COMPLIMENTARY LUNCHEON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4250, 5 December 1881, Page 3

COMPLIMENTARY LUNCHEON.

On Saturday afternoon a complimentary luncheon was given, in their rooms, Hereford street, by the members of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, to Mr H. P. Murray-Aynriey, previous to his departure for England. About 60 gentlemen sat down to the luncheon, which had been catered for by Mr Messenger, of his Lordship's Larder. The tallies were Tery nicely laid, and everything was worthy of the reputation of the caterer. The chair was taken by Mr J. R. Hill, President of the Association, and Mr J. T. Ford occupied the vice chair. On the right of the Chairman were Mr E. P. MurrayAynsley, Mr Norman, Mr Murphy (Secretary to the Association), and Mr G-. Hart ; on his left were the Hon the Premier of New Zealand, Mr John OlliTier, Mr John Anderson, and Mr Bolleston. When justice hud been done to the luncheon, the Chairman called upon thoßO present to fill their places, and proposed the " Health of Her Majesty the Queen and tho Koyal Family." The toast Fas loyally drunk. The Chairman read letters of apology from Mr Bobert Wilkin, expressing bin bast wishes fer Mr Murray- Aynsley, and regretting )ub inability, on account of illness, to be pre* sent ; and from Mr William Ohryßtall, I President of the Chamber of Commerce, whom the departure of the mail prevented ! attending. He also read a telegram, to tho j fame effect, from Mr W. Henderson (Vice- ) President of the Association) and Mr Mann, 1 both of whom were engaged as judges at the ! Duaedin Show. A letter of apology from Mr J. T. Mateon was read, stating that business engagements absolutely precluded him from attending. % Tho Chairman having called upon those present to re-fill their glasses, said ho felt groat diffidence in rising to propose (he toast he was about to namo, because he did not think that he could do justico to it, but fortunately ho was convinced that the subject of that particular toast could not suffer from his dealing with it in what he might call a bad way. Tho toast he was about to propose was the health of Mr Murray- Aynchy. (Laud applause.) They wero all aware that the luncheon of that day had been given to Mr Murray- Ayneley by the member* of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, but hud it boen a public matter, iuntead of the fifty or Bixty present, thoro would havo been hundreds. (Applause.) The Committee of tho Agricultarul and Pastoral Associaticu had recognised the fact that it would be illiberal and almost riiorosppctful to allow so prominent a member to go iiwuy without doirg him some kind of honour. On t'rut account they had thought that tho members of the Association should meet him us they had dono in order to wish him v. hnupy voyage and a speedy return. (Applause.) The Association might fairly claim to occupy, if not tho first place, certainly not the second best position among kindred Societies, and if it hud dono any good in the country, if it had dono Bomethinjj towards educating the people so as to bring about the supply of good stock, this had boon dono by the efforts of individual members. It niight bo considered eomewhut egotistical to gay to, but ho thought tho Association uiicht well ckim that thoy had dono good to tho country, and tbat the supcrlativo stock which had been exhibited year after year had been due to the way in 'which the Society had been conducted (applause), and to tho help which had been given to the agricultural and pastoral interests of the country. ( Applause.) Of tho mombers not on? had given r-o cordial assistance to the Association us had Mr Murray- Ay r.eiey. Occupying the position of President, us that gentlomori bad dono, no on? had dono more faithful duty than he had from beginning to end He (ihe speaker) was sure that all would j in him in wishing Mr Murruy-Aynuley a (ilwisaiil voyuge and a speedy return. (Applause.) iie would give them "The health of Mr Murray - Aynsley." Tho toaet was drunk with musical honour', and o cry for " Ono cheer moru for .'/ «•.■» Aynalcy." (Loud upplsnee.) Tho Chairman said that ho would l:iVo that opportunity for acknowledging tho vi-r." groat help that Mr Murray-Ayntlor lia.l given him during tho tima that b« hurt occupied the position of President of the AsBOciation. (Renewed applause.) Mr Murray-Ayneley, who on rising was greeted with* long-continued cjipliiusc, etui : Ho had to thank them very sincerely for li w'wr invited him to the lunchron that day, und for the way in which 4b ey bad recoived what Mr Hill had said, thbugh of course a good d^nl of ornamentation had been put oa to what was real. (No, no.) Ho had b<?en conceded with their Society for eighteen years, and he must say that he hail always taken the greatest interest, in it, and had always been ready to aeaiet it. They hud td-n the Aasociution grow fromasmp.il beginning, when its exhibits consisted of a quantity of slock of all kinds, until now, when nothing but Block of tho ffret-claca was shown. (Applause.) It bad followed tho example of tho Inrgo eliows at Home, and hud made itself tho

