TILE BANQUET TO THE HON. JOHN SHEEHAN, BY SONS OF OLD COLONISTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 892, 12 March 1878, Page 2

TILE BANQUET TO THE HON. JOHN SHEEHAN, BY SONS OF OLD COLONISTS.

The banquet given by the Sons of Old Colonists in Waikato to the Hon. John Sheehan as the first colonial born Minister 6f the Ne«v Zealand Cabinet, cuuie off last night in the large room of the Commercial Hotel, Hamilton, and was in every respect a great success.

Although the notice given only on Saturday of the day lor holding the banquet was us scant as well could be nearly fifty gentlemen sat down to dinner. Major Wilson acting as chairman and Oapt liunciman as vicechairman — the Hou. Mr Sheehan sitting- at the right hand and the Mayor of Hamiltan on the Jeft of the Chairman. And certainly host Pearoe, of the Commercial, deserve3 no slight commendation for the excellence both in style and quality of the repast provideu. The cookery was good, the wines were excellent and abundant — such wine as it seldom or nevar falls to our lot to meet with at a public diuuer. The table well appointed, and the dinner well served in every resepct. The dinner was served ' u ia Kusse,' the meats not being- placed upon the table, but carved outside, and handed to the guests by a small but efficient staff of waiters, to whose assiduity much of the success of the affair was due.

The room, too, had been extensively | decorated for the occasion. New Zealand trees and shrubs, planted in barrels fckiifully disguised with ferns and other greenery, and interspersed with flowers, gave the room inure the appearance of u conserva:ory than ot an ordinary apartment. Tiie whole effect was heightened by the music ot the YVaiJjuto Reed Band which placed out of sight added to me animation and pleasure: of the occasion by the performance of excellent and appropriate mu.sic au intervals during the dinner ynd at the drinking of the several toasts. At 8 pan the company sat qowu to the tonowing BILL OF FARE Soups — Potage ala Heine ; Ox Tail. i<'iaii —r- Mullet, Sauce Hollandaise ; Selmapper, a la mode. Entrees — Salmi de Canards ; Vol au Vent J^inanoiere ; Pate au Jus ; Pate de foie gras. ±£oasts — Fowls, Turkeys, Ducks, Saddle of iMutton, Sirloin of Beef. Vegetables — Peas, Potatoes, Beans, Tomatoes. Sweets — Plum. Pudding, Blanc Mange, Jellies, Custards, Oeuia a la neige Savarin. WINE CARTE. Soups — Madeira, Sherry. Eisn — Reissling, St. Julien, Bordeaux (Tod Heatly). Entrees — j±js above. Pieces de Resistance — Hock, Port, Tokay. Sweets — Rooderer. JSeers — Ehrenfried's, Cumming's, Hahy's, Iniiis'. About nine o'clock the desert having been placed on the table the real work of the evening began. The usual loyal toasts '' Her Majesty the Queen and lloyal Family" and " the Governor" were given by the chairman and duly honored.

The vice-Chairman proposed the health of the Army and Navy, eulogising the one as ever midy in the held and the other as deservedly the pride and glory of Great Britain.

Mr W. Al. Hay in responding said : Regarding the army of New Zealand it may be said we have none, but every settler in the country represented the ar.uy in the colony. He had seen the day that when a murder w&s committed the whole community, to the very boys, sprung to arms. As to the Navy, it sug-gestcd to him the necessity of defence of some kind on our large seaboard. The only method to defend \t was by a federal union for the purpose of defence of the whole of the Australian Colonies. In this lay our hope of initiating a fleet which could protect the colonies.

In proposing the toast of the evening the chairman said ib ought to be as great a pleasure as it was an honor. They were now gathered together of all shades of political opinion to do honour to exalted talent. The occasion was a purely social one, to do honor to the first native bom colo.ui.il who had attained the dignity of a minister of the colony. lie was complimented on his first appearance-m tha Assembly' how lmich was he to be compli-uicutt-d <>n having gaiueti in so short a timo the highest rang in the political ladder, that of holding one of the most important positions in the Cabinet. Practically the real work of the public works departr.ieutrested with the Native Minister, in enabling 1 the native country to be opened up by roads and rail was, say

between Waikato and Taranaka, and Waikato and oho Thames. It has been too much the case to sneer at colonial youth and everything colonial, but the colonial bom should himself be more apt to meet tne duties of a colonist. Hh would propose (he health of their guest — the Hon. John Sheehan, the Native Minister.

