PRINCE ALFRED'S PROCEEDINGS.

Press, Volume XIV, Issue 1880, 24 April 1869, Page 2

PRINCE ALFRED'S PROCEEDINGS.

THE WESTLAND DEPUTATION. Yesterday morning, a deputation from Westland, consisting of Mr Uoos., ohairman of the County Council ; Mr Burff, M.II R . Mr Prosser, Mayor of Hokitika; Mr 0. E Button, and Mr John Lnztir, Town Clerk of Hokitika, waited upon 11.R.1L, and prosontod the following address :— To His Boyal Highnoes Princo Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh. May it please your Boyal Highness— At a time when nearly tho whole masa of the people in New Zealand anxiously proas forward, and offer with one heart and ono voice tho most animated testimonials of their attachment to your Royal person, this deputa* tion, representing the inhabitants of tho County of Westland and the citizens of the Borough of Hokitika, have the honour to approach you with the public avowal of their sincere congratulations upon your arrival in the colony and deep regret that your limited etay will deprive the people of Westland from manifesting to your Eoyal Highness personally their loyalty to the throne of England, thoir deep devotion to your Soyal mother; and the hearty welcome that would have greeted you had you extended your vieit to our coast. Accept tills our warmest and most dutiful acknowledgements for your condescension upon this occasion. May He by whom Kings govern and empires prosper shower upon your Royal parent, yourself, and the whole of your illustrious line, His choicest blessings, is the prayer of Your Boyal Highneas'a Very obedient, Humble servants. H-B.H. received the deputation with oil courtesy, and regretted that he would be pre« vented from visiting Westland. A deputation from tho Maoris waited upon Prince Alfred yesterday, and presented an address of which tho following is a Iranela* tion :—- A welcome from the native tribes living in the Greenstone Island to Prince Alfred, Duka of Edinburgh, son of our loving Quoen: — On this occasion we see a renowed person* age—the heart's desire, the bright sunlight. Welcome guest! Welcome, lord of many nations! Come, see the Maoris and white mm of this island. We rejoice to see you Lore among us. Welcome, gracious lord, on this your first Visit to New Zealand! ! Come like the white crane, rarely eeant Come like the wharauroa (a bird of passage), harbinger of spring! Proclaim the approach of summer—that is, the future happiness of the two races of this island—ere you return to your native land! It is our custom to make speeches when welcome a gue<t, but on this occasion this parchment alone is suffered to speak. When the white men Srat came to this island they treated the Maoris well, and tho Maoris treated them well int return, even before the spread of the Qospel of Jesus Christ. Since then they have continued to live together in peace. ! < . We follow the advice of our ancestor Turakautahi, who said, "After mc be kind to men." This is why the weapons still hang unused in the houses of his descendants. Welcome, light and sunshine t Welcome, sun and moon! liVelcome, bright morning etar } to the lantl ; of Behua and Turakautahi! Hia. Boyal Highness drove four-in-hand to . the racecourse about half-past twelve o'clock, and remained there until the races were over, returning direct to town in the same mode by which" he csitne, and reached the Clarendon about a quarter to five. About seven o'clock the Duke of Edinburgh went to the Drill-sbed to see the annual entertainment given by Mr Stansell to the children of the Sunday schools. There was a densely crowded audience. A guard of honor froni the Cadets of the Engineer Corps was stationed at the door. HBH was accompanied by His Excellency the Governor, and on the entrance of the Boyal party the children sang a eong of "Welcome." Mastor Thomae StauflfijW*of the Durham street Wesleyan School, thea presented the following address: — To His Boyal Highness the Dale of Edinburgh.— May it pleaso your Boyal Highness to per* mit us, the scholars of tho Chrietoborett schools, to present to you our mostmnj welcome upon this your firat visit to -Unw^ We cannot fully express the Borrow and[disappointment we felt when we heard ot tne unhappy circumstances which deprived as 01 the pleasure of gretting your Boyal Hignnefs on your former visit to these colonies. On this occasion we would record our gnra tude to that kind Providence your Eoyal Highness in the hour °f (tojgj ■•:;: and spared your illustrious parent the d«P sorrow of a second bereavement. _~ We most sincerely welcome your jwy* Highness to these shores, and trrnt; yoo; o»7 long be permitted to adorn the lofty spbm in which you move, and that youi fflg encircle the name of Alfred with a b« S UKr : gl< ¥; desire, through your Boyal " to express our affectionate m dearly beloved Queen, trusting ehe m»J £b be spared to reign in righteous»w**" 0 * surrounded by a loyal and happy JP^F 9

obliged to your RoyaTHigb, Vfo?coSendi 3 |to favour Uβ with your ppss ior «- eT e n ing, thus increasing our kind friends and SiywV , * l * üß9isting caueo the ConAnal School, Manchester street, reDuke to accept of a Bible q Hch bad been purchased by subscription * iiC «*t the chiMren of various schools. 83 HT3 i« potable terms accepted both the the Bible. Thi . Bible i* a splendid quarto volume . in marone morocco, with gilt edges and b f Wing deeply tooled covers. It is i d'dlr illustrated with photographic views "5 the most interesting scenes and places in 1 Holy Land, by Frith. The flyleaf bears . c iinwine inscription, enclosed in a floral Snhureh, X a, X T, &c, by the school*i!ff o< Christchurcb, on his visit to SSurch,N:Z,A P^l^lß69» After the Prince's departure, the entertain--it which consisted of a series of dissolving - ' an a other sources of amusement, was Proceeded with, and appeared to give great to the juveniles.

Later in the evening, His Boyal Highness offended a ball at the Government Buildings. The Engineer Volunteers furnished a guard of h °Tbe city was again brilliantly illuminated last evening. No official announcement has yet been made M to whether the Prince will visit Kaiapoi today but if ha does so, it can only be a flying Tieit, since Hie Boyal Highness Jβ to take part • ' pigeon match which will be commenced about noon, in Mr Bennett's paddock, Riocarton. The proceedings will be private.