DINNER OF THE BUTT SELLERS GEORGE GREY.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 516, 26 March 1851, Page 3

DINNER OF THE BUT T SELL ERS GEORGE GREY.

[Slightly abridge! horn the " Spectaloi," ot the 13th inst.] On 'lhimday i.ibl a chuiiei w.u »wui by Uie Hu*i seltUrs to ln*> Ex(ellL-(,cy Sir Gf»igc Grey, thr (it v-6iQor-uiaChief, to expttas their les^ect aud esteem fut

him, personally, and their grateful sen^e of the benefits conferred upon the district by the different impiovements undertaken by him during his admimstra* tion of the Government, The whole management of the dinner was entirely in the hands of the settlers of the Hutt, and except the invitation to the suite of the Govcinor-in Chief and Lieutenant Governor, and the repiesetitatives of the two local papers, the ticke's were strictly confined to those who lived in the district or owned propi-rty ihere, and among the latter weie to be found many of those included in the invitations. One hundred and eighty persons sat down to dinner ; one hundred and sixty-two tickets had been purchased Hth'v« shillings each, which, we understand, coveied all expenses. The dinner wan given in the Newry Barn, which was tastefully fitted up for tin* occasion. Tne prepaiations for the repast weie most substantial, Hiid would have done credit to any entertainment. The produce of the fertile distiiet was freely offered in contnbu ion for the feast. Grace was said oy the Rev. J. Aldred. AT'er dinner the Cbaiiman, Mr, Renall of the Newry Mhl, proposed the heillh of •' Our Lady the Queen" with all honours. 'ibe Chairman then proposed the health of Prince \lbert and the rest of the Royal Family, which was diank with loud appluuse. Ihe Chairman, in ris ng to propose the toast of the evening, the health of (heir guiht whom they had met that evening to honour, said thut in ihe observations he was about to make he should avoid, as far as pos« sib'e, touching- on any political differences, hi» dtsue was rather to gather in the stray shep tuan to scatter the flock. The progress tb^t had been made during ten years in the Tulley of the llutt surpassed beliel, and was such as, when the obstacles they had had to contend with were considered, no one, even the most kaugume, could have anticipated. He thought that when men, eminent for their abilities, were set over them as their ruleis they were bound to receive them with itapect, and when ibey saw their plans were calculated to promote the good of the country, to give them their confidence and go hand in baud with them in aiding the development of those plans. It was in his spirit that they met his Excellency the Governorii- Chief this evening. (Cheers.) The Chairman then atluded to the disturbance which existed among the Maories on his Excellency's first arrival 111 the ciuiiuy, distuibances which were mainly he thought, 10 he attributed to bad government, but he would refrain from dwelling too stiongly on this point, as they were unable, to judge whether the faults that had been committed weie to be laid to the charge ot the pieceding Governors, or to the instruct ion* Uiey had leceived. He would prefer to tread lightly on the past, and to look forward in hope and confidence to the futuie. In alluding to the numerous political discu->-stons which had taken place in the setttlement, he obieived that whether they appealed to ancient histoiy or to passing events, it would be found tbat the hceii" tiousness ot Freedom was generally extinguished by despotism. In France, after all the struggles and sufferings of the Revolution, they found themselves worse oil in the end than they were at us commencement; and ihe wild excesses committed in the n<*me ot Liberty were put an end to by the despotism of Napoleon. Nor did the French appear to be better off now than they were in the times he bad referred to. Some theie weie who were always referring to the Republican Institutions of America as patterns, to be followed, but these institutions, however tree in theory, were found to be tyramcal in practice, and he thought in the present state of the colony the less such patterns, were copied ihe better. (Cheers ) The mun business the chief occupation which engrossed tlie tune and at<eution of the country settlers and employed all their energies was the clearing of the land, and providing comfortable homes for their wives and f<un lus. The Hutt settlers were a united body and he hoptd no agitaior would come to di.luro ttiem (Cheeis ) He sun! he saw a gentlemen amongst them (alluding to the r porter ot the Independent) who vv<is putting his spectacles on, he hoped lid would wi ( c them well ihat be might see clearly and get at the truth, tor it was strange the tiouble some people would take to get at falsehood when the truth lay bo plainly before tiitm. (Cheers and laughter.) Uethen alluded to the anxieties and sleepless uiijbts which the Governor