PRESENTATION OF NEW ZEALAND CROSS TO MAJOR ROBERTS, A.C.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 658, 27 July 1876, Page 2

PRESENTATION OF NEW ZEALAND CROSS TO M AJOR ROBERTS, A.C.

deooratiTe Honor. By an Act of the General Assembly dated 1869 in cases where the Governor choo*es to exercise the power given him by the Btn clause of that statute. Wo are informed that the Ho c Government bavo sanctioned the inttitution of the New Zjuhnd Cross and and thui raised ir. to the dignity of nn Imperial deco-ittion. It a intended at a »üb»ii&ute in ih'i colony for the Victoria Cruas. The appearance of the decoratiou U si followi : - A gold fastening from which hangs a dark crimson ribbon. A bar of ambossed silver it attached to the lower end of ihe ribbon, from which the Cro<s is suspend* ed by nuans of a letter A. in ailver. On i he lummit of the Cro*s is a crown of «old. The Cro ■ itstlf is of embodied •■ilver, in the foim known as the Maltese. On the centre of the Cross is a gold wiaath with the words ' New Zealand ' ou a raised »ilver eire c within it. On the revarse of the medal is a circul r silver piste with the words ' Armed Constabulary ' in the centre, encircled by the inscription 'John Mclntosh Roberts, SubIdspector.' 'J he appearance of the Cros* is very good, and we trust that the gallant Major may long live to we.ir it vu his broast. The whole ceremony was conceded by ab »ut 1.30 ; tha troops tormed four* and marched off the ground, and the spectators dispersed to leek the refrethment whi.-h had been liberally provided bj the caterers for the publio appal lie. We must not forgot t > mention that Co. Lyon took the opportunity of complimenting the troops upon their appearance, and refjrred especiillj to t ie Te Awamutu Cavilry, who had coJie a tang distance on Y«rj bad roads to assist at the pr?«entitiO'i .

CoiiTHART to all expectations, Tuesday morring broke o/«r Wsiitato with e»ery •ij«u ot sp endid weather. Monday hid been a daj of rain and wind almost withou f - parallel dv.ing tbi-i present wiuter, m,d all feared a repetition upon the pre*entation day. It was therefore a great relief to those determined upon holiday making to find an almost cloudlets iky, a clear atmosphere and sharp bracing wind from the Southward. At aboul 8 o'clock those persona intending to proceed Irotn the UaTiilton town•hip c uuimneed to get on the more. The Waikato dteam Navigation (Jouipimy had kiniUj contented to run a boat (the Kangiriii), fioin tliat township to Cambridge, starting at 8 o'clock and arriving in time for iho review. About 30 pertons avuiled themseWei of this method of tr«natl. V)r*y or fifty persona Irom Hamilton, in addition to the admireit of aleam, arailed tUemielvet oJ the equine tpfciei of progresti>n. To Awamutu, AJelandra and the VV«st country districts, hid, for the moat part eeut in their repre»enUtifei bj means of tb« more direct road througu Walker's swamp.

