BANQUET TO THE HON. MR SHEEHAN.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1024, 16 January 1879, Page 2

BANQUET TO THE HON. MR SHEEHAN.

[per ' herald' special wire.J THAMES, Monday night. A mxQUitt 1 was given this eveningto the Hon. the Native Minister m the Gresham Hall. His Worship the Mayor of Thames, (Mr McOullough) occupied the chair, the guesf of the evening on his riyfht hand, supported by Col. Frazar, fl'lajor Keddell, R.M. Mr A. Brodie, Chairman, or the County Council occupied the vice-chair. About 100 gentlemen sat down to dinue?. The cloth being removed, the usual loyal toasts were drank amid general cheering-, — " The Queon,' The Prince ot Wales and the rejfc,' 1 of the Royal Family," " His Excellency the Governor," &3. The Mayor proposed the toast of the evening, " Our Guest, the Hon. j John Sheehan." (Loud cheers.) The Hon. the JS'ative Minister, m ' rising to respond to the toasfc, was : received with loud cheer 3. He said he requ ; red no introduction to the people of the Thames. He had known them long, an! they had known him a like length of tim \ He had always endeavoured to pro mote the interests of the golclfields. He remembered when gold was discovered. A short time previously a friend said he would go to Japan. For himself, he thought of going fo ICai para, but the disco very of gold brought a numerous and valuabl population. Auckland had given men and capital, and the Provincial Council of Auckland had dote wba 1 ib cou'd to develop the lasources of the district. He had for a lonjr time bean associated with the exertions of the local Government m rendering that assistance. (Hear.) It was sometimes a difficult thing to

ascertain wh d wan most useful or needed. At an early period oi the history of the gol I field, the land of the^ Upper Tin 111*8 came info public notice, fh-3t as a fijld for extended gold prospecting, and next ao a locality suited for the settlement o? a large mining or agricultural population. The opeuing-up of this land was a source of constant solicitude to the late Mr Williamson, who wa^s then Superintendent of the Proviuce of the Province of Auckland. In that capacity he had made representations to the Government of the colony, and taken acii?e meisures himself tj bring about the opening of the Upper Thames country. It was during those active explorations of the country thut its connection with che fertile lands of the Waikato became a subject of general interest. A.t a very early period the Thames and the Waikato people saw the advantages to be derived from such a connection as a railway would give. The Thames would be a large market for agricultural produce, and its special resources would have an increased attraction for all who had labor or capit.il to contribute towards the development of the colony. He had, for the first time, m the last few days journeyed through the country, aad land more suitable to the purposes of agriculture could not be found. When Mr Macandrew, the Minister for Public "Works, visited the district, a short time since, he expressed the highest opinion of its resources ; and, further, he had discovered, that Otago was not New Zealand ! Every man present must be glad to hear of such an opinion coming from so practical a man. Mr Sheehan then referred to the socalled Bro^mhall Settlement, and to he endeavors which had been mads by the Government to obtain from Mr Broomhall the surrender of his riyhts m this matter. The more he (Mr Sheehan) had considered the vhole subject, the more he became convinced of the injustice of giving the heart and kernel of the country into the hands of strangers, while here were men m the country — men forming part of a large and industrious population — who were ready to occupy and cultivate the land if they had ach >nc3. (Ch.'ers.) The e was apparently an iibsetiC3 of my practical intention on the part •f Mr Broomaall to occupy the land, seeing that, beyond che deposit lecessary to be made, the cjlor of lis money had not become visible. '}ub there were rumors that a laro-e jompany was to be tstablished — a and investment company, - by .vhich Mr Broomhall woulil gain an immense profit, without the expenditure of a single penny of his money to the benefit of the land. This land had been got hick, find he hoped that ifc would be soon open for settlement— (cheers)— -by the men wno had made th« district of Thames <vhafc i^ was, and who were here froii the b?ginning. • He referred to the efforts oi the Government to secure lands for the purpose of a public estate. He thought the 'lovernment wa3 justified m this respect, for it was only by means of i large public landed estate than the railways m the North could bo ■secured. He regret ed thnt m doi ig this they had s!i< red up soon enmity on the part of those who were endeavoring to secure large tracts of native lands for themselves an.l the'r friends. Thesa pjople exerdUe 1 considerable power and influence, •vhich were arrayed against the Government m their endeavor to icquire native lan Is for public pur-ooser-s and geueial utility. Let no one imagine that ha was m favor of breaking up big estates. He believed m the general public advantage to be derived from large owners, but surely the Government had an equal right to secure some portion of the country as an estate for the public (Cheers.) Tlih people had a right r.o. reap some of the benefits of large expenditure, awd that the public should have the benefio of the unearned increment of land. The previous Governments promised much. They talked of flying surveys, and were disposed to do great things whenever they wished to ingratiate the people of this parb of the i country. Thero was a railway which hnd always been m favor when tl c Thames peap'e were to be courted, i hut somehow it fell into the background, and year after year no progress ha^l been mad«j. But after what had been done by the Premier si the colony only a few days since — the turning of the first sod of the railway, — the thing was no longer m the clouds. That line was now stamped with tha authority of the Government, and the Government were determined it should bo carried out. It w^s now apparent that one of the best hopes for tho progress of the northern district of the colony was t!;e accomplishment; of this work. ' A certain states nan, now connected with a newspaper m Wellington, had declared that this Hue would not pay for grease for the wheels. (Cries of ' Name ! Name ') It is not necessary to mention names. (Cries of < Pollen I 1 ) If the people of the Thames had the railway through, they would huve all along he line the conditions of a payable railway. All this they had m tho Waikato. They have good land, large population, and growing traffic. They h tve experienced some depression, and it was said the bigpump must be stopped. Mr Brodie might probably find the means to keep the big pump going, bub they had not arrived at anything like the full development of their resources. They had yet barely dealt with the surface. From all that could be

