Luncheon to the Officers of the Squadron.

Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1889, Page 3

Luncheon to the Officers of the Squadron.

His Worship the Mayor (Mr. John Duthie) ontortainod a number of tho principal officers of tho squadron and prominent citizens at luncheon at the Corporation offices to-day. The Mayor occupied the chair, supported on the right by His Excellenoy the Governor and Sir William Fitzherbert, Speaker of the Legislative Council, and on the left by Captain Ham mil, of H.M.S. Orlando, and Sir Harry Atkinson. Councillors Williams and Brandon filled the vice-chairs. Conspicnouß amongst the company, in addition to the officers of the warships, were — Viscomte Jouffray D'Abbuns (French Consul), Mr. C. J. Toxward (Danish Consul), the Hon. Mr. Fortescue, A.D.C., tho Hon. Messrs. T. Hislop and P. A. Bnckley, Mr. .J. M'Korrow (Railway Commissioner), Councillors A. W. Brown, Willeston, Harris, Captain Eose (Chairman of the Harbour Board), Mr. W. Ferguson (Secretary of the Harbour Board), and Mr. T. F. Martin (Town Clerk). An excellent luncheon was provided by Host Liohtßchiondl, of the Club Hotel. The health of Her Majesty the Queen was drunk at the invitation of the Mayor, who also proposed the health of His Excellency the Governor, stating that he bad moro and more gained the respect of the people of the colony the longer he remained with them, and regret at his approaching departure would be felt from one end of the country to the other. His Exoellenoy briefly responded. Mr. J. R. Blair proposed the toast of "The Legislature," and, in concluding his speech, pointed out that though Sir Harry Atkinson's National Assurance scheme wag ridionlod by the press of the colony when it was proposed some yearslago, something like it has since been adopted by the German Empire, and the first report upon it was recently presented to the Parliament of the Empire. The Premier, in responding, said that he was more at home when ho had a little fighting to do than when addressing a sympathetic audience. Mr. Blair had referred to the fact that the Legislature of this colony was practically the result of democracy in its extreme form. There oould be no doubt at all about that. The franchise given to New Zealand originally was an exceedingly liberal one, but now we praotioally had universal suffrage. After a Parliamentary experience of ovor a quarter of a century, he could venture to say that the present Parliament was as good a Parliament as the people of New Zealand had over returned. He said this knowing that the difficulties of government were increased, because we were passing away from the old party lines, and not fighting for principles but for men. So it was also at Home, for though there were the Unionist and Separatist parties, he ventured to say that the Unionists were really the Separatists, and vice verm. There was no question that a Legislature returned by universal suffrage had but one object before it, and that was the advancement of the colony. Parliament did a great work for the Empiro when it passed tho Naval Defence Bill, which was the first acknowledgment by the | colony ot its obligations as part of the British Empiro. Though he was proud of being a New Zealander he was still an Englishman, and he rejoiced io look forward to a great nnion of all the people speaking the English language throughout the world, which he ventured to say would come in course of time. Whether England or America was to be the centre would depend upon the statesmen of England, and he confessed that he did not see any signs of it at present. But if this were not to be tho oase, then we must centre in the great nation of America. (Applause.) Senior Councillor Williams proposod the health of " The Army and Navy," and Captain Hamtnil, R.N., responded. Tho health of " The Consuls of New Zealand" was proposed by the Hon. P. A. Buckley, and acknowledged by Viscomte Jouffray D'Abbans " The Early Sottlers " were toasted at the invitation of Councillor Brandon, and Sir Win Fitzhorbert responded. Sir Harry Atkinson proposed tho hoalth of th 9 Mayor, who briefly acknowledged the compliment. The company then separated.

His Excollency the Governor visited H.M.S. Orlando at noon to-day, accompanied by tho Hon. Mr. Fortescno, A.D.C. The vice-regal salute of 17 guns was fired as the party left the vessel. The Public Works Committee of tho City Council has decided to ask the permission of His Excellency the Governor to affix the name of Jervois-quay to the new street which is about to be formed on the foreshore. His Excellency cordially gave hiß acquiescence when the request was made to him at the bauquet to-day. Councillor A. W. Brown has tabled a notice of motion to be considered at the meeting of the City Council on Thursday, proposing that as soon as the Railway Commissioners take office, a deputation from the Council shall wait upon them and urge the neoessity of extending the railway to Newtown or Te Aro. We understand (says the New Zealand Herald) that Sir George Grey has not yet definitely deoided when he will leave the colony for the purpose of revisiting England. He has, however, at the consent of his Worship the Mayor (Mr. Devore) promised to give him at least 14 days' notice of his departure, so that there will be ample time to prepare a pnblio addross, and take other steps to mark the high appreciation in which tho veteran statesman and orator is held by the people of this city, prior to his leaving for London. Three boys, two aged 10, and the third 11 years, were prosecuted by the Royal Sooioty for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recently, at tho Ipswich Borough Bench, for horrible cruelty to a cat. The evidence showed that a little girl offended one of the lads, and, by way of rovenge, her oat was snatched Irom her lap and taken into a field, where two of the accused held the poor animal, whilo the third cut off its legs, Subsequently they gouged out its eyes, stoned it, stamped on it, cub its throat, and left it in the meadow for dead, the torture lasting upwards of twenty minutes. Each of the defendants made the above statement separately, which was corroborated by a fourth boy, who took no part in the cruelty. The magistrates committed all three offenders to prison for fourteen days, and sent the biggest boy, who cut off the animal's legs, to a reformatory for five yoars, he being a lad of bad character. Messrs. Oakshott and Millard, writing from Beading to the London Times, oall attention to a remarkable circumstance which occurred in their immediate locality on the night of Saturday, 3rd November :— At a time as near eight o'clock as possible, the tens of thousands of sheep folded in the large sheep-breeding districts north, oast, and west of Beading were taken with a sudden fright, jumping their hurdles, escaping from the fields, and running hither and thither — in fact, for some time there must have been a perfect stampede. Early on Sunday morning the Bhepherde found the animals under hedges and in tho