DINNER TO MS JOHN HISLOP.

Otago Witness, Issue 1581, 11 March 1882, Page 18

DINNER TO MS JOHN HISLOP.

A complimentary dinner to Mr John Hislop, F.R.S.E. (the chief Seoretary of Education for ' the Colony), who is about to visit the Mother Country, was given in the Coffee Palace" on j on Wednesday evening. There was, as usual, an excellent dinner, and an entire absence of alcoholic beverages, the ceremony of drinking the toasts being generally dispensed with, the assent of the company being indicated by cheering. The chair was occupied by James Macandrew, Esq., M.H.R., the vice-chairs by Messrs E. B. Cargill and W. D. Stewart. Amongst the gentlemen present were the Rev. Dr Stuart, D. Reid andT. Fergus, M.H.R/S, D. Ross, T. Bracken, M.H.R., J. Reid, J. Cargill, J. Brown, W. Hepburn, Geo. Bell, J. Duncan, A. J. Burns, R. Hay, W. Hislop, D. Ross, W. Taylor (inspector of schools), P. G. ' Pryde (secretary of Education Board),,, J. T. Mackerras, Treseder, Macandrew, Fitzgerald (rector Normal School), A.' Montgomery, A. Stewart, Ferguson, Park, Barrett, and Nicol, and a large number of teachers and others connected with the administration of the existing educational system. After dinner Mr Macandrew read apologies from Mr Henry Howorth (who referred to the fact that he and Mr Hislop were; shipmates), J. L. Gillies (who had been connected with Mr Hislop on the Otago Education Board during its most trying period), W. N. Blair, R. Stout (telegram from Wanganui), D. Petrie (telegram from Naseby), N. Fleming (telegram from Oamaru); and J. Fulton, M.H.R. The Chairman, m proposing the toast of "The Queen," remarked that it was neither usual nor necessary to say much upon this toast, but the intelligence which had been received a few days since amply warranted him in saying that in no part of her Majesty's' dominions would the people hail with more profound gratitude the information' that their Queen had escaped from the hands of the assassin than would her subjects in New Zealand. There was perhaps no principle which had exercised a mote important influence upon the destiny of the British Empire than the principle of loyalty, and he rejoiced to think that the lamp of loyalty burned so brightly in this distant island of the ocean. They should hope that this would long continue to be so, and that the sentiment would be engraved deeply in the hearts of their children and of their children's children.

The toast was received with cheers, and the whole company sang several verses of the National Anthem most heartily. The Chaiidian said one important verse had been omitted, and started, aud with increased vigour the company sang— Confound their politics, Frustrate their knavish tricks : On her our hopes we fixGod save the Queen.

The toasts of " The Prince of Wales and the Royal Family," and " His Excellency the Governor" followed. The Chairman, in proposing the toast of the evening, said he need hardly remind them that they were present to give expression to the esteem and regard which they felt towards their esteemed friend Mr Hislop. As they were aware, he was about to pay a visit to the Old Country. In many respects he thought it desirable that someone should havo occupied the chair who could expatiate in more suitable terms upon Mr Hislop's good qualities, though, at the same time, he could say that there was no one present who had had a better opportunity than himself of valuing the services their esteemed guest had rendered to the State.-—(Hear, hear.) He could assure them that this was no flattory towards him when he said that Mr Hislop had done more for education — more for education in Otago in particular, and New Zealand in general, than any other man.— (Applause.) At all events, perhaps he might qualify _it only by saying than any other non-political man. No doubt this was saying a great deal, but in hia belief they were the words of truth and soberness. He used to be, and remained still, vain enough i,o think that in the dawfe of Provincialism they had the most completely organised, or one of the most cum]<loli3l> organised Education !_>«- partnioutb i"a the Southern Eouiispiiorts, and it was a department which was improving year by year, until it wap swept away by the ruthless.-,, baud of the .spoiler,—- (Hear, hear,) For

