FAREWELL BANQUET TO MESSRS. DALDY, RIDINGS. AND MAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 118, 30 March 1864, Page 4

FAREWELL BANQUET TO MESSRS. DALDY, RIDINGS. AND MAY.

Tin: dinner in complementary farewell of Messrs. Diddy, Killings, and il.iv, as we have previously described, was the principal feature of Monday ev'ciiui", anil wa- arranged m the room over Mi'-. Samuel Cochrane"s store. We subjoin here the speeches Unit were made on ihe occasion, and for which we were unable 1,, lied .-pace iu our lealerdnv's issue. Mr. Webster, a- chairman, and Sir. S. Cochrane us vieeeliairim.n -in fact all did their best to do honour to their guests, and to make the evening pass off agreeably, and their eH'orts were eminenllv successful. The .-] read provided, as we vesterdrv stated, by Mr. • lames, left nothing lo be' desired", and tile' table decorated with fern-tree.- and graceful palms, with plenty of varieties in the colours of the fruits and llowcrs, and sparkling wines, con!rusting with, the candy lings hanging round Ihe room, ami ihe whole lighted up with a blaze of light formed us pretty a spectacle as the most critical taste could desire. Amongst those prc.-eiil. we noticed (lie following gentlemen: Thomas Beckham, Esip, li.M.: J, A. Cillilian. E-ip, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce; Mr. ilcnrv (iillillan. His Honor the Superintendent. K. Graham, K.-q. ; De Burgh Adams, E.-ip, Purveyor to the Eorccs : Captains Salmon, l'or- , Icr, and Kail ray; Mes-rs. W. liiickland, A. BuckI land, E. King, ,J. Graham, David Burn, 1». li. Thornton, S. Jackson, Walter Grabiinie, C. Stephensou. John l.'u-seli. of Sydney; T. Mucfarlaiic, J. Gr:gg, W. Hob.- It. Wale'rstou, U. Ldv. Every McLean. V. 1ug.,,,, I'. Darin. \c. 'the Chairman in rising to propose the lirst toast, apologised for his iiicHicicncy, saying that he was

