PUBLIC DEJEUNER. DESPATCH FROM GENERAL PELISSIER. DESPATCH FROM GENERAL SIMPSON. Before Sebastopol, September, 4.

Otago Witness, Issue 216, 19 January 1856, Page 3

PUBLIC DEJEUNER.

DESPATCH FROM GENERAL PELISSIER.

DESPATCH FROM GENERAL SIMPSON. Before Sebastopol, September, 4.

A public Dejeuner, in honor of the visit of His Excellency the Governor, was given at the Royal Hotel, Dunedin, on the 17th ' instant. Between 50 and/ 60 of the settlers of Otago were present, and sat down ' to an entertainment, the whole style of which did much credit to Mr. Smith, the host of the Royal Hotel. The long room of the Hotel was tastefully decorated with flags, evergreens, and flowers. The viands were in great abundance, and of excellent quality; and Mr. Smith must have used considerable exertion to procure the excellent display of fruit provided on the occasion. His Honor the Superintendent occupied the Chair, A. C. Strode, Esq., acting as Vice. The good cheer having been duly discussed, and the cloth removed, the Chairman briefly proposed — " The Queen." The toast was received most heartily with three times three, God save the Queen being sung by the company with startling energy ! " Prince Albert and the Royal Family" was equally well received. The- Chairman next proposed the ""Army," with a brief and complimentary acknowledgment of its services. He referred to its gallantry in the last great war in which England had been engaged, and remarked that the army, by its deed in the present war, had shewn that the British solder was now as he was then. The British army, was composed of a. material which, if not superior to all .others, was second to none. The toast, was most enthusiastically responded to by the company, His Excellency, in returning thanks, said — -I regret very much that it has devolved oa so unworthy a\fnember x>f that noble

army to return thanks for the honor you have done them in drinking their health in the manner you have done. I regret this ! the more because I see by my side a gentleman bearing on* his breast a ladder, on every round of which is inscribed a name dear to England, for' at each of the places there recorded the blood of her bravest was freely poured forth in defence of her honor and the liberties of Europe. The soldier's reward is Ms country's approbation, and well has the army deserved the approbation you have now so enthusiastically accorded them. 11l fed, ill clothed, unprotected against the assaults of an inclement climate, the skeletons of those splendid corps which left England with music and rejoicings, stood up from among their dead and defied the strength of Russia, sheltered as it was behind the walls of a stupendous fortress. When the news reached England the people rose as one man and demanded justice for the gallant men, who were fighting in their cause. Then too, did private individuals throughout the United Kingdom contribute supplies with such liberality that ships enough could scarcely be procured to convey them to the Crimea. Now were the soldiers fed, clad, and housed, as is fitting for the defenders of a great country, and horses, who had lately eaten the manes and tails of their dying companions, neighed over forage which they could not consume. The result is before vs — Sebastopol has fallen. The colours of England have been planted on its blood-stained ruins, and, forgetting all they had suffered, the soldiers sang around it — " God SaVe the Queen !" (Prolonged cheers.) The Chairman, in proposing the " Navy," remarked on the change which had taken place in the modern method of warfare. On previous occasions the fleet had been the first to commence those deeds of gallantry wliich distinguished the British services. In the present war the army had taken the lead, but though, from that circircumstance, the navy for a time held a less prominent place, yet it had rendered great service, and to its hearty and active co-operation much of the success of the army was due. The toast having been drunk with the usual honour, Mr. J. Cargill briefly returned thanks. The Chairman rose to propose the toast of the day. In doing so he referred to a dinner which had been given in the room they then occupied, and he could not but remark upon the altered position in which the community were placed. They had now a Constitution, and it, was the enviable privilege of their guest, to carry that Constitution into effect. He would not attempt to enlarge upon the merits of His Excellency ; it would be difficult to do so in his presence, but he could not but remark upon the straightforward, businesslike manner in which His Excellency had met and settled every question which had ■ come before him since his arrival in the Province. He proposed the health of His Excellency the Governor. The toast was received with prolonged and deafening cheers. His Excellency, in replying to the toast, said — I beg to thank you most sincerely for the flattering manner in which you have been pleased to drink my health on the present occasion, and my thanks are especially due to his Honor the Superintendent for the manner in which he has alluded to my humble endeavour to do my duty to the colony. However deficient I may be found in ability, I trust you will not have reason to complain of my want of that honesty which he so justly commends. Circumstances have prevented my seeing much of your interesting Province, but I have not failed to inform myself by every means in my power, both before and since my arrival among' you, of its condition and prospects. You have_ received " Benjamin's portion" of the land, and from what I see around me I should say you deserve it. Houses and cottages, supplied with every comfort, have been erected where but a few years since all was wild and desolate. Your flocks and herds are increasing to such an extent that the land is becoming too narrow for them, and above all I learn that many who came here in the extreme of poverty are now landlords -and householders ! Judging by the past, what may we not expect from the future ? Will not the streets and squares of Dunedin fifty years hence bear some cbmparison to those of that time-honoured city whose grand and