The Hon. John Sheehan rose amid load and prolonged cheers* He must say his position was a very strange one. He was used to talking, bufc over a wide range of subjects. He hud, very properly, been, shut outside his stock-in-trade. The Chairman, had spoken too favorably of him. He was truly the first native-born Minister, but it .was perhaps due to the fact that he had tumbled into politics by accident. At the last moment, he was persuaded to staid for the Provincial Cunncil. He was the first native-born European who went into the Council and into the Assembly. He was, then, without abeard and without a political reputation, but he had plenty of sheek. He had replied to the address, hitting soundly his elde"s in the Assembly. He hud spoken of himself as a political John the Baptist. What he meant was that he was but the forerunner of the many colonial youths who would occupy a similar position. One great rule he had adhered to in his political life never to forget a friend or insuit an enemy. Uf the possibility of opening up railway communication between "Waikato and Tanuiaki he had every faith. To open a bullock road would break the neck of all possible rupture of the present peace of the colony. It may , be some time before the work is done, but he advised the people of Waikato to press the work upon the Govern ment, to ask it till it was done. They should make their representatives in the House keep that important work before the country The Cambridge and Taupo lioad w s the one link wanting in coach communication in the colony. He could say that the work should be pushed on with vigour, not merely by the A.C. but by extra work. If he^came here next year he hoped to trav:-)l by coach through from JN'apier to Hamilton. He recommended the people of Waikato to take a leaf from those of the Thames, who ne vetlost an opportunity of urging their wants upon the Government. You have made your dinner a nonpolitical dinner, You can afford to do so. I have seen the best districts ■in the colony, af id have been told that Waikato could not hold a candle to them. It is f a r from being so. So far from this Waikato svas so soundly prosperous that it could even afford to suffer neglect which would cramp the progress oi many districts held to be superior. Mr Sheehan concluded with a wellmerited compliment to the dinner to which he had been invited, and the excellence of the banquet in every respect.

Mr Sheehau then proposed the toast of Youno- New Zealand, he thought it looked somelhing like drinking to our noble selves.° Be fore going to Young New Zealand he would like to pay a respect to old New Zealand, their fathers and mothers who made the country f or Young- New Zealand. We should not forget those who hardened their hands and bronzed their faces to make young New Zealand's path smooth and pleasant. Hetemembered a scientific lecture in Wellington showing that young New Zealand must degenerate. He believed for want of phosphate of lime (laughter). Be thought differently. How many of youn^ iNew Zealand now in Waikato, were there nob, who had done their duty nobly in defending the country. The young colonial, in this respect, could claim to be anything but deficienbin phosphate of lime. Tne samein intellectual pursuits. Ev^ry town in l\ ew Zei-land was evidence of this. We had as good lawyers and pleaders as any who carne out from home. We had not produced in-uiy clergymen, and perhaps in that respect were deficient in phosphats 01 iiine. He did nob think that the Anglo-Saxon blood would deteriorate from going through the New Zealand funnel. If there was any alteration it would be physically and mentally for the better. The power to reproduce was a test of this — ■ go through the country where you may the groups of children would show that in that respect the colonists were not deficient in Phosphate of lime. Yearwould soon pass, and they would become old colonists, and we should never forget that in no part of the world had Anglo-Saxons such an opportunity of building up a great nation. -No colony had such a destiny before ifc, and it was for us to work the destiny of New Zealand to a great and prosperous issue- If there is one thing that would make a pigmy minded people of New Zealand, instead of a great and prosperous one, it would be the neglect of public affairs forjjjthe sake of too closely attending to the making of money. It was the fault of too many to leave politics to work themselves out. No man should let politics get thu upper hand of his own business, but he must not leave public a flairs alone altogether. He did trust that what he said would not be forgotten, but that, when Young New Zealand took to himself a permanent endowment, and went in to fulfile the scriptural injunction to increase and multiply, '

he would inculcate the same principles to his children. • '■"'

Mr F. A. Whitaker, in returning thauks said he had some phosphate of lime in his composition, and tired as he with his recent journey would endeavour to reply to the toast. Mr Sheehan had shown that in his instance Young New Zealand was not deficient in phosphate of lime Ib was a proud thing to be the first native born minister, to have such great powers entrusted to him when so young a man as Mr Sheehan was, but he did think that that gentlemen was lacking in his duty, lacking- in phosphate of lime if he failed to do himself as he had so emphatically advised those present to do to to take a permanent endowment, and inculcate the same principal to his children. No doubt Young New Zealand had a great duty to perform. The life of a nation was like that of a man— at first young, then strong in its manhood, then verging to decay in old age. The reason of the decay of the nations of the Old World was the neglect of their politicaaffairs by the people. In New Zealand, they had the opportunity of building up its own political institutions. It ,vas with the greatest pride he stood there to respond to this toast. He reeognised from the eloquent speech of Mr Sheehan that the phosphate of lime was not yet trodden out of them.

