district and see justice done, and its wants attended to. (Hear hear.) The other

members of the Ministry wen alio favorably disposed towards the Thamei. Mr BaUance and Mr Stout had expressed a wish to be able to visit the Thames, and the former gentleman had said in Wellington that if the Government obtained the lands of the Upper Country one of their first acts would be to allot a portion sufficient to meet the claims of the Thames residents. (Cheers.) He trusted that

Mr Macandrew's remarks made that day to him would soon come true, that our tide of prosperity was just setting in. (Cheers.) In conclusion he called wdob them to drink heartily to the toast " Our Guest, the Hon. James Macandrew," no heel tapi U> be allowed. The toast was'responded to most enthusiastically, the Band following with " He's a jolly good fellow," after which the company sang the words with load hurrahs. .-■ ' ■ -. ." ' Mr Macandrew (received with cheers) f thanked them for the great compliment, which was undeserved and unexpected, lit would be scarcely according to Hbyle to make a political speech. References had been made, however, to several matters on which he might touch. One was to: Mr Williamson, No doubt he was an old and valued friend, and a fine, large* $ hearted man. (Cheers.) Some yean - ago, when he was going to retire from public life, Mr Williamson had dissuaded him, and urged that he had a destiny before him. Perhaps he had these railways in view at the time, and it^might he •■%% a curious coincidence if he should pc ioi-' sirumental incarrrying out a railway" system in the North, 1 as he had been cfosely connected with such ,wprks in the .- South. It was ..a, mistake tp suppose his I attention was concentrated ok Otago. He " endeavored' to .look upon .all', alike*"although he had'spent more than* the thud of a century in Otago. t, With Regard to „, the Thames. Eailway, Mr Blackett had ' as much to do with it as' he'had,' and f?<! they should make 'friends "with hinwX There were many details to be considered,,) and he might say - that the ink was scarcely dry before proogedingl; .were initiated to carry ottt^the,,workv^He,-, hbped yet. to be of, service to all New Zealand. He would again thank? '&m for the unexpected compliment paid ;tp;'him. . ;' , ".','.--;,-'., ""):,''.' . Dr Kilgour proposed " Tie local bodies' of the; Thames," which he said' wasVsv ~ toast something like that of " The Queen,? ■ one that demanded ra certain remount «f " attention at all their convivial meetings.*;' t (The:speaker referred to the influence of r-u municipal institutions' upon the-progress' " of nations, and the eneouragemmt nweM'M td local, bodies by the present Govern-17 ment.) " "'• " i '- ' " >•'■■■' >-f' ''& iDrunk-with,musicaj honors, r ■[' ••■"■''^"d jfbe Ttdast was-responded to bjr M"r\ r Brodie, County Chairman] Cr MoGowan* '*"" Borough; Mr L. J. Bagnalt Harbor %J°l Board; Mr W. Carpenter, ParawaiHigu-."" way Board. -•■ ... •-;','- ,/.',.>; iThe Vioe>Chairmin said there toast not on the programme, that of r Health of Mr Bl.ckett." (Cheers) The , (: Minister of Works had said he was, a; i) man of works.' No doubt: they ,w9tmT largely indebted; to the present Gorern* o" dent for what had been done, but bvesT , with the Government in their favor thef™h were largely under obligations to the £jngineerr^hose opinion'onfpubKofttolki was the guide to ministerisl^penrtMas. Drank with the usual honors. - "

! Mr-BJackett said he was not.wed to~making speeches. . What he had seen that day had impressed him veryj favorably* Their lines had fallen in pleasant places, and ip thtow was oalj) one mat* Sum* i it occurred to him, they wanted that wai v the railway line.,, t , r -.. - ! Mr Brodie rbie to say ttiat his frieid Mr W. H. Taipari would give every assistance in arranging fdr the land neon* sary forth* railway. \ , .... | | Mr Ailom proposed * ThVPrass *'iii «7 '< i complimentary, speech, r to. which the ! representative of the Star repUfcd. [ ;Mr Macandrejr proposed the health of ' ; the "Chairmanand Vice-Chairman," coupling tlwm together., Jffe did not think it was necessary to maEraspeecfc iridoingso. He might say that he believed the dif* oovery of gold here could be regarded «•,, :a! means to an end. It had been sVin'ttio ~ South, and from what Jie.had seen that day he thought it would be so here, and as far ajs he was concerned, he would do ali ho, , T iobuld to accelerate that end. ' >s v ' """' | i Drunk with cheers, and, musical honors.^ by the band. ; The Mayor returned thanks. He need only say it was not merely a. pleasure but an honor iio.be,;ohair*)n^ man on that occasion. They were ' not infbtmed of Mr Macandrew'g visit* but if they Lad been .they could not have given him a more hearty welcome; ■' though perhaps they might have made it more demonstrative. If he would let them know when he was coming-again«-r they would endeavor to do more in hondt \ of.the occasion.^ - . ••;... .t . „I V. „£i\- \ Mr Brodie returned' thanks in brief J terms. •;:;.. • - - • '-■■■-, --.-•„ i A hearty vote of thanks was passed to the Thames Scottish' Band. for turning(;: out to play on the occasion- and the meeting broke, up after singing " Auld , ■ Lang Syne," arid the band playing' "Gotf^ Save the Queen " and shortly aftefWardt Mr Macandrew and party went on, Jioatd n the Buby to reach the Hiaemoa, oriVweir'' way to Auckland, accompanied by thf. r Mayor, County. Chairman, t aod a^numbft' I of other gentlemen. ,- r ■'"■. . ■■