Banquet to the Native Minister.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4484, 19 May 1883, Page 1 (Supplement)

Banquet to the Native Minister.

New "Plymouth:, April 25. The banquetgiten 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 sympathisVd 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. r He referred to a book recently published in England, called a" History of New Zealand," in which it is stated that diiring 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 re« marks of the late Bishop Selwyn,; who wrote in defence of the European settlers' treatment of the.native race. Mr'Bryce then reviewed what had been done by his Government in the setLlement of native affairs, and showed that he acted as acy other man would have done towards Te Kooti if they had been placed in the same position. -He praised the conduct of the native chiefswho 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 Europeans, and there would be no further obstruction to surveys of roads or;railways. !He also said: that the difficulties which had arisen at Cambridge, had been through the legal profession prolonging cases in some instances, till the costs had absorbed

the whole value of the land in disputeHe 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 Ih*s, or have other than European courts to apply to. In replying to the toast of the Ministry, Mr Bryoe said in ref- rence to Major Atkinsons "Nation al Assurance " scheme, that although the Major was a little premature—a century too soon perhaps—yet, a scheme for the re- ' lief of poverty, something similar to the '. one proposed, would in time be generally adopted throughout the world he believed. In proposing the Mayor and Borough Councillors, Mr Bryce said that although a Wangauui man, he was a New Zealand colonist, and the property of one place was of as touch' interest to .him as that of any other. Mr Hurst house in responding, to a toast, said ;he was under a debt.of gratitude to the chiefs TeWetere and Te Kooti, who, had they been European friends of his, could not have treated him in a more thoughtful and kindly manner vyhen he, was released from the fanatical Maoris who hadtied him and Mr New sham up. Major, Brown, in replying, for theOolonal Forces,said that Sir Arthur Gordon knowing when Governor, that lie (Brown) had left the colonial service >as Native Commissioner, had sent an aide ■ de-camp to him in 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. "'-,