THE AKAROA MEMORIAL. UNVEILING CEREMONIES.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10063, 15 June 1898, Page 5

THE AKAROA MEMORIAL.

UNVEILING CEREMONIES.

(By Telegraph.)

(BY OOR SPECIAL REPORTER.)

AKAROA, June 14. For to-day's memorial ceremony the residents arrived early this morning from all quarters, and when they were gathered together at Observation Point the assembly numbered close upon 2000 persons. Though the day was dull, and rain threatened, the weather proved fine, and the proceedings passed off with great success and credit to the Committee, of whom Mr Jacobson is the secretary.

His Excellency the Governor, Captain Well-sley, and tho Hon. C. Hill-Trevor, escorted by twenty-six of th. C.V.C., under Lieutenants Buchanan «nd Rhodes, reached the town at half-past eleven, at which time the procession began to move. It was headed by the local brass band, and comprised the Mayor mid borough councillors, the chairman, and county councilors, members of Koad Boards, Oddfellows in regalia, Maoris in picturesque costumes, and the members ot tho Akaroa Boating Club. Arriving at tlie Point, from which a full view oi the harbour is obtained, all, with a few exceptions, formed behind a guard ot blue jackets, and • around the obelisk, on which, it may be stated in correction, the inscription is the "11th August, 18-10." Those who - occupied positions of promii nence were his Excellency the Governor and party, the Right Hon. the Premier, his Lordship the Bishop, Captain Browne, Lieutenant-Colonel Francis, Captain Charlewood, the Hon. W. Montgomery, Mr W. H. Montgomery, tlie Mayor, and the Chairman of the County Council. Tho proceedings were marked by much, enthusiasm, and the congregation or so many persons on, that historical point was a striking evidence of the progress of the Peninsula since the date when the flagstaff of kahikatea was erected by Jimmy Robinson, Clougb, and v detachment from the Britomort, and the British flag was hoisted by Captain Stanley. As soon as the largo assemblage was properly settled, and the local band had been persuaded to moderate its loyalty and desist playing tho National Anthem, Mr Anson said that before asking th© Governor to unveil the memorial, it had bean suggested he might with advantage explain how it came about that there was any memorial to unveiL This time last year a fifth of the human race, subject to tho same sovereign, were anxious to show their thankfulness and mark, in some tangible way, their joy over the fact that the Queen had enjoyed the longest reign, one of the most peaceful and prosperous, and certainly the most progressive which national history recorded. It was only natural that the Akaroa county and town, whose own English history began a little more than twelve months before the Queen's ascension, should look about for some way of joining in the general rejoicings. Tha mosrb proper way seemed to be to put up a lasting memorial to serve to commemorate the hoisting - of the British flag, on August 11th, 1840, on the spot where they now stood. It was a grand and good thing,' and to use tha words of iMr Reeves, the Agent-General, "This Island was given to the English, wi» did not want it, and was kept away from the French, who did." All, no doubt, knew. the story of . the Britomart and Cajrtain Stanley, and how he anticipated the Freneb by only a few hours, and took possession of the South Island before the North had been ceded to the British by the Treaty of Waitangi. If they did not, they had oifly to go to the Cathedral in <3hristcfcuTC&, where they would find a font placed there by his brother in memory of the achievement of Captain Stanley. The memorial was intended to commemorate three things— their rejoicings for the tasty-one years of her Majesty's reign, for the peace and prosperity which the British, and Maoris had enjoyed under the British flag, and to commemorate the hoisting ot the British flag on that spot, an emblem of the British rule which had made t^ otra ]*y the prosperous one it now was. .When the flag was hoisted in 1840 the British did not want the island, and the French did. He .would undertake , to_ say that now tne British would be sorry to Idee" it.'-•!•___:----plause). The people of Akaroa were pleased thatlit was to taem men had comeftrW earliest history of this Island, »** as the name of Whangaroa was, and always must be, associated with the history _rf the South Island, so in the future might the more modern name Akaroa. plauße?. He asked the Governor to ,**nveu the monument. ~ .. • * His Excellency the Governor •»**»»,Jj* present with great pleasure. To perform the important ceremony of the that memorial was Uke looking*** on Aj first page of the history of theMiddk* Mand of New* Zealand. it was not always well io look Jack, aad possibly looking back might be like turning ourselves into a mutual admiration society: but there was a sure lesson to De learned from looking back, and when we looked back at August Uth, 1840, when the Britomart first came into that port, one could only think on this island covered With dense busih, where there were but few inhabitants, and but few who had previous to that ever been on the shores of Akaroa. (Applause). Looking at the present position, he saw all the land taken Up, houses which were a credit to Akaroa, and people who appeared to be in every way prosperous, and we felt inclined to pat ourselves on the back and say, "What good boys are we!" (Laughter). All this.had been done by energy and perseverance .in the part. They were unveiling that monument in memory of the first coming to Akaroa. Might they look forward to the future, and hope to give as sufficiently good account of themselves as they had m the past fortyfive years? The monument was also in memory of their attachment to tiheir Sovereign. May her reign, said hiß Excellency, still continue over us, and may ahe enjoy peace and tranquilityduring-the remaining days of her life, (loud Why was it, he asked, that our Scyereign met with such an enthusiastic reception oh the occasion of her Jubilee? Was it simply because she had reigned so many years over us? No; that universal admiration was on account of the life she had led, the example she had set to her people, her good counsels, and her wise actions; and it was for that and her true life we loved our Sovereign. (Loud applause). We looked to her home life as an example to our womanhood, as an example to every matron in the British nation and its dominions, and we knew that England never in the future; as never in the past, would have a Sovereign who could be looked up to as so nearly perfect as the one we had now. (Combined applause). In conclusion, he hoped no breach might occur in her finpS years, that, thai clouds that from time to time had obscured tha horizon and threatened war might by diplomacy always be scattered, that the places which carried the British flag might be always ready to set their faces towards any foe who might attack her, and by showing that, as England was the head of one body, so would all the limbs of that body apee that it was for them to rejoice when England rejoiced, and if England were wounded that they also would suffer from the wound. (Loud applause;) He had much pleasure in unveiling the memorial. His Excellency then severed tho silken thread attached to the Union Jack which covered the obelisk The flag was automatically hoisted, and floated in the breeze from the flag-pole. The guard gave the salute, the band played the "National Anthem." and the Tauranga fired a royal salute from her three-pounders, after which enthusiastic cheers were given for the Queen and the Governor.