HOKITIKA.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1665, 5 December 1873, Page 2

HOKITIKA.

.O I .?' -^WiiNESBA^^-DicßiaßEk^i}'' l - - ( y, t [FROM- TIBS, HOKITHCA .SPASERS.J r - : *-. At an early. hour 1 in ; . the morning, the children of the various Sunday schools in the -town '•tiqmmen/jSct, to ;muste'r,! r at "their schtiol-rOoms, xWng processjon of the rising genei v a'Hbn^ J bf Wditland v %as ; iii !> light marching^ order with banners, and: flags. It had previously .been r -decided-bylcit';tfia't the order of -the-procession- should -be^as-followsr^ Ist. St. 'Mary's^ sclibbl) Sifdr- All Saints School ; .3rd. Presbyterian Schbql,, and . ! The. : Ajhiia"cen marched down Revell'silreet, a'cebdipanied by their aud^. passed 'do"wa ! Hamilton ..street' $p .Jewell :siree i b.: : .,- r l3jhey defiled,. v ;past . Gqyernrnei^t. ] .,■ Hpiise,-, 'and entered the grounds wljich .^ijrrpunc;it by ! thp./LiWpld, f street entrance, r^liwase'stij mated that" ithere: were about i'eigh^: hundred children pr-esenj;, and pne timeiit I appeared that; it 'wbuld- be ioipoqsibie to findp-the' .necessary 'space for them. By judicious management, howeyer,-that;ditj|= cu'lty-'was' overcome, •■andiifie'^children. were marshalled upon., the grpund in a?^ T circie/ ' many ; ?deepf ; ' there 'being "; a hollow space in the. centre, Addresses w^re then j)resen|bd: from ; Wb r s6hpQi(s'.of the var'idus J religious denbminat[bnX. aM; suitably.je plied, tp by His ExQelledcy., T ' , ,tge :-fe.vjee," in .-,tfie"af ternoo.n, ; thg Cgunty.' Chair man| presented tjjfr following asdress;j-h- ; ;:rA ;, ;f , : '■xwin-Mii i^sunT'-rW^ v "We, the inhabitants of the newly-' created. Province of Westland, 'hail: with satisfafctibn; the hb'D'or of receiving ypur Excellency -so' shortly^af ter ydiV ti^ive jbee^n] called updn to" fill the high and ! Ji6ndr^b l le k ' position. of GoverdoVof Zealand; 1 £~ j : ' '.The sh l ortae?s v of r; ybur r Excellency'^, stay precludes" u^ ! from oijering sucfi a demonstration to the' representative of Hur Majesty? aa we shbuld teve - wishedjto have given, but tru^t theit the^w^elcorae ! will li o't -be -' dee' med i- - the lek^ cdrdial and sinoere. .fi.i.:.'..:,;i[i.- : '/ ::nriv<.' <w : .:-;; : J i "In conclusion, -we- trust that under I thaijdisp'e'risatibn '- of Divine- Prbviden'c'e, jj'ou may enjoy health and happiness, and Ith'it.youf^reer^may'b^-^aVkea'.WiffiAin-interrupted success ( td "the Colony, over iwhich you are, called" toT govern., . : , I ;i t" / i "';" :: l'-Kave.;tlie\nonor't ! o'bel/: '.'')','[! "!• .. i • " Jour Excel jency's, -i-.'-,-' .■-';;>■ \ " Most obedient humble servant,' I .iui? ;".H..L, Robinson." ! His.^' Ercellency-'read 1: the- [ foiibw'ing 'address^ : ,;i-^; ."i : „■■. ■:■■<■ •• • I ' 'To theCbu fity chairman arid . innab'itafits"---i .^itf^MProWce'oeWestlatM^J'), ,' " Gentlemen— l thank you for you? I loyal Sbdd 'kindly 'address, add for yoiii! [hearty .welcome. ] .;.- „ .-..,■„•. .''.J "'*' |" ■ " My 'preseiit; visit 'i^'/'p^id 'id'^ desire jto congratulate tlie inhabitants of Westtlau&Jißfltt'fb^ Itioug in the e^ev.atjopn^of their |hrjv;ng 'settlement' 'ii^ qf iNew Zealand,^ but it .is neceasarily brief jbecauae - taken' 1 from : iii^ temporary resi-jdeiigetnithe-gEgYiiXQe of QatitertiiiryA /i. 5 j "I hope, during the term of my office, jto have oth'ep opportunities of observing the , success,, of r your institutions, and the resiihg of ' ypur enterprise and industry. James $E|ip^s,Qir, fToyernor. The address from the Borough Oouncij

