The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1874.

Auckland Star, Volume V, Issue 1480, 7 November 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News and the Morning News.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1874.

Yi'r th« cßiis? tluu lnckn *.snl«txnc«, For llu- wronc i. hi i,u'.-.U r«siy,-,*ace, for tils f- '.«;■!» in llie itUtnufe. A-st*. p v» <,-*o<l thai w« er.ii 60.

We cordially endorse the desire of the City Council to give a proper reception to our new Governor. Bat there is a fitness in things, and this should not be traversed even in the exhibition of loyalty. It is known, indeed it was mentioned at the meeting of the City Council, that bis Excellency Sir James Fereusson will be in Auckland to receive hi? successor, and we trust that good taste will suggest the propriety of no extravagant manifestations of public rejoicing at an even! which cannot be dissevered from th( departure of the gentleman who has held, and will at that time be holding, Her MajestyS Commission as her representative ir, New Zealand. The short tenure of Sir James Fergusson's vice-regal office may not have afforded opportunity for hit leaving any very marked impress on the his tory of New Zealand, but he has exercised the functions of a constitutional Governor iD a manner that has won for him respect and popularity. Amid the complications of our queer constitutional machinery he has not been entangled, and while he has laboured industriously to familiarise himself as wel] with every portion of New Zealand, aB with every public question, and while he has m> doubt exercised a potent influence on the politics of the country, no one has ever even insinuated that he has lent himself to. clique or party. We are not callcf] on to speak for the rest of the colony, but we do know that in Auckland Sir James Fergusson is popular, and we venture to say that it would be at least quite as fitting for the City Council and the other local authorities to give a cordial farewell to the retiring Governor as ifc is to join in worship of the rising run. Far be it from us to urge that there should not be a fitting welcome to the Marquiß of Normanby. He comes to Auckland as the Governor designate, but he comes as a private nobleman. Until he reaches Wellington, and receives there the trust from Sir George Arney or whosoever may be acting Governor, he will not be actually the Queen's representative, and any demonstration of " loyalty " on his arrival here will be Bimply misplaced and unmeaning. But wholly irrespective of' this we are confident that that there is good taste enough in Auckland to admit that, both thejretiring and the coming Governors being present in the same place at the same time, it would be more becoming that any demonstration of public feeling should be towards the Governor whom we know rather than towards a gen. tleman who is yet to be proved. The Marquis of Normandy has, we observe from Queensland papers, taken hia departure from his late Government amid fetes and farewell banquets that testify to the esteem in which he was held, and that afford to New Zealand a guarantee of the popularity which he will here attain ; and if we do not mistake the people of Auckland, 'they will feel pleasure in having an opportunity of paying a disinterested and sincere tribute of respect to Sir James Fergusson on hia leaving New Zealand for ever. If there is to be a demonstration at all we certainly think that this is the direction in which it should tend ; unless indeed we are to be guided in such things by the principle which is said to be the essence of gratitude, "A lively sense of favors to come."