learned, there was auiiiitnenaoßiippiy of -undeveloped wealth Speaking °p fcl ? Tlumes suggested the mention of the harbor works. This kind of public works had been at a discount lately. When anything was to be none, seveial voices cried out for harbor works, but the Darwinian theory would apply to that. The survival of the fittest would probably be the end, but when they had the railway, they would find that tho extension of their works will become a public necessity. By Ins office he was charged with the interests of the native race, and ie was an office of great anxiety. He would abide to be judged by results He would be content to wait for the recognition of his contribution to the public service iv this department. He thought twelve months would enable all to judge what he had contributed to the conservation and the friendly progress of the naiive people. Be could assure the gentlemen present that the native difficulty did not proceed from the native people. It was nob so. The difficulty wag made rather by Europeans. The persona .vho worked mischief were those who sought to possess native lands, who endeavor to cover broad acres with their money, who stepped between the natives and tho Government, and prevented those who would try honestly to solve the native difficulty from, accomplishing that object. It was not the natives who placed the King against TLewi, and Rewi against the King. It harl been stated m a newspaper that the Hon. John Sheehan had been turned back from Mokau by a chief, Tetikau. That statement had no foundation. He had not been to Mokau. There was no such chief as Tetikau. He would be.-poak generosity for the native pejple. If they treated the natives with justice, they might depend upon reaping their reward, not only m the fruit which would come of that policy, but m the gratitude of the native race, m the acknowledgment of all men that they acted worthy of the land and people from which, as colonists they had sprung-. He would not detain them at any greater length, but assured them that he would ever be anxious to promote the welfare of the Thames. He lemernbered a man whom he regarded as tho model of a statesman, — the late John Wiliamson. Mr Williamson had the greatest confidence m the Thames, and that confidence was not shaken up to tho time of his decease. And when MiWilliamson was removed by death, there came into authority another public man. Sir George Grey. (Cheers.) The Premier had shown his leep sympathy with theThame3, — with their iocil wants, and the necessity of opening to is population the fertile lauds which lay around it. Tho loon, gentleman re 3 >me;l his seat a-ni-lst loud and general cheers. Mr Rowe prjpoaed, " The Local Governing Bjdios." Responded to by Mr McGowan, on behalf of the Borough Council ; Mr BroJip, o:i bjhalf of the Thames County Ojunc 1 ; Mr Davis, on behalf of the Harbour Board. Col. JEVazer (K.AI.) proposed " The Mining an.l Agricultural Interests." Messrs Walker and Comer responde I for the Mining interest ; Mr C. Comes responded for the agricultural intoivs's. The Hon. Mr Sheehan, m pro. posing 'The Representative Natives.' sai-1 th it ths Te Aroha block was now ihe property of the Crown, and the only tiling ih it remained to ba done w.is to alloc.it e the native ressrves. au:l to iu';divi»le the lands. Toe su vey s'aff ha I made great progress and would be increased, tie hoped by the cbsu of the fiuuncial ye ;r to have these lands iv a forward state of preparation for settlement. Hona rfihe, M.H.R, (Mr Grace interpreter), said: L thank you for the compliment you have paid to thb native members and native people, European and native members are pulling well together for good of both races. Oiptain Taipiri (Mr Graoe inters prater) thanked the'eompany present for the honor they had done him and his people. The fact that the company had done so showed that the. European and Native rases were besoming united. Europeans had knowledge to teach their friends. Mr Allom proposed, " Our visitors " Mr Riisclen, (Clerk of Parliaments, Victoria) and Major lvcddoll (R. M. Coromandel) responded. MrR. M. Scott p.oposeJ, "The Ladies" ; and Mr Mcllhone. "Tho Press"; after which the company separated.