must have endured m establishing peace, in preventing any eruption ot the native race and, in securing the confidence of both races, so that the outseltler might dwell m ufety in the land, and said that the British forces might beat the natives in the open field, but there the nativei would never be found to meet them. Their policy was to fight in ambush, to carry on a bairassmg wariaie, and unless the Governor possessed the confidence of the native*, in any disturbances the whole bruish army could not pro ect the outsei tiers from the blow of tha inuiuigut UhSds&in. (Cheers ) They had now lived some six. years under bir George Grey's government, and the numbeis preient, and the hearty expression of their feelings tbis evening, showed how bij-hly they valued him (Clieeis.) There were some measuies to which he thought reference might be made. The SUughtei House Ordinance had never been popular in the district, and the Fencing Act might be impioved to suit ibeir wants, but he would only slightly hint at these subjects, as he was assured, if a proper repiesentation ot their withes were made, such a measure would be parsed by the Government as would give general satisfaction. The Chairman then proposed amid loud and continued cheering, " the Health of bib Excellency Sir George Grpy, Goveruor-iu-Cuief of the Colony." Drank with nine times nine. Aher the cheeiiug had subsided— Sir Geoige Grey kaid, that, in rising lo thank them for the manner in which they hud drank his bt-dlth, he could not content himself with those acknowledgments ordinaty on such occasions. He felt tliat the ciicumstances of Uis present reception demanded more than thrtt. The distance from which many of the present company had come, the trouble they had Uken in preparing this entertainment, and the support they had generou-ly bfforded him on a recent occasion, still more than the way in which they had drank his health, imjii eased him with grateful ieelings, and had affected him more than he could wetl expresi. He had for a long period regarded the Hutt disliict «iih deep interest It seemeit to him a* if but yeiterday, whtn be bad first visited Port Nicholson under circumstances of extraordinary difficulty. For many months previous to his arrival in the tolony, the natives who had established tbxmse yes on the Hutt, hud been warned by tuts authorities that it they did noi quit the pace, they would be turned off l>y foice oi arms. Their only answer to this ui'imaiion w,,s derisive laughter, (' That's a lact,') and while they weie prepjiuig lor reaisiancei the whole u.itive population ol .New Zialand was lo< kins; on in douut as id iljl issue, lie fe.t arconhngl) that tlie Hutt was the hel<l on which thr: question o ibe establishment of the-u-pitmdLy o[ the (JavfcrnuieiH was lo be decided. The fi bt step was peisonally lo examine the v.iliey, and nlttio&i oetoio it was known in Wellington that ha luid landed, be had mounted a horse and rode to the iiut.. (' i hat's tiue.') H ib hi si impression on lauding had been, that he saw btfoie mm a magnificent huiliuur, but. that from the nature of tbelund immediately about

Wellington Hie settlers could receive but an inadequate return from the labour expanded on it. He then came up to this valley. With no roads, with the many tlifli culties of all kinds the settlers had had to contend with, he was surprised at what had been done; but while so much energy was exhibited, he was sorry to see almost signs of want; their industry and labour had not met with that reward to which it was entitled, because proper facilities had not been afforded them. He Haw grown up people with the marks of excessive labour stamped on their countenance, he saw their cliildien .ilinost in rags. Fur want of roads the cultivators of the soil were to be found trudging into to m with thru corn in narks on their ba<ks, and were obliged to carry back to their homes the flour ia the same way (It's a fact.') He saw that Port Nicholson would be a most important commercial place, and that the districts connected with it would become prosperous and happy by opening them by means of lines of communication, "c formed as it were a vision to himself of the fer tledi-t ictof the Hutt beirg rendered great and prosperous, a vision that wad hardly to be iealized within so short a period ; still it was one which he hoped to see realized, and if the time for its fulfilment had not absolutely come, it was di awin near. But he was powerless to do more than to form these plans; he could only submit them to the Home Government for approval; it was for Great Britain to adopt them, and to furnish the fundb, and he thought they would acknowledge that the Home Government had acted most gentroasly in affording the means necessary to cairy them into execution, and deberved the platitude of every settler for such assistance. (Cheers ) He then came to the time when