premier Ad'ocialion of New Zealand, No dnubfc all the members of tho Committee had worked hard, and had taken a grant inf crest in its welfare, and ho was happy to notico among those present eomo of his friends who had thus worked, and tho late President, Mr Norman, who, everyone would admit, had worked harder than moßt joung men would. (Applause.) That gentleman had given an examplo which younger men might well follow, though tho Committee, bring without any power to reeign, could not tiro placo for younger men to come in. There would, however, bo a vacancy in a couple of months. The Association had vow been incorporated undor the new Act, and its proceedings would have to bo entered upon the journals of the Houeo, to which a report would bo presented every yeav. He truded that the publication of these reports would do good to the .Colony, of which tie members o£ the Association were a part and parcel. It depended on the members of tho House what benefit those reports would have outfido of the Society. (Applause.) Tho Province had. increased in its grain growing, and its agricultural produce altogether bad been making rapid strides. Though certain parts in this country had deteriorated, and grasß woe now seen growing where formerly there was corn, on the whole we were still going ahead, and after all the bad times we had corao out in » little higher position than before. The Colony never went back ; it might stop still for a brief time, but it was sure to go on again. (Applause.) If tbo people onlyworked hard, and did not lag behind thoy would yet make a grand future for themflelvoe. (Applause.) He hoped to meet them again at the next show, and to find that a groat increase in prosperity had been made. Fo would now again thank them most sincerely for the kind honour they had done him in inviting him there to-day, and for the kind manner in whioh the toast of Mrs Ayneley'e health had been received. (Applause.) The Hon W. Bolleston, who was loudly applauded, had been called upon to propose the next toast, and would have great pleasure in proposing it. This was "Health and prosperity to (lie agricultural and pastoral interests throughout the Colony." (Applause.) At first he had had some slight miagiviug as to why it had devolved upon him to propose the toast. He had had some doubt, he mupt say, aB to whether it was in consequence of Mb possessing the qualities which had been attributed to him as being tho most valuable adjunct to a farm, or in consequence of his favouring the grazing interest of tho Colony, as had been attributed to him ; but joking apart, he felt that there was a certain pro* priety in his being thus called upon j ho having held the portfolio whioh he had as Minister of Lands. (Applause.) He would not. say that the toast would not come equally well from a Minister holding any other portfolio. He felt that he could do bo as Minister of Mines, an interest more closely bound np with the interests of tho Colony than was generally supposed. But, as Minister of Lands, he felt that he had a certain claim to propoee that toast, as the Department over whioh he had the honour to preside was more largely concerned than any other in the development of the agricultural and pastoral interest. Ho felt that that interest in this Province pu> tioularly had set an example to the rest of the Colony, whioh his experience told him the rest of the Colony had not beem slow to follow. (Applause.) As Minister of Lands he had been from one end of the Colony to the other, and having some small knowledge of the eubjeot and taking groat interest in it, it had been his business and pleasure to find all through tho country how thoroughly the experience in agriculture pined in this Province had been spreading its influence throughout tho Colony at large* (Applause.) He was thank tul to think that tho shows of the Society of whioh their iiiend Mr Aynsley had been President had caused a knowledge of impletnontß and of efock to thus spread through the country. Wherever he went he found people wh» quoted what had been done iv Canterbury, and wherever he went he found the Canter* bury farmer setting the example of what could be done in the way of agriculture. (Applause) His hope wbb that the meeting of that day, would show to the people in the Old Oountfy the respect we entertain for men who have been foren <>sb in agricultural pursuits; for, say what t icy would, that was the interest; upon wbi.' the future of the Colony depended liu'.