THE NEW SOUTH WALES BANQUET.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 934, 24 January 1890, Page 2

THE NEW SOUTH WALES BANQUET.

(PER press association.) t Dunedin, January 16. The banquet given hy the New South Wales Government in honour of the,Exhibition was a brilliant success, It was held in Watson’s large dining room, which was most tastefully d?eorated. The company comprised fully 150 gentlemen, the chair being occupied by Mr McMillan, the treasurer of New South Wales, who was supported on his right by Mr Langridge, Bishop Neville, the Minister of Education, Lord Carrington, the Earl of Onslow, and on bis left by Admiral Lord Charles Scott, Mr Gou'd (N.S.W.), Minister of Justice, the Mayor of Dunedin, Mr Justice V/illiams, and Mr Scott (Commissioner for South Australia). Many members of the Legislature and visitors from several other colonies were among the company. Lord Carrington proposed the Governor’s health in an extremely felicitous speech, in which he referred to the federation move, mont. It was not, he said, for him, to speak of its internal advantage—that would have to be decided by the people and the Parliaments of the several countries interested in the constitutional method ; but he would gladly hail the advent of Australian federation, because he felt certain that it would link us still stronger to the great country to which we were all proud to belong, (Cheers.) He was convinced that it would make that tie still stronger, and that England would stand by US to the last and stick to the Australian colonies so long as there was eighteenpence left in the Imperial treasury, so long as there was a British blue-jacket or a red-coat left to fight for the great English-speaking confederation that owned allegiance to the British Queen. (Loudcheers.)ln thesecolonies were some four million men—natives of England, Ireland, and Scotland—living outside of their native lands, perhaps profoundly indifferent to whether they were without an Established Church and such things, but joining the native-born Australians steadfastly to their Queen, but nevertheless jealous of their own natural rights and aspirations, and ever loyal to the country from which they had sprung. Lord Onslow, in replying, made an exceedingly happy speech, After acknowledging the cordjality with which the names of his Countess apd himself had been received, said he had to sincerely thank New South "Wales for their splendid hospitality and for having done so much to make the Exhibition a success. (Cheers.) He tad also, apart from his high personal qualifications, to welcome an Admiral under whose fjig would sail, for the first time, an Australian fleet which would have a peculiar interest to New Zealand. jt had bis priyilege to visit soyeral of the Exhibitions in the Old World, but New Spqth Wales had discovered an additional qhaunel whereby to promote the peace of New Zealand. In the New South Wales court they had created an imperium in imperio, and had claimed the right to treat Now Zealandero as their guests, and to do so in the most hospitable He lopkpd on opr Exhibition as jibe optward and visible signs of the revival of New Zealand's prosperity. There was a good demand with rising prices for our ruling products, and he ventured to prophesy that onr prosperity w<>uld yet be greater than ever. Certainly it would be ao if we had free access to tho markets of the world. (Cheers.) Whether the coming Federation Conference should result in A ustralasian federation or only an Australian federation, we in New Zealand would look with sympathetic Interest on the endeavours that were being made to establish in the Pacific an Anglo-Sayon qbmmuujty that coulfl pqt fall tq pave q, great influence op the future flf the human race. He was nqt without hope that the conference would be able to come to an agreement for the purpose of promoting intercolonial freetrade. He was one of those who looked on this movement with great hope, beoause ho thought it would sot men thinking on great questions, and ultimately lead to the adoption of some plan of o.i-operation for tho defence and solepreservation of the colonies belonging to the British Crown, and perhaps ultimately of all Bpeakinflf tongue, lie had purposely avoided making use of the term Imperial Federation, because that, li«e many other terms, such as Home Buie cr Local OptioD, was coined hy clever raen for the purpose of bringing under one umbrella faddists and enthusiasts, but which could never have any real meaning until embodied in a legislative enactment. Some people understood by Imperial Federation, a Cuttoms on a port of joint and several guarantee of debt, while most looked on it as a Parliament in which every part of the Empire should he represented. Those things may come in the future, but for the present the colonists bad it in their power to make some steps toward reaching the desired goal. When Lord Carrington returned to England, ahd when the Earl of Kintore and himself did like wise, in the course of time they would take their places in the Imperial Parliament without the necessity of wooing perhaps a fickle constituency, and would be able to there speak with all the confidence which a long and pleasant residence in the colonies would give them, and to proclaimfrom thebest platform in the Kingdom their belief in the great future and resources of the colonies of the great future these countries had before them, and of the pleasant and hanpv homes these countries were able to afford all those who cared to come among them. He referred in rather humorous terms to Mr i' eakiu s recent speech, and went on to refer to the endeavour of New Zealand to annex the Macquaries. What was supposed to be a State secret must have fallen into the hands of a telegraph boy, and so bet’ come known to the Press Association, who lost no time in distributing it among' their exchanges. A few hours after he received a cable message from the Governor of Tasmania, informing him th-t the iaiands had years ago been annexed to .Tasmania, apd that he was Governor and Commander in Chief of the same, thereby dashing to

