The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-27 00:00:00

AIYNITB
TH.REAE RY OF THE FOUNDATION OF
AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

Yesterday being the 70th anniversary of the
settlement of the Australian colonies, a dinner took

place at the Albion Tavern, to celebrate the event.
The chair was occupied by Sir Charles Nicholson,
D.C.L., late Speaker of the Legislative Council,
New South Wales. The vice-chairmen were—Wm.
Archer, Esq., representing Tasmania ; H. C. Chil-
ders, Esq., ditto Victoria ; E. Hamilton, Esq.)
ditto New South Wales ; E. Stephenson, Esq',
ditto South Australia. The stewards were—H-
G.
Ashurst, Esq., W. F. De Salis, Esq.
John. Dobie,
Esq., F. A. Du Croz, Esq., Win. Degitra.voe Esq.,
riffiths,
J. Dunn, Esq., A. L. Elder, Esq-*.".:`,. ach, Esq., L.
Esq., J. Gilchrist, Esq., Donald IjA7A.
foul, Esq.,
Makinnou, C. D. Riddell,
A. W. Young, Labouchere, the
Esq., M.P. EAc.is_...'ong the guests pre-
sent were—the Right Hon.
Right Hon. Speaker o
_Ath.e House of Commons,
Churchill, the Right
Lord A. Beauclerk, Lord
Hon. Sir John Pakington,
.the Right Hon. W.
Mangles,
Gladstone, Sir R. Murchison, Captain
Cum-
M.P., S. pAergi3Omn Esq. MY., Major Gen.
erivale, Mr. La Trobe, Major
berland, ,
ri Dawson, Capt. Sturt, Capt. Conran,
Gipps,
Capt. Ramsbottom, Mr. Gardner. Among the cola
ists present were :—Right Hon. Lord Andley,
litesses. M. Marsh, M.P. , W. M. Manning, LL. D., F.
11. Dutton,G. Elder, E. Willis, H. Hughes, A. Lang-
horne, R. Sutherland, Walker, R. Brooks, E.
Westby, ch. About 160 gentlemen sat down to
dinner.
Letters of excuse were received from the following
noblemen and gentlemen :—The Duke of New-
castle, Lord Monteagle, Earl of Hardwicke, Lord
Stanley, Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, Count &aye-
lecki, Lord Goderich, Captain Gray, Right Hon.
Sir Charles Wood, Sir C. Trevelyan, Sir C. Fitz-
Roy, Mr. Rowland Hill, Lord J. Russell, Colonel
Robe, and the Lord Mayor.
The CuareadraN, in proposing the health of her
Majesty, the Prince Consort, and the royal family,
stated that in no part of her dominions were her
Majesty's qualities as a sovereign, or the graces of
her private life more appreciated than in Australia,
and her health was always drunk with as much en-
thusiasm 16,000 miles away as it was in England.
The Prince Consort, he had reason to know, in
addition to his devotion to other matters connected
with the prosperity of this country and its depen-
dencies, was well acquainted with the history and
condition of the colonies. On such an occasion he
could not but call on the company to express their
sympathy with that illustrious lady who had yes-
terday become a royal bride, amidst the acclama-
tions of a great people—acclamations which would
not be limited to these islands, bat would be re-
echoed to the utmost parts of the British empire,
and nowhere more cordially than in Australia.
(Cheers) It was understood that one of the sons
of the Queen was determined to enter the navy, and
if Prince Alfred should, in the pursuit of his pro-
fession, chance to visit Australia, he might be sure
of receiving a loyal and hearty welcome from the
colonial subjects of the Queen. (Cheers.)
The CHAIRMAN then proposes' " the Army and
Navy," alluding to the services of our soldiers in
India, and stating that, in the event of the con-
tinuance of the war in the Crimea. Australia would
have been ready to take her active share in this
greatnationalicontest. She had by her contributions
to the Patriotic Fund, towards which New South
Wales alone had contributed 70,000/., shown her
sympathy with the army and navy engaged in that
war. In the naval service Australia felt a deep in-
terest ; the discovery of that colony was due to the
great navigator, Cook, and she owed a debt to
many other officers of the navy for services per-
formed on her sea-board.
The toast was drunk with much enthusiasm, and
was responded to by Major-General Cumberland
and Lord A. Beauclerk.
The CHAIRMAN then iproposed " Her Majesty's
Ministers, and Mr. Labouchere, the Secretary for
the colonies." He said that in arranging the de-
tails of the present festival, it was intended that it
should be regarded simply as a social meeting of
colonists who were now in London, and it was not
at first desired that it should assume the present
character and aspect. The Australian colonists had
their local politics ; but in this country they had no
political creed but that of undivided allegiance to
the Queen and respect for all constituted ministers
and administrators. This, as colonists, was their po-
litical creed in England, and it was also their poli-
tical feeling in the colonies. It had, however, been
suggested that they should solicit the honour of the
company of several gentlemen distinguished in po-
litical life and is the scientific world who had magi-
fasted an interest in the prosperity of the Australian
colonies. That request had been kindly complied
with by many of those gentlemen—by the right
hon. gentleman the Secretary for the Colonies, by
Mr. Gladstone, by Sir John Pakington, and by Sir
