The Banquet to Mr Bryce.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1836, 26 May 1886, Page 2

The Banquet to Mr Bryce.

The banquet given to Mr Bryce at Wellington on baturday was a highly successful affair. Mr Bryce made an •xcellcnt and feeling speech, in which ky thanked the people of Wellington for

the great honor which they had accorded to him. But Mi - Bryce did more. He vindicated the memory of the late Dr Featherstou from the aspersions made against it. Mr Bryce said ; —“ In Mr Husdeu's book, in the witness box, and in the pleadings in the Court, the name of Di’ Featherstou was mentioned. _ He could not claim to have been a political follower of Dr Featherstou, but that gentleman had a deep regard for him (Mr Bryce) which was reciprocated, and ho thought in this city he ought to do what lie could to relieve that gentleman’s memory from what he thought was a slander to him and to himself. A gentleman whoso defective memory must be a curse to him, remembered a conversation which took place eight years ago in which Dr Featherstou had expressed opinions adverse to him (Mr Bryce). He (the speaker) saw him frequently afterward, but ho never said anything about it, and of all men he had known in New Zealand, Dr Featherstou was the last person to traduce his character, and was the first person to come to him if he had anything to say. He (Mr Bryce) desired to say emphatically, once and for all, that of that conversation he did not believe a single word.” We arc rejoiced to find that Mr Bryce has done justice to the memory of a great and good man. Isaac Earl Featherstou was utterly incapable of the action attributed to him by Mr llusdcu.