the disturbances began, when whole families were driven out fiora their homes nud had to seek for places of safety ; when he saw those scenes, when he saw the women and children weie forced to fly to places of security, when we saw men cairying their children (unable to fly) upon their shouldets, to places of reluge, (' True, true,') he began almost to despair. Bui his spiiits ro^e when he beheld the same men come back again with muskeU in their hands, satisfied with having placed their wives and children in safely, and then piepared to defend their homes and properties. (Loud cheers ) He then frit assuied that a country peopled by settlers of such spiiit and coinage was destined to lip ultimately great and prosperous. (Cheers.) When peace was restored, the gieat, works that had been de-igned were carried on, and they would l>e found impottaiit not only from affording the means of communication to tlvs valley, but by becoming the great highway to the fertile districts of the interior, thereby adding to the importance of the entire settlement. And though he could hardly hope himself to see the. c c works concluded, others who came after him wou'd finish them. He had seen, in some publication of one of the neighbou-ing colonies, these roadi, from the extensive stale on which they had been planned, compared to a magnificent Italian palace, to the completion of which the means of the oiiginal projector were inadequate, and which was therefore left unfinished, and he would admit thai as far as the beauty of design and excellence of execution were concerned they might be justly compared together, and he thought that the ollicers to whom the construction of these works was entrusted, deserved great credit for the way iv which they were planned and so far cairied out. But there the simile ceased, for as the palace was intended only to administer to the personal convenience or gratify the pride of the individual who commenctd its election, posteiity might juttly censure him in attempting more than his means «ould acconi* I'hsh, and justly punish him b) withholding the assistante nerestaiy to complete the design which in its unfini>!'ed state, wcmH reiimin <x fitting monument of his selfishness or p ide. But in tins case there was nothing to gratify his (Sir G. Grey's) personal comfort or pnde. These works were not undertaken to promote his peculiar advantage, but that of many persons now living, and of many yet to be bom, who were or would be interested in the success of what he had begun ; he miyht therefore look without much doubt or apprehemioii to these pUns being eventually completed. Whether or not lie might be enabled to see this, whether or not tins reward might be in store (or him be could not say. He had always felt that every man placed in a public situation, to whom Pio« vidence had given work to do, snould look for his greatest reward in the consciousness of having done his duty before his Maker, and be satisfied uitli that. But this did not prevent him from feeling grateful ior any iccompense that might be awarded him in this life. He considered the approval they had given him on the the present occasion as such a recompense, and however little he had looked for it, he begged to assure them it should encourage him to still further exertions. (Cheers ) If, in addition to this, it should pltase Providence to allow Into to revi.it this colony some twenty. five or thirty years hence, to return as a siraager among another genern ion, with how much pleasure would he look upon all the changes that should then of taken place : when the general progress and increase of prosperity would render it difficult to discover the traces of the present state of things, and tbe works in which he had home a pait would almost be lost Mj^ht of in the extent and variety of subsequent impiovements. The valley would then be inhabited by a dense population. Perhaps some railway into the interior would be in progress. Some young Mr. Ludlum, the rising statesman of tbe day, nuguc be offVimjj himself as the representative of the district to their legislature ; 01 perhaps he might be present as a stranger aud loigoiton by those around him, when a young Mr. Pctie would be entertained at a gie<u dinner of his constituents. Meanwhile he should be satisfied with the pleating recollection of thu past, >md giateful to Providence tor the part, how ever slight, he had b\en jermi'teil to take in promoting the growth and piosperity of thus Colony. He begged, m conclusion, to propose '• Prosperity, Peace, and Happiness to the Vallty of the Uutt." (Loud cheers, which lasted some minutes.) Mr. Knight, a Hutt farmer, in returning thanks for the toast proposed by Sir George, said they rveie starving before the Governor came, hut now they had pounds in their pockets, and were prosperous, happy, and contented. The Chairman then proposed the health of the