SPEECHES AT THE LUNCHEON.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10063, 15 June 1898, Page 5

SPEECHES AT THE LUNCHEON.

LORD RANFURLY ON THE DUTIES OF A GOVERNOR.

The official luncheon took place at halfpast one in the afternoon, in the Oddfellows' Hall, and was largely attended. The ladies occupied seats in the gallery. The room was decorated with flags from H.M.S. Tauranga, prominent in which were the Union Jack and the Stars and Stripes joined. A good luncheon was provided,by Mr Fanning. The Mayor presided; on his right was the Governor and on his left tho Premier, and occupying seats at the head of tho table were hia Lordship the Bishop, the Hon. W. Montgomery, the Hon. C. Hill-Trevor, Lieut.* Colonel Francis* Captains Wsllesley, v.

Browne, and Cfearlewood, Lieutenants Buchanan and Rhodes, officers from the Tauranga, Messrs W. H. Montgomery, M.H.R., F. A. Anson, and E. E. Leviere.

After the toast of the Queen had been honoured, the Chairman proposed the health of his Excellency the Governor, and in expressing their thanks for his visit, said that I_iord Ranturly at great personal inconvenience, was making himself fully acquainted with the colony. At the request of a settler of forty-live years who could not be present he presented his Excellency with a silver trowel inscribed with the date of the unveiling of the obelisk. His Excellency the Governor, who was received with loud applause, thanked the old settler for his kindly present, which he would value exceedingly, and regretted that he could not be present. Forty-five years was indeed a long time to be in any place, but when it came to Akaroa, it was very nearly since its inception. (Applause.) He understood also that there was one man living who was in Akaroa when the original flag was hoisted, and he hoped before leaving to have the pleasure ol talking with him on the subject. (Hear, hear.) The duties of a Governor were more as defined by Canning than as defined by one of his Excellency's predeces-ors, who said these duties were "to sit at the end of the table and do nothing." He considered the duties of the Governor were to make himself thoroughly acquainted with everything in the colony over which he governed. (Applause.) He considered it liis duty to state to Ministers anything he might see that would be for the best advantage of the colony. It would not mean that Ministers would necessarily follow it. The Governor ■imply made tho suggestion, when he saw anything of that kind. Again, in travelling round the colony, in many districts one might come across industries which in other dountries one was thoroughly acquainted with. It was possible that the methods by which those operations were carried on were not of the most modern character, and under the circumstances it was the duty of a Governor to point the fact out, that it might be worth the individual's while to inquire as to them, and see if they would not be to bis advantage. The present generation was one of competition. It we wanted to hold our own we must be able to compete with the world, and to do that, we not only required to have the best brains, head, and Susiness capacity, but must also have the best machinery, and when one looked at the future of tins colony, knowing what it had been in the past, there might come to one s recollection some words he had read m an Australian paper, which seemed very apropos *V_ the past history of the colony : — " We're descendants of sea heroes; We have conquered barren plain, Cleared the forest, drawn the -urrow— Work of muscle, work of brain. Now a young and stalwart nation, Built upon a sound foundation, Cry 'Long Jivo our Sovereign Lady, f God prolong her glorious reign.* (Loud applause). Their forty-five or fifty years was their ■ouud foundation, and it wus only by using those advantages God had given them that they would be able to build up New Zealand to the foremost rank, and it rested with them and their children*, all of whom, he believed, had been taught, with a view to helping New Zealand to bring about in the future that progress which bad taken place in the past. (Loud applause). As he said at the unveiling, we were all of the British Empire—one body; but we wanted the limbs of that body to be healthy and growing, and we wanted the assistance of every muscle of that body when that body had to take hard exercise. England expected that every purt of that bedy would be ready •when wanted. (Applause). England knew the absolute loyalty of her colonies that could be seen everywhere. (Loud applause). 'England trw-ted these colonies, and England expected that, should the occasion arise at any time, that old flag of Nelson had only to be hoisted, and England knew that ** every man that day would do his duty." (Continued applause). The Hon. W. Montgomery proposed the toast of the "Navy," whose best energies were' never more needed than now, and who In felt sure were ever ready for emergency. Whether anything or nothing came ot the black clouds which at times obscured the korkon, it was due to the triumph of the British flag that we were here to-day, and what had been done for it in tho past would be.done again if any foreign powers, actuated by jealousy, combined against England for aggression—-(loud applause)—and flew Zealand, small as it was, would do hea duty, shrinking from no sacrifice to uphold the honour and prestige of our dear mother land. (Renewed applause.) Captain Browne, of the Tauranga, with whose name the toast was coupled, said the Anglo-Saxon seaman was not degenerating, MuTif the time should come, sooner or later, .we would find that the bluejackets and •fficers of the present day were "worthy chips of the oldVock"—(applause)—and to uea turf expression, we would all get a very good run for our money.' (Loud apMr Anson proposed the toast *>f the .Premier, and suggested that since taxation bad been started those on this part of the island had been steadily paying on an increasing ratio, and the Premier could easily find _ut what a ridiculously small amount ot that taxation had been returned. (Applause.) The Premier said he was tempted to drift into politics, but would try to avoid them, and observed that the Peninsula was behind every other part of the colony, since tne ladies had not been invited to the luncheon. iAptAa-se and .aMghter). He noted the cordial feeling which subsisted between the English and French settlers, and hoped it •would continue between the nations they represented. As to the suggestions of the proposer, he took no responsibility— (hnghterV—and referred him to the Mayor and the gentlemen who who represented the Peninsuk. (Applause). Alluding to the Navy, he said that the present Australasian squadron wanted strengthening, especially in view of the complications which had arisen. This was no question of politics, but of the peace of the Empire and the tranquility of the last years of the Queen's xeign, (Continued applause). His Lordship tho Bishop proposed the toast. "The French Settlers," and said that of all New Zealand, so far as he knew, the Peninsula had the most incident. The French had been our foes, and splendid ones. They had been our friends, and very noble ones. The Akaroa people knew that, and tho names of the early French settlers were honoured to-day. (Applause). Though France was not a good colonising nation, some of her best subjects hud come to Akaroa, in whicii were recorded the names of good men and women whose blood had entered into their blood, and had helped to make tho Akaroa of to-day. (Loud applause). Mr Lelicviere responded, acknowledged the superiority of Britishers as colonists, and said it would have been a pity had the islands been under separato nations. The Governor proposed the toast of "The Mayor," which was acknowledged. "God Save tho Queen" was sung, cheers were given for the Governor, the Premier, and tlie Mayor, and the company separated. The festivities came to a termination with a brilliant ball, at. vhicli the Premier and officers of the Tauranga were present.

The Mayor of Kaiapoi sent the following message to his Worship the Mayor of Akaroa —"Congratulate you on noble success in erecting permanent monument of planting the flag on our island. May the British Union Jack become the Hag the emblem of a holy alliance that shall maintain with honour a permanent peace throughout the universe." The trowel whicii was presented to the Governor at Akaroa was supplied by Mr Sandstein.