the ground all hopes he (the Governor) had entertained of enjoying these titles. Ha trembled to think what might have been the result of tho interview between Governor Hamilton and Sir Harry c-tkinson, whom may God long preserve in health and strength to serve his country. Mr Eddy proposed tbo toast of thd Admiral, who replied, thanking the company for the splendid hospitality always extended to ships of war on colonial stations. The Chairman, in proposing the toast of the Government and Parliament of New Zealand, referred to the recent speech of Mr Deakin as containing a great deal of special pleading. In a lengthy and eloquent speech he expressed the hope that New Zealand would not, in the words of one of its past Ministers, keep this question of an Australian federation steadily in view, but would seriously consider it as likely very soon to become a question of practical politics. He urged that New Zealand would greatly gain by joining in a confederation that would be to the ultimate material gain of all the parties to it, instead of continuing to occupy a somewhat isolated position. Tho Bpeech had a strong Freetrade ring throughout. Mr Hislop, in reply, said that the Colony was under deep obligations to New South Wales for all that they had done to help our Exhibition. The question of Federation in ,a practical form had not been considered by our Parliament, but still it had been kept steadily in view as one of the aims we had to achieve in the long future. VVligd, however, the time was rfpe for ita discussion New Zealand would enter on it quite as able to discuss as any other Colonv of the group. We were perfectly aware that, after all, confederation would be a potent factor in Pacific colonisation, in the labour question, and in the rights of foreign nations to interfere with the islands of the Pacific, whenever the necessity arose. New Zealand had raised her voice agaiusfc any other than the Anglo-Saxon lace having dominance in Pacific waters, and would continue to do so. The Ministry had not yet considered the matter In all its bearings, but they had examined it criti-. cally, and had decided to, send two colleagues to the Conference. Tho question would afterward be carefully considered, and the arguments pro and con carefully and clearly laid before the electors of New fye&l&nd. The other toasts were H Success to the Exhibition,’ 1 proposed by Mr Gould, Minister of Justice, and replied to by Messrs Boberts apd Twopeny ; “ The Sister Colonies,” proposed by Mr White, M.L.C., and replied to. by Sir Bobert Stout, Mr Langridge, and M r Scott $ * I The Visitors,” by Mr Justice Williams qpd responded tp by Lord Oarringtpn, In the course of hi 3 speech, Sir Robert Stout strongly reprobated what he called our drought, apd which consisted o,f many of opr public meq and papers decrying the Colony. Beferring to Federation, he likened it to a marriage contract. To be brought about it meant a great deal of court-, ing aqd a batter understanding an(| appreciation of each party to it. spoke of tb e Utter. of ‘onr people' witE Australian'politics, qf |:he absence o.f New Zealand pews |p tlie principal Australian journals, and of the studied misrepresentation hy the latter of one political party in thi3 Colony. There could be no feme union tilt affection grew and eaoh Colony had a better knowledge of eaoh other, and of the questions awaiting settlement in each. He warmly defended Victoria for keeping her pledges in regard to the formation of the Federation Council. Mr Langridge, replying for Victoria, denied that Mr Deakin had been insincere in his utterances in Dunedin —he had. in truth, been courting this Colony. When he Langridge) returned to Victoria h$ WOUM lose no opportunity qf tailing people whaf tha Nqw Zealanders were doing, and would do all ip his power to induce Vio* torians to gome over, Mr Roberts disclaimed any idea of thinking the Chief Secretary of Victoria had been insinoere, and that in moving to get Mr Deakin to address a public meeting, he did so in his own interests, though he had nqtj treated the matter in the way it deserved to be.