THE GOVERNOR

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 18, 22 January 1913, Page 3

THE GOVERNOR

CIVIC RECEPTION IN AUCKLAND . :A LEVEE. (by telegraph— press association.) AUCKLAND^ 21st January. His Excellency the , Governor, the Earl of Liverpool, was to-day welcomed at a civic function at the Town Hall. The Concert Chamber was packed with people, and the Earl and Countess of Liverpool^ upon arrival, received a most enthusiastic reception. A guard of honour was' formed by members of the Empire Veterans' Association, and punctually at noon the Vice-Regal Party arrived. ' , • ' After a speech by the Mayor, the ToWn Clerk read *an address of welcome. The Earl of Liverpool,- on rising to reply, received ( a great ovation. After thanking the citizens for their splendid welcome,, he referred 1 to New Zealand, stating that should difficulties arise to disturb the tranquillity of the Empire New Zealand would, a« in the past, be foremost with ready help. "We who come fronu the Mother Country," he continued, " have watched with pride the immense development which lias taken place in all the commercial, agricultural^ and pastoral enterprises of this Dominion, and realise what a valuable asset tlipy < have become to the Empire. You have, in this address, touched a personal note. Both the Countesß •of Liverpool and myself have felt deeply the warm welcome which has been extended to us from all quarters since our arrival in this Dominion. New Zealand, indeed, has made us understand that no one who comes from the Old Country to her shores heed feel a stranger or lonely, and we. on our part, shall do all we can to reciprocate that friendship, and when the time comes for others to fill our places we shall be able, from close t association with you, to forward, your interests in the Motherland. The Countess of Liverpool and myself express the earnest hope that this year of graco, 1913, will prove a year of unequalled prosperity to this. Dominion. Before resuming his seat His Excellency.expressed the pleasure it afforded him to see members of. the Empire Veterans' Association present that day. The Prime Minister, in a brief speech, said that he was sure that the people of New Zealand had already made' up their minds that Lord and Lady Liverpool were worthy successors of their distinguished predecessors. As a public man he,could testify to the keen interest Lord Liverpool was taking ' already in the affairs^f the Dominion. Such being the case, it was easy for him to predict that Their ' Excellencies ' were indeed going to be popular in New Zealand. (Applause.) As the Mayor had stated, His Excellency^ father had fought in the dark and stirring days of the Maori war. The day had not arrived for the Imperial Government to allow the people of the colonies to Belect a Governor from amongst "the people whom he was to govern, but in Lord Liverpool they^had a man whose father had gone through a strenuous campaign' for his\ Sovereign and for this country. i While those days had passed, there- Were -still very importaht problems to solve in which the people of this country were intimately concerned, and the experience of Lord Liverpoo^ would be available to the people of New Zealand in this respect. As representative of the people of the Dominion as a whole, he bade Their Excellencies welcome to-New Zealand. (Applause.) Cheers were then giveh for tho Countess of Liverpool, and Her Excellency, who could not speak for some time because of the, enthusiasm of her reception, briefly thanked the people of Auckland for their' Welcome. The Governor held a levee at Government,. House this afternoon. There was a very large attendance. The Prime Minister, the Mayor, and General Godley were among -those present.