of Hokifcika was then read as follows :— " To His Excellency the Right Honorable "of "New Zealand. " ■-./■' '" "Sooil [ExcELL-BN&-OVe,,the ! '^M[ayor and Councillors of the Borough of^Hokiburgessea of H.o^itik^|beg to tender your Excellency^ as 'the Representative of Her Bla jes ty Q ueen Tic tofia," aHd""as"6fovernor of this Colony, a loyal-greeting and hearty welcome. "JWe r egre^^^^|^ very limited period t of your stay^amongst us will pre'clifde visiting many 'ibcalitief/bf^spe'cM -interest. Hi' A. fS.i '■■" t<i Werdesire'^b.-e^pre'ss'bui? ' satisfabtiOn artn'e^e'eer/t'ehan^e^in^'the fbflft ;fbf^G'o-vernmentj-.andCiveTarecliopefulf that West..landj^thuairelease.^'ffQ/n,an exceptional position,' add with.^creased^^^erS cpnJerr.e;d) jupon, r; lier, r ,\wUl^ja||vari^^prosperijy. ' ' .*>k^ *br^w» . , . ,*' Your opportune arriy.al at .thus juncture evidence of. the as?ditiohal r ipi e^esiry'our : Exc'eiiedcy ! 'ta^es' :> in the'-Welfar^'of^our district. -k^-iujjU urn taodn '■- ",We,, desire, ,to. 'impress. .upon^.your , ; 'Excellency, the 'necessity jjyn^cW elets' for -^4way r ,cpmnjum!^twn, i betw.een,t^ of Hokitika an,d; ',fidently i i-lxop.e ! :'ithat i !j.9 I ftr^^^ :^xpell§npy()will view .witib.-.'fayor .the >ex.tensioA;.p{ nraUfwayi 'from.^the »coalTminesi' nearojGwymouth, 4b r isH6kifika->a\rdi>theDcer/dd.riSie East Coast, wherebythe productions east and west of the islandf may,:bev;iu,^ejthe general ' Dene'fit'of the^^rliS'e^and'icdmm'e'rce of each mercantife'p^^ 71 "-' I '' l * ( We trust that the development pf the %bal ' nibasnres ftn! i du r r?lhjn]iedi^te--^icinHy and the various other reso r H*ces%ithm,'th[e ■"Province,' will- ~be- fostered— and—encouraged, and w^wpuld specially direct your Excellencj^?^|6ntion to the im» portance of^Ktter^supply to our goldfields in the hb'pe4^§^tlie^condtructtoh ol '/the,; Wjiimea R.ace s ah]eady 4ecidedjUpQn may be speediiy^Jfblfpwea Dy^the ico»struction of an' 'equally important face, -namelyj ttheV'Slilcbnuiiiirititnßßßoßai dfitricii;-;! h^i;co{l Jioofrgai -.xiwraJß \3Qoil ■ " In conclusionj .w.e.desireptQ.exprjßfls a wish that your-.Excellejttcy f will Take aa opportunity of iagkin Visiting us, and proIbdg I 'ybur t staj' 'on that occasion, so as to ■permit of a personal-inspection-of-the-ditk •tribt, and^tnereb'y jlidge/bfithefpeYmatfel^P resources awaiting" devolpment, whe^--«e may be favored; witfi.'