COMPLIMENTARY DINN R TO CAPT RUNCIDMAN AND OFFICERS OF THE CAMBRIDGE CAVALRY VOLUNTEERS.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 690, 16 November 1876, Page 2

COMPLIMENTARY DINN R TO CAPT RUNCIDMAN AND OFFICERS OF TH E CAMBRIDGE CAVALRY VOLUNTEERS.

On Monday last the noncotnmisftr*^! officers and iroopeM of the C ira bridge Cavalry VoJunt-era entertained their Captain and commissioned officers at a dinner at the Ration >1 Hotel. Lieut Parker was unavoidably abient, ben q in Auckland, but some fifty Kentleuieu tat down to a moat sumptuous ta'ale, and we need not: add, did the fullest justice to everything. bcrut Major Kir. « cod filled the chair, and tbe vice w*s occupied by Sergt Fisher. Col Lyon, Mr SuarauoLe, R M, and Capt Watis were among*t the guests, and tbe Chaplain, the Rev W Calder, vra» also present. J.he room wm very tastefully decorated. Iho cloth haviog been removed and the Chairman proposed fh« usual loyal and patuotio toasts, wbioh were duly honoured, The ChniriQitn m nuing to propose tha next toaat, that of (ho "Army andNavj and Armed (Jons a mlury" said :—Gentlemen — I am sure 1 need not reuiind any herepiesent with what courage and alacriiy each branch ol the tervicn I httvo named nave rendered their assistance to the coumry at ail tim s whrn requned. I wish to make a *erj few remarks on that branch with which we are moro immediately conneoted, 1 mean the Armed Con* stabulary. I urn iture you wnl all agree with me when 1 iay, that a belter disciplined, bettt-r eonduoted, unJ finer body of meu|are not to be found in the Colony, (dear, hear,) In proposing thia toa«t I would couple rith it the nasie of Lieut Col Lyon, the dwmguisuen C^maj..nd«nt of the district. I ueod not further allude io tho gallant Col, tu«n to say that in all the relation* of life his conduot is that of a poiishad gentleman and a bray* soldierThe toast was drank with muiioal honoursCol Lyon in responding thanked them for the way in whi -h the toait of tbe Aimynnd Na»y had ben n oeived and lor iho honour of coupling his uamo with it. He was the oldest otneor now in tha district, and he found thai ho was genera) 'y called up^n to respond to thi 'oast ; to do whioli, ho said, was at all times a pleucure to him. lie had been many years in the a my and in the Colonial Forc»s, • d during this tnno many canngeshud of neco»«ity tilnn hlace, but m whatever che the British Soldier migat changq,

