CANTERBURY YEOMANRY CAVALRY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 8095, 11 February 1892, Page 6

CANTERBURY YEOMANRY CAVALRY.

DINNER TO THE GOVERNOR.

The Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry tendered a regimental dinuer to their Honorary Colonel his Excellency the Governor last night on the occasion of his departure from the colony. The dinner took place at Warner's Hotel, and was very well attended. Captain Wright presided. On his right were Honorary Colonel his Excellency the Earl of Gnslow, Governor of the colony } CoL Lean ; Mr S. Garforth, Chairman of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association; i»r Irvine, who was at one time surgeon of the corps; and Lieutenants Arciier and Chapman. On tne Cnairnian's left were Lieut. CoL Gordon ; Air t\ tiuoata, ex-eoininander of tae company; Major Slater; Dγ Jenniugs, surgeon oi the company; Capt. Guthne, A.D.C., and Mr X U'Korke. . The excellent repast provided having been attended to by mc company, a snort programme of toasts was proceeaed witn, O»pc. »vrighi nist apologising for the aoseuce of i!ieut.-Colonel .Hume, Captain Coienian, Captain Commander Measou, Captain Keece, Captain Douglas, and Mr A. X G. Rhodes. Tub toasts were accompanied by musical honours, the music being supplied by Mr Harry .Fleming's bano. The first wast was proposed by his Excellency the UovEtmoa, wno said tnat as tiieir honorary Colonel he was going to ask them to driuk a toasc which ne was sure needed no preface from him. It was that of the " Gracious whose uniform they all wore. (Loud applause.) It was customary to say a few words in respect of the toast, but he could not help feeliug that they were met at a period in the iue aud history of that Sovereign which called for a few words —rather more than were customary on such an occasion. Her Majesty had jusG sustained a grievous loss in ihe death of her grandson", and it would ill become him if ue did not express on his own behalf and oh that of those present • the deep sympathy they felt with that Gracious Lady. He asked them to drink the health of "Her Majesty the Queen." The toast was loyally received. His ExcELLENCY then proposed the toast of "H.K.H. Prince of \ Vales, Colonel of the 10 tk Hussars, and the rest of the Koyal family." Xhe toast was duly honoured. Mr F. Strouts proposed the toast of the " Navy, Army and Volunteers," coupled with the names of LieutenantColonel Gordon and Colonel Lean. He remarked that he had the honour of having belonged to the C. V.C for a number ot years, and for eight or nine years had the great honour of being its Commanding Officer. It was a great honour to the Company to have such as his Excellency, the Earl of Onslow, as its honorary Colonel ; it was an honour of which he felt the Company was worthy. (Loud applause.) He then proposed the toast. ■ ■ Lieut.-Colonel Gordon replied on behalf of the Army and Navy, and Colonel Lean on behalf of the Volunteers.

Captain Weight proposed the toast of " The Hon. Colonel, his Excellency the Earl of Onslow." He said that while they, ielt great pleasure in having his Excellency with them that evening, they felt regret at having to wish him good bye; Many had held a position similar to that held by his Excellency, and had been content to accept it as an honorary one. His Excellency had shown that the rank should be altogether different from that. He had shown snch an interest in the corps that it looked more like an active instead of an honorary appointment. They had only to look back at the training, encampment, and volley firing to see the very great interest his Excellency took in 'the corps £loud applause), and again at the .sports and in other ways he did his best for the good .of the corps. (Hear, hear.) It was the first occasion on which:a Governor of the colony had accepted the position of Hon. Colonel, and the C.V.C. felt very proud that such an honour had been conferred on them. (Hear, bear.) And not only the C.V.C, but the whole of Canterbury felt proud that stfch an honour had been conferred on their province. (Loud applause.) When hia Excellency got back to dear old England he would look back to the time he spent in New Zealand, and when he thought of that he would not forget his old corps. (Hear, hear.) He (Captain .Wright) said old corps, as they knew his Excellency would be bound to send in his resignation, and it was the unanimous wish of the corps that he should retain the position of Hon. Colonel. (Hear, hear.) Addressing his Excellency Captain Wright said—l am sure, Colonel, you will carry away the best wishes of your corps with you, and also the best wishes of the people of the colony. (Load applause.) Men, I ask you to drink to the health of our Hon. Colonel and Lady Onslow. (Loud cheering.) The company cheered again and again, with another for the Countess of Onslow, and the band played "A Fine Old English Gentleman.".

