THE GREAT SOUTHERN RAILWAY.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 802, 25 May 1865, Page 2

THE GREAT SOUTHERN RAILWAY.

Yesterday, being already a holiday and time of merriment, was aptly chosen by Messrs Holmes and Co. as the day for turning the first sod of the Great Southern Railway with all the ceremonial befitting so important an event. The public have been eagerly looking forward to the time when the state of our i provincial affairs would admit of this work being taken in hand, and the fact that it had now been actually commenced gave a reality to the general mirth, and was a substantial cause for congratulation. The weather was fortunately propitious; the threatened sou-wester had cleared -away, and though the wind blew keenly the sun was bright and warm. Altogether, for a winter, or at least a very late autumn day, a more favorable morningfor-the occasion could hardly have been expected. ," ; The time fixed for the ceremony was one o'clock, and the place opposite the goods station on the right side of Colombo street. Soon, after noon there appeared a general gathering in'that direction, and a large number of intending spectators were wenduntheir way down the street; presently the sound of drums and, fifes was heard, and the Volunteers, who earlier in the day had mustered in strong force at their drill shed and gone through the usual military demonstrations of rejoicing, came marching up with band playing' and colors flying, and attended by a large throng of admiring citizens. The Yeomans*. Volunteers headed the march, then came the Band, and the several companies of Rifles followed _xv long column. On reaching the intended spot, where a small- space had been enclosed within which the ceremony of turning the first turf vraa to be performed, they drew up in line, and remained steadily, in their ranks till called on to take their share in .'the proceedings; - Great interes! was shown in watching what was to take place within the' enclosed precincts, and tbe crowd pressed round so thickly that the police had some little trouble in keeping a way clear for those who were privileged to take their places inside. Those who h«d ridden or driven to the spot enjoyed a' great advantage over their pedestrian neighbours, bnt the most favored of

all were a party of men who directly they came on the ground, with an eye for position which showed great strategic -ability, stormed a small house that

stood close alongside, and mounting on the roof from

.!*at eminence secured a commanding view of the ecene beneath. Whether what they saw was thought worth tlie trouble is not so certain, for the whole performance hardly took up a minute's time. Mrs. Bealey advanced to where the spade and wheelbarrow had been placed (we should have mentioned that these were exceedingly fancy articles provided j expressly for the occasion, and that the wheelbarrow was gaily painted and decorated, and adorned with a j commemorative inscription) with some little assistI ance from Mr. Holmes she placed a spadeful of earth I into the barrow, and then wheeled it along the plank and emptied it out on to the ground at the further side. Thus the first sod was turned and all the work that had to be done was duly accomplished. Three cheers were given; and the band struck up God save the Queen, and then the Volunteers fired their feu dejois, the band after each of the three vollies breaking out with a verse of the National Anthem.

A great number of the company now adjourned to the other side of the road to the goods station, where Mr. Holmes, with his usual large hospitality, had provided a first-rate lunch, to which about 350 guests sat down. The room, admirably adapted for the reception of so large a party, had been decorated with flags and evergreens, while Kohler's band performe • at intervals some lively airs with their usual effect. After lunch was over the healths of "The Queen," the " Prince of Wales and the Boyal Family," and "The Governor," were proposed, and received with due honor by the company.

Mr. Holmes then proposed the health of the Superintendent, who, he remarked, liked to look well ahead and make sure of his ground before he embarked in any undertaking, but who, he was confident, felt the greatest possible interest in the wellbeing and prosperity of Canterbury.

His Honor, in returning thanks, said that he disliked to see the province standing still, and had borne with great impatience the state of inaction into which they had been forced by circumstances. He hoped that now they would be able to go ahead a little more than they had done. He looked forward with pleasure to the time when the works they had that day inaugurated would be carried out to completion. [We may state here that the distance at which onr reporter happened to be placed from some of the speakers, especially the Chairman and Vice-Ch>.ir-man, rendered it impossible for him to do more than catch the names of the successive toasts and some part of what was said in reply.!

The next toast was " The Army and Navy." >Ir. J. D. Lance replied on behalf of the Army in a brief but spirited speech, which was much applauded.

Lieutenant Dean returned thank 9 for the Navy.

The Chairman then proposed " The Volunteers."

Major White, in replying, expressed regret that there was not a greater number present, and pleasantly alluded to the personal interest the Volunteers had in the railway, as the liberal company who worked the line carried them free of charge.

The next toast was " The Legislative Council," coupled with the name of the Hon. J. Hall.

