RECEPTION AND DINNER TO OUR VOLUNTEER REPRESENTATIVES.

Waikato Times, Volume III, Issue 136, 22 March 1873, Page 2

RECEPTION AND DINNER TO OUR VOLUNTEER REPRESENTATIVES.

Tjih representatives arrived at Onehuugit from Nelson in tbo s.s. WeHmglon on Wednesday morning. On landing tiioy ! we-e paraded by Major Oordon, and invitations issued to a : complimentary dinner at the Mumc Mill, Symonds street. Ihe M.nor of Auckland then road the following address:— i "Major Gordon and gentlemen representatives of the Nortlie/n jinn inee of New Zealand for the ]m,t- firing at NelsonAllow me, in tho name of the citizen's of Auckland, to bid ! you heart j welcome back to jd\ir homes, and sincerely to congratulate }ou on the proud position tfris pi ertinbe "lias taken at the priae-flring, more particularly the Thames district. It reflects the largest amonnt of credit and lionor upon you, and gives great satisfaction to the inhabitants of the province. . Io 3011, Major Gordon, I feel the Volunteers arc in some measure indebted for their success. lam requested, gentlemen, by Mr Brewer, on behalf of the residents of Oncliungn, to solicit jou to pnrtakc of their hospitality." The racmberspf the Auckland Volunteer Corps viere invited to muster at the junction of the Kjber Pass road and S.\ inonda street. The reception eicited f-bnsiderablo interest ; two had won 'Champion Befts— Lieut Hoskins is Champion of New Zealand and Volunteer Douglas holds the Champion I'avaln Belt. In tho evening a banquet was gircn to the successful and unsuccessful candidates. About IGO were present. His Worship tho Mayor occupied the chair; on his right sat Lieut. Hopkins and Captain Murray, on" the left tho lion. Mr vbgel, G'.M.G . Mnjor Tisdiifl occupied the vice-chair. Tho chairman, after the removal of tho' doth, gave the usual loyal toasts."* Colonel Ljon, la rising 'to respond for the " Army, Navy, and Colonial Forces," was received with loud cheers. He .thaukecUlte Volunteers, as an old olUcer of the British army, j for the manner they had received the first part of the- toast. He- was sure that wherever' the British army was called it would go and gather fresh laurels. As to the navy, it Mas the service of which all British men and British women, too, were justly proud. If there was any expend which the British taxpayer thought little 'of it was tho millions that were. spent upon British ships. "H e had seen a statement ; copied in one of the localjmpers that morning^ coming from Mr Gosehen (First Lord of the' Admiralty), to! the-eiT^t tnat taking Sranee,. North Germany, *usa«v«&d the United States— the whole of these four countries could not produce shfps equal to tliosc of tie British service for the purposo for which they were intended. ITIO moaning of that appeared to be, that England could cope with the whole of the navies of the world. As to the Colonial Forces, ho had a right to respond, to that part especially, for lie was not only a Volunt'crttiidaMilitiaman.butaConstable. (Clieersaud Iwighter.) Uc had seen what all these forces could do. He saw some gcutlpmjm present who had served under his command, aud whenever again called upon they would be ready to do their duty. . " " ' Captain Derrom also responded briefly. > To the toast of " The Cabinet Ministers," Mr Togel replied a? follows : Mr Mayor and Gentlemen,—! thank you very much for the cordial manner in which you have responded to tiielmlWafc. I regret unavoidable cirruinstances have, prcvw.tqtl inj_ lion colleague, Mr McLean, being present. I regret it for his o.ui Mike," because I am suro it would have been a" great pleasure to one who has taken so much interest in all tho Forces of the colony to see hew higfily they are respected and esteemed by their follows a ' shown here tin, by the number of the attendants. Ire VPJ, ou ar 'V perbaps aware, in atft-ndiince upon Sir I (ieorgcnnc^Wyßoiren. I Uiauk 3011 Cor the Minihtrv Whether the MmUUf ] line bee,} sj.a^ft.l in ipronwtmg ; the jntorest of the colony" or not, this *,c, c ihm\ l-Ac credit for —I speak on beh-ilf* "of my colleague^ jnd mj self—a sincere ' desire to promot p, the success rf fhis Vol.mJeer movement, aud to benefit tho "colony -us a whole. I can appeal to' tho«c gentlrmen wJio Hve taken part in these ride con- ' tests during the last tno yeaw, whether they have not ] been aWo to see great iniprou-inentri, not m one ] province only, ( but in eu>vy pait of the country tliey I Jiavc usited. Spchk"n'g generally, it would be ditlicidt to find a|i.r cofcny which is/on Ul6 wholtf, incfre prosperous than New Zealand is at present, or which gues greater prominc o ' prosperity for the future. (Cheers.) But that prosperity will not attend upon *Le conduct of the Ministry, l>,,t on ' tlie conduct of the great mass of the people themselvesupon their energy, their perseverance, their readiness to I take advantage of and doA clop the great resources whioh ' Providence has place in their hands. Now, not only are the Volunteers of the North successful, but more sue- ' cessfut than has C v cr l, ee n the case before, for they ' heaved uioic nuika this year tlun have Wn sc.it- 1 m auy pic\wu.i >uu. (LbLti-jj Au«l 1 Hunk it is - v '

ciicmnstance that AulU.mul has tvoiy leason to be proud o\ | I may sir, in regards the General Assembly, that although 1 there are a few who call m question votes for Volunteer pur- ' poses, yet they bring into contnut what is ple.isrmt to witness, namely, the largo mimber of Mippd-fcrs there, avo in the A-«embly in favour of any proposal to beueiiL the Yoluntoers. Wo have tried paid troops, and we have tnud Volunteer troop-,. 1 Hunk 1 may bay Unit weha\o found, lr\ cxporionce, that we tire uhlo to dp with our own ibi'cej. in the colony, and that wo. fiud theae forces can work uell to^ctlier (Cheers ) The present prosperity of the colon j and the experience of la-«t year, show uk that we are quite right jimhing on tlieloial fom-i lul all the defciifc we mj-v net d (The hon gout leinan Ml down anjid loud eljters) ilr Lusk replied for the Superintendent and members of the Kxmitne. J.ioutenant /loslins and Volunteer J)ougl:n rf«pomled for " The Champion Shots of New Zealand " Captain ]\lurray, Major Gordon, and several others followed, i