CALEDONIAN- SOCIETY'S BANQUET.

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 7947, 2 December 1886, Page 3

CALEDONIAN - SOCIETY'S BANQUET.

The Caledonian Society’s second annual banquet was held on Tuesday evening at the EmpiieHotel. At 8 o’clock between sixty and seventy gentlemen sat down to a very fine spread (including a haggis) prepared by Mr Gilmer, the chair being occupied by Mr John Duthie (President) and the vioe-ohair by Mr T. Maokay (Vice-President). Later ou a number of toasts were proposed and duly honored; and songs, &0., were supplied by Messrs Maginnity, Lyon, MoGlashan, Newton, and others. Following is a report of the speeches made during the evening, necessarily condensed in consequence of the lateness of the hour at which the banquet terminated :

The usual toasts of “The Queen,” “The Prince of Wales and the Royal Family,” and “ The Governor,” having been honored, Mr Maokay proposed The. Parliament of New Zealand,” He was not a speaker, he said, and he believed that on one occasion a prominent member of the present Government had said that schoolmasters had no right to interfere in or meddle with politics. (Laughter.), He thought New Zealand had reason to be proud of the. distinguished men who had taken part in the administration of her affairs, and he had no sympathy with the cry so often raised, that our politicians were simply tricksters. He knew that at times, during electioneering or in opposition, they made promises which, under other circumstances, they had to modify, but he was satisfied that as soon as any of our public men got saddled with the responsibilities of office they got sober, and became zealous and earnest in their desire to advance the progress of the Colony. He had ho sympathy, either, with the cry that the age of polities was passed in New Zealand, and he contended that they had men as able and as earnest now as any they bad had before. In proof of that he would refer to the two gentlemen with whose names he coupled the toast, Sir Robert Stout and Mr Edward Wakefield. He looked upon Sir Robert Stout as a self-made man, who might well be held up as an example to the young people of the Colony. (Hear, hear.) The Premier, responding, remarked that he was not surprised that the piper inter, rupted when Mr. Maokay said he was not a politician (referring to a sudden outbreak on the part of the piper while MJr Maokay was speaking). There were seine Scotchmen who could not help being politicians' if they tried, and ho’ hoped Mr Maokay was of that class. It; was true, ‘an Mr M,aokay had ' said, that, in i&OT exception had been taken in Otago to schoolmasters meddling in politics, but that was local politics, and referred to schoolmasters having publioly passed re--sohitioflß commenting upon the action of the Education Board. He looked upon it as a duty that every man should taka part la polities, especially in a Qolony like this. As to the Parliament, it compared favorably he. helisvqd, with any other, which was due to the high example which was set in the early Parliaments of the Colony. Hedidnotaympathiae with those who were always finding fault with members of Parliament. Snob an assertion, he pointed out, reflected tp a great extent on those whq elected the members. The themselves, he believed, fejt.it an honor to belong to the Parliament, ‘ They had differences of opinion, but however much they might differ in the House, they did not quarrel or lose their personal respect for each other, and he did not think a finer feeling would be found in a Parliamentary lobby anywhere than in this Colony. (Hear, hear.) The members recognised that they were men called together from different parts of the Colony to consult for its good. He was, as Mr Maokay had said, a self-made man. Since h,e was 13 years old h e had maintained and educated himself, aqd he did not think many could say that. If our youth would only he easeful and studious there were great futures before them. They had greater advantages now than were to be obtained in the earlier days of the Colony, and it was fur them tq show that these advantages had not been thrown away. If they did that they would produce in New Zealand men who would live, not only in the minds of the people of New Zealand, but also in the minds of the people of the Great Empire, of which New Zealand is part. (Hear, hear.) Mr Wakefield also responded, Mr T. Kennedy Macdonald proposed “.The scientific and educational institutions of New Zealand.” ’ This toast was uncommon at a gathering o’f this kind, he said, hut ha was glad, to see that the Caledonian Society had made an innovation in this direction. This was a teach V. a thought, which ought to be drunk enthusiastically if any was. Scientific matters were, well defined in this toast by being connected with the name of Dr Hector. (Hear, hoar.) That gentleman was one to whom the Qolony would, for all time, owe a debt of gratitute. The only thing to ha regretted was that every Government sent for him for assistance on every subject, from an eclipse of the sun to an explosion at Tara-, wera. And he hoped that the reward of these labors, in the shape of increased honors, would not he long coming. (Applause.) Mr Macdonald went on to refer to the matter of education, incidentally mentioning that this Qolony had a larger number of newspapers proportionately than any other Colony, and that oqr newspapers consequently were a great factor in the education of the people. Referring to the name of Mr Kenneth Wilson, with whose name the toast was also connected,

Mr Macdonald said they were all glad to learn that be was again connected with the

