BANQUET TO THE HON. MR. ROLLESTON.

Westport Times, Volume XVI, Issue 1967, 17 January 1882, Page 2

BANQUET TO THE HON. MR. ROLLESTON.

The Hon. Rolleston, Cabinet Minister, was entertained at dinner, at the Empire Hotel, on Thursday evening. Amongst strangers present were—Messrs Oliver Wakefield, Browning, "F. W, Martin- and Barron. A good number of townspeople attended. His Worship the Mayor performed the duties of the chair, and Mr Jno. Munro, M.H.R,, occupied the vicechair. The viands were of excellent quality, and were supplied in profusion. The excellence of the wines was also highly spoken of. The table was very tastefully arranged. After the good things had been done full justice to, the toast list was taken up. " Her Majesty the Queen," " the Prince of Wales and all the Royal Family," and " His Excellency the Governor," were toasted without response. The following other toasts were drunk : —" Our Guest," proposed by the Chairman and responded to by the Hon. Mr Rolle3ton ; " House of Representatives," proposed by Mr Bailie, responded to by Mr Muuro; "Civil

Service," proposed by the Vice-President, responded to by Messrs Revell and Wakefield ; " New Zealand Ministry," proposed by Mr Stitt, responded to by the Hon. Mr Rolleston; "Prosperity to Westport," proposed by Mr Rolleston, responded to by the Chairman ; " Commercial Interest," proposed by the ViceChairnian, responded to by Mr Bailie ; " The Ladies," proposed by the ViceChairman, responded to by Mr Mailer ; " The Press," proposed by the ViceChairman, responded to by the representative of this paper. Mr Rolleston, in toasting "Prosperity to Westport," thankfully acknowledged the kindness he had received here. He was pleased and gratified at the prospects of this place. As the centre of a large and important district it was bound to advance. With its coal, gold, timber, and back country, tliis was a district which could not fail. Speaking of the Ministry, Mr Rolleston said one of more ability and larger designs there might be, but none with the true colonising spirit more strongly developed. Messrs Webb-Bowen, Songten, audMunro contributed songs during the evening. The proceedings, which had been very pleasant, were brought to a termination at 11.40 p.m.

In proposing the toast of the evening, " Our Guest," the Chairman said it was with great pleasure he used the privilege of his position in asking them to drink U the health of their guest, the Hon. M_ Rolleston. Mr Rolleston was a distinguished member of a distinguished family, and was a splendid example of what a colonist ought to be. He had shown himself capable of acquitting himself well in every conceivable phase of Colonial life, indeed from objurgating oxen in the classic language of Automedon down to abolishing that hornets' nest at Parihaka, and shutting up Te Whiti—and the Bishop ; from managing a great Government Department to travelling over rough country with the best of them. His name was associated from an early period with the settlement of Canterbury, he had many times been Superintendent of that great Province, and had long represented one of its constituencies in the House of Representatives. Though not much given to weeping over the wrongs of the people, he had shown himself to be a man with the will and determination to people the waste places of the Colony, and to be always prominent in every work of progress. This was his first visit to the Buller, and the speaker believed we had acquired a powerful friend by his presence here, With great keenness of insight, with untiring energy and acumen, Mr Rolleston had inspected our coal and goldfields, and must have satisfied himself of the reproductiveness of a wise expenditure and encouragement by Government. He could not say that Mr Rolleston had given many direct promises and the people had been wise in not expecting or asking for such, nor had they bored him with many grievances ; the fact was they were content with the prospects of the district for the future, and allowed much of the past to be forgotten. But he might say that though they could not claim direct promises from the Minister it was but a fair warning to tell him that he had won their confidence, and they were satisfied that his acquaintance with their resources and the means required to develop them, was all that was necessary to have those means supplied., not as measures of mercy but as measures of true Colonial policy. The speaker hoped we should never forget the truly English arts of mixing politics with dining, energy with enjoyment, and welcome with hospitality. He wished Mr Rolleston long life as a Minister of the Crown, long life as a representative, and long life as a resident in New Zealand. (Applause.) The toast was duly honored. In responding, the Hon. Mr Rolleston said he was taken aback at the kind manner in which his health had been drunk, and he also felt gratified at the way in which he had been received in Westport. This was not his first visit to the Coast by any means, although ho hacl never before had the pleasure of visiting Westport. Ho had started on his present visit to the Coast as soon iifter the close of Parliament and conclusion of the elections as possiblo. He had intended to come last year, but he took the portfolio of Native Affairs temporarily, and this had prevented him leaving WeHiii"ton for any length of time. H?s expectations had been more than realised of the country through which ho had come. As a member of the Ministry he was gratified at the receptions he had received at the various placos. The country had just gone through the turmoil of a popular election, and he felt that now, as before ; the Ministry represented what the people wanted. Although he could do his sham of fighting—in the House with a politica? opponent, or without, with a Bishop—(laughter)—he did not think that fighting politicians wery the most acceptable to the people of New Zealand. The present Ministry represented the true colonising spirit. It was their endeavor to govern so that two blades of "rass would grow where only one grew now ; to settle two men where only one lived' now ; to increase the area of settlement ten or twenty-fold, and to provide ample means of hvhhood for every industrious settler that came to <ho Colony, It was men with thw*e aims—practical working men—who gained respect, In the struggle of politics they were apt to forget practical work o,f colonization,—wliat the people required of them. High birth, wealth, intellect, or ability did not alone ensure for men the respect of their fellows, but the man with the greatest sympathy with the greatest number, if endowed with a fair amount of brains, would get to tlio top of the tree in public affairs, He did not think for a moment that the present Government was the only body of men capable of attending to the affairs of the Colony. There were plenty of men in New Zealand to take his place, and the plrees of his colleagues, when the time came. From his long experience in New Zealand lie recognised that it was the man thoroughly in earnest who always gained the respect of his fellow citizens. He (the speaker) had always had it, and hoped never to loso it. (Applause.) He had travelled all over the Colony in the performance of his duties, and he could say without egotism that few men had seen more than himself. His experience led him to believe that the people of this Colony were entering upon a period of prosperity such as they had not before enjoyed. In coming over from Nelson lie had been exceedingly struck with the happy mixture of mining and agriculture, tt was the object of his

Department to foster both industries. He did not think the worth of the interior as a field for agriculture had yet been properly appreciated. So far the country had only been '' scratched." The Minister concluded by assuring the company that the Government would do its utmost to develop the resources of the country, and again stated his conviction that New Zealand was about to experience a time of great prosperity, pointing to the trade which is springing up between the Colony and the islands to the north as an instance.