ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLONY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 221, 18 September 1893, Page 2

ANNIVERSARY OF THE COLONY.

THE WRONG DATE,

(by telegraph.—parliamentary

REPORTER.)

Wellington, this day.

Is the enthusiastic way which is charactertic of him, the Hon. Dr. Pollen represented to the Council yesterday the great desirability ot correcting i the error in the date of the colony's anniversary day. He reminded the Council that in 1890 a resolution had been adopted by them to <he effect thab in thoir opinion the date should bo altered from 29th to 30th January, in order thab ib might be in accord with historical fact. Dr. Pollen mado reference to the fireb anniversary, and pointed out how error had crept in. The year 1840 was a leap year, and when the firsb anniversary came round the 30th fell on a Sunday, For the convenience of the celebration, Saturday, the 29th, was chosen, and from that day the 29th had been kept as the anniversary of the foundation of the colony. In those early times errors of thab kind wereeasily perpetuated. Auckland then comprised a handful of people. As Dr. Pollen put it, a Highland piper might have played in the Queen-Btreet swamps, and his piercing notes would have split the ears of the most distant resident of the town. Conscious that many of his brother Councillors considered this matter of the dato as trivial, Dr. Pollan warmly proceeded to show them that ib waß very important indeed that we should hold our celebration on the righb day. Whab would our brothers in America say, he asked, if they were obliged to celebrate the anniversary of the date of their independanco on the 3rd instead of 4th of July. The glory would have quite departed from it. Sir P. Buckley explained to the Dr. that the resolution referred to had, through some oversight, never reaohed. the Colonial Secretary, bub that now the matter had been brought under his notice he would endeavour to have the anniversary dato alterod.