Wellington College; and he hoped it would not be long before they wou d have a university oollege in Wellington. (Hear, hear.) Dr Hector, responding, expressed an opinion that scientific and educational matters should not be separated, bolding that the two were distinctly connected. After glancing at the history of Scotch university education, Dr Hector remarked that the efforts of the Caledonian Society classes of lectures, which would teud to lead people to read and to educate their minds, waa one that was very much to be admired. The peculiar characteristics of the Scotch character were seen in other undertakings than battles such as that of Bannockburn, which had just been sung of, Edinburgh university might be cited as an instance of that. Experience showed that universities were best able to manage their own affairs—at any rate, do not let them get mixed up with harbor works, as the Edinburgh University was. (Laughter.) Mr Kenneth Wilson also He thought, ho said, that iu respect to education New Zealand would bear favorable comparison with any other. The success of educational institutions, however, depended not so much ou the means as ou the way in which those means were employed. Qe urged that parents should be prepared to make some sacrifices in order that their children might be properly educated. (Hear, hear, > The Premier,'in proposing “The Caledonian Society of Wellington,” said this waa the toast of the evening. There was need for a Caledonian Society, he said, for they would find soon that their children would grow up calling themselves New Zealanders, and it was well there sh uld be a link to bind them to their parents’ country. There must be a provincialism about each nation, and there were good points about all nationalities. But Scotland, he pointed out, had many characteristics. It was the poorest of the three British nations, but it had the largest wealth per head. That was brought about by the thrift of the people, who learned, as they said “to creep before they gang.” The Scotch were also, he believed, the freest people on earth. He ridiculed and combated the assertion that the Scotch were governed to an undue extent by the Church, Scotland had always shown the most liberal opinions, and bad shown that at the last election. There was another good thing about Scotland, and that was that she had always striven to give education to the poor. There were things they might learn from Scotland, and then if they thought of hor records in music and in science they would see the desirableness of perpetuating her history. The function of the Society, then, was not merely to hold sports every year, but to keep up the name of Scotland ; to follow In her footsteps, and to give that education which waa not given by the Government or the municipality. He denied that this Society had shown any national jealousy; there were amongst its officers, he said, gentlemen of other nationalities. The Society had made its basis wider than many other societies he knew in the Colony. They asked that the historic glory of Scotland should be preserved, and beyond that they invited all to assist them in doing good to this part of the Colony. The Society in future would have the proud boast of saying that it waa the first to give higher education in this part of the Colon v. In conclusion, ho congratulated the Society on its President, who was, he said, a gentleman who carried out whatever he undertook, and the Society waa moat fortunate in getting him.

The President, responding, read a telegram from Mr Somerville, who was now in Fiji, expressing regret that he oould not be present, but stating that ha was with them in the spirit, (Hear, hear.) Mr Duthie alluded to the progress of the Society, and said it waa satisfactory to be able to say that they were solvent, and had a fair balance at the bank. The Society was fortunate in having Dr Maogregor in its ranks ; and he thought that, with the assistance of those gentlemen who had come forward, they would be ' able to successfully carry through the system of educational classes which had been started. He agreed with the Premier as to the desirableness of preserving the history pf Sootland, The Caledonian Society, however, was an institution for the benefit of the general comma.ity. He contended that no country had a nobler history than Sootland. (Hear, hear.) Mr J. O. Crawford proposed ‘‘The Literature of Sootland." Scotland, he said, was. particularly rich in the finer qualities of literature.

MrE. Wakefield, responding, claimed that the literature of Scotland was the heritage of all people, and said that therefore he, though he was not a Scotchman, might respond to the toast. He expressed an opinion that Burns was to be ranked with the great creative intellects Shakespeare, Milton, Homer, and others—and that the greatness of Burns-in one line, and Soott in another, had dwarfed the efforts of other Scotchmen whose efforts really entitled them to front rank. He dwelt upon the great knowledge which was found in this Colony of Burns. He understood that a statue, of Burns was on the way out to New Zealand, to be set up, in Dunedin. Where was the statue of Shakespeare in this. Colony ? He did.not know that there was one. He himself had one, which he had carried about for years, and no doubt should carry abput to the end of his days ; and which, he always set up in his study to inspire him with literacy ideas and nobje thoughts, but he did not know that theca was any public statue of Shakespeare. Mr Wakefield devoted some time to a eulogy of Scotch ppetry, and was loudly cheered on concluding. MrE. Gardner proposed “The Visitors.” This meeting and the action of the Gale(lonian Society generally, be, remarked, would show the. unjuatness of the assertion that the Scotch were, exclusive. the Mayor (Mr A. W. Brown), i,n responding, said the. Sopiety w a S setting a noble, example to o.thers. Ha hoped that those members in, Wellington who wera Wealthy, and had made their wealth in Wellington, and who so seldom assisted educational matters, would benefit by the example sat them. Dr Cahill also responded, and a roost enjoyable evening's entertainment was concluded with “Anld Lang Syne" shortly after midnight.