The Press. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1898. OTAGO'S JUBILEE.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 9992, 23 March 1898, Page 4

The Press. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 1898. OTAGO'S JUBILEE.

To-day the people of Otago are celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the landing of the jfirst batch of settlers from the first immigrant ship, the John WicldifFe. There have been previous Jubilees in the colony—in Wellington, Auckland, Nelson and Taranaki, —but in none of these districts has the enthusiasm been so marked and gratifying as in Otago. The settlers have entered into the celebration with great spirit, and in no colony has the first landing of colonists baen so well commemorated in a settlement. The newspapers in Dunedin have excelled themselves in publishing jubilee numbers ; the Ota/jo Witness and Evening Star would be creditable in London or New York. We hearfcilv

congratulate our neighbours on their jubilee, and on the great progress that they can record for the first; fifty years of their history. When we consider what they have done, the record is one of which any people might be proud. The Otago settlement was founded on Church lines just as the Canterbury settlement was founded. In the case of Otago the Church was the Free Church of Scotland, and in Canterbury it was the Church of England. Perhaps the Otago Settlement was founded on more narrow lines. It was to be Scotch and the people were to b9 Presbyterians, and if possible members of the Free Church of Scotland. English people in 1850 ware generally more cosmopolitan than the Scotch were in 1848. Fortunately, however, this idea of restricting the settlement to one nationality or to one Church did not last long. In a year or two it had been abandoned. The fact, however, that capable, earnest, Scotch farmers joined the settlement was of great advantage to it—and the effect of such having been settlers is seen to the present day. Though the settlement was founded as a Free Church settlement, the Rev. Mr., afterwards Dr., Burns, who was the first minister, was no narrow ecclesiastic, and to him perhaps more than to any one else was the settlement indebted for its foundation being laid on sound lines. His attitude to other religious bodies was wider than that of some ecclesiastics in Canterbury to-day. He met the Rev. Mr. Creed, a Wesleyan missionary, the first Sunday after his landing, which was on the 15th April, 1848 (he was in the second ship), and in a letter to the Rev. John Sim, of Free Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh, on the 25th April, 1848, he thus refers to Mr. Ceeed:—"The first Sabbath " after my arrival I preached to the " emigrants from the John Wickliffe "in Dunedin in the forenoon ; one of "the audience was the Rev. Mr. " Creed, Wesleyan missionary of the " district. He preached to us in the " afternoon. He is an excellent, de- " voted man. I hope we shall be able " to strengthen each other's hands." In another letter written at the same time he referred to Mr. Creed in very flattering terms. There are some Christian ministers who, even in 1898, will not exchange pulpits and would not look to their "hands being strengthened" by a Wesleyan missionary. Mr. Burns was no narrow man. He had wide and democratic sympathies as was befitting a nephew of Scotia's bard. As the largest employer of labour in the years 1848 and 1849, he made the rule that the working day was to be only eight hours and the labourers' wages '4s par day. This was a great contrast to the hours of labour and wages in Scotland. He desired to see the conditions of the workers improved. His efforts, too, to provide schools, to afford intellectual stimulus to the people, and to see that due care was taken in the character-of the emigrants selected— all showed him to be an able and a far-seeiug man. Bishop Selwyn was a good judge of men. and he on his visit to Otago was much impressed with Mr. Burns, and said that Otago was fortunate in obtaining such a Cburchmau.

The settlement had its Moses as wellas its Aaron. Captain Carg-i__, who was the Agent of the Association, and afterwards Superintendent, was an able and a very determined man. He had been a captain in the army, and seen much active service in the Peninsular War, and was severely wounded in one engagement. He had a mind of his own, and a perusal of his addresses to tho settlers on landing, and to the Provincial Council, showed him to be a man of much character as well of ability. There was also the Adviser of the Settlement, who had been the Association's Secretary in Edinburgh, the able, calm, judicious John With such a trio as its founders, not to mention other able settlers soon attracted to its shores, is it any wonder that the settlement was successful from the start ?

It can point now to flourishing towns, to splendid educational institutions, to roads, railways, cultivated farms, &.., &c, to all the accessories of a high civilisation, and all in fifty years. No doubt it was aided by the discovery of gold and by the influx of people of restless energy that a gold field brings; but the foundation was well and truly laid by the early settlers and their efforts must never be forgotten. The fact that education ever loomed as the most important question in the eyes of the early settlers is not to be wondered at. In Scotland education had been popular for centuries, and the " Ten years' conflict," 1833-18-3, had stirred the intellect as well as the spiritual life of Scotland to its depths. The new settlers started with the noise of this conflict still in their ears, with a determination such as the English "Puritans felt on founding New England. Indeed on his first address with settlers Captain Gargill pointed to the founding of the New England States as their model.

We have become New Zealanders now and the provincial feeling has departed.-• Otago settlers are to be found all over the colony, and they and their descendants are occupying important positions in all our colonial cities. We should not, however, forget that the provinces have done much for New Zealand, and that the settlements, founded on class ideas as they were, have achieved a triumphant success. So far as Otago is concerned, we think there is a stronger tie among the old settlers—"the old identities" —than amongst the early settlers of other provinces. It may be that there is more clannisbnes3 among the Scotch people or that they felt they were in a minority amongst their English brethren. Or it may be the ecclesiastical turmoil of the "disruption" united them. Whatever the cause there has been a closer union than in other provinces, and yet we cannot say the colony has been injured or their views of public affairs been narrowed by such unity. The colony has reason to feel proud of its Scotch-founded settlement and proud of the wonderful success it has achieved.

And we hope the descendants of the stalwart settlers will ever keep in remembrance what their fathers did and emulate their virtues. The John Wycliffe and Phillip Laing were Otago's May Flowery and should be held in remembrance j_*-*?as '.the; New Zealanders look back to their firs, ships and the immigrants they landed. •We hope the celebrations will be a

great success and that the commemorative gatherings may stir up the young New Zealanders in Otago to look to the future as their fathers •looked, so that their descendants may celebrate tho centenary with even more pomp and rejoicing.