picturesque outline doubtless rises often to the mind's eye of many who now hear me ? Will not the church bell summon many a devout congregation to thank God for the blessings they- enjoy in plains where nothing more civilized than the bark of the sheep dog is now heard ? Will not the mail coach, rattling over well-metalled roads, carry glad tidings to borough towns between this and the Bluff, where a new town now waits for the baptism, I hope to give ft before we part this evening ? Will not the electric telegraph convey to Auckland the price of the last 2 per cent, loan at the Exchange in Dunedin ? The child of some one of those who now hear me may perhaps say to his grand-child, "we have heard with our ears and our fathers have told us" that in the old time there came a Governor to Dunedin, who foretold this and this ; our fathers thought him " a dreamer of dreams," but, look around and you may see more than he ever dreamed of in his philosophy. But leaving such agreeable speculations, I will now turn to a graver subject : though, thank God ! politics are no longer a mystery ; nor is he the ablest politician who can best deceive and over-reach his opponent ; all we require now is honesty and straightforwardness. From the moment I accepted her Majesty's commission as Governor of this colony, 1 felt that it would be impossible to carry on the government without the assistance of gentlemen possessing the confidence of the Assembly, and that in order to be able to avail myself this assistance, it would be necessary that I 'shoxild be entirely independent and free from all party feelings. My visit to the different provinces has convinced me that my opinion was and is a correct one, and I am determined to adhere to and act on it. Taking this view of the case, my duty is plain and simple. I am endeavouring to smooth away difficulties which must beset men new to office, and am collecting information on various subjects so that matters requiring early consideration and solution, may not be indefinitely deferred. I promised not to exceed the estimates approved by the last Assembly, and have every rea-son-to believe that I have more than kept my promise. I therefore look forward ■with pleasure to the time when I may be able to render an account of my stewardship to the Asssmbly, and though it has been but a short one, I trust it will not be fonnd to have been altogether unsatisfactory. Once more I beg to thank you sincerely for the kind and flattering reception I have met with everywhere since I arrived in this Province. The health of Mrs. Gore Browne and the Ladies of New Zealand having been drunk and duly responded to, His Excellency returned thanks for the honor they had done him in drinking the health of his better half, and called upon Mr. Gisborne, whom he felt to be much better qualified for the duty, to return thanks on behalf of the ladies. Mr. Gisborne, in a very neat speech, (which we feel we should spoil if we were to attempt to report) returned thanks, and concluded by quoting the /following lines from Burns :—: — / " Auld Nature swears, Hie lovely dears Her noblest work she? classes, O : Her 'prentice han' sher tried on man, An' then she made /lie lasses, O." His Excellency, in a' brief and complimentary speech, proposed the health of liis Honor the Superintendent, and the toast having been duly responded to, his Honor returned thanks. The Chairman proposed " The Clergy," and the health of Mr. Bannerman and Mr. Fenton. Mr. Bannerman said — With much pleasure I beg to return you my best thanks for the manner in which you have responded to the toast, with which his Honor has been pleased to connect my name and that of Mr. Fenton. I trust that the ministers of the Church of Otago, and all the clergy in the colony, will so fulfil the duties of their sacred office, as that the end for which the Saviour has instituted the office of the ministry may be fulfilled amongst us, even the Salvation of sinful, fallen, guilty men. Mr. J. A. Fenton said — As his name had been mentioned in the toast in connection with the Church of England he begged very humbly to return thanks for the kindness of the Chairman and the company. He trusted that the time would soon arrive when the clergy of the various denominations of Christians, whether belonging to the Presbyterian Church, or the Wesley - ans, or the Church of England,- whilst they faithfully carried into practice their conscientious convictions as to doctrines and forms, would yet maintain the most friendly relations, and meet together to,, forward objects connected with their com-.

mon Christianity, and the general good of their fellows, without needlessly obtruding points of difference, and distinctions of country and denomination. ' ■

Mr. Macandrew, said that, although it would be incompatible with the nature and objects of the present entertainment to enter upon any subject which was likely to become a topic of discussion, on the arena . of New Zealand politics, yet there was one sentiment which was not inappropriate, viz., that of the toast which had been put into his hands — " The neighbouring Provinces of New Zealand, coupled with the health of Mr. Gisborne." The province had no doubt been greatly misrepresented - in the other provinces ; but he was sure there was no jealousy on the part of the Otago settler with regard to the other ; hut on the contrary, a sincere desire for the progress of New Zealand as a whole ; while they wanted local self-government to the utmost extent, and to manage their own affairs in their own w.ay, the people of Otago, at the same time, desire to see a New Zealand nationality, and a strong central Government, which was the only thing that would ever make New Zealand a powerful state worthy of the parent from which it had sprung. If he might be allowed he would take the opportunity of conveying to his Excellency on behalf of the meeting, the satisfaction with which they had listened to the sentiments which had fallen from him — sentiments which acquired more for the future prosperity of New Zealand than anything else. He felt assured that if his Excellency's views were carried into effect the progress of the country would be accelerated beyond anything that they had any idea of. The settlers of Otago were fully alive to the difficulties and anxieties incidental to the exalted position which his Excellency had been called upon to occupy — difficulties and anxieties aggravated by the peculiar circumstances under which he had found the colony, — the machinery of Government being entirely out of joint, and everything getting into a regular mess. To his Excellency had been entrusted the task of carrying into operations the most liberal constitution which had ever been conferred upon a British colony ; and while no doubt the responsibility of working out the Constitution rested mainly with his Excellency, at the same time the Constitution itself had so provided that it could not be perfectly put into practice without the co-operation of the people themselves. He felt that he was not pledging the people of Otago to too much when he said that at their hands not only would his Excellency receive no obstruction in the glorious work of erecting and consolidating free institutions, but that he would receive their most cordial co-operation. It was a prevalent idea that the Government and the Governor were two distinct interests antagonistic to each other in the very nature of things. He, was rejoiced to hear from his Excellency that his views of the matter were very different, and that he felt assured that great good would result from the just view entertained by his Excellency "with regard to the relations, position, and duties of the Government and the governed. That he might long be spared as the representative of Her Majesty to rule over a loyal, a free, and a religious people, was the earnest desire of the settlers of Otago. Mr. Gisborne^ briefly returned thanks. His Excellency then rose and said he had already Referred- to the establishment of a town atjlhe Bluff. He briefy alluded to the histoiy of the New England settlement in jsouth America, and traced the ; similitudjf to some extent of the foundation of @tago. The Province owed much to Capjain Cargill. His services were-ap-preciated by the community. He had twice been elected to the office of Superintendent without opposition. His Excellency thought it would be gratifying to the community to perpetuate the remembrance of their leader. He proposed to call- the town at the B^uff " Invercargill." Captain Cargill, at| some length, expressed his gratification at the honour done Mm, and pointed outlhe advantage of per- - petuating the Scotch/character of the Province, and the recollection of the country from which the' colony sprung, by giving a. Scotch name on Occasions in which it was found necessary Jfco change an old, or give a new name. ( Mr. Macandrew proposed the health of the Vice-Chairman. ;,. Mr.' Strode "briefly returned thanks. The health of Miss Browne having been proposed.by Mr. Fenton, and dulytre-j sppndedj t to, the, , Chairman .., vacated .|the* chair, ', and the proceedings terminated^ ; _, >:

r \ ' [Advertisement.] Dunedin, I4th January, 1856.

To the Editor of the Otago Witness. Sir, — I have to request that you will be good enough to insert in your paper the following cor- - respondence which passed between Mr. Reynolds and myself a few days since. ' I make no comments, leaving the public to judge for itself. I am Sir, Your obedient Servant, John Jones. Woodhead, Bth January, 1856. Sir, — It is with great reluctance that I feel compelled to call your attention to certain observations made publicly by you to-day at Mr. Carnegie's auction'sale, — observations which in justice to the public as well as to myself, you are bound in honor to retract. . I shall not allude to the remarks referred to further than to say that whether you meant it or not, the insinuations conveyed -under them were, that I arid the Executive of the Province, including the Superintendent, who was specially named, have been and are guilty of corruption and dishonesty in the administration of the public funds. Now, sir, however absurd and incredible such an insinuation may be in the estimation of the people of this Province, and however little I may regard the cowardly and malignant slanders upon my private character, which I know to pass current among the public-house frequenters when strangers and new comers happen to be present, it comes to be quite another matter when a man in your position comes forward and openly makes a charge such as you have done in the presence of myself and of a large number of your fellow-citizens. Under such circumstances I feel assured that a due regard for public morality, for truth, and for the good opinion of my fellow-settlers, render it imperative upon me to demand a satisfactory explanation of the language used by you. Awaiting your early reply, I am, Sir, Yours respectfully, William H. Reynolds. John Jones, Esq., J.P.

9th January, 1856. Sir, —T had occasion to make several remarks to you yesterday at Mr. Carnegie's sale of horses before many persons then present, and I have since been credibly informed that you have called on | several parties and endeavoured to induce them to j put a different construction on the expressions used by myself. That which I said yesterday I will j again say to-day ; and I have no hesitation in repeating that there is a degree of jobbeiy and corruption among the officers appointed by the Provincial Government; and lam the more confirmed in the truth of my statements when I see you, Sir, one of the Executive of the Provincial Government employing a salaried servant of the Province as a public erier —a man whose services should alone belong to that department by which he is employed. And, again, when I see the inferior officers of the Government purchasing whatever they may think necessaiy —dealing with the funds of the Province as with their own, and utterly regardless of contracts. But this, perhaps, ought to surprise me less when I find also the superior officers of "the Government doing the same. At the present moment a building is being erected as immigrant barracks. Surely, if a building had been necessary for this purpose, it would be only fair to the public —whose funds the Government employ —to issue contracts and erect a good substantial building at once. In conclusion, I must call to your recollection another fact, —that of my having offered to his Honor, in your presence, to bring down immigrants from Melbourne at £6 per head for adults, and children in proportion. Instead of this you, on your own responsibility, and without contract, give £$ to another vessel, aud not even to one belonging to the Province. I beg to inform you, that I shall always repeat that which I have now stated ; and that if you will persist in using my name with so little regard to truth, I shall be compelled to adopt such measures as I may deem necessary to prevent a repitition. Yours, &c, J. Jones.

Dunedin, 9th January, 1856. Sir,—! have to acknowledge the receipt of your , letter of this day's date, informing me that you had had occasion to make several remarks to me yesterday at Mr. Carnegie's sale of horses before many persons there present, and that you had since been cr.edibly informed that I had called on several parties and endeavoured to induce them to put a different construction on the expressions used by yourself. In reply I have simply to state, that your informant, whfoever he may be, has stated what is not true, and that I have called on no one with any such object. As to your remarks about the buildings now being erected for immigration barracks, and also with regard to immigration from Melbourne, I have no doubt but these matters will be fully and r satisfactorily explained in the proper place. ■

1 The other topics to which you allude are so puerile' that I deem it unnecessary to enter, upon them. "Referring to my communication to youof yesterday's daftej to which I presume you do not ■

mean the letter of which I now acknowledge the receipt as a reply. I am, Sir, Yours respectfully, William H. Reynolds. John Jones/ Esq.