mil' ol tlti- «.i.l lutml.-. 11ml iJii'd lie* \v;is ui'Vi'i' ahlr to uisikiMi spr.-rh, mill I lull li- had hupi'd Ibi-nimvi'llii-it'iit hands. Mi- was prnud of his position its (.'liainiiini id' mi.-Ii a 1.,-,-tiiii;. Wi- |„u,.. h,- siliil, nlwiixs dim™ .mr li.ynliv .mil i,lt,-i-ihv iissi,tai.i-L' whii-h 'old V., ti .- hmd -iv, n us, wi- ininlit. In ilriiik tin- toast of "Old Lapland's (iiiirii" witli tlouhlii lufvutir. lie must mid tin' toa.-t ■>( tin.- " I'i-inre of Wulvs and ; llowil i'liinily" iiiid i'.\):n'ss tin- thut «t-ir uiiivi-rsul on tin- lutv iiildition to ilic Koval Kamily. Mr" Ui'i-kliiiui l-osi'to projiosi' tin- lii'iiltli of tin- " (iovi'i-iior," ii'miu-kin- that it was a toast Hint tv-liuin-il no pi'idudc. As mi olliivr lit' had no need to miv anvlhin- in piaisr of Sir Uror«i' (irev, lor nil «l"ii> kiii'W li'im. and !„• hud known him for' :JU years. adiiiii-e and i-<teein him mure ami more. ' Tim <i,n, ,-uoi- had ,I,'inted his whole lime and his health In the inter, si ,d'the eohiiiv. and was ileserviny of all the -lalitm.enfihe eolonists. 'I he Chairman then proposed the health of the "Anny, \iny.Mdit in and \,,luiiioers,",o.iiieetin-will, ilih- name of Cem-ial Cum,-roil,—iilluiliiigtowhiit we ■ owed linn I'm- his siamil M -rviees ill our ilei'cinr. 'J'lio ' iiui.sl was nruiik with eheers, nnt' elit'er more bcinii j given for Ihe •■ l!;aek WuU-li." ; .Mr. De Utir-li Adams ii'tunied tliunUs,alluding 10 the promotion of Colour-Sergeant MeKeiinii lalely as 11 'proof of the i-ountrv's reeo-nilion of hravery i wherever shown, and eolllleetini,' the and I Volunteers with Captain lleaphy's serviee at I \\ aiari, and would leave the lioiioiirof respomlin- for i the .Navy tn Mr. Hum. i Mr. Hum diselaiiiiini; any riylil lo return thanks ; for the Nnvv while so niiinv -.nival 1111:11 were present, I ealh-d iipon'Ciiplaiii Diil.ly'. Captain lhddv then rose to return thanks tortile i Navy, and remarked that he was yhul of the opporj Iniiilvnf the -real kindness he had 1 alwavs met vvilli from oliie-rs of Jler Majesty's Nnvv. niaki'n- I ,arlieular im-ution of the ' Ksk.'' "What he lia.l seen of the Navy in this colony only intiili' liim admire il more and more, and no one eould doubt • that the splendid ships sent out ft'Oin Klieland ill ; her interest on our behalf, if ealled upon lo'takelhe ; prinripal pad ill the .-eni.-e !i-nin.--t tin- rebels, would ! do Ibi-ir iliiiy 1., Ihe lasl man of llieir erews. i Ciipinin Vla.-larliine responded to tiie toast of the j .Militia, reiuarkins: tlmt tliey liad done noble st'rvit'o 10 Ihe eimnli-y, ami that he was sure then.' was never a more eliieieut body of men than the Auckland Miiitia. .Mr. Jliiriliii-ion retiiriied thanks for the Volunteers. .Mr. liuekiand spoke of the general bravery of ilie Colonial Forces wherevoi 1 they had met the foe. and was prnttil that they eould point to nl her ami moreiirdiious services than inarches lo Otaliuliu, alluding lo ihe U'aiari, iMimkau, anil W'airoa, ,<w. -Mr. .1. Gillillan Ihi-n observing that, thev had toasl.-d Her .Majesty and the Royal Family, ami done honour In many others who were fully deserving of all Imr.our, thought they should now drink the health 01" the ".Superintendent'." His task had been a hard one, hut he had performed it most ably, and therefore 1 hey wished him well. In addition' to his public worth he was universally known lor his private excellence of character, and his benevolence and won!,. The health was drunk with loud cheers, the music playing -"lie's a jolly good fellow." The .Superintendent, in returning thanks for the warm manner in which his health had been drunk, remarked that ii was true (he ilulics of Superintendent- were -~-ry arduous, hut that in his case thev had been made lighter by the kindness of the executive members. In parting with the gentlemen who were their Muesls.hc did not part with his belter half, Ihougli with the belter half of his exc-tiiiie. lint still In- had never llinehed from doing his ilut.v, however onerous, uml he hoped thut- he should 'still be idile 1,, meet al: ihat might- lie ivi|uireil of him. His Hon,,r uas cheered 1 ociferoiisly : the iniisie | piny nig sum, appro,iriale air. ; '1 he Chairman then rose to propose the toast of the j namely ihat of " The Guest.-." He was proud to be in the position to drink the health of Mtiih obU'tmed old friends, and if Auckland were !

searched there would not bo found three inon more deserving of honour. They represented tile three branches of our industry—Commerce, ireriue and Agriculture—and ouch in his seperate branch had not only succeeded himself, but lind promoted the interests of the colony, and they might well be proud to see how much hud been done in their time. They v.-i:n' fully deserving of all the honour that Auckland could show them. He had never seen such a meeting before in Auckland, and he thought it was a proof of the high respect in which their friends were held.-

Drunk with long continued cheers. Captain Daldy was the lirst to respond by saying thai viewing the faces around, a: d seeing on the left and right old friends of twenty years' standing, it was difficult to liim to express Ins feelings as a man in such ii position would %visb to no.. He esteemed the honour thai was offered to them as one wit hunt price. And he did not know unythmg that could console him more for this breaking up of soeii-1 ties after twenty years of residence with them thai: the feeling that lie'loft with their respect. It gave him great pleasure to think (hat he hud always taken a part in every mercantile undertaking, good and bad, for if not all successful, they had all promoted the interests of the Province. He hoped that in public; life he had nlwavs done his duty; any differences of opinion on public matters were all now done away with, and as lie passed oil' the stage he hoped that all would continue to do their duty according to their views as they had always done, and as he had always done himself. Though leaving the country he should not consider that they were to abrogate all duties as citizens of the country. One in particular he considered devolved upon them and that was. to explain away the scandals cast upon them with reference to the motives and actions of the colonists in their dispute with the native fr.b-'s, and to show how much the colonists regretted the present struggle, and how much I hey had'submitted to in their desire toavoid it. In taking his departui- from the country, it would only be temporarily, for this he looked upon as the country of Ids adoption, and he sincerely hoped that all present would be spared to in.-rl again in the same place ; and when he stepped on board the ' Light llrigade' his one wish would lie for the peace and pinsperlv of everyone in this colony. He should do Ids best' to make the eolonisls understood, and to make people understand what >"ew Zealand is, for it is a country that is rising, anil will and must ri ß u to be one of the greater colonies of Oreat liritaill ; not in extent and population perhaps, but in value by the va-t extent of its resources. After several furl her remarks, for which we regret we have not >paee, Captain Daldy repeated his heartfelt thanks for the kindness shown him, and could only say that it was tin greatest of nil rewards to uny mini to be able to say that be ban -'done hisdulv."'

