LYTTELTON COLONISTS' SOCIETY

Press, Volume XI, Issue 1409, 15 May 1867, Page 2

LYTTELTON COLONISTS' SOCIETY

The laying of the foundation stone of tlie building to be erected as a libmry and readingroom for the above society took place yesterday, at noon, in Lyttelton. The site chosen adjoins the Resident Magistrate's Court, and has been given by the Municipal Council in perpetuity The attendance was not very large, although amongst those present could be noticed many members of the Provincial as well aa the whole of those of the Municipal Council. About lmlf-past twelve his Honor the .Superintendent arrived upon the ground, and the proceedings were commenced. A block of Oamnru stone, neatly dressed, formed t'<\e foundation stone, below which a cavity had been made, in which a bottlu, containing copies of the " Press " and '• Lyttelton Times," together with the current conn of the duy, were deposited. Captain Gibson stated that the time, after many delays, had now arrived on which they were called upon to lay the foundation stone of a building which he hoped would prove not only ornamental but beneficial to the province. The following address was then read by the Secretary : — Lyttelton Colonists' Society and Literary Institution. Patron —Sir George Grey, K.C.B. Founded at Lyttelton by John Robert Godley, Esq., A.D 1851. List of officers for the present year : F. O. Gibson, Esq., President. W. Rayner, Esq.. Vice-President. J. L. Balestiee, Esq., Treasurer. J. Carder, Esq., Secretary. The foundation stone of the Library and Lecture-room of the above institution is laid by His Honor the Superintendent of Canterbury, William Sefton Moorhouse, Esq., Assisted by The Members of the Provincial Council for the Town of Lyttelton, viz. : E. A. Hargreaves, H. P. M. Aynsley, D. Davis, and B. Buchanan, Esquires ; The Chairman of the Lyttelton Municipal Counci , , J. Ward, Esq.; and The Members of the Municipal Council, This fourteenth day of April, 1867. Architects : Messrs Speedily and Crisp. Contractors: England Brothers. Building Committee: Messrs Gibson, Rayner, England, Balestiee, Willcox, and Weyburn. His Honor the Superintendent then went through tho accustomed ceremony of laying the stone, which he declared to be well and truly laid. His Honor stated that h" felt it an especial honor that he had been called upon to fulfil the duties of the day. The institution, the foundation stone of which he had just lain, was one of, if not the oldest, institutions in the province. Sixteen years ago it was originated by a little, although a brave band, of settlers, and tho heart of a great nation was then established. Since then hard times have been felt in the province, but probably none so hard as the present. The province had however once come out of its difficulties wiser and stronger from the orJeal through I which it had passed, anil he had no doubt but that it would again come out. aa safely. The society was one which h-id made, in ' spite of inuny dilfiisullies, rapid progress; ami he could iis. : ure them I)jut, us long as he was Superintendent, of the province, he would not neglect their just. o!ai:ne upon the UovornJiteiit. In ii very short time he to sre the port connected by the tuimel with Christ- : church ; mid then, with their d:ii!y :nul liourSy iiiN'rcmirse, they woiilv! be pl:t«-f<l on a much more advantageous footing. Lyttelton, fur I"CNiI iiiti"nciion, wns second to none in the whole colonies : uiul no doubt when the tunnel whs completed its bays would be studded uith villa-, the residences of merchant.* c.rryi:ijjr nn their business-* in Christchurch and elsewhere. He hud again to think them for the honor that tin-.-y iiaJ conferred upon him }<x iillowiiig him to lay the fou:i-tatioti prone of the library Of" the Ljtteltoii Colouiste' Society. Three cheere vrvre then given for his Honor (he Supi'i-iiitondent, after which many of those jindent proceeded to tiie offices of the City I'ounci!, where a dejeuner had been provided by the Council. llis Honor the Superintendent occupied the chair, supported on tl*e right hand by Dr Donald, find on the left by Captain Gibson : the vice-chairmen being Messrs Kayner and Balestiee. After duo justice had been done to the viands, Captain Gibson proposed the first toast, namely, that of "Her Majeaty the Queen," ■, after which followed the other usual loyal toasts.