this organisation he believed they were mainly indebted to the untiring zeal and the constructive genius of Mr Hislop — (applause) | who also possessed the faculty of administering the details of the department so admirably that he contributed very much to the success of their educational arrangements — a success now being participated in throughout the Colony. Many of them, no doubt, recollected the very able annual reports that used to emanate from the Education Office, and he had reason to know that these reports were very much valued by those interested in education all over the world. Indeed he had known of very great encomiums paid them in various parts of the Empire. It was a significant coincidence, to say the least of it, that the Imperial Education Act was framed pretty much on the same lines as the Otago Ordinance.— (Hear, hear.) Well, that was so ; and he did not think it was any great stretch of the imagination to Buppose that the Imperial authorities had among other Ordinances the Provincial Ordinance of Otago when they were framing that bill. As one who for many years had the honour of administering the public affairs of the province, he could say they had been fortunate m having as the permanent heads of departments able men, and he could safely say there was no man in the public service upon whose shrewd common sense, sound judgment, and wise counsel they could place more reliance than upon "those, bf his friend on his right. That statement would, he was sure, be borne out by several gentlemen present, who had from time to time "beent associated with him in the government of the province. It was a remarkable circumstance that many of the principal officers in the Colonial service, of whom Mr Hislop was one, had been drafted from Otago, and had passed their apprenticeship in the Provincial service. With regard to Mr Hislop's high personal character, it was unnecessary he should say anything, he was so well known and highly appreciated by his numerous friends and acquaintances. He had gone in and out among them for a quarter of a century, and without being; scathed even by the breath of calumny— a thing which could be said of very few public men. And now he was proceeding to his fatherland, and though he might not carry a fortune in his pocket, he carried that good name which was better than great riches. —(Applause.) He earned with him the respect and esteem of his fellow citizens. It would, he thought, be a good thing for New Zealand if a great many more men of Mr Hislop's stamp could manage to pay a visit to the Old Country. There were few men who knew the Colony better than Mr Hislop. for he had travelled from east to west and from north to south, and had an intimate personal acquaintance with its resources and with the people, and therefore very great good might be expected to result from a visit of such men to the Mother Country ; and in fact, in Mr Hislop they were sending Home as it were a living epistle which could not begainsayed— not even, he believed, by the foul birds among themselves who were inclined to dirty their own nests. He recollected that Colonial Governments had spent a lot of money in sending some of their officers all over the world to gain experience, and he wished the Government could see its way to appoint Mr Hislop to visit the principal scholastics institutions in Europe and the United States. If that were done he felt sure great benefit to their educational: system would result. ,lHe had been in hopes that some .member; of tjse Government would have been present, "in which case he might have said a little more about.it j but probably his suggestion would be seen in the Press^ He had been asked,, to request Mr Hislop to be good' enough to consent to have his portrait taken while at Home, with a view to its being placed in the library of the University.— (Loud applause.) The funds would be placed >at the disposal of their gueat— sufficient, he believed, to enablehim to engage a first-class artist ; and he hoped Mr Hislop's modesty would not induce him | to refuse compliance with this request. In conclusion Mr Macandrew, on behalf of; friends present and absent, wished the guest a prosperous voyage, and expressed the hope that in due course he would return refreshed and invigorated both in body and mind, and that he would live long to serve the Colony in the administration of one of its highest functions. The toast was received with applause, "He's a jolly good fellow" being sung; and this was followed, at the suggestion of the Chairman, with the song" For a' that." „. ' Mr Hislop was received with prolonged cheers. He said that he could not find words to express with sufficient adequacy his feelings on the occasion. He could only thank them heartily for their exceeding great kindness, and for the high honour they had conferred upon him. It was very gratifying to him to find that although" he had been away from Dunedin and Otago for upwards of four years his old friends had not forgotten him, but had met him to give expression to their kindly feelings, and to bid him God-speed on the eve of his departure from New Zealand to spend a short time in the Old Fatherland. It afforded him infinite pleasure to look around and see so many well-known faces, for with almost all those present it had been his duty in times past to transact business of some kind or another. Perhaps the most pleasant part of the evening had been during the early half-hour, when he had had the pleasure of shaking hands and having a short " crack " with so many old friends. He did not know well what to say or to think about the proposal to have his portrait taken. Little had he thought when, under the direction of Mr Macandrew, he entered upon his duties as the first secretary or registrar of Otago University, now 12 years since, and had assisted in nursing and rearing the institution, which most unquestionably owed its prestige to their Chairman's wise forethought and liberal devising, that he (the speaker) Bhould ever be thought worthy to have his portrait placed alongside of those of the venerated fathers and founders of the settlement of Otago. It was to him a very high distinction, and, though he felt unworthy of the honour, he felt also bound to acquiesce in the proposal — (loud applause)— and gratefully to thank them for their kind and liberal intentions. He felt indebted to tho Chairman for presiding, and thought that the value of his own services had been overestimated. While listening to the eulogium pronounced by the Chairman, and witnessing the hearty manner in which his utterances had been responded to, he could not help feeling that he had not deserved a tittle of the credit with which they had loaded him. Mr Hislop then explained the circumstances connected with his removal to Wellington. The office had not been of his seeking, and three Ministers had requested him to accept the position, which he had consented to do ; although it had been with great regret that he had left Dunedin, with its many grateful associations. After his appointment he had succeeded in getting away quietly from Dunedin in January, 1878, although he failed in getting his friends the teachers of Otago and Southland to forego their determination to mark tho close of their more immediate relationship in a most substantial and handsome rmwmer. Ho had not, however, been long in Duuedin la.sfc week when he found that some frioncls hud so laid their plans thathe could not escape them on the present occasion