Mr. Hidings next r,.5,. to return thank,, and said thai this was mi event liashoiiM never l'<■rgot. IK' was sorry to commence with a regret—hut he did regret that lie was incapable of expressing liis I'-t-liiius <>i" "rati!udi' for tin- demonstration of"tln- evening. The only claim he had ii| their regard was the lonu time he'had been amongst them. an.l he was sum that the onlv part lie Imil taken in allair- had been a ! srlllsh one- (no. no.)—while on hi- right and hit there were those who liacl alwavs (lone their ilutv to ! the colony conscientiously, ably'and devotedly. 'He j was no llii Merer, but gentlemen who had taken the position those had done d< served the gratitude of the j eotmli'v. lie would take this opportunity of than!;- j in- the gentlemen of Auekland for their kindness lo him personally as well as eomuiereialh as this was the lir.-t time iie had an opportunity, 'first of them all was a gentleman whom lie 'saw (here—(Mr. Nathan) —who in dark clays when things were not as they are, eheered him and animate > him on. and up to (he present day had been lii.. steadfast friend. He trusted that in leaving his old friends it would only lie for a short time, and thanked ihi-rn for this unexpected demoiistiation, hopi.ig on !■:.< return lo luec, ! them main. | Mr. Mae said that he had been too active a man j all his life'to he a good talker. lie did not consider j that lie was (h-crviug of an.s ~u-i. u compliment at the jiresent ; his had always been a earner of useful- ' ness. and not ornament : but had his means allowed. i he would have wished to haye done more than he I lias! done I'm- llie country. It was a source of ureal i pleasure to see so many old friends around him on | parting with New Zealand. When be first came to the country, there were many ditlieulties to encounter, and Auekland was a very different place to what it is in the present day. As it lml prospered then, so it would always, with the energy shown by ils inhabitants. Willi regard to the war with the' natives, be believed that old settlers, one and all. re-retted it. In old bard times, the Maori population turned out and helped the Kuropeans, and when he thought of all those things he could not help regretting that they had been so foolish as to bring on the war. The -New Xutlaml Government bad done I heir utmost to avert it, but it was inevitable. He hoped and trusted that it would be for the hem-lit in the end of those who remained here, and that the .Maoris would ultimately see that it was for their own interests to.settle down peacefully, lie wished still lo work hard for the colony, and if he should lie able to send out ■MOO or yiji'tO honest, industrious, and sober people, to become settlers, he should feel that, he had done his duty. In conclusion, he hoped soon to meet them again. Mr. Mrl-iOimon then proposed the health of Mr. John May—Mr. May's father—which was responded lo with cheers. .Mr. Nathan also made a few remarks. Mr. Greig, of Otahuhu. proposed the Commerce of Auckland. Mr. Ciillillan returned (hunks, and proposed the health of Air. Mcckhani, which was drunk with cheers, and responded to in a few appropriate remarks. Mr. Dignan then gave "Prosperity to the Agricultural lntciist.s," to which Mr. \Y. litickland responded, speaking of the country a.-" the finest ever given by God to man, and one that was never intended to be a wilderness, and though at present commerce was (bunded on a fictitious basis, he hoped the time would come when a rrrv dill'crent stale of thtl!"[S would be seen. lie hoped the Maoris would be brought into subjection, and taught respect for the law, and made stand il. He was deeply interested in, and hoped for. peace, without which commerce and agriculture laid no chance. Captain Jlaldy proposed (he health of the Chairman, praising him in the character of a commercial man, and as a warm hearted friend,—as a good earnest man, and an old settler—none so 111 as he lo be chairman of such a meeting. The Chairman expressed his thanks, and Mr. .1. I". Russell propo.-cd "The Press," with usual compliments, ami Mr. Uurii iirsl, and 11, u :- . Creighton, responded. A few more toasts we>o Jicn given, of a more private intere.-l, and the meeting" broke up, after a most agreeable evening.