THE RAILWAY DEMONSTRATION.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5561, 24 January 1879, Page 2

THE RAILWAY DEMONSTRATION.

(PER PRESS AGENCY,) Invercargill, Thursday. At the banquet at Invercargill on Wednesday night, the chairman, referring to the railway between Canterbury and Invercargill, said : “ To Sir J. Vogel belonged the credit of having initiated the line from Christchurch to Dunedin. (Applause.) Since the trains had arrived a telegram had been forwarded to Sir J. Vogel congratulating him upon the completion of the Southland railway line. “ The Parliament of New Zealand” was proposed by Mr. Cuthbertson. Mr. Geo. McLean said that he believed the members were conscientious in their actions. He asked the constituents to trust their representatives, and not to degrade them to the level of delegates. Mr. Mitchell proposed “ The Ministry.”

The Hon. Mr. Ballance, in responding, stated that the Hon. Mr. Maeandrew very much regretted his inability to take part in the demonstration. He assured them that it had given him great, indeed unbounded pleasure to be present on that occasion. It was his first visit to Southland, and he was therefore in a position perhaps to judge impartially of its appearance and its resources. He saw on every side elements that would raise that part of New Zealand to greatness. He had been a close observerof the country throughout, and the result far exceeded his expectations, great though those expectations were. From what he had heard of their district, he understood, too, that the great agricultural land the railway passed through was not exceptional in the district, but simply a type of the whole of the southern portion of Otago. He felt, however, that they required population more than any other necessary. It was sad to see such an expanse of perhaps the finest land in the colony almost useless, being simply grazing land for sheep and cattle. It was necessary, so as to secure the greatness for New Zealand which they all desired to see these lands settled, and to witness the rising of a great and prosperous yeomanry, he thought all honor was due to Sir J. Vogel for the conception of the Public Works scheme, and for the courageous stand he took in the face of the great opposition thereto. His (Mr. Ballance’s) colleagues intended to pursue that policy until New Zealand railways extended throughout the length and breadth of the colony.