^an-' opportunity of^ r adfdre'sßmg'iyouC i at"};@reater; iength.T,upot/ many topics of interesfc whjch.she shortr r^jf^m bringlpo to yoiir nptjpp. _' ''" J - f • With sincere 5 e^pre^sic^i'* of' f de"Votion to our Sovereign Lady ;: 'th'6 l ' ; ojueen and "personal, respect which we bear to yourself as her reprfesent^lveT^We^reliiam, &o. t the Mayor and Councillors of Hokitika. His ) Exc.eUency r Tepliettas i ;fo|lows i-J^ " GBNTLBSBN-^l'.thaukJybu for your address 'dflb'yalty.tS the Qu^eny-aiid, tffeeT* cbmetb dly§elf j ; j atid4 desire? throughtyou^ to thank your fellow-citigenslffdrth'a'i^d^t handsome preparations whic.h they made yesterday^n'th'e bpea^ion'of my arriyal. ijJj.^^r.SlS^; *° pepceive amongst you mjiny evidences of prosperity and comfort, which the measures" of "public usefulness in progress and in^CQntejmplation will tend to increase and^odfi^^fe^|w "" . " In all such^vjoj^^^i^.in the develop-ment-of f this new Province, in. common fehHh^ge'nerS'welf^eW'iheUffi . do and^shaJli^coiititijUe, JiOita^eaarßincere interest. ___'/"" ' ,' ' . /fS-ii-;Ji KtJa'A .>"/^MES;F^» i m7|^oN,[ T . "A banq(iet' J vfasfgiyenf'OnQWednegday evening^at $he' t Townfia^^^^ anfffis'uitei^whicfi over by the Mayor.of Hokitika, .BorpugfiJDqqncillors, and other local ,dignilasesV *" Aftei; the^clothliadj^enire^ usualloyal toast? were druii^'wittt all the honors;v;r-a.oJ.ir !i .Ui;:!i»-;r.'T 'lil^.i 'dUTm : The.' Chairman ■ them roserfjtQj propose the^-ihealtih •;< :6f ■ His? Excellenoy 3u?Janies Fergusson. He expressed -hku inability t6 Ca'nvey his feelings towards that"gentleman/ who "had? dbfirig' his"' golden opinions at h.ome, jn Sbuih'Ausfralia,,'.and\t]Eijs.jbolpnyi. l \ „'■ . T '-.. ,_.Hi^jExc^llenfcyi,_bir rising Ho respond, Tvas~i^ceived with prolbn|edxEeef sj^and it was some little' time "ibefbre he was a'ol§ ta speal^. , .When an. opp.or.tiinity.''o|e^ii|^. hp;«aid tljafe h.e was deeply spnsibje of kindness that , hadrdigtatedv the renjark^s of-th^ rOhairnian - in -proposing lihe.tp.ast, and the oordiai, that haa i)s4n accordedr ; tp both hiniself.^and.jhis predecessors.' It had ; be'ed ' the" practice in r l^ewj Zealan^afco.iafprdj.^o^ho^ing the office of Qo.v.ej:nor J , >I .tlie l . 13 i^ic[est encouragement and.''the."..'greatest-Ire-p^p^ feoth^ in .7 their .individual and official capacity^; [.an'dT: he/. Wgged '^g th,ank;^hjß| people- pf jHoMtipja fpr^VjWeli OQme they " had '^given.-i|um. He~woulai indeed, be insensible.- did he no^, to tJ^Q : fullest, idegree,,, acjcnowledgftfothei/jdesffe shbwn to .welcomeilumiby alLnie'ansalithfe disposal iof the inh'abitantsj andi':Jiesiveiy much regretted 1 that in ;so*m'e 'respiectsihe ' Kad^been'^thought'^p f ' : bV a) ifl3e)isible> (Cheers.). Wheii, Jhe .Westlanii publiQ |new f mbre qfftimjthey^ouldnql ■ accuge"hiin~-of sugh-^arfeeling^^GheßrsT^ aud he felt cjpr^i]i. v th.a.t whe^Ui they- knew him better, db'pbssißiiity cbuld occasion . I any such misunderstanding as "had arisen^ 1 His -bnly' 1 feeling on Hlrese^'occasionß I^mi i that it was^troublg .quite, sufficient' fo> j people to t 'turn''out'tb i give l 'h < im a hearty welcome, without .losing yajuable time. At' the "same tinie^adniittfn'g' tfiai } suM a display was 1 highly*^ratifyidg, J he ; wb'fild t6lti»hat cajised'the little:»miscpnc6ptioii; ! and in ( dping;.jsp,. ( )TOuJ^ 7 i^qt l .,was^e,.w.9^ i It was. only^^henjheireached itlie .vwinity i of the^t'own he J was 'jftