ODD FELLOWSHIP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 281, 8 April 1869, Page 2

ODD FELLOWSHIP.

The annual dinner of the members of the Loyal Volunteer Lodge, No. 5428. A.0.F., was held at the Crown Hotel, Montreal street south, last evening His Honor the Superintendent occupied the chair, and was supported on the right by Mr. H. J. '1 ancrcJ, Speaker of the Provincial Council, and on tlie left by his Worship, the Mayor of Christchurch. Tlie vice-chair was tilted by Dr Dona'd, and Mr Wynn Williams, Provincial Solicitor, and Mr John Ollivier were amongst the invited guesfi|?7 The cloth being n-moved after full justice had been done to the substantial dinner served up by Host Power, the usual loyal and patriotic toasts were proposed and enthusiastically drunk. in proposing the health of his Excellency the Governor, the Chairman said he was proud to think that the people of New Zealand had a gentleman governing them who so well represented them and the , parent empire. The toast was drunk amid all the honour!-. Dr Donald, in proposing the health of his Honor theSuperint^ndent, . said that his presence i might be taken a ! s an evidence of the interest which his. Honor took in the social and domestic relations of those over whom iheawas'Cftlled upon : (o presides, ; .(.Hear, hear.) He thought those present would recognise in

it a laudable desire to make himself acquainted with those institutions which had been imported here and had flourished so well, He had therefore much pleasure iv proposing the health of the chief Magistrate of the pro ; viuce. The toast was drunk amid three-linies three. His Honor, after returning thanks for tha enthusiastic manner in which his health had been drunk, responded in the followingterms : — Gentlemen, I noticed the other day in a speech delivered by Lord Granville at a meeting in London, that he said his colleague (Mr Gladstone) observed on the morning after the Ministry was constituted, that it j was immaculate. Well, gentlemen, I dare say we could have made the same remark tha morning after we took office. However, gentlemen, Ido not pretend at all to be im-

■uacuii-.i.i*. _uo uut ueimrt* mat auy men are immaculate. We make — all of vs — great mistakes, and I am conscious of constantly making mistakes, but it is one of the greatest pleasures of my life when I meet a number of my fellow-citizens here, who cordially meet and forget those mistakes, and recognise that one is trying to do his duty and his best under the circumstances. (Cheers.) The times that have come now are difficult indeed. We know it privately, and I am sure that publicly it is no less so. The state of the colony at present is such as must make us all feel anxious, and the state of the province also as dependent in a great measure on the condition of the c-lony, is one whicli closely interests us all. As the elective head of the people here, I feel there is a great responsibility upon me at the present time. How ever, I urn quite satisfied that the people ol Canterbury will extend to me whit they always have extended to people whom they have chosen — the same generous feeling and appreciation to him who endeavours, however feebly, to serve them. (Cheers.) Di Donald has spoken of my being present here to-night. I must say that I take it ns a greai pleasure to be asked here to meet yoi this evening. There is nothing I lik< more than meeting as often as I can as many as possible of those whom j represent (hear, hear) — as it is my wisl to make myself acquainted with theii feelings, satisQel as I am that without doing so no man elected by them to the honourabh position which I now hold can occupy tha positiou a3 he ought. (Hear, hear.) I than! you again on behalf of myself and those wh( nre associated with me— gentlemen who hav< laboured hard in the service of the province and who are, I am satisfied, as zealouslj devoted as 1 "am myself to the interests of thi province. (Cheers.) ,: Tlie General Assembly " was proposed and responded to by Mr Tancred. In responding to the toast of the " Executive Council, 1 ' Mr Wynn Williams, whosi name was associated with the toast, tool occasion to eulogise the very valuable ser vices rendered gratuitously by Mr Mont yomery in the administration of the affairs o the province. Of course, all the members o the Executive did the utmost in their power but the public owed a deep debt of gratitud to Mr Montgomery for the great interes which he displayed on their behalf. (Cheers. His Honor rose to propose the Citj Co.uucil. He saidV&entlemen, two of tin previous toasts you nave drunk to the pros perity of two representative bodies in th colony — the General Assembly and the Pro vincial Council. Wi'.h' regard to the firs body, I must confess to a feeling of dissatis faction. Ido not think that that body doet or can for some years to come, represent th real mind of tha people. I think we are s geographically situated, that we shall no find men to go up to the Assembly who cai afford the time and leisure, and who have th means to devote themselves disinterestedly t< the service of the colony. lam yet, howevei of opinion that in the General Assembly sooner or Inter, will be the great battle of th colony— the great battle-field of the interest of our children and the future of the colon; as a whole. That I have no doubt of, but a" yet the people do not take that interest in th proceedings of tlie General Assembly whig will secure their being faithful ! y represented The next to*st proposed was thnt of th Provincial Council. I concur with ever* word uttered by Mr Tancred of the benefit which this province has received from th ProvinciHl Council, and those benefits hay been in proportion to the interest taken b; the people in sending to that body re presentalives who will truly represen their interests. (Hear, hear, and cheers. Upon that depends the success am i usefulness of the Provincial Council. Ever gentleman who hns presided over the Pre vincial Council of Canterbury from the com nenrement, and the members who hay taken part in its deliberations, have been credit to this province — (cheers) — and let tirely concur, from my own observation an from what I liave read and seen, that there i no body, the General Assembly certainly no excepted, which contains a body of me more earnestly determined to do their wor than the Provincial Council of Canterbury (Cheers). Well, gentlemen, we have drun the health of these bodies. I come with vi mixed pleasure to propose the health c another that is doing its work in this place i a manner beyond all praise. I mean tb ity Council. (Hear, hear). That body di not take its origin from the Genert Assembly: it sprung from the wants of th place, and originated, in the first instanc in the Provincial Council of th province. (Cheers.) There has, lam sur been no other desire here than to foster loci self-government and to throw the powers int the hands of the people wherever they wer willing to undertake them. The City Com oil is a body of local origin, and I am prou to say it is a most flourishing institution — on that has done its work in a manner that w should be proud of, and which has, like tt Provincial Council, been 1 presided over b men who have uniformly won the respect < oll r tbeir fellow-cl'tizenß. (Hear, hear

This observation apples especially to Mr; Anderson, who sits on my left. He is a gentleman who was among the first band of those brave settlers who came here seeking their fortunes — men who have laboured hard and whose labours we late comers owe [very much to. (Cheers.) lam proud to sej that the first men placed in the p>sition of Mayor, are men who so thoroughly deserve the confidence of their fellow-citizens. (Hear, hear.) I must confess that this toast is one which I should be very sorry to have fallen into any other hands than mine to propose, it is one which I feel deserves, as it will have, the enthusiasm of the body of gentlemen now met together. (Cheers.) The toast was enthusiastically drunk, and his Worship the; Miiyor returned thanks. Several other toasts, most of them the various lodges and office bearers, were drunk, and songs were sung by members of the company, which did not break up until a late hour.