THE NEW ZEALAND CROSS.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 772, 17 December 1886, Page 12

THE NEW ZEALAND CROSS.

DECORATION OF COL. McDONNELL.

At Government House on Wednesday, Lieutenant Colonel McDonnell was decorated^

by his Excellency the Governor, with the IS ew Zealand Cross. The gentlemen present at the ceremony, in addition to his Excellency and Colonel McDonnell were Messrs Tole, Buckley, and Larnach, members of the Cabinet, Major-General Whitmore, Commander of the Forces, Major Messenger and Captain Coleman (Permanent Artillery)* Captain Quick, Adjutant of the Wellington Garrison, Major Jervois (Private Secretary) and Captain Medley R.N,, (A. D. C.). His Excellency, in presenting the Cross, said :—Colonel McDonnell, it is my pleasing duty this morning to be the means, as her Majesty’s representative, of conveying to you the Cross which has been so- worthily bestowed upon you by the Government of New Zealand for conspicuous acts of bravery performed by you in the service of your country. In case there may be anybody present who is nob aware of the circumstances under which this decoration was first established, I may mention that, on reference to these circumstances in the public archives, I find that the step of establishing this decoration was taken on the recommendation of Colonel Whitmore, and, in the words of the despatch of the Secretary of State, “to supply to the officers and men.' of the colonial forces of New Zealand some personal distinction in lieu of the Victorian Cross and other rewards which are powerful incentives to bravery in the regular army.” . Subsequently an Order-in-Council was passed in England in which her Majesty directs that the New Zealand Cross shall rank with and next after the honor which everyone in the British Army covets, the Victorian Cross. The New Zealand Cross is therefore to be regarded as no slight honor ; it is one which ranks next after the Victoria Cross, which, 1 repeat, is a decoration which everyone belonging to the British Army who wears it on his breast is proud to carry. I cannot do better in referring to the circumstances under which you have been, awarded this great honor than read from the New Zealand Gazette in which these circumstances are stated :—“Lieut-Colonel Thomas M’Donnell, of the New Zealand Militia. In October, 1863,. Sub - Inspector Thomas M’Donuell, Colonial Defence Force,, volunteered to accompany the late Major Von Tempskey to reconnoitre the enemy’s position and work at Paparutu, 14 miles distant from General Cameron’s advanced post at Whangamarino, which was surrounded by rebel Natives, outlying parties and scouts. The only track known was in the hands of the enemy, and constantly used by them ia moving from their stronghold at Meremere to Paparutu. This undertaking was successfully carried out. by Major Von Tempskey and Sub-Inspector M’Dounell, who ran extreme danger from scouting parties oE the Natives, and having had to conceal themselves in the swamp close to Paparutu during part of the night and the whole of the next day. This service at the time elicited the highest praise in general orders from Lieut.-General Cameron, commanding the forces, who subsequently recommended Lieut. - Colonel McDonnell, the surviving officer, to the colonial Government for the distinction of th&.New Zealand Cross, in recognition of his gallantry on that occasion. During the campaign of 1866, on the west coast of the North Island, Major McDonnell was serving with the Imperial troops in command of a Native corps, and distinguished himself by frequent acts of bravery, more especially at the capture of the Putahi Pa, when, though severely wounded in the foot, he insisted on leading his men till the close of the engagememt. The late General Chute has on more than one occasion pressed the claims of Lieut. Colonel McDonnell upon the Colonial Government for the distinction of the . N.Z. Cross.” Such is the official record of the circumstances under which this honor has been awarded to you. I may only add that these appear to me, after going over the records of your services, only to be two instances amongst many others of conspicuous acts of bravery which you have performed in the service of your country. I have great pleasure, then, in pinning on your breast this New Zealand Cross, and I trust you will long live to wear it, and to enjoy the approbation of your countrymen. His Excellency then pinned the Cross on Colonel McDonnell’s breast. Colonel Mo Donnell (who appeared to be deeply affected) said : I have to express my sincere thanks to your Excellency for the honor you have just conferred upon me. That I have been decorated by her Majesty’s representative, and by so august a personage as yourself, doubles the value of the honor in my estimation. Of course lam very proud to receive the Cross ; but I feel that it is due to the justice and to the consideration of the Hon the Native Minister, Mr Ballance, and to the members of the present Government, that the recommendations of two distinguished officers, to whom both the New Zealand and Home Governments owe so large a debt of gratitude, have, af er so many years, been given effect to. Your Excellency will permit me to express my sorrow that my gallant friend, the late Von Tempskey, who fell with many another brave man, is not now alive to receive his full share of the honor you have conferred upon me. I have to thank your Excellency sincerely and respectfully for the kind way in which you have been pleased to speak of my services. Such as they were, they were given freely and without stint. The honor you have done me to-day will ever be regarded with feelings of gratitude by me and mine. I have also to thank these honorable gentlemen for their attendance here, and to assure them that I thoroughly appreciate it. His Excellency subsequently said: I desire to refer to one of the circumstances connected with these acts of bravery. They were performed many years ago, at a time when our relations with our Maori neighbors were different from what they are now. Owing to circumstances which I need not now refer to, but greatly owing to the wisdom that has been shown by the New Zealand Government in their dealings with Native affairs, our relations with the Maoris are now absolutely peaceful. The hatchet has been buried, and we no longer look upon them as hostile to us. On the contrary, we look upon them as our best friends, and are only glad that they should prosper in proportion as the British people in New Zealand prosper.