The chairman proposed the agricultural interests oi the district. Waikato was peihaps more of a pastoral than of an agricultural district but the pastoral must necessarily precede the agricultural era. Mr John JRunciman, in returning thanks, said the North Island had not progressed as it should have done. This, however, was the fault not of the people but of the war. When Waikato was first settled the farmer had to hold the plough with one hand and the sword with the other. This frighteued capital away. But for the war the North could have competed in grain and cattle with the South. The time had now arrived when this obstacle had been removed, and now, thanks to roads and to the other facilities for communication, Waikato could enter upon a prosperous career as the producer of grain and beef. The Vice Chairman proposed the " Commercial Interest." Mr K. R. Huut, in response, said Mr Sheehan had told them what a sublime thing " cheek" was. : Ho would point out that '' cheek " was a commercial commodity — what he meant was that confidence, selfcoutideuce, would make any man's fortune. He recommended Young .New Zealaud to cultivate •' cheek. ' Anoiher commodity he hoped to see cultivated, aud that was Colonial Legislators. He trusted the tim« would come when the imported article would be beaten out of the

market. The Waikato was proposed by Mr D. M. Luckie, who complimented the district for its progress and the men he saw around him for having made it what it was. He had always had a thoroagh belief in the powers of the colony to become the Britain of the South. Ihe progress in Waikato was underrated in comparison with the South, bub the progress that had been mada in the past was an earnest of what would bd done in the future. Mr S. Ruckland responded. Mr Sheehan then proposed the next toast the Maori Race. "When Captain Cook came to this Island he found a race, which he termed the Indians. When our predecessors arrived they found a savage and warlike race, but lived safely and peaceably among them till 1845. Even then the Mories behaved with generosity and chivalry as our foea. In Waikato, the natives fought in a "way that reflected no disgrace on the Maori. It was the iron pot and the earthen pot^ going down the stream together, tha weaker went to the bottom. No "war, however, could have had a more homerio end than the battle of Orakau. Since the peace much had been done to save tha Maori race from disappearing, and education and the development of their higher qualities would yet raise the native race to an equal standard with our own. None regretted more than he did that the Europeans had ever been brought into conflict with tha natives. The time, he believed, had passed when such a state of things could ocour again. We could so act towa r ,j 8 em as to prevent such a thing ; at an v Tai fe wa could so act as to take away all^agonaijla pretext for their quarrelling -^h ÜB. U B. This course he, himself, intended to adop* in his public capacity. He believed that the Waikato settlers would go hand in hand with the colonists generally to improve the condition of the Maori race. The Hon. Hoana Nohi and said: lam much pleased at the manner you have spoken of the Maori race. I am much pleased that it should have fallen to tha lot of the Native Minister to speak of the Maori race as he has done, for he is tha Minister who represents them. lam pleased that his sentiments have been joined in by men who have bean born in the colony. In the early days the Europeans were few and the Maoriea numerous, but they found they were well treated by the natives. Afterwards when more numerous, troubles arose. X believed that such troubles will never arise between the natives and Europeans born in the colony. Eventually I think we shall be as one people. The press was proposed by Mr James Russell, and dully responded to by Mr Edgcumbe ('Bay of Plenty Times ') and the representative of this journal. Tho toast of The Ladies was humorously responded to by Mr Henry Steele, and then followed that of the Host and Hostess. In proposing this toast, MrWhitaker said he would like it put on record hoir well the host and hostess— Mr and Mra Pearco — (in an up-country hotel) had acquitted themselvef in providing for their guests. He thought they were entitled to something more than a mere formal compliment, for they had acquitted themselves in a manner more than creditable. They had turned out a spread that would not have disgraced a London table, Mr Pearce had only had notice of the dinne pming oft" since Fridly, and in that time*

ho had got up the magnificent entertainment that had been set before them. He would also allude in terms of praise to the v half dozen or so of waiters whose exer- . tions had made the dinner go off wiihout a hitch. The toast was drank with loud cheers, ' and was duly responded ty by Pearce. Although the programme was concluded, the Hon. Mr Sheehan said he had one toast to propose, the healths of the present Chairman and the Vi^e Chairman, and he would take the opportunity of referring to a master ,in reference to the volunteers. At the Thames he had said that, while the Government would assist real volunteering, they would put down the sham volunteering which prevailed in many parts of the colony, and he then instanced the Thames Naval Brigade as a force which should be supported. The Waikato Volunteers had taken umbrage at this, but had done him wrong, as he simply mentioned that corps as a local illustration as he might have done the Waikato Cavalry had he been speaking in that district. If they would turn up • Hansard,' they would see the esffimation in which he held the Waikato Force, both cavalry and foot. He trusted Captain Runciman would remove any wrong impression from the minds of his corp that he intended to throw even the shadow of a slight upon them. Major Wilson and Captain Runciman returned thanks, the latter saying he was exceedingly glad to hear the remarks of the Hon Mr Sheehan in explanation. Before finally concluding -the toasts, the health of the Cambridge Band, coupled •with the name of Mr Mackintosh, for the valuable assistance given by them in * furthering the pleasure and success of the oveniug, was proposed by Mr Whitaker and duly responded to.