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Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1035, 26 January 1911, Page 8

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■ « > DINNER AT BELLAMY'S. THE-HON. G. FOWLDS ENTERTAINED. The Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) and his colleagues in the AlinistrjL entertained tho Hon. G. Fowlds last"eveuing (o a dinner in Bellamy's (Parliament Buildings). The gathering was to mark the return of Mr.. Fowlds ..from South Africa, where he represented tho Government at the■ Commonwealth celebrations; The Prime Minister sat at the head of the table, .and on his right was tho guest of the.evening, and on his-left air". Justice Edwards... The other two gentlemen at tho cross table were Captain "tt'emyss, Commander- oi the Cambrian, and-tho Hon. B. -M'Kenzie. .The invited guests- were- the Ministers of- tie Crown, members of tho Legislative Council, and members of Parliament in town, Parliamentary officers, heads of Departments, and leading citizens, 'including Dr. M'Arthur, S.M.. Mr: E. Fletcher (chairman of the Harbour Boaid), Mr. Tewsley (chairman of tho Chamber of Commerce), Mr. E. Tregear, Mr. D. J: Nathan, Mr. Harold Beauchnmp, and Captain Post, of'the Tutanekai. Altogether about fifty jentlemen were present. - ' ' . :

' In proposing the health of the Hon. G. Fowlds, the Prime Minister expressed great pleasure at his colleague's return. Only four months ago they had assembled there to say au revoir to their guest. He had then bten entrusted with' the representation of this country at an important historical event, and with a message of goodwill. It had- been a source of great-satisfaction that themessage had been received in the same spirit as that in which it had been sent. He paid a tribute to the Minister's fulfilment of his .trust, and ho spoke of the immense good that must' result .from the meeting of the various representatives of the Empire in South Africa.' No one would welcome .Mr. , Fowl Js back more cordially than ho (the Prime Minister) and his colleague?:, who valued his work. (Hear, hear.) They were nlso proud of the messages which Mr. Fowlds bore from -General Botha (Premier lof the Federal States) to this' country.- (Applause.) In conclusion, he nUo'gave'a warm welcome back to Mr. Crow (Jtr. Fowlds's private- secretary), a valuable and able civil servant, who, though he had been ill in South Africa, was" now. quite recovered, i The toast was most cordially honoured. The-Hon. G. Fowlds, in replying, thanked tho gathering, for the hearty way in which the toast had ljean proposed and received. • It wns of peculiar satisfaction for a man who had been away on a representative mission , to;find that which he had doue.nppr3v.pd by his fellow-citizens. (Hear, hear.) He felt compelled - once again to refer to the extreme, kindness and hospitality of tho South African Government' and of the people towards himself and those with him, and the friendly feeling of the people towards New Zealand. He had been asked' since- coming back whether the Dutch entertained any strong feeling towards us for our hiving sent contingents to South Africa." His answer was a most emphatic "No." They were entering into the .spirit of British citizenship, and recognised that. New Zealand was one important branch of the great Empire. General Hortzog, in ono speech, had declared that the people- who had boon divided in Europe . wero united in South Africa. Another great statesman out there, the Administrator of the Transvaal, had also said at a dinner at which he (the Minister) was present, that nothing but tho genius of the; British could have produced such a state--of things as enabled him to reply to the toast of the British Empire that evening. (Applause.) Ho had also snid that in time' of need, if it came, South Africans would-be found fighting shoulder to shoulder with tho British. (Applause.) Thssa instances tho Minister gave, to emphasise-the conclusions ho had formed, that there, was.not the slightest doubt as to the genuineness of the loyalty of the Dutch people, as a whole. (Applause.). In the future they had tho "black" question to face,_.and for' some'time.there must bs a'policy"'o'f flrift. ..K i: was ,i question of estremo difficulty He did not think there was the slightest fear,'as some -seemed.,,to.' imagine, of a 'native rising that would wipe out-' the white rule, or endanger civilisation—at least, not for many years to corned There was a growing sense, however, that : in occupying this' country the whites had a duty to fulfil towards the'original inhabitants, a duty, perhaps, to . justify their occupancy. Mr. Fowlds also spoke of tho immense possibilities before the great expanse of country lying to the north of the Federated States. He could not- imagine anyone visiting this great country without having an expansion- of -vision; "But," he said, "with"all th-3 attractions nf South Africa I' still have come to the conclusion that New Zealand is' quite good enough for me." (Loud applause.)

llr.' Justice Edwards proposed the toast of "Parliament." He said he knew little of Parliamentary matters. Few people had mixed lefs in politics than he had. Sut he knew this: that' for sincerity of purpose and incorruptibility of ■fcrfnesty the Xevr • Zealand Parliament would rank second to.hoik in the world. (Applnuw.) "Mistakes have been made no doubt in the past, and-will lie made in the future; but 50 long as Parliaments pososs these qualities you can depend uitfn itth» country will march-onward." We lenrn-ad from infancy upwards, and in this little protected republic—for it was a protected republic—it was wonderful wq had been .ibis to advance so far as we had; and it would not have been possible except for the- guidance it had hnd, ana the qualities he had mentioned. (Applause.)

The to-ist was coupled with the names of tho-Honi-T..K. Macdonald. H.L.C., the Hen. J. Kia:;:, M.L.C., 3lr. W. Fraser :.t.P., Mr.- Field, M.P., who all replied. The Hon. C. H. Milk. M.L.C., who was also down to respond, was prevented from attending owing to an accident to a member of his. family The gathering closed -with the health of the Prime Minister,' which 'the Hon. G. Fowlds proposed. ■ . ■ The Prime Minister, in replying, regretted that there had not been greater time.to send out invitations to the dinner, and a larger room available. ' Sir Joseph Ward called upon Mr. J. Hislop (his private secretary) to propose the health of Mr. Fowlds's secretary (Mr. W. Crow), who had accompanied the Minister' to South Africa. : .