WELLINGTON.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 1092, 15 December 1857, Page 3

WELLINGTON.

REFORM BANQUET. {From the Spectator —Nov. 21). On Thursday, the Radical Reform party held a Banquet, to celebrate their success in the recent Provincial elections. We shall not be enabled to furnish a detailed account of the speeches until Wednesday. But a brief summary of the proceedings will furnish our readers with a vivid idea of the strength and prospects of that majority of the Provincial Council, which represents the united Moderates and Out-and-Out Reformers. About 200 persons sate dinner, at 7 o'clock. Mr. George Moore was in the Chair, having Mr. Hunter, M.P.C., on his right, and Mr. Ludlatn, M.P.C., on his left. In prominent positions, near the Chair, were Messrs. Wakefield, ffoomath, Allen, Bowler, Stokes, James Wallace, Varnham, Ashton, St. Hill, Barry, Corbett, M'Manaway, W. Phillips, M'Laggan, King, Carpenter, and Warburton, Members of the Provincial Council; Mr.Valentine Smith, M.H.R. for theHawke's Bay and Wairarapa Districts; and the Maori Chiefs, E. Puni, William Tako, and Manih'era te Ngatoro. Dr. Welch filled the Vice-Chair. The host, Mr. J. H. Horner, stood in front of the stage, to carve a magnificent Baron of beef, placed before the Chairman. An excellent Amateur Band took its station in the centre boxes, and played polkas, galops, &c, in very superior style, during the repast. The side boxes were filled with ladies, The other decorations, in the shape of banners, wreaths, and bouquets, were in the best possible taste, and produced a most agreeable effect. Grace having been said, the Chairman proposed the usual loyal toasts of •• The Queeu," " Prince Albert and the Royal Family, "The Army and Navy," and " The Governor," each of which was received with three hearty cheers. The band played appropriate airs to each, and a graceful compliment was paid to the Irish by the selection of *• St. Patrick's Day in the Morning," to follow the health of their fellow-country-man, Colonel Gore Browne. In giving the toast of the evening, " Radical Reform of the Provincial Government," the Chairman claimed credit for that Moderate party in politics, to which he belongs, inasmuch as they had thrown their weight into the scale at the right time, and had stepped forwarcLto secure " the triumph of intelligenc over arrogancK" He coupled the toast with the name of Mr. Jerningham Wakefield, whom he complimented in the highest terms on the course of conduct by which he had guided the political mind to that union between the two sections of the Opposition, which gave it such irresistible strength. Both the toast, and this decided acknowledgment of the leadership in the movement, elicited deafening and repeated rounds of applause. Mr. Wakefield, in returning thanks, not so much for the personal compliment to himself as for the zeal and attachment shown towards the cause, spoke for about an hour, and was listened to with the deepest and most earnest attention throughout his address. The audience was much entertained with the contrast which he drew b tween the present festive scene and a somewhat similar one which took place in the same hall, under the name of a " Grand Reform Banquet," on the Ist of March; 1849, and of which Dr. Featherston was the hero. He referred to the particulars of that eveqt as

1-ecorded and depicted in the • Illustrated London News* of 12th January, 1850. He traced the history of events fromthat period down to the present day. Dr.Fetthwston had been rewarded, in 1853, for his share in the efforts (hen mtide, to obtain " representative institutions," by the unanimous gift of-the' highest electiYo office which those-institutions enabled the people to offer him. extensive executive powers had been yielded to ,Dr. Featherston by Provincial enactment, on the express condition that he should exercise those powers on the principle of " Responsible Government." Dr. Featherston's own recorded explanation*, on numerous occasions, shewed that that system was understood to mean, " government by the advice of persons enjoving the confidence of a majority of the people's repie* sentatives." Dr. Featherston and his colleagues almost immediately hcgan to make a mockery and delusion of that understanding, by packing the Legislature with* preponderance of paid officials, contractors, or persona otherwise directly dependent on the Government for advantageous favors. In 1855, a small knot of Heformers, in order to counteract so pernicious a practice, agitated for an immediate enlargement of the Council, which had been unanimously agreed to by the Council itself, when it fiist met in 185J, but postponed under various pretences by Dr. Fcatherston and his friends. They got a memorial to that effect, signed by 409 persons, and appointed a deputation of 12 to wait on Dr. Featherston and urge its prayer upon him, with the accompanying request that if his advisers continued to counsel delay in the matter,, he should dismiss them and appoint others. In his written reply to them, Dr. Featherston first let the cat out of tht» bag ; avowed thai he did *'not" consider the Superintendent a mere cypher, solely guided by the v opinion of his Executive; anil declared his supposed " Responsibl advisers" wer,e only " colleagues," with whom he thoroughly agreed in policy. And he added a sneer at the Deputation, by saying that as its members had not been able to' obtain seats in the Provincial Council,' it was quite-impossi-sible for him to take them as his advisers, even if he were willing to dismiss his present ones. (Mr. Wakefield drew notice to the fact that "five" outofthos» 12 gentlemen are note, members ot the P...Council, viz., Messrs., Bowler, • Ki-g, Jaines Wallace, M'Mnnaway, and himself. The-Featherston Party p-rsisted in patting off the measure until cl'>se upon the, end of the first four years; ?ahd therefore with a very few exceptions the-additional seats had been grsped without opposition by men so worthless, that that the people had shaken them off at the recent real elections, " like chaff before the wind." Dr. Featherston and his associates, having done " little or nothing " in sound progress for the Province during the. first four years, although they were fertile in bombastic braggadocio, hit upon the expedient of borrowing large sums of money, and legislating so as to extend the expenditure over the period during which the new elections were to take plact. Mr. Wakefield confessed himself one.of those who had viewed with alarm so unscrupulous a " dodge," an I who had despaired-of the independence of the people under such temptation to be corrupted. The apparent " political apathy" had appeared to him a symptom of silence bought by 6elf interest At that moment, Dr. Welch, displaying moral courage and independence for which no terras of praise could be too strong, defied all the odium and abuse thrown upon him, tried to arouse the people to a sense of the evils under which they were labouring and urged them to make an effort for redress. Mr. Wakefield related th« sentiments of—-first surprise.—then pleasure,—and at length unbounded admiration, with which he watched and perceived the interest of the public in a desire for Reform ; which forced him to acknowledge that he had been'mistaken ; that the people of Wellington had preserved their independence unsullied by the powerful temptations with it had been- assailed ; and which persuaded him that it would be a proud and hopeful task t6 join their ranks, either as a private or a leader. He drew a graphic sketch of the recent elections from first to last; and then described th e present position of affairs. There were two members for the Hutt,-r-Messrs. Hart and Wilcock, unavoidably absent: otherwise, there would have been actually two-thirds of the Legislature " eating Radical Reform beef. Where was the hero of the former Reform Banquet r After trying to intimidate the electors from returning members opposed to his policy, by declaring he would not take advice from such persons, or resign, he had found those opponents chosen by large majorities, and his old Executive, reappointed by him before the elections, ignominiousljr rejected, with the exception of Mr. Brandon, whose private means of influencing votes in the Country District were yet too strong, and Mt. Fox, who had retired from his rejection by the Town to a seat for the rotten borough of Wanganui. Dr. Featherston had, perhaps, chosen the most prudent, if not the most gracious course, by getting away from the chance of further collision by consulting with the members. He had hurried off to Ahuriri with his obedient servants, the Engineer of Roads and Chairman of Quarter Sessions, in order to try and cajol the electors of that district, before they could become well acquainted with the particulars of the crisis, by promises ts tempting and as flimsy as those which he had made and broken