- than upon any other. (Applause). />'■ the present time it would be premature u> speculate upon how largely that interest would be represented in Parliament, but he did hope that their welfare would be looked after in a more practical manner than it had been, and that gentlemen who had been practically engaged in agriculture would give up their time to the publio interest to a greater extent than they had in the past. (Applause.) It was his hope that the industry would be more speoiully represented for tho future, both in the Ministry and in the Parliament, than it had been, as the Legislature was contemplating the appointment of a Minister of Agriculture. He hoped taa time was not far distant when tho agricultural interest would be so largely represented in the House HB to call imperatively for »ucli an appointment. (Applause.) Ho did not know that thero was anything more for him to say flum that. it. was a great pleasure fur him to bo prcßen' t--> do honour to a gentleman whom he had k> « .■ \\ for so many years, and to wish him a c*- journey and a spoedy roturn. (Applausi ; Ho had uovr to propose " Prosperity to i.'io Agricultural and Pastoral Interest. ( ipplaus.e.) The taas 1 was druuk with outhusiftsm. The Chairman called upon Mr J. T. Ford, as representing both the agricultural and pastoral classes, to respond. Mr J". T-. Ford, who on risiug was loudly applauded, said : In the absrnce of the Vicei'retident of the Association (Mr Henderson), the duty of responding to that toast had devolved upon him. He fcilfc very much honoured, but at tho same timo ho feared that he would not do the tusk justice. The Hon Mr BoUeston, the Minister of lauds, in proposing the toast, had said everything that could bo raid, and a great deal more th in he (Mr Ford) could hope to say. Still he would endeavour to Bay v few words. He rereamberod the first mooting of tho Asßuoia* tion some 20 roars ago, or ho thought it musfc be 21 years ago. Ho romemborcd how oinall it, had been compared with tho inoetingof that duy, but ifc had been quite as convivial. (Laughter.) Ab a working member of tho Association responding to tho toast, ho must siiy that he scarcely know which he had enjoyed tho most, Hie Bhowsor thoso little sooial gatherings. (Applause.) Ho had takon very great pleasuro in both. It gave him grcnt pleasure to give testimony to tho great and gool work Mr Murray-Ajusloy had dono for Iho Association. That bad beon eaid before, but ho had seen it, and could testify to it. (Applauto.) Another thing ho felt proud of, and that vrun that ho with others represented tho premier Association of Now Zealand, and ho might even lay tho premier Association south of tho lino, because ho did not believe thoro waß another placo in the Australian Colonies where thoy could give ob pood a show as we could. (Applause.) With rogard to tho looal shows ho had thought that they would injure the Association's thowß, but. iit> did not think that thoy )>«d done so, neither did he think that they would. The result of thorn vrwuld bo li.ul. thoy would bring togothor tho host stock to bo found in tho various localities, nnd then the best of theao would bo sent to tlio Association's show, so that hero would be seen the very bent examples of what can bo produced in tho Colonies. (Applause.) He was ware that thero wu9 still room for improve m,nt, and ho hoped that improvement, would tiy wtvle, but ho thought ho might bt» pardoned for »a,>ing that tho mombera did feel end had ft right to feel proud of what they had dono, wbilo tho manner in whioh tho public supported tin-in provo-l liow theif efforts hnil liVen appreciated. (Applaiißo.) >le hoped i • • At>rici:Kuritl nnd i'untoral Aft* Boointion v i long continue to flourish, as itccr'uini' .ould do, only by hnviag men liko ?,?r Ml. uy-Ayngloy to cuppcrt it. (Ap-lil.U.-r) Mr John Ollivicr, in a bun: arena speech, proposed " lho Health ot the Chr.irujan." Tho Chnirman nckiiowlcd^o^ tho toast, which had been licnrtilv d:u:-k, >md the meeting brnki* up.