MR. FOX AT TUTAENUI.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1310, 28 January 1868, Page 3

MR. FOX AT TUTAENUI.

Thb JVanynxi Chronicle notices the reception of Mr. and Mrs. Fox, at lutaenui, on their return to Mr. Fox's estate, and gives a report of some interesting proceedings, and of a speech made by Mr. Fox, res pectins: the calumnies which were set afloat in England Respecting the New Zealand colonists, and the = steps he took to repel those. The Chronicle says: — As much intereit ia felt in tbe event hy tie sefctlere thereabout, we have much pleasure in now giving a more detailed account of it. The village waa gailv decorated by arches (with euitable mottoes) compose! of evergreens and flowers, while numerous flags and streamers waved in the wind. Mr. Fox and lady arrived about thrr-e o'clock, amid the cheers and greetings of those assembled. At the entrance to the villaee the road was lined by school children, who sang a hymn; it was really a fine sight and suggestive of the growing population of the district. °An addres3 wse re id and presented, by Mr. Alex. Hilne, -Keq. M.P.0., opposite tho " Travellers* Heat." It was signed by nearly JOO eetilsrs in the immediate vicinity It ran as follows : — " We the undersigned settlers of the Tutaenui arid vicinity congratulate our£elve3 on having the pleasureof welcoming your good lady and sslf back in safety amODget ua. And we take the present opportunity of thanking you for the able manner you advocated the cause of the New Zealand settlers while on your sojourn in England, and we further beg to express our desire that you and Mrs. Fox may. be long spared to remain amongst us."

Mr. Fox, who was received with loud cheeis, eaid, he could not find worde to exprei« to the friends he saw before him how deeply Mrs. Fox ana himself felt the great kindness which they had exhibited in giviDg them so cordial and hearty a wi-leonio. bince they had last met he had travelled through many lands and met with much kindnnsa both from f.iends and strangers, but he felt all tho time that he was away from his home, and it was not till he got back to Kangitikei that he felt he had a home wnere ho was content to live and dio. It had been his I't in other periods of hie life to participate in the work of developing the resources of a newly settled'district, and he could honestly say that there wis no position in which he was more hippy thiin he was t« a simple colonist, surrounded by men engaged in the same great work. He had no wish to leave Rangitikei again and he hoped to Hv« and die there. (Loud cheers.) He felt very much gratified at the allusion made in their kind Address ta the purt taken by him in repelling the calumnies which had bt'en circulated in England against the colonists lie felt that tie had done no more than his duty. When he reached England he found Johu Bull irritated at some small addi. tion to the income tax, caused by the New Zetland war, and ready to believe anything had of those whom, he believed were tho causeof an increase of his burdens, while no particle of sympathy troubled his manly breast for the unfortunate c loni ts who had been the victims of disturbances which they hid not provoked. Scarcely a day elipsed but some letter, or leader, or paragraph, appuan d in the principal London and country papers in which the colonists were maligned as a blood-thirsty and barburou* people, seeking only to benefit themselves by thu plunder of an iniquitous war. There were New Zealand colonists enough in England; but not one of them ever opened hia mouth or took up a pen t-> refute these calumnies; and he determined Irom the first that not one such falsehood should meet his eye without his irame fia'e denial. Mr. Fox then alluded to the case of Mr. Chesson, the Secretary ot the Aborigines Protection Society, who, he said, was weak enough to rush, into the arena. All that I had to do with the Billy man, said Mr. Foi:, was wh:it you may have seen at a fair when a pickpocket is detected, and some one says " Don't put that man under the pump," and assuredly if ever any detected rogue was " unrier the pump" it Was that Mr. Chesson. 'I he Times gave him two sl&ebing le<Ws; the Pall Mall Gazette three; the Saturday Review one or two ; ihe Spectator, the Globe, and r.eany all the beet London papers (t«n or a dozen) were down on him in n pint'lt , week, and I had nothing more to do than congratulate myself on his having put himself into the pillnry. After this, Mr.iF. said, his ta k was an easy one; a few of thetsmaller fry occasionally fired off their little pune; but us soon as they found that, there «a< some onem England who could expose Mieir falseh. de an i was determined to do it, thev e;uuk into obscurity, and from a period ol about feur or five m .nths after his return to.England, not anini.l-ir.eUno- of any attack on the colonists i>: any English paper |,a.lme his eye. The fact wae ths Kn a li*h pub'ic h«.l ir. igaoranca adopted these vi.ws, led by . fe* -Lnderouß

persons • hut when tho crcafc Knali3h heart was appealed to, and thy truth h/jnestly laid bsfoio it, Jt Mined to entertain tho imworlhy twpicions of aie SOlonists into which it, had been deluded, nnd i« h<: lad in inv way contributed, however little, to «ich» result, tho acknowledgement of his services by his iellow sellers >hii day w«s the greatest reward that could be nonlotrel upon him. Afftr some funlior remarks on the prosperity of tho district, •>-<;., 3-r. F. said thnt the lives of himself and h:n dear wue had been mercifully preserved during their travel m manv seen and no doubt more unseen darters. ..o trusted lliat th.-v were presivvea by Pronclfiiiop tor a few more years "of work anion? their ioilow colonists to ai'i in d'evel-v.'ins the resource* of the country, nnd jn promoting iu reliaiius, its sochl, nw '•* welfare ; ft'iri v.-lißti a few mors years of w'h work should b* eeeomolishad. nnd they ahouln he laid beneath the. i-O'l cf their adopted 1-ind, ho h-.ipad .or no pompnus |'u-ior:il ow.mony wi'.h mourninseoacnes and waving pliimei, but that ihoy might bo fol.oveil to the ;;r>ivt?';:-v .honest men liko those he snw before him, 'vho.-e nt'iiri-, sympathising in their lifu work, might :no:irn with friendly sorrow for their departure. At the a-m.jiuiion of '.Ifr. Fox's sp -ech, tho old settlers came forward to shako hunds (mil congratulate him on his return, while Mrs. Pox was besieged by tho ladies and children.