Lieutenant-Governor, and said he spoke the feelings of his fellow acttlers in Buying they were glad and happy to see him among them. (Cheers.) The Lieutenant-Governor s-aid he felt very grateful 10 them tor the veiy kind and flattering manner in whuh his health had been proposed and lecetved, and it afToided himhi^h giatificauon to witness the kind .md fs ooc ' feeling they entertained tow.uds the Go\ernor of the colony. This leelmi> whii h bad ben ji-pliyed i,y thijßu — the p eater part of w. om weie bin-ill l.ii deJ proprietor^ — who&d employment w>« thi culiivat'o i of the soil, was a g'atilying pioof ol md - vidual (.ontcntmen , and there weie none more de.eivmg of success than those who had exhibit it so much (leiuinimil enei^y end |>er»eveian< c as the sail- rs of the Hutt. The smiling cultivations v\ Inch he saw on eveiy side, the increasing amouut > f land bo rixcutly cuc'osrd, and tbe improvement that weie daily being u.,id», forcibly iutprcixed ,bim that with the ex icis>e of the virtues of frugality, indutstry, and

sobriety, theie results would be produced, and that these qualities had been pre-eminently practised by them was abundantly to be seen throughout the distnct. Nowheie were the lesults of these virtues moreitrongly evidenced than in the magical and wonderful change which had been wrought in the valley of the Hutt within the last few years, aud hefeltas* sured that still more rapid prosperity awaited them in future if they would go on as they had be<run in a career of industry, frugality, and temperance. His Excellency concluded by proposing the « Grazing interests of the colony.' The Chairman proposed, the Army, and Lieutenant* Colonel M'Cleverly returned thanks. The Chairman, in proposing the Navy, regretted the absence of Captain Oliver, who was unavoidably pievented from attending. The Chairman then proposed the health of Lidy Giey, and expressed the great concern which ths settlers of the Hutt felt for the severe indisposition which she had been suffering, and hoped ie would please Providence to bestow on his Excellency anil Lady Grey a plentiful shower of those blessings which, form the enjoyment of this life. His Esct- llency, on behalf of Lidy Grey, returned thanks for the Kind manner in which they bad drank her health, he begged to assuie them she had uhvayi felt the greatest possible intetest in the welfare of the Hutt, and the Colonists of New Zealand, and was always anxious that eveiy kindness should ever ba showu them, and it was happily in his power now to give a proof of her kin<Jtie>B towards them, by not detaining them longer, when he saw their wive* and daughters assembling at the door to partake in the evening's amusements. Ths Chaiimrin proposed as the next toast the health of Mrs. Eyre, the wife of his Excellency the Lieutenant.Governor, a lady for whom his fellow settlers entei tamed sentiments of the highest reaped. The Lieutenant-Governor returned thanks for their kindness, anil said that in the «hoit interval in which. Mrs. Eyre had been among them, fioni the delicate state of her hcahh she had been prevented from visiting the country districts as often as she could have wished, he hoped that shortly she would be much stronger and he could assure them she would aivvays consider it a great pleasuie as well as a duty frequently to see them, and to take a personal interest in the we'fjtc of their schools. Mr. Alzdorf proposed. The Lasting; prosperity and happiness of the sterling Hutt Settlen." (cheers.) air. Corbett returned thanks. Col M'Cleveity in an appropriate speech pi oposed "The Lidicb of the Hutt." Mr. Ludlam returned thanks. Mr. Wakefield in concise and suitable terms proposed the Health of their woithy Chairman. The Chairman returned thanks. The company then retired, and the room waa cleared for dancing. Fre«h arrivals had been meantime pouring in from diffe ent quarters, many persons having come from the most distant pins of the valley with their wives and families. By eight o'clock there were between three ami four hundred petsons piesent. About a quarter to eight Sir George and the Lieutenant Governor returned, accompanied by the Hon. Mrs. IVtre, Mrs. Ludlam, &c, when dancing immediately commenced, and upwards of forty couple stood up to a country dance. Sir George Giey opened the dance with Mrs. Avery, the wife of one of the earliest settlers in the district, the Lieut-Governor danced with Mrs. Detchon, Mr. Rcnall had for his pariner the Hon. Mis Petre, &c. After remaining some time in fiiendly inlercouise with the settlers, Sir George Grey withdrew nhortly after ten, but dancing wus kept up with unabated vigour until past one o'clock when the company biokeup, but the tecollection of the entertainment wi'l long remain in the memory of those who wcie present, as a good example of English, hospitality and a genuine demonstration of manly and independent feeling.

