ARRIVAL AND LANDING OF HIS EXCELLENCY CAPT. FITZROY.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 1, Issue 37, 30 December 1843, Page 2

ARRIVAL AND LANDING OF HIS EXCELLENCY CAPT. FITZROY.

The arrival of a new Governor must, under all circumstances, be an interesting event to those whom he is about to govern ; to the inhabitants of New Zealand it was the realization of the hopes of many months, and was hailed with unfeigned delight. In consequence of the late arrival of the Bangalore on Saturday evening, and because the two following days were Sunday and Christmas, His Excellency decided upon landing publicly at 11 o'clock on Tuesday, he however, attended Church, both on Sunday and Christmas Day. The town's people have been all alive ever since the arrival of the Bangalore in our harbour, long beforo the hour appointed for his Excellency's landing, the streets were crowded with persons of all sexes, ages, size?, and colour, each anxious to be the first to manifest his respect for the representative of our Sovereign, and to welcome him heartily to our shores. Plis Excellency landed in Commercial Bay, precisely at the hour appointed, when a salute was fired by H.M.S. North Star, which convoyed him from Sydney. The soldiers presented arms, and the assembled people heartily and repeatedly cheered His Excellency, who shortly addressed them, and stated, that ho had come to them with (the object of doing them all the good he could. His Excellency then walked to Government House, attended by tho Colonial Secretary, Mrs. Fifczroy, accompanied by her father, General OBrien, and Sir Everard Home, the Commander of the NortJi Star, immediately followed. The principal officers of Government, the officers of the Garrison and those of the North Star walked in procession, and the people promiscuously sur- | rounded His Excellency, cheering as they i moved along. The principal shops and stores in the town were decorated with flags of various devices, and where flags could not be procured, their place was supplied by gaudy and lively coloured handkerchiefs. There was a want of arrangement about the proceedings which, instead of injuring the effect, hightened it still more. The promiscuous and irregular order in which the people moved along with, surrounded and followed His Excellency, conveyed the idea of a feeling of kee.n and living interest in the object of the day's proceedings. On arriving at Government House, the people stood in the area in front, where Mi-. Coates, the Clerk of Council, had established a table covered with the various papers and documents necessary for the occasion.

The Clerk of Council commenced by reading some proclamations relative to the Colony, its boundaries, separation from New South Wales, &c. The Proclamation ap. | pointing Robert Fitzroy, Esq., Captain in j Her Majesty's Royal Navy, Governor of Ne^ ! Zealand and its Dependencies, was tiien read, when his Honor the Chief Justice tendered tho usual oaths of Office, which were subscribed by His Excellency. The oaths of Office were also respectively administered to tho j Chief Justice, the Colonial Secretary, tho j Attorney General, the Colonial Treasurer, > and to W. F. Porter, Esq., one of the mem. ! bers of the Legislative Council. The Com. ' mission appointing Henry Samuel Chap. man, Esq., Barrister at Law, was likewise read, and the oaths administered to him as one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of New Zealand. „ His Excellency after addressing a few words to each of his officers, retired for a short time, and again appeared in the verandah,' when the military presented arms, " God save the Queen" was played by tho ' band, and the people after repeatedly cheer- ; ing His Excellency, quietly dispersed. !