9th January, 1856. Sir, — The letter which I addressed you this morning, confirmatory of the expressions nsed by me yesterday at Mr. Carnegie's sale of horses, will prevent the necessity of answering yours of terday categorically, One or two points, however, I may enlarge upon. You wish me to retract some remarks made by me, as you say, not "in justice to the public or yourself." As I deny most distinctly that I said anything derogatory to your private character, or injurious to the interest of the public, I must decline retracting any expression used by me. I leave you to draw what insinuations you wish -, but in doing so, I must beg you to remember this — that you have no right to draw conclusions that will lead persons to suppose, from the expressions you use, that I had accused you or ' his Honor the Superintendent of dishonesty ; and let me tell you, Sir, tli at there is a difference between a man applying funds, destined to other purposes, to his own use — which you accuse me of saying, — and a man wasting funds supplied for specific purposes, and which I meant when I spoke to you. I need not again enter into the utter disregard shewn in the expenditure of the funds placed at the disposal of the Executive. But I must refer to the want of contracts in all Government works. The Executive are merely trustees for the public, and are therefore amenable to public opinion if the trust is not properly fulfilled ; and if one more instance was requisite to prove 'that even in bringing immigrants you, as one of the Executive, were decidedly wrong. I would remind you that when you allow £8 for a single adult from Melbourne, I only receive from Sydney, for a man, wife, and family. Privately, as a shipowner, I have a right to complain ; but as this may happen again to some of my " fellow-citizens," who may not like to do so, I have still a greater right. I know of no government work, nor even works done by corporate bodies that is not done by contract ; and I would myself suggest that if this had been the principle established by your Executive Government, it would have satisfied the public in the absence of the publication of accounts. With respect to what you say about remarks made by "public-house frequenters," lam at a loss to imagine the meaning you wish to convey ; but it appears to me that if you were not in the habit of associating with those frequenters of publichouses, you would be at a loss to know what may be said there, and draw your own conclusion. I am, &c, i J. Jones.

Dunedin, 10th January, 185(>. Sir, —l heg to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of yesterday's date, in which you retract the expressions used by you at Mr. Carnegie's sale, and explain them merely to mean that the Executive had wasted the public funds of the Province. I have no doubt but that I shall be able to explain all these matters at the proper time and place, both to the satisfaction of the Council and the people of the Province. I am, Sir, Yours respectfully, William H. Reynolds. John Jones, Esq.

Dunedin, 10th January. Sir, —Your letter of the 9th has this moment been delivered. I regret that you should be unable to comprehend the purport of the communication which I addressed you yesterday; but as I do not intend either to receive or answer any further letters from you, I must beg you to take this as my final reply. I am, &c, . J. Jones.

The following despatch has been received from General Pelissier, dated Sebastopol, 17th: " The enemy have not destroyed their docks, the neighbouring detatehments, the barracks, Fort Nicholas, or Fort Quarantine. " The commission has commenced the enumeration of the materials left. A first general survey has given the following result: 4000 guns, 50,000 balls, a few hollow projectiles, large quantity of powder (notwithstanding all the explosions which have taken place), 500 half anchors, in excellent i condition, 25,000 kilogrammes of copper, two steam engines of 30-horse power, and a considerable quantity of sawn timber for defence works," The following despatch, dated Sebastopol, September 18th, has also been received:—" The general and superior officers who have been wounded are going on as well as possible. No cause of anxiety in prospect."

The heavy fire maintained by the enemy on the head of our sap has been such that our progress has been slow, and accompanied, as must be expected, by several casualties amongst the officers and j working parties. , Casualties from August 31st to September 2nd, ; inclusive:—Total, 1 officer, 1 serjeant, 22 rank and file killed; 6 officers, 7 Serjeants 106 rank and file wounded; 1 officer, 1 rank and "file missing. Officers who have beenkilled from the 31st:—Captain

L. Fraser, 95th Foot. Officers wounded, Lieutenant H. C, Bumingham (slightly) ; 3rd Foot, Lieutenant Hutand, Adjutant I. Forbes (dangerously) f since dead ; 30th Foot, Lieutenant J. A. Price, (slightly) ; 2nd Rifle Brigade, Lieutenant Carey, (severely), Lieutenant C. F. Roberts; (slightly) ; 19th Foot, Captain T. Smith, (slightly). Officer missing, 3rd Foot, Captain C. B. Ross.