His Excellency, on rising, was for fully a minute unable to speak in consequence of the applause which greeted him. When the cheering had ceased he said:—Captain Wright,'Officers, and Men of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry,—l am sure you will not be surprised when I tell you that it affords mc the greatest gratification and satisfaction to be present nere to-night. I have been very much surprised at the differences that I; have found in the colony of New Zealand from what I had been led to expect. I was told that when I went to the West Coast of this island that I must not be surprised if I found big rivers in high flood preventing mc from getting to my destination; but when I went by the East Coast of the island there would be a fine railway, with magnificent bridges, and there would be nothing in the world to prevent mc from keeping any engagements i chose to make. (Laughter.) Well, I found that the conditions were generally reversed. It has only been with considerable difficulty and a great amount of good luck that I have been able to be present here after accepting your kind invitation. I feel personally that lam entirely unworchy of the honourable position—("No, no.")—which you have been pleased to desire the Government to confer upon myself. (Loud "No, no r s.") But I recognise that in asking that you looked not so much to the humble individual as to the position

which he fulfils as the representative of our gracious Sovereign. (Hear, hear.) Oat hat account, and on that account alone, I took upon myself . the duty of accepting the position which the Government desired to confer upon mc. But I have felt that although I was only an honorary officer in your ranks, the interests and efficiency of the corps were in most admirable and capable hands. (Loud applause.) I knew with so experienced an officer as Captain Wright, who was always at hand to give mc instruction and advice, it was not likely that I could go very far wrong. (Hear, hear.) I am not going to make you a very long speech, for I am aure you will think it out of place on an occasion of this kind. I am not going to enter into the rival merits of the rifle and the sword; of the scarlet doth and kharkee. If I were to do so I should tread on delicate ground, and it is possible .1 might say soma things which in the neutral position which is expected of a Colonial Governor I might afterwards regret I had said. But I should like to remind you of how in England we look upon our yeomanry regiments. The word yeomanry represents to the English mind one of the finest and most stalwart bodies of men we possess. The ancient yeomanry of England were not great feudal lords, nor "were they their vassals; they were a highly independent and well organised body of landed proprietors. (Loudapplause). They were always esteemedastheyareesteemednow. They were esteemed in days gone by, when it was not the fashion to say hard things about landed proprietors. (Laughter and applause.) But Iregrettosay that they are a fast-diminishing quantity. They are, nevertheless, respected by all English people because -they combine in their persons the stalwart Englishman and the small proprietor. (Heir, hear.) Well, gentlemen, in England weareveryproud of our colonies. We are very proud indeed when old institutions of England are reproduced and maintained in our colonies. (Applause.) But I am sure there is no class of men whom the Englishman recognises, and is more glad to think is preserved and continued in these new i

than the ancient yeomanry of (Cheers.) Not only do they furnish gallant defenders of their country and their colony, but they do a great deal more fo*?***£L point of view. In the firstPP ee Tvery great interest in the horsei (Hear,he*r.) Now, sir, there is no Englishman who isworthy of the name *ho do 4 not love horses-(very loud aPP 1 * 0 ?? >~ and if they have no other reason ?or their existence, it is amply justified by the fact that they love and* delight in thexrhorses. In this respect the Yeomanry Cavalry of Canterbury holds no second place in the colony. (Loud and continned applause.) If I may judge from the numerous critics who write f"> m T E °S ask mc whether what I have stated is true, whether I am gammoning when I tell them the * or! *f J* m P over wire fences, it shows mc that they take a lively interest in the horses ot .New Zealand. (Cheers). Well sir, I nope the Yeomanry Cavalry of Canterbury may long continue to flourish. I am satisfied that they form a very valuable part of the colonial defences; and now that you have always near your shores, always cruising around your coasts, two of her Majesty s vessels, I hope you will be able to make arrangement with them to give some sort of practical demonstration of the value of tne New Zealand Cavalry. I should like on some occasion, say at your annual training, or Easter encampment, .that it^ should be understood that her Majesty's chips should try to effect a landing on some given part of the coasts of New Zealand, and then you should do all that lies in your power toprevent that landing being effected. (Lond cheers.) That would be practical exemplification of the utility of the Cavalry. You have in the case of war a long stretch of coast line to protect from attack, and who more able and fit to prevent a lauding than the wellhorsed Cavalry of New Zealand. (Hear, hear.) I recommend that to your attention as I have recommended it to my Advisers. (Hear, hear.) You have been pleased to refer in gracious terms' to the resignation which it will be my duty to send in to my successor. I do not know what action my successor may take. I shall leave it entirely in his hands. If it so please him to appoint no other person as Honorary Colonel to your regiment, untjl the day it is done it will be a great pleasure and privilege to mc to continue in that honorable position. (Renewed applause.) Sir, if it should ever fall to my lot to serve her Majesty the Queen in any other regiment ; in any other Volunteer Corps, or to wear her Majesty's uniform in service at Home, you may rely upon it that I shall never forget that I first wore the scarlet uniform of her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen as honorary Colonel of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry. (Enthusiastic applause.) I have only one thing more to say, and that is a request to make to you. It is perhaps an unusual and unorthodox one, but I hope the occasion will excuse my making it. I recognise that though I occupy the position of honorary Colonel of this regiment, there are many in. its ranks who I have the pleasure of acknowledging as my personal friends. The request 1 have to make to you is that after we leave this room you will go into an adjoining' apartment and accord mc the privilege of shaking hands with you, that we may bid each other farewell. (Loud cheers). The toasts of "The Visitors" was proposed by Lieut. ARCHER, and that of " The Noncommissioned Officers" by Major Slater, and both suitably acknowledged. After this the company joined together in singing" Old Lang Syne,"and" God Save the Queen," visited his Excellency in another room and shook hands with him, wishing him a farewell, and when he left in hia carriage a few minutes later, they gave him three very hearty cheers.