LECTURE ON NEW ZEALAND. BY G. VESEY STEWART.

Waikato Times, Volume V, Issue 265, 22 January 1874, Page 5 (Supplement)

LECTURE ON NEW ZEALAND. BY G. VESEY STEWART.

Wb condense the following from the yepoit in the Tyrone Constitution of a lcctiu c delh ered by Mr. G. Vesey Stew ait in Ballyawley Presbyterian Meeting-house. Theie was a large and attentive audience, and Majoi Mann occupied the chan . Major Mann, on taking the cluu, said if they could 101 l back the tide of lu-4oiy of their countiy they would find that the name of Stewart was eaily connected with Ulster, and but a few days ago he had in his hand the copy of a grant many yeais ago of 5,000 acies of land in Tyione to one of the name of Stewart Very likely their chilichen 01 giandchildien, on examining the map of New Zealand, would there see a Stewaitstown, and it was also likely there would be a Ballygawley theie. Mr. Stewart, on coming forward, was leceived with hearty, lo ud, and continued applause. He began by describing his voyage fiom the time he left Plymouth harbour until he landed in New Zealand at Port Chambers. At Po# Chambers and Dunedin he was struck with the number of Protestant Churches in existence, bakers' and butchers' shops, and fewer publichouses than he observed in any other part of New Zealand. In the labour market tlv<: whole cry out was for tradesmen, labourers, and certainly young women. Carpunteis ftncl masons get as wages from Issto/i6s pey day. After describing Dunedin -he vSaid that he visited the Superintendent, who offered him 100,000 acies of land, whien he refused te accept, having discovered that to, clear it a large oulay of capital would be necessary. Leaving Dunedin he pxoceeded -with a friend to view the Taieri plairfs. Standing at the tof of Saddle Hill he woafd never, forget the sighl which stretched before hiir,. Below lay the Taieii plains, about 25 miles long, aud sc many broad, a rich fertjle flat all laid oul in large paddocks with fine Scotch fences at perfect right angles. He pictured in his own mind that such would, in a few yeais, be tjie appearance of their own little settlement in, Auckland— (applause)— and using the words that Vhgil put into the lips oi Eneas — •" Tei*que quaterique h aii quorum jam monicc sergunt. " He left Port Chalmei son the 22nd Febra ary, and sailed to Poit Lyttelton, where he arrived next day, and from there started foi Christchurch, and after describing the town anc scenery said that he visited James Moore, fiorr Tullyvar As Chiistchuich was in the centic of a pastoial and agricultural district beef anc mutton were much cheaper than in Auckland, and a labovuing man could bring home a sheej killed and leady for cooking for 6s or 7s 6d Visited Wellington, which is the seat of th< Colonial or General Government, andofcours( the Houses of Parliament, where he met a larg< number of Noith of Ireland men, fiom whon he received a tiue Irish welcome. There wa r no doubt but that any capitalist possessed o ordinary common sense and judgment couk make 100 per cent, piofit on his investments ii a. short time in New Zealand. The lectuie then proceeded to notice Picton, Nelson, Marlborough, and the sut rounding country, tin different objects ofinteiest of which were yen pleasingly described. Nelson and Mailborougl provinces were principally inhabited by squat ters in enormous runs, who had. so cleve-b managed matters for themselves to acquin large tenitories in fee during, the earl} days of the colony. The squatter correspond to the old Conservative lande( proprietors of this colony, but New Zea land, in fact, as a colony, was entirely Con servative (applause), and different in thi respect from Australia, which was Democratic and Yankified. Two reasons weie given fo this difference, namely, that New Zealand wa a youngei colony* and was originally found« _Jjf younger .sons of th» hect county- £gnU*iK o England, bat it was hard to say what the nex generation would be, and that Austialia was o older growth, and was much contaminated witl the convict stain and clement. His own ide: was that when men got land as their own pro perty they all got Conservative, and theie, jus as here, the Democrats were composed of mcv who had nothing to lose, but everything t< gain by the breaking up of landed property (Applause.) From Nelson he sailed diiect t( Auckland. The Manukau Harbour, on th< west coast of Auckland, was a large sea lake and very safe. At the head of the haibou was the little town of Onehunga, compo»ec originally of military settlers, and containing s great number of Irish, and returning two lush men as their representatives to the PlO vincial Council. He was very mud struck with the appeal ance of the coun try between Onehunga and Aucklanc It was much more like England than any othei place he had ever seen. The fields were large, with luxuriant whitethorn hedges, enclosing green paddocks. Auckland was well suppliec with churches, having no less than sever Episcopalian, four Presbyterian, three Romar Catholic, two Wesleyan, two Congregation alists, two Baptists, one Free Church Metho dist, two Primitive Methodist, one Bibl( Christian, and one Plymouth Brethren. I; was equally well accommodated with banks, of which there were five. Education wa; afforded by the Provincial Grammar School, Auckland College, St. Stephen's College, St John's College, and several other private insti tutions foi male and females. There were als( in Auckland fourteen Orange lodges— (louc applause—and one of the Black Order— (con tinued applause) — thirteen Good Templai lodges, nine Masonic lodges, nine lodges of th< Independent Ordei of Oddfellows, and foui lodges of the Ancient Order of Forresteis, The population was about 20,000, with th( suburbs about 25,000. The streets wer< rather narrow, but the houses and store; were principally built of stone or brick, and the town was scattered over severa hills, the highest of which, Mount Eden, pre sents a most magnificent view from its summit, Here, in a bright summer evening, or he mighi term it an Auckland day, could be seen th< deep ocean on the right hand, and on the left, the harbours of the Waitemata and the Manu k?u, the islands of Rangitoto, Waiheke, anc several others on the east, and the city o Auckland below, with steam ferries passing anc repassing the still waters 'of the Waitemata te the North Shore, and the bright tints of i glorious setting sun above, forming a strong contrast with the dark ranges of mountains te the south, which separated Auckland from tin far-famed fertile plains of the Waikato. He did not wish to dwell too long upon the lovelj scenery of that much-favoured land, as h« trusted that many whom he then had the pleasure of addressing would be able to see and judge for themselves. Accompanied by the Provincial Government Solicitor, Mr. John Sheehan, he took a trip to the northern part of the province of Auckland, with the object of satisfying himself by personal inspection of the suitability of the lands which were offered to him in that district, as well as to be present at a regatta and races which were to be held at Hokianga, where he expected to meet a large number of natives who were to take part in the proceedings. Having arrived a Hellensville he stopped at a very comfortable hotel, kept by a man named Wm. Johnson, who emigrated from Ballynahatty, and his wife who came fiom the neighbourhood of Killydroy, and from whom he received the greatest attention and a hearty welcome. Left Hellensville for Kaihu and Hokianga, accompanied by a guide, and as'he was regarded as a stout, elderly gentleman, was mounted upon a very strong pack-horse. He here remarked that when he arrived first in New Zealand he was considered to between ten or twelve years older than he really was, as people there wear far better than people heie. After riding for about twenty miles they came to the sea shore, on the western coast, and galloped on the sea beach for about eighteen miles, when their course was interrupted by two high mountains. After various adventures they reached Hokianga, where they found their regatta friend had just set down to a public dinner, and considering that they had been so long living on peaches and melons thcy^ fully enjoyed the good things there provided. After dinner, danccommenced, and the lecturer gave a, very graphic account of the Maoris, their dancing,