The "Hon. J. Hall said that he was Borry the absence of other members who had been in the Council so much longer than himself, devolved on him the dijfy of replying to the toast. It might seem perhaps somewhat out of place, as the Legislative Council had nothing to do with money matters or railways, which to a considerable extent were a question of money, but still it had something to do with the occasion which brought them together that morning, as it had passed tho bill for the railway. He was in charge of that bill, and he must say for the Legislative Council that they behaved very handsomely over it. The House of Representatives asked all sorts of questions and he had much trouble in answering them, but. with the Legislative Council he had no trouble at all. They recognised, he must suppose, with clearer vision what a boon it would be to the province, and so they had asked no questions but passed the bill flying. The Legislative Council numbered among its members many of the oldest settlers in the colony, and there was no body of men who took a deeper interest in all works which tended to develop the resources of the country. The House of Representatives formed the next toast, coupled with the name of Mr. FitzGerald. Mr. FitzGerald said, the only claim he had to return thanks for the House of Representatives was the fact that, with the exception of Mr. Moorhouse, who had also been a member of the first Assembly in 1854, he was the oldest member of the House present. As Mr. Hall had just explained, the House of Representatives was not in the habit, of doing their work mr a slip-slop manner ; when a question was brought before them, they went into the rights and wrongs of it, and decided as justice required. It was an honor to belong to such a House, because they did honor to the colony. They had shown some occasional eccentricities during their career of 10 or 12 years, and had had some storms in which, it is said, umbrellas had been raised, but for all that the House of Representatives Was a House of which any colony might, be justly proud, and he was persuaded that it expressed the opinions of the great mass of the people of New Zealand. He should have had far less pleasure in replying to th ; s toast any time during the last two or three rears, because he felt that they had been pursuing a policy which had been detrimental to the interests of the Middle Island and of this province, but under the guidance of his oldest political ally, Mr." Weld, he was persuaded that the interest of the Middle Island, and Canterbury in particular, would no longer be neglected as they had been, in times past, and that in the ensuing session measures would be adopted which would set free the property of this province, and allow them to take advantage to the utmost of their resources and credit for the future. The Chairman then proposed "The Executive Council of Canterbury." The Provincial Solicitor, Mi*. Cowlishaw, replied, and expressed nis.'pleasure at the inauguration of a work, which would add most materially to the prosperity of the country. i The Chairman next proposed <c The Provincial Council." Mr. Ollivier, who replied to the toast, said he I recollected, as he had no doubt they all did, with very pleasantieelings, the first time when they met in that room to do honor to a similar occasion to the present, viz., the opening. of the Lyttelton and Christchurch Railway. There were prophets in those days who thought that that speculation, would meet with no great success, but they were .now sitting over the rails which had carried" tons upon tons of merchandise, every ton adding to the prosperity of the city and province. This was a proof that the legislation of the Provincial Council had so far been attended with markedly beneficial results. They bad t-i*tecr quarrels now and then, as must always be the [case when men meet together in that sort of way, [ but to one thing they" were all solemnly bound to- | gether, and that was,' really, honestly and truly to watch over the fundamental interests of the province It was gratifying to come before the public on such occasions as the present, -°d to as their representatives, entitled to this distinction at their hands. . W. S. Moorhouse, Esq., rose and was received with loud and long continued applause. He said he had been reqnested by their entertainer to propose a very interesting toast, one in which their interest was shown hy the large attendance that morning, and which would be told in the history of-the province. Happily the country was now in a position to receive these boons of an extension of its railway communication without any difference of opinion as to the expediency of the works being •carried out.

ij'orthe Srst time in the history of the province they ■nj n-f.i the spectacle of all men uniting to 'iail rnlway c >mru:i?iic-aiion ai a gr.*:it public boo-'lt. ;fe joined in congratul-ittng his !T>not* and his tlonor's Executive on the ()iicee*s th it h id | iheir attempts ;> negotiate the construction of the line. For his own part he m..st exprcsa a - strong opinion of the desirability of tho work, tnd of its desirability a long time ago, but those dial - culties which could only bo seen by his Honor- and bis Executive interfered—difficulties which could only be properly understood by those who had the best means of ma!;ing their acquaintance. He hoped now to see the railway to the north undertaken immediately. It was quite evident that his Honor meant to get orer the Rakaia on to the Ashburton, and so ou to Timaru without much noise ; and just ia the same way he would get up to tho Kowai without making much disturbance about it. As for the money, that would be found without any difficulty. Then, instead of those roads which were the horror of all the bullock-drivers in the country, they would have the railway, which was the only proper highway for such a colony as this. Canterbury, which was the leading colony in the world, ought to have no inferior railways, and he hoped to*find an acknowledgment of that fact in its laving the best railways, best buildings, and best education in the world All these things would flow from the wisdom of lis Honor's Government if we only waited patiently. It was a proud thing to find his Honor surrounded by men in whom we could place the most unbounded confidence. They were men who never did anything in a hurry ; and deliberation was the very soul of safety. We might rely upon it that the province was on the highway to all that the greatest wisdom and the most protracted deliberation could effect. He called on them to drink success to the first railway in New Zealand, " The Great Southern Railway of Canterbury." The toast was received with immense applause and drunk with enthusiasm.

Mr. Holmes then proposed " Tlie Ladies." L. Walker, Esq., returned thanks, remarking in 30 doing that it was * a work of supererogation to elaborate thanks for the ladies, as he was confidentially informed that they meant to return thanks for themselves at the ball that evening.

The next toast proposed was " The Contractors." Mr. Holmes, in replying, spoke of the time he had been engaged in railway works in this province, and hoped that when next they met it would be on the banks of the Rakaia.

The health of the Engineer, Mr. Doyne, was next drunk and suitably acknowledged. We believe one or two other toasts were drunk, but the company had been gradually breaking up since the great toast of Success to the Railway, and soon after the one last mentioned the performance of the .National Anthem by the band announced that the ontertainment had come to an end.