NEW ZEALAND.

New Zealand Herald and Auckland Gazette, Volume I, Issue 6, 14 August 1841, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND.

The great interest evinced now in England towards this Colony,-is manifest in every publication. It seems a'subject engrossing the thoughts Mad feeling;,. of all parties, and every opportunity of obtaining information, laying solicitude respecting this antipc .;untry, is eagerly embrace'!. We have extracted from the English newspapers, an account of a Dinner given on the 17th of February last, at the *« London Tavern," by the Directors of the New Zealand Company, to Lord John Russell in his official capacity as Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of Slate for the Colonial Department ; when about two hundred distinguished guests and friends, invited to meet bis lordship, assembled at the banquet From its intrinsic nature and antecedent circumstances, says the Colonial Gazette, it excited' unusual interest in the city. Besides the noble guest of the evening, the published iist contains the following names : ' The Earl of Devon; Lord Ashburton; Lord Petre; Right Hon. Henry Labouchere,, President of the Board of Trade; Mr Vernon Smith, M.'P., Under Secretary for the Colonies; the Hon. R.J.Stanley, Iff. P., Secretary of the Treasury; the Right Hon. Sir Hussey Vivian, M. P., Mas-ter-General of the Ordnance; Right Hon. R. L. Shiel, M. P., Vice-President of the Board of Trade; Mr Moore O'Ferrall, M. P., Secretary of the Admiralty; the Hon. Fox Maule, M. P., Under Secretary for the Home Department; Mi'Tuffnell, M. P., Lord of the Treaury ; Lord Elliot, M. P. ; Viscount Ingestrie, M. P.; Lod Edward Howard; Right Hon. Edward Ellice, MP., Mr. Russell Ellice; Mr. Alderman Thompson, M. P.; Mr. Hutt, M.P., Mr. J. Abel Smith, M. P.; Mr. Charles Buller, M. P.; Mr. H. G, Ward, M. P.; Mr. VV. Bingham Baring : M,F\; the O'Connor Don M.P.; Hon. Frederick James To'llemache, M.P,; Mr. Agiionby, M; P.; Mr. Alderman Copeland, M. P.; Mr. Lyall, Deputy Chairman of the East India Company; Mr. Andrew Colville ; Mr. Tievelyan, Assistant secretary of the Treasury; Mr. Senior, Master'ip Chancery; Mr. Woolrych Whitmoie; Mr. Brownrigg.M.P.; Mr. Briscoe, M. P.; Mr. G Palmer, M. P.; Mr, Kasthope, M. P.; Mr. Smith O'Brien, M. P.; Mr. Edward Buller, M. P ; Mr. Leader, M. P.; Sir Charles Lemon, M P ; Mr. Aaron Chapman, M. P.; -- .tt.i'-m "■,,•-':>■ :i. P.; Mr, Edward Rice, M. P.; Mr. ilastie, M. P.; Alderman Sir Ueorge Canon, Alderman Pirie; Mr Buckle; Sir William Symonds, Surveyorof the Navy ; Rev. Dr. Hinds; Mr. Thomas Wilson, Chairman of the Committee of Merchants trading to the Continent; Mr. 0. R. Robinson, Chairman at Lloyd's ; Mr. H. Buckle, Chairman of the Shipowner's Society ; Mr. T.Tooke, Chairman of the Si. Katharine's Dock Comp.; the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the London Dock Company; the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the East and West India Dock Company ; Mr. Sheriff Gibbs; Mr Sheriff Farncomb; Mr Mackiilop, Deputy Chairman of the Canada Company; Mr N.Gould, Chairman of the British- American Land Company; Mr John Chapman, Deputy Chairman ol the Western Australian Company; Mr Thomas Walker; Mr Martin Tucker Smith ; Colonel Torrena. Commissioner of Crown Lands' and Emigration ; Mr W. Manin, the Chief Justice ol Nt-w Zealand; MrSwainson, the A ttoiney-Gene-ralfor'New Zealand; and other Government Officers; Mr Spain, th.. i Commissioner ol Titles; MrH.S Chapm*n;Sir S, GiyniH ; Mr. Commissioner Evans ; Sir Jeremiah Bryant; Mr Lionel Rothschild ; Mr Thomas Hankey, junior; Admiral Young ; Captain Fitzrey, R.N ; Mr Syn.ficus Banks ; Mr William Jardine; Mr Consul Koch; Mr Melvill, Secretary to the East-India Company ; i r Brown, Chairman of the Pacific Steam Navigation Company; Mr William Stanley Clarke; DrHodgin; Mr Bulteel; Mr Bryan Duppa • Captain Wakefield', R.N.; Mr Ross Mangles ; Mr Fred. Elliott; Hon. E.'Villiers; Air G. D. O'Callaghan ; Mr Whitbread,&c. &.c. From the speech of Lord John Russell, in acknowledgment of the toast of the evening, we select the following passage : Gentlemen, I should be unworthy of your approbation, \ f in so doing 1 look any extraordinary meiit to myself; lor, in the first place, the principle of co'onization—the value ol .co'loniesto this country—the means they afford ol augmenting her strength/of adding to her power, of promoting her wealth, and. prosperity—all this has been ascertained and demonstrated bv lift enlightened discussion of past years With renaid 10 the 6'est no e of colon zation Irkewi-e, we have had ihe advantage-ami assistance of the most enlightened opinions, and iheinosl a u:e discussion. I, therefore, can on'y take to myself the merit of not being blind lo the ' opinions and discussions. hould be unworthy of the situation I have the honour l« rUJ, if I did not also say, with respect to the co!on\ of New Zealand, aa well as ail the other of Her Majesty's possessions, in reference to which it is my duty to advise the Crown, that vs liile witti regard to the general principle, 1 have Ihe id vantage of its estabhshmehi by ihe general discussions I have alluded to, so likewise, with regard to the details and practical administration, I have the advantage of oeing at the head of an office in which thei6 are many distinguish d and able men, who, having devoted their alten-ion to the subject, are able to'poinl out to me, in the clearest light, that which by mv own unassisted talent I might not for many sears be able <o master. So, therefore, with respect neither to principles nor lo details, do 1 desire to claim any extraordinary merit to myself. The c alv merit I would claim is that of having devoted mv attention to the subject to the best of my ability, with fidelity lo the Crown, with anxiety for the national honour, with zeal for the prosperity of this great country— with a desire lo see her commerce prosperous, her indttstrious manufactures flourishing, and her power and her dignity augmented. Perm.t me, gentlemen, to say on-: word as~to the future. Your Governor has expressed a hope thai 1 may hve lo witness ihe b< nefils thai have been anticipated from the present undertaking. His kind wish may not be realiztd; but, however that may be, 1 cannot entertain a doubt that English settlers, having English habits, English nationality, and Km tuerpnse, wiJI not wheri transported lo tl VHI o i!lJie the advantages ol ;. mild and healthy climate, suffer a long time lo elapse ere they establish a prosperous and a flourishing colony. L cannot, I say, doubt that; and the par of a Coveinment can Ire but small in any progress of that kind. It is ihe energy, the capital, the virtue, the perseverance, the ca| n, that mu olony lo advance and prosi