without showing an amount of stiffness and churlishness which he was quite unwilling to display.— (Applause.) After all, he thought, he might congratulate himself upon the circumstance that this demonstration had not taken place until four years after he ftaa been in the service of the Colonial government, during which time he had naa other interests to attend to than those of Otago. This, he believed, showed that he had acquitted himself so as not to have forfeited the confidence and good-will of his Otago friends. —(Hear, hear.) His official position precluded him from speaking frankly or fully on 'the subject of the present Colonial educational system. He would have liked to have referred to the old educational system, but had not had time to prepare remarks on that subject, and would conclude what they must have thought a very egotistical address by again thanking them most cordially for their very handsome treatment of him, and for the reception they had given him.— (Continued applause.) Mr Donald Beid proposed " The Parha- \ ment of New Zealand." and expressed the hopo that the present Parliament would, m conduct and character,' maintain the reputation of the Colony. One thing that could be said of the New Zealand Parliament was that it had nobly done its duty in respect of education. Whether the change that had been made in the administration of education by the abolition of the provinces had been immediately beneficial to Otago he would not say, but it had been the means of spreading the blessings of education throughout the length and breadth of the Colony. The speaker also referred m highly complimentary terms to the guest of the evenm iVlessrsT. Bracken and T. Fergus, M.H.R. 's, responded on behalf of the Parliament. _ Mr W. D. Stewart proposed "The University," coupled with the name of the Rev. Dr, Stuart. He referred to the wisdom of providing the means of higher education, and expressed the opinion that the usefulness of the institution would rapidly increase, that it was not provided too soon, and that its founders had erected a monument more enduring than brass and more lasting than marble. The Rev. Dr Stuart fully endorsed the roxnarks made by Mr Stewart as to the wisdom of establishing the University at the time it was founded, and acknowledged the great help which had been received from Mr Macandrew and Mr E. B. Cargill. He had always i regarded the University as a first-born withan affection greater than he ceuld give expression to There was one thing in connection with it in'respect of which it differed from older universities. The older universities came first and the common schools last; but in this country they had with more wisdom first got the common school, then the grammar school, and then the University as the crown to the whole. This he had always regarded as evidence of the practical good sense of the rulers of the people in the province. He referred to the success which had attended the institution of the University so far, some of its students having taken first honours, and 6thers having passed very creditably. Dr Stuart, before concluding, also referred* in ,-terms of high praise to the guest of the evening. Mr E. B. Cae&ill proposed the Middleclass Schools," explaining that they were not schools, for the middle classes, there.being no dasß schools in the Colony;. but intermediate schools, and spoke < forcibly upon the necessity for such schools, as an' integral part of a complete educational system. „..,. . . Mr G M. Thomson replied to the toast in the p&ce'ol Dr Macdonald, who was unable to be present. ' ', , ' ' Mi Geo. Bell, in an admirable speech, in which he gave ;a review of the progress of the education question at Home, proposed " Common Schools." coupled with the name of, Mr John B. Park. * Mr Park responded to the toast, and m reference to primary education said the commoner and ;the more generally diffused, over the country it was the better, and expressed ,the opinion that the system was one of which any country in the world might be proud. He regretted that the compulsory clauses were not more strictly enforced, and said that had such clauses been enforced in a neighbouring Colony larrikinism would not be so rampant there as it is. It was true that, opening the school would shut the prison, with this reservation— that the whole of the child must be educated, for if they only educated the intellectual part and allowed the moral capacities to, remain darkened, they would make them clever, but they would be clever devils. Some said that the schools were godless, but that was a cry got up for a particular purpose, and was unjust and untrue. Some morality was inculcated from the lesson-books, and though something more was wanted, children attending the schools were taught the existence of the Deity, and their moral responsibility. Mr Febous, M.H.R., proposed " The Press," which was suitably responded to by Messrs George Bell and T. Bracken, M.H.R. Mr C. Macandrew proposed "The Ladies," and Mr D. White in an admirable address replied. Mr White, in the course of his reply, referred to the intellectual achievements of women, of their earnest work in the Church, their spiritual labours as teachers, and their unrivalled success on the lyric and dramatic stage. He regretted that masculine selfishness should, have dictated by custom that ladies should not be present at that assembly, which, would have been improved by bright eyes and fair faces. The age of chivalry, ne said, had: surely passed when they were found toasting one-half of humanity as the very last sentiment they desired to express.