here. He was propably preparpg- for the likelihood of a new writ for the election of Superintendent combing down, in answer to the petitions against his return which had been despatched to Auckland. It behoved the electors also to prepare for such an event. Even it Dr. Featherston were to eat his words, and offer to take advisers from among the opponents, of his policy, there wa* not one among them who could trust him for political honesty. Advissrs, so chosen, would feel that the head of the Government could only be trying to undermine them in secret, while, pretending to work with them in public. Should there be a vacancy, Dr. Featherston must be opposed. It became the duty of the electors, and of the members in whom they had reposed their confidence, to seek out an opponent; whose qualifications for the office would secure ascertain victory. A man must be found, well knowri*to the colonists throughout the Province, and enjoying their respect and esteem for his consistent and honourable conduct through a long career of valuable services to the public. If such a man would declare his opinions on public affairs to be such, that both electors and members might feel convinced of his willingness and ability to work in harmony with the majority of the Legislature victory was certain ; and the present unfortunate crisis might be terminated by an honourable and probably lasting peace. He believed such a mart was to be found in the Province: and if so, he felt sure the electors and members would press on him the duty of responding to their call, in terms so impressive as to overcome any unwillingness on his part. This unmistakeable allusion to Mr. Henry St. Hill, although the name was not uttered by Mr. Wakefield, was received with rapturous applause by his hearers. He concluded by assuring the people that he and his col - leagues had not been idle or remiss in their preparations for the forthcoming struggle. They had not confined their exertions to regaling themselves with such go d fare as they had partaken of that night, or'to making, hopeful after dinner speeches. They Had already held several business meetings, and begun to organize a plan of operations. Their opponents, he knew, were confidently calculating on an early " split'' in their united ranks. He was heartily glad to inform them that there was no prospect of such an event. On the contrary, every occasion on which he met, and consulted, with, their allies of the moderate party, impressed him more and more with the value of their alliance, and with the soundness of the coalition which had been so success * fully accomplished. He found the leaders of thee Moderate Party to be distinguished for two qualities, eminently useful in popular politics. One was, that they were men who had exercised caution in their promises and professions before election, but who now shewed a zeal and spirit far beyond his hopes, aW were

ready, when elected, to go much further than they had promised or professed. The other was that they were fully, as ready as himself to base all their political action on the most candid, open, and unreserved interchange of opinions with the public. He repeated, for himself, that henceforth he could have no political secrets from the people, whatever position he might hold in public affairs. And he believed there was not One of the united party who would be behind him in that sentiment. Under these felt confident that they should be able to agree on a policy which, whatever might be its imperfections, they should not fear to lay before the public, so that neither "spies in the camp" could injure them by reporting their tactics to- the enemy, nor could their opponents deceive the people* by pretending to adopt that policy and those tactics as their own. However much those opponents might decry the abilities of the Radical Reformers to manage affairs of State, and however little credit they might give them ior having adequate talent among them, hecould assure them that each man of the party was doing his best, according to the greater or less powers of muid which God might have given him, to* use those , powers rightly for the benefit of the people who had so . frankly and generously confided in them. The ap- : plause when Mr. Wakefield sat down lasted some minutes. [Our own opinion of "the triumph" of the so-called Reform party is already before our readers. They owe their success to the many errors committed by the Fox and Fitzherbert party in thier advocacy of an altra-pre-Tincial policy. We shouid be sorry to think that the present party would long' be triumphant; ure would rather hope that their opponents gaining wisdom by experience, will again be in power: for no comparison can be drawn between thitwo on the score of talei t and education. They have been read a severe lesson, but are fully capable of profiting by it. In the ordinary cyele of events, they will presently resume the rein* Government,—wiser, if hot better men.—Ed. "S.rC.% '