Banquet to the Native Minister.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4463, 25 April 1883, Page 2

Banquet to the Native Minister.

(Pee Pbess Association.)

New Plymouth, This day,

The banquet given last night to the Hon J. Bryce was very numerously attended, and it was past midnight before it came to a close. The Mayor presided. Mr Bryce spoke several times during the evening, in replying to various toasts. In responding to the toast, his own of health, he spoke for nearly three quarters of an hour in defending the policy he had adopted in native affairs ; he spoke to the colony, but it is impossible to give even the substance. of his speech in a brief summary. He sympathised with the settlers in their complaint of being slandered by the southern parts of the colony, but said that those who wrote the slanders neither knew the district or its people. He referred to a book recently published in England, called a "History of New Zealand," in which it is stated that during 1869 he (Bryce) murdered women and children. He had *not seen the book, but should take steps against the slanderer. He asked them if they had ever heard of him doing such things, which he publicly denied, and branded the author of the book as a liar, a slanderer, and a coward. He referred to some remarks of the late Bishop Selwyn, who wrote in defence of the European settlerstreatment of the native race. Mr Bryce then reviewed what had been done by his Government in the settlement of native affairs, and showed that he acted as any other man would have done towards Te Kooti if they had been placed in the same position. He praised the conduct of the native chiefs who had taken part in releasing Messrs Hursthouse and Newsham, and asked if the Amnesty Proclamation had not been issued would Te Kooti have acted in the noble manner he had done? He said that the King country was now opened to Eurqpeans, and there would be no further obstruction to surveys of roads or railways. He also said that the difficulties which had arisen at Cambridge, bad been through the legal profession prolonging cases in some instances, till the costs had absorbed the whole value of the land in dispute. He concluded by stating that the time would come, when the Maori could be trusted as any European would be; when they would be governed without any special laws, or have other than European courts to apply to. In replying to the toast of the Ministry, Mr Bryce said in reference to Major Atkinsons "National Assurance" scheme, that although the j Major was a little premature—a century top soon perhaps—yet, a scheme for the relief of poverty, something similar to the one proposed, would in time be generally adopted throughout the world he believed. In proposing the Mayor and Borocgh Councillors, Mr Bryce said that although a Wanganui man, he was a New Zealand colonist, and the property of one place was of as much interest to him as that of any other. Mr Hursthouse in responding to a toast, said he was under a debt of gratitude to the chiefs Te Wetere and Te Kooti, who, had they been European friends of his, could not have treated him in a more thoughtful and kindly manner when he was released from the fanatical Maoris who had tied him and Mr Newsham up. Major Brown, in replying for the Colonal Forces, said that Sir Arthur Gordon knowing, when Governor, that he (Brown) had left the colonial service as Native Commissioner, had sent an aide-de-camp to him m hopes of obtaining grounds to bear out the assertions made out against the Ministry regarding the treatment of the natives; but he had declined to satisfy His Excellency, for, although he (Brown) was a loyal subject of the Imperial authorities, he considered his loyalty was due to the Colony first.