and wai dances, and the appeaiante of ihe Maori chiefs. lie then cnleicd into a length eneel desciiplion of the Maou lace, chaiactei, disposition' and habits, \c, an/1 piocecded to notice the Gosernment of the ,countiy. 1 heie was steam comniunicalion from Kalikati to Auckland, and a telcgiaph. station -was aheady established on the block. He next ga\e details concerning the value of land and how much it had mci eased lately, said, theie was no lent to pay there/ no pool lates, foi theic were no woikhou^es, with a certainty that when a crop wasjjfat in, they would take it out again with three/ lnuuhed fold mciease. Each man lived as jhis own landloid, and was not subject m any way to landloid, agent, or baliff, or land court. (Applause.) Whatcvei he made was his o^n, and though as a vile they lived in Ulster Ujftder the best and most consideiate of landlords,' the present company included — (hear/heai) yet he knew that in too many cases the (tenant's puise was far fiom full when he had paid his lent, to accomplish which he toiled fiom the ist Januaiy to 31st Decembei. Why should they delay in coming to that Country when such advantages ueie offered, and which would never again be presented What inducements had they to remain in this conntiy? Eighteen months ago he had published a pamphlet, and told them that Tennanl Right would fall in price. It had fallen in that neighbourhood, and would still Anther fall. A good labouring man would cain in New Zealand as much in one hour as he would here in one day. (Loud and continued applause.)