The Church "Union" Disunited. — A movement has taken place amongst the Tractarian parly in the Church, symptomatic ol what may be termed either civil war in the Puseyite domain mutiny m the camp, or schism id ihe Bept. A "special general meeting' of the Bristol Chuich Union ways held a (ew clays back, to the proceedings at wine!) the religious public of all deuoimnttions hud looked forward with a feeling 1 of deeper interest than th<it of mere curiotity. The special purpose for which the meeting was summoned, was to take into consideration a series of resolutions for the practical developement of the principles enunciated by the High Church party in connection with the recent Gorhum controversy, and emboydmg a " declaration of faith" to be submitted to all Church* men as the rule and basis of a proposed organisation for the carrying out of the views of the extreme Tractiirians respecting the doctrine, the discipline, and the powers of the Chuich. It will be unnecessary to quote in detail the tesolutions submitted to the meeting ; the impoitant fact being, that the following amendment was "carried by au ovei whelming inajo* rity :"— "That whereas the Bristol Union was designed to be a union of all Churchmen desirous of co-operating in the promotion of certain defined objects, it cannot content to nnirow the basi^ ol its constitution by indenlifying itself with an organization which is founded upon the acceptance of a declaration of faith over and above the enisling Formularies of tLe English Church, which it desues to n ake the mle of Us proceedings." Amongst ihe speakers in favour ol the original motion we "ere prepared to find the R.ev. G. A Den." ison ; but our renders will scaicely have expected to discover amongst tha names of the gentlemen who spoke in fupport of the amendment which was moved by LorJ Forbes, and A. J. B Hope, Es<| , M.P., that of the Rev. Dr. Puiey ! Such is the fact, notwithstanding. The diicou fited minority concocted a nneiiug of their own on the evening of the same day, at viluch a series of ie omtions vveie passed of course nem. con, — for ihe formation or a separate Church Union, to be called the " Somerset and linstol Church Union," and the estab'i&hineut ot an organisation similar to that sst forth in the rejected resolutions^ the morning Mr. Damson has accepted the office of Secretary to the Committee appointed to carry out the view* adopted by this supplementary meeting, and has resigned his post of Secretary to the '» Bristol Church Union," and withdrawn his name lrom the Committee of the London Union. The mtellineuce of the proceedings at Bristol must have been transmitted without loss of time to London, as, ou the veiy next day, a meeting of ihe " Metropolitan Church Union" took place, at which the foU lowing resoluuons were adopted :—: — " 1. Thu the Coinaiiuee of the Metropolitan Ci urchUuiuii have l^u-ned vuth great teiriet tlmt at a v <;)ecul Genual Meeting of the ISnst,! Cli'irch Un'on, held on Lie lit vi \h)* inonih, a ."ajoiiiy of" die mi'inbefo pre'tfi't rejected th- ()1 'ti of co» -j n.> I >n pmposcd »} the Key \\ tllum I'dliner, tlu jiiituii>k ann gciieial outline of vthieh ueie unani.iiou^ly adop vi at a S.ecwl Getirral Mcetun, of the Meiiujjoiitoii Chuich. Union on tli« 2ith S ptember la*r. '• 2. That tue Commitiev ot tin 1 Me'ropohtan Chuich Union -'re jcaily to co. operate with tho bom*

erset and Bristol Chuich Union, the formation of which under the circumstances created by the vote of the meeting of the Bristol Church Union referred to in tbe preceding Resolution, appears] to have been unavoidable." • This " Metropolitan Church Union," it will be borne in mind, becomes necessarily distinct from the •' London Church Union," the latter corresponding to the " Bristol Church Union," and the former to the new " Somerset and Bristol Church Union." ( Thus vre are promised in future two Church Unions in London, and two in Bristol. If it be true that" union is strength, the converse of the proposition must be equally true. It can, therefore, furnish no ground for dissatisfaction fto moderate Churchmen and evangelical Christians generally, that disunion is manifest in the heart of the Tiactarian citadel. Taken simply by themseWrs, the «upport of the amendment at Bristol by Dr, Pusey, and its adoption by '« an overwhelming majority," are not unimportant circumstances ; but they become immeasurably more significant when viewed os probably tbe shadows projected by grave events, which may shot tly succeed them.