THE PRESENTATION. At about 12 30 p m, the force* which were assembled to do honor to the occa■ion, formed up on the ground— a paddock o^poiite the Engluh Church — Iho Te Awamutu caralry numbering 50 strong. The Cambridge Cavalry shewed a strength of 42. The A Constabulary wer» nprecmed by 55 rank and til*. Mtjor Jauksan waa in cominmd of the Te Awaniiitu contingent with Lwut Kay and Sub Lieutenant! Wotuerull. Rmhrford, nnl Rutherford. The Cacnbiulge torea wus ollicered !>y dipt Runciman, Lieut Parker and Suo L.cut Fisher. Sab-lu-tp'Otor Morrison, atid Sub-I«i3pec»or Watts were in eh »rj(e of the A. C. 'Ihe co our qua d wa» compoieu of Ser b t Maj^r KirkuooJ, rier^t P'islier, and Sei«t Ali■wdl, Cambridge Tioop, Troop Sergt Bertram, Hcr«r. Neiil, Te Aw«.niufcu. 'Ihe troops having been formed into three •ides of a square with the gallant Major standing in tront of thd who c. Colonel Ljon proceeded to road the Gvo'te notice recording the acts of valour for which Major Koberti had beeoroe entitled to rrce.ve th» 4 New Zealand Cro-V which ran in fillows :-' For tho gallant uud conspicious exiuiple nhowu by lnm (when Sub-Inspector) at Uobiro*, on the 7tb November, IS6B, to his young and newly raided divisions, whi c covering tho retreat fiom the pa, although out-num-bered, and dt one time aim it surrounded. To Inspector Roberts' fortitude and ofEter like* qualities it wa« due chiertj that tlieie young soldiers, who had only joined the force one day, not only maintninrd their rauki «ud dueiplme in a dense bunli, in ipite of repeated efforts of the enemy to < lo^e with them, and the fore-, encumbered with miny wounded, waa able to draT off in good order, It must uluo he remembered, to the honor of Inspector Roberti, that it wai mainly to his lorLitude and resolute be-mug tliat the great bulk of the force lett behind at Te N(-ulu-o-le-M.anu wer« rallied and ailv>j brought off to Wai In, reucning that post the clay a- l er tho f.jrce had arnved. and gir*n them up for lost. The Colonel then prjceedei to address Major Roberts. He laid .—' For these acts of coolness and courage, you h.ivo •on the *New Zealand Crojs,' aa h uor will deserved, an honor so mu^h co toted so highly pnied, nd dear to tho liea^t of every loldiee. There are many men who in the he it and ex -iteinunt of aotioti. will lake a prominent lead, and pcr r orm deed* ot bravery a id daring which they mi^ht not be riisponed to do in uiomeut-t of caimness. But in your ca«e Major Huberts, there wis no 'excitement of tie . harge or leading men to the assault and to \i tory. There wm a toial abienoa (»f anything of that de*cnplion. You we c I Uued in a gieit straight in a most pen - out position, in (he ta"« of disaster and ol retreat in a dense buih, surrounded by a savage aud implacable foe, in 'ha full flush and confluence ol lucoeif. ltehing on jour ownresourcf*, awais i,o succour w«s as band, tho soldiers under your command, untried men, but by your courage and calmness you set them an example, thep nobly followed, and thereby maintained that order and discipline so essential on all occasion*, but never more so than under the trying cirenmstwcM in whicn you were placed. I say, you indeel possess those characteristics enlitin^ you to be oAlled brave. Mr* Col fjyon then advanced and _pinned th • cross upon tlio breist of Major Rohart«, conj;ratutiliuj{ hun upen iiaring become entitled to so great an honmr. Mnjor Roberts who was much affected, iaid m a ca.in and reaolme t«ico : — ' I feel deeply morcd at Ihe honour confi-ired | upon me. I thank you rouen fjr tho grent interest jou ha»« taken in the conduct of this ceremony ; and I thank you &Its Co 1 Ljon for plnfin>< this Cioss upon my breast. I cannot but feel deeply upon tlie honor conferred upon mo for suuh ■errices hs I hare been able Ui render. Tim whole toroe then marchW pnat at n walk in tke following order. Ist The Te Awamuta cavalry ; 2nd, the Armed Constabulary ; 3rd, the Cambridge caraIrv. The A C then fell out, and the two mounted corps marched past at the trot. These ro-inttuvres woro executed in a manner whion did a credit to tho«e ennmed in them. The whole force was tubsequently drawn up and photographed by Mr Low of Hamilton. ColLyou, Mr» Col Lyon and the hrr>> of the day taking a position in the front of the troops. Au additional interest was lent to the scene by the presence oi the relatives of Major Roberts, Mrs Macpherson representing the third generation from that gentleman wm there to wi'noss the honour done to her grandson. We felt the absence of one who would have derived the greatest pleasure and satisfaction from the ceremony, we allude to Major Clare. Hi remoTal from this district dnubtlets deprived him of one of the greatest plea-EU-et which he oou d h»v* experienced in seeing his relative adorned wth the Cross which marks the highest order of value kaow to us.

THE « CROSS." The decoration win instituted by mn Oidor in Council dat"d tho 10th day of March 1867, for the purpose of confering a d<* orativo distinction on members of the Mill' is, Volunteer, or Armed Oonit.ibulary who should particularly distinguish them elT«8 by their bravery in «tct on, or derotion to their duty while