BANQUET TO SIGNOR BRANHI, ITALIAN CONSUL-GENERAL FOR AUSTRALIA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2238, 8 March 1886, Page 2

BANQUET TO SIGNOR BRANHI, ITALIAN CONSUL-GENERAL FOR AUSTRALIA.

* Sienor Branchi, Italian Consul-General for Australia, who is paying an offioial visit to New Zealand for the purpose of collecting information upon ,vhich tobaso a report to this Government in regard to, the suitability of this colony an a field fo» immigration, wja. onterjajned'at the Post Tuesday evening:'by' anumber of Italian residents who desired to du honor to their distinguished official representative, ' ' " There were also present Mr G. Fisher ,M.H.R,MrW,H. Qufck/MMXri!: Waters, Mr Goorge Robertson, and Mr Davoy, Mr Fisher occupied the oW ' the gueßfc of tho evening to tho p'jaca of honor pn tag rjgty. The" tables Vera ver,y fostefujfy laid'oijit, and the banquet as a Tyholo reflected great credit upon MrSmith, the caterer. ' " ! Upon 'the removal -of the cloth thq Chairman proposed the loyal' R tf occasion-viz., the health of their Majea, tieii the King aiid. Queen of Italy, and. M rf Hot Majesty the Queen of England, reference being made to the i feeling qf love and loyalty ontertained by " pooplo of Italy Ming Humbert and his Queen Consort; In »roposiu« the health of His Excollency the Governor the Chairman alluded in suitable terms to the manner in which Sir William Jcrvoia had identified himself with tho progress and prosperity of this colony aud its people.

_ Mr George Robertson, Vice-Chairman, in a speech in Italian, proposed the health of tho guest of the evening, Signor Branchi, expressing 'the pleasure of tho Italians had in welcoming tho tative of their country. fris s l^ a^,wtne;Woul4 repeath'is visit a? no distant date so as' to judge for' himself as'to the increasing number and proijperity of the Italians resident here. '' Signor Branchi,' who spoke '|rs.| \$ Italian and afterwards' jn El>jdis, wa» cordially received. % hoSvi\s much i m .nrease(l with Xevf'Ze'akndiand "itsra.--purees, anjj "ais> as to the largo numbVij of his countrymenVho urnde Ne.v? sea,t land thejv-hfnie. B[e rcmemberel pass* ing through Wellington ina.ny years ago. when, thpffl \m n.ntjn. Italian, in it, whereas, there were now over ?QQ in Wellington alone, who, he was glad to find, TO, for the most part, well to do. He was ptifiod also to seo present that oveniiig somo Englishmen who were lead' ing colonists, as it showed that the two races were working together harmoniously in peaceful ocoupations of the colony. He was proud of this continual friendship between the people of the two nations, and ho made an allusion of their joint action in Europe, where, in 1855, at the, Crimea, the Italians had foughjr side w side with the red-coahpf Great sitain7 and tlje aU^nces' ,| ' , ytweerf' ; the 'two oo.untrjes which'would 'probably have|; take ; n s 'p|jice i 'h , ad England gone to tya)} with' Russia recently.' He conned, "fy thanking {hem for fheu;' tis r^ntjoij'. which he wp,ujd, not soon forget. Abridged, from tfie Wellington Ewntng Pw,. • '