there was one Vnna, that w is quito un_ chai.gaable, un<) that was lm indomitable p,a-k. Ht would always uiaim an bin repuUtioa for bnvery. The Navy am the? ill knew w<is t>i« glory, the bulwark, of Old England, and to the crelit of Jihn Bui!, be it eai>i,hen*ver grudged anything I hat .would serre to muntain the superiority our navy had co 'ong ci joyed. What ho baa s>tid ufihe British so dter, could with tqual justice ba said if the firiiith sailor. Tiny would always k*ep their proud n»me, earned hy co many glorious diiya tie mi glau to hear the A C spokt n a well of. it gate h m great plenpure to hear them designated, "bat ihoj really weie, u credit .0 the Colony, lie again thanked tl c q lor the houour done him The Chairma", oo agaiu ri-ing, naid, th« toast which it waa hi* duty to wropose was ",ou*Uu»at , Capt ta Run^imau auo I ffioers of tbe O.C V " He would not wast* their tinw by nfforriog to ih>■ervtoea rendered t.y th-ne geutleinen (o the Corps, the; muni all be aa cognisant of them aa he (the Chairman) wan. He was certai ■ that there v. as nut one member of th« troop, but who waa ready u> follow their gallant Capt*iu aud brother Officer*, whenever an.l wherever (h«y might thn.k it advisable to lead them. Aa a oUilliao, Mr Kanciman was f..ivumetin nil good worke, aud was alway. roady to do more thau his fair share of p iblio duty, and he waa aure that man> of them b*d often ur«.tited by hid coniiiel. Ho ''hoped they would do lull hoi or to tbe toast. Drank with musical honors. Captain Buuciman, in returning thank*, aaid, that their exceeding kmdtie a J bad laid him under a great obligation, he felt himself tota'ly unable to express what he felt on tbia occasion ' They bad conferred en him a great aud j unexpected, and he would say »u uumerited honor (' o, nof) Any man, who aoovwr be ni£bt be, mn-t feel pioud of th« poamou be ocoupud tie Ci edited niaat of tho p)e»«autetst hour* he had Spihf to hia connection with the Corpn, ai <i Ik* wan alnaya happy to meet wit < nicn who, whether aa aoldiera or itttlern, were all that could be deaired. They had now entered on their fifth year ot exiafcuc , and it wag very pi » anin look ug hack, over ih.se year* to think hiw In t c iil.feeluig aul unpleiaiitnua bau ex u ted m tiieir ranks, — tho Uovemm*nt could not do uli, ani they iTiunt remember th >t whatever thi-j did Sived the uountry expeut>e, ani who were better qual (led to protect their homea tnttn they tlieimelrea. They had been laughed at, and ha 1 been taunted as "plti.ii'g at eoldiers," but the Terj people who snid this «ere (he people wlio were banefitting by (ho state of all. us indued by sauh organisations as tl.ttirs. Ibese p oplo were reaping where th«y had not aown. They would lire thiougu wora« thingi than he tru»ied. Ue fait how much more could be a .id on tb.u tubject it' be could oi.lj find woidi. tie could only again thank th«.mon behalf of Li u»enant, Parket and biu.fflf for their graai kindness. Sub-Lieutenant Fi-h»r also thankei the troop for the expression of th -ir good wiA lo l.iiuaelf and bro h«r offic rs. lie aaid it wii tne oi the nlo^t lolroin morrents of hia If o ; he could not tell then, how darply he fell it. 'lhej must tare felt, as he hi mi- If did, that mmtukc* veje eouietun<s made by the officer*, but. thej hul alwaya overlooked anything ol this kind with the gr. atest leidineia, and it dv for this aa much aa anytuing be th Hiked thrm all. He 'had often excluimed with Burns -"O, wad some )<>MVthe Rifue | « us, to ace oiir-e aas 11 hers slb us." Iheir relations liad, however, us their Captain bad aaid, neen oi st o rdial. ilt tmd only ooe fault to iiud with the originators ot thi» dinner, and that wa« ibat they had l.ot allowed Lieutenant Parker aud himself to aid tlieiu iv doing honor to their Cuptaiu. Before he «<h down hi wou d call on them lo fill thair glassea and do justice lo tl.e loutt of th* aanior lroup, the Tj Awimutu Cuvairy Volunteers, ojupltd witn th* nams of Sergeant Neale, the ody represeniativ* ut th t oop present. Serge. ■ N*ale reiipouded. bergeubt Robert Fisher proposed "Thr Clargy," coupled with the name ot their chaplain— the Key VV Oaldur. The Key Mr Calder, iv responding, said he had not expected to be called on for a •pe< eh or he woui. , like tome gcntlemeu he had teen there that aft. rnojn, h.ve got one prepared. It was re»lly 100 ba i ti> cull ou th* only modest mau in tlie room for a apeccn ; howdrer, he would suy thit, like the army, he would do his dv y to the jest of his abiiuy, if uny of tho bachelora should ever requite hin aid. Captain tiuaciman prop>sed the "Hon. Members. ' Major Drummond Hay, in responding, aaid he hid just returned from laying the foundation (tone ot the Masonic Jtla 1, and he Celt very weak indeed ; hJ wouU try bis best, however, to than* them tor the waj in which ti«y bad been (ousted. tie did not think he had any piide, but it he hud, his pride wa* that he was an honorary member of the (J.C Y. That tl,e> jujnld always do iheir duty, he kn*w, and he woud always follow them — that was, if his health would permit him. lie wished horn* other tnembtr would respoud as well as himsell, a* he telt ite responsibility to b* too much for on*. Mr CBS Roe* alao responded. Trooper Wataon proposed the health of the ' Ladi**," in a few wall selected t«maiks. Drauk with musioal honors. Trooper Hioka, rensponded in an en*r. getiu and gallant speech, luto which h> comprtssed all that tou>d, though not all that ahould be ewd iv favour of tbese loadstars of our mundane d*rku<s* [Kditor'a note: Our repoit r is a bachelor.J Major Drummond Hay proposed t >«• Press, in a v«ry humourous &p<.euh, m which be reviewed the piogreas of th« Waikato, io conueotiou wuh the Wii. X VTO 'IIMBS. H* Well rtmembeied the time when we had no local p*p«r, and it took toaiethiug like a month to communicate with Auckland Iv those duyn the Auckland papera u»ed to a^eak of the Wnkato m aoacib ng tbe Mine way iv « Inch th«y might speak of i N ova Z uibla. Ihtothtre came a "JoDes," and after him, a "Boater." Jones might have failed, so far as he was concerned, but the paj er had not failed, and tho Waikato owes! much to it. It let the people outaide know what the W«ika o was— a fine district, and what it waa not— a heap of olay, like the banks of the Wuitem*ta. It alno made us know ourselves, and wade ub on* dutnot, it stead of a lot of lit'lo oLts. He had grmt pleasure id coupling th* nomo of the Waikato Times with tbe to<ist. Drunk with mun'oal honors (" For, the Buatar'a a j illy good paper"). Mr 8 E Snith responded. Sergt. Smala proposed "The Host." Drunk with musical honors. Sem f . -Major Kirkwood briefly re3t3 t oTded Trooper Hicks proposed|iho h*alth ol B»rg^.M«jor Fraa*r S«rttfc.-M»jor Fraser havi^p responded, tibc me*tmg relaxed sotn*wb t and those urwtut proccd«d lo enjoy tLcjJ9u)vv»,