R. Murchison—(cheers)—to which last gentleman
the Australian colonies owed no small acknowledg-
ment, on account of his having predicted, by scien-
tific induction, the existence of gold in those colo-
nies, and whose predictions, if they had been at-
tended to, would have led to the working of the
gold fields years before they were entered upon.
He could not, in proposing the toast, pass by with-
out acknowledgment the ability, urbanity and
kindness which characterised the conduct of the
right honourable gentleman who now filled
the office of Colonial Secretary. (Hear, hear.)
It was impossible for any one to have any
intercourse with that right hon. gentleman with-
out coming to a sincere conviction that he was ac-
tuated by an earnest desire to do his duty to his
sovereign, and to the colonies over which he pre-
sided. (Hear.)
Mr. LA.BOUCIIIICRE, who was received with much
applause, in returning thanks for the compliment
which had been paid to her Majesty's Ministers,
said that the task of administering the affairs of a
country like this was always a heavy burden, and
the times in which we lived were not calculated to
form an exception to the rule. Her Majesty's
Government were fully conscious that they could
only discharge their duties with advantage to the
sovereign and the country, and with honour to
themselves, by receiving
of the great body of th intelligence of the people.
To himself it was a gratification of no ordinary
kind to accept the invitation he had received to be
present on this occasion to take advantage of the
kindness and hospitality which were offered to him,
and to avail himself of the opportunity of meeting
a large number of gentlemen who were interested
in the noblest British colony, and to be able to ex-
press his deep sympathy in the objects which had
assembled them together on that day. There had
been times when the relations between the Austra-
lian colonies and the Colonial-office were not alto-
gether of an amicable description. (Hear, hear.)
He had no wish to go back to those times. (Hear,
from Mr. Gladstone, cheers, and laughter.) He
believed that that state of things was not owing to
the fault of former colonial rulers, who were men
of the highest ability and of the purest and most
patriotic intentions ' • but it was the fault of the
system, under which no man could well perform
IA duty. The affairs of a colony thousands of miles
off; and of a people naturally jealous of their rights,
were conducted at borne under a system full of de-
lays and complications, and the result could be no
other than discontent and dissatisfaction. We had
changed all that—(hear, hear)—and had adopted a
simpler and wiser process ; and in order to govern
the colonies well we had resolved to govern very
little—(loud cheers)—and to leave the manage-
ment of the details of Australian affairs altogether
to Australians. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) It was
thought that they could manage their own affairs
.1110r6 wisely and effectively, and certainly more
satisfactorily to themselves. (Hear, hear.) They
may have made
not, the some mistakes • but if they had
government of Australia would have been
unlike any other in t
did, the remedy washe world. At any rate, if they
their administrationsat hand. They could change
the Australians were;loat-
lie plan which it was found
hear hter. slow to adopt. , and lau (Hear,
g
never
from a Governor of Austral opened a despatch
he found it stated
that he was in the midst ofl. but
ghter)—tatra
iniaterial crisis—
(hear, hear, and 'au
hel had got rid of
one set of ministers and was
out for
ghteoro)kwh:lfhat, another. (dear, hear, andlau
how-
ever, was the action of a free people
ex-
ercising their rights, and it was conditioonvilered
ent
to those free institutions and that responalibeli
go-
vernment under which the Australian colonieseweprospering. (Hear, hear.) He had endeavoureril
during the time he had been at the Colonial-office
to conduct his relations with the colonies in the
spirit which was due to their responsible govern-
ments. There could be no greater mistake than to
give a colony responsible government and not
allow it to have fair play. Ho had acted on the
principle of giving it fair play, and he had found
most excellent coadjutors in that policy in the able
men who were now the Governors of the Australian
provinces. Fortunat.?ly for the two most con-
siderable of these provinces, on the inauguration of
responsible goverment they had the advantage of
the co-operation of Sir William Dennison, at New
South Wales, and Sir Henry Barkly, at Victoria.
(Hear.) One of the most important functions which
remained to the Minister for the Colonies was the
recommending to the Crown those persons who
were to occupy the places of governors in those
colonies—so much depended on their sagacity,
judgment, and temper.
.Only one of the present
-
governors was appointed since he had been Colonial
Secretary—the Governor of Victoria ; but he had
had the satisfaction of recommen.ding Sir H. Barkly
for that office, and be was sure it would be difficult