Captain Oib->on then proposed " T he health of I i-.xcoiit'ncT M\- George On-• " lie was j sure that all would >.• irJaiiy j.un with him in ; pivi:'(Sl honor to I:h: geiitUr.nan •■•ho iioKU > fi* c-ffiot: 'if she r<>})iV3!':itatsve • ;!* h"f M-ijosiv ii the.-c colo'iii'S Ti)< v wort , . ;:: li-Sv.i ; * ST •i-orgn Grey for :i very hrz? pr. • m' v!" l>ook>. Capiuiu Gii>s..i> r.- greyed i!'.i? »hf t > tit hr | was about to propose hud not fallet , to tiie lot of an abler man. He was perfectly convinced, however, that it hid merely to be mentioned to ensure its being received with enthusiasm. He begged to propose "The health of his Honor the Superintendent of Canter bury," whose voice he hoped often to hear in the building, the foundation sionu of which they had that day laid. Three cheers were then given for the Superintendent. His Honar the Superintendent thanked the company for the cordial manner in which the last toast had been honored. He had been acquainted with the town of for the last sixteen years, and although at present it was not in a very prosperous state, yet he hoped ere long to see it in a more thriving condition. What was requisite, both with the province as with individuals, was that all should live within their means. There should be no extravagance, and as the resources of Canterbury were very large, nnd some of them not even called forth, we might shortly expect better times He felt quite certain that the exports at present were less by half-a-million than they would beat tie end of tbe next two years. They had many materials to be used, and might, look forward to a Itirge increase of population during that time. He considered i hat Canterbury was not, as had been stuted, the granary of the Southern hemisphere ; their profitable market would be found in England, and he thought that it would be eventually proved that the farmers of this province would be enabled to pay a fair day's wages, and at the same time to export their grain to England, and receive a moderate profit. The cost of producing grain could almost be calculated to a penny in the bushel, and the farmer therefore could not fail but to realise his position. He would now touch upon what to many would appear an unpopular subject—he alluded to the rate of wages. He considered that at present they were too high. He spoke from experience Hβ was at present the m:m;iger of an arable estate of 500 acres, and found that the cost to produce was greatly more than the value of the crop. O«ts cost the producer 4s the bushel, and they are now worth 2s 6d, proving a clear loss of Is 6d on every bushel. In this calculation he included the gross costs, interest on capital, &c. He considered that at present too much was paid for labour, and every tiling must be reduced and adjusted. Mutton at present could be bought for 2d per pound, and the cost of living was greatly reduced. He hoped to see within the next two years a large export of grain, and could assure tliem that he looker! forward trustfully to the future. It was not his place to interfete with the question of wages; but at the same time he might be allowed to make some remarks on the general state of the province The merchants might benefit many by subscribing some portion of their capital to the providing of a market for our produce. One of the best thing* that could be done would be for merchant!* and laborers to c '-operate, and so to distribute the risk over many heads There was •mother matter he wished to touch upon. It •• -.'I been stated in Kastland that he had been •I'-sent too long in Wes'land, and some most ridiculous stories had been ventilated owing to hin absence. A friend of his hid telegraphed to him that his return was immediately ne.-e.i-sury, U3 it. was currently reported in Christ church that his private engagements would not admit of His returning, and that such wkp the reason of his keeping away. He ha:; however, some self-respect. He was firs: elected their Superintendent ten years ago, and felt assured that there was a substratum of confidence- folt. in him yet, and was therefore very callous us to whatever rumors might be put forth. He only mentioned these things to show the necessity for caution ; but he supposed that in his position it was his privilege to endure such sacrifices. With regard, however, to his ab?«nce in Westland, a few words might be said. The population on the West Coast was equal if not greater than on this side, and apart from his being their representative in the General vsaembly he considered that as the Superintendent of the province he had a perfect right to enquire into their wants j The population of Westland at the present lime was between 20,000 and 30,000, and thej were paying a larger amount of duty than the inhabitants on this side the range He had spent two months there, and he considered that if he had remained the other ten in Christchurch, he had not done more than justice to We*stland. He had not been idle during his etay. He had endeavored to make himself acquainted with what may be called the details of the place, bo as to be able to form a judgment for. himself. Hβ could assure them, however, that he guarded himself from making any promises, except that he would do all that he could for the welfare of that portion of the province. The caree that had been placed on his shoulders during his sojourn on the West Coast had been by no means light, and on his return he had been compelled to seek rest. He had not made a single contract in Westland without the advice of his Executive. The Westland portion of the province was at present bringing in a large amount of revenue, and from his experience as an associate of diggers years ago, he could state that unless liberal measures were offered they might soon find themselves without any diggers. The digger was a a man with no attachment to the soil, and consequently could clear out at any time. The policy of his Government was to retain the population. It was the fashion to say that the present Government had shown favors to squatters ; most certainly so they had, and to farmers, and little farmers also. If the population on the West Coast were to migrate, stock must fall in price, and the runholder, farmer, and little farmer would all be affected. If only one-tenth of the population left, it would materially affect, the price of stock. He considered it a wise policy to do all that they could to satisfy th<* population on the West Caost, and to make them permanent settlers. He did not wish to detain them ; it was hard work speaking after the excellent dinner that had been provided. He found that Lyttleton was not to be despised in more ways than one, and that the " oldest inhabitant," who was one of the company looked the best. He had the good fortune still to possess two quarter-acre sections of land iv Lyitelton, and which he did not intend to dispose of for some time, as he considered that Lyttelton was at present looking up. They might consider \>ie remarks as an insolent prophecy, but with one of the finest climates in the werlil, and with tho enterprise of their* forefathers, ISew Zea'-ind would become a preat nil inn, and one that would probably hold dominion over the- whole of the South Seas ; :iid lie hoped to hare his mmi! engraved as ■ :)'■'■ of the dingers of the nation. When γ-h; rat.way to Christchurch was opened, immediate communication could bo had (o must pan a of the province, and Lytlelton would bi'/oinc, he li.id no doubt, the " warehouse" of the province. Tiw warehouse iv L\itelton will bo brought cli>.-k» to ihe shop in (christchurch, and lie havl no doubc but t!i?| "Ift inhabitants would find thfit they hid do;,.> j well by remaining in Lyttelton. His own private affairs had been rrtue'i all irJed to lately, he hud no !ie«stu:um i;i e:tvi = -ii that lately lie hid had ji»v.y ' to contend with, both on hi-* α-vn account and that of others, itnd in this re*jx-et he did not imagine that he w:ia different from many of his neighbors ; still he looked fir ward to better days, and was sure that better days were in store for the whole of them. [Cheers.] Captain Gibson proposed, " The General Assembly and Provincial Council," coupled with the name of Mr E. A. Hargreaves. Mr Hargreaves, in returning thanks, stated that they must all be awnrethat he had resigned his seat in the General Assembly, and it was gratifying to him to hear that his public actions had been consented to by his Honor the Superintendent. He held that where the port was there should be the warehouse. Ho

had nlwavs deprecated cntrnlUation. He h >:n\l s-liortlr t't.it in addition 'o the preset >*->; , ->«.-d building, it town hull would shortly V. Ai-Mvted in Lyttelrou, Captt-.in '.Tibron, in proposing "The Toast of sii-' I.v!tdton \l:r.v i.nl Caumiil," rUte<! th.V tiu- i h saks of t\w Colonists' Society wer» due to !h>t body fo;- i :>e vote of money v.is.de by n.e-n, .md also to Mr If. P. Murray-Aynsley, for the manner in which he had always ad vocat-d the requirements of the society in the House r Ward, the Chairman of the Council, returned thanks. It hid always been and was the desire of the Council to improve the town as much as their funds and circumstances would allow of. Mr Moorhouse considered that tho toast he wad about to propose was that of the day. Ihey were gathered together to celebrate an event in connection with the oldest institution in the province. He was sorry to see so many of the original promoters of the society absent, but he supposed that as the society had progressed, so had its original founders, and many of them were now no doubt wealthy and had retired from public life. Hehoweversawamongst those present some who had been at the first meeting sixteen years ago. He believed that institutions such as the Colonists' Society would be handed down from generation to generation. He would propose, " Prosperity and Suece-s to the Lyttelton Colonists' Society," coupled with the health of the President. [Cheers.] Captain Gibson, in returning thanks, stated that he wished 'he duty had fallen into abler hands, one who could have told them the benefits that had been experienced from the society. Captain Gibson then stated the purposes for which the new room was intended, and ended by thanking the meeting for the manner in which the toast had been received. Mr Hargreaves proposed " The Health of the Vice-president and other Officers of the Society." Mr Rayner returned thanks. He mentioned that the minute-bock of ihe society contained a history of the province from its foundation. The name of J It. Godley and other pioneers would be found in it. He quite coincided with Mr Moorhouse in the hope that better days were coming, not only for the province but for the institution which was hound to succeed as its basis was truly cosmopolitan On their records would be found the names of men which would bo an honor to any colony, forward amongst which he might mention that of Mr FitzGerald, who had in the early days presented to the society a donation of books, the nucleus of tieir present library, of the value of £125. The society during the pact two or three years had beeu laboring under many disadvantages, owing to the want of a building fund. During the last session of the Provincial Council £500 had been voted for their requirements, and the Municipal Council hn.l also granted £200, and his Honor the Superintendent had also subscribed £20, and these amounts were such as ro entitle the society to proceed at once with the erection of the present building. Captain Gibson proposed "The Health of Mr Murray-Aynsley." For a long time past ho had taken a largo share of interest in the society, and by his endeavors their library, which was not excelled in New Zoaland, and was certainly worthy of an old country, had been collected. He had fought for them in the Provincial Council, and had succeeded in obtaining the vote of money which allowod of the present building being erected. Ho hoped that the balance necessary for its completion would soon flow in. Mr Murray-Aynsley briefly returned thanks He said he would do all in his power to assist the society. Mr Ward proposed "The Health of the Eesi'lent Magistrate," which wasdruuk with musi'•al honors. Dr Donald, in returning thanks, stated that he was one of three now remaining of the twenty-one who first constituted the Colonists' Sociei-y. He could assure them that it proved a powerful levor in causing constitutional government to be instituted. The society had done much good in its time, but until very lately it had not been patronised according to its deserts. Mr Rayner proposed " The Health of the Visitors," which, was acknowledged by Mr it. B. Hawking. Mr Balestiee proposed " The Health of the Architects and Contractors for the Work," which was duly acknowledged by Mr England. Mr Willcox proposed "The Press." Mr Smith replied. Mr Ward said that he saw amongst them a member of a body from whom at all times they had received the greatest assistance. He meant the clergy, and begged to propose " The Health of the Rev. He was sorry that it had not been done sooner. The Rev. F. Knowles, in returning thanks, said that all had something to do, and if he had assisted the society, the society had also assisted him, as by instructing the people they had rendered the duty of the clergyman lighter. Mr Bdlestiee proposed " The Health of the Ladies," which was acknowledged by Mr Caro. After this toast the meeting separated.