NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 1937, 21 July 1869, Page 3

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

A complimentary dinner was given to Mr F. A. Weld, late Prime Minis'er of New Zealand, by some of his old colonial f ■ iends and admirers, previous to his departure for Western Australia. The entertainment took place at the Freemason’a-hall, and was of the richest and most perfect character. Tho gue ts numbered 140, and Earl Granville very appropriately presided. As the dinner Til not commence till half-past seven, the speeches were necessaiily few, and were confined to six toasts. In proposing the chief toast of the evening, the noble chairman felicitated himself on the opportunities afforded by his position for selecting the best and th» lowest places in the colonial service, irre-

spective of party claims. He reviewed the varied aiul cosmopolitan career of Governor Weld, and complimented him in the most handsome manner upon the qualities which fitted him for rulership among his fellows. I!is experiences in New Zealand had trained him to make a good governor ; and referring to some remarks previously made by Major Atkinson, he said that he thought the appointment of Mr Weld would afford some encouragement to men in ■he highest positions in the colonies not to shrink from political duties, but tod scharge them in confidence that they would be app eclated in Eng and Mr Weld would encounter special difficulties in the province to which he was going, owing to its recent deprivation of convict labor, to which it was so much indebted for its growth and prosperity ; but Earl Granville felt that Weld was just the man, whose energy and whose power of inspiring energy in others would help the Colonists to tiue over the effects of this temporary blow. Mr Weld (who was received with prolonged applause) briefly acknowledged the honor paid to him, and said an assembly like this, comprising old fellow-workers from toe Colonies, past Colonial governors and men famous in arms, in art, in science, and in literature, was a compliment he should never forget. He regarded it as the appreciation which Englishmen always manifested towaids one of their covntrymen who has tried to do his duty. He had worked as a bushman, he had acquired and lived upon his own prosperity, be had taken part in the least as well as the greatest affairs of the Colony, and had throughout endeavored to act as though all the interests of our great empire were indentical with every part. So, in the spin re to which he was now going, he should work for the interests of the old country, and work best while he did faithful service for the new. His Excellency concluded by repeating his thanks to his friends, and bidding them farewell. The last toast was “ The Australian Colonies,” proposed by the Hight Hon. W. Monsell. Captain Mayne responded for New South Wales, Sir Ge rge Grey, f"r New Zealand, and Sir T. Gore Brown for Tasmania. Sir George Grey, in the course of his remarks, mentioned amongs’ other qualities which had excited his adm;ration, that Mr Weld went in early youth into a shepherd’s hut, 1 arnt the ife of a squatter, and preserved through every vicissitude the character of an English gentleman. At an early part of the evening, Major Atkinson, formerly Defence Minister in New Z aland, remarked that a notice was to be sent out to New Zealand, calling upon all the officers and non-commissioned officers of the regiments stationed there to make application for a medal, and asked why the colonial troops had not an equal right to this medal, since the Queen for them, as for the army, was he fountain of honor. “ Why not, indeed ?” inquires the Spectator. “It is the blindness we show in small respects like these to the nationality of our colonists, and our indifference to their feelings, which quite as much as our greater muddles, alienates them from us, and tends to break up the unity of the empire ” At the annual meeting of the Colonial Missionary Society, on tlie 12th inst., at the Wfdgh-house Chapel, the Chief -Justice of South Australia was conspicuous among the distinguished individuals on the platform An interesting f<-a ure in the Society’s report was the proposal to establish an itinerating ministry in the bush. The work was acknowledged to be a difficult one, but a disposition was evinced boldly to face the difficulties, and it was hoped that sufficient funds for the purpose would be forthcom ng. In tiie Economist, of the Bth inst., there is a very able contribution, by Professor lervons, on “ The depreciation of gold.” The result established by his argument, illustrated by statistics, is that a real rise of prices, to the extent of eighteen per cent, as measured by fifty chief c< mmodities, has been established since the year 1849. This he regards as an undoubted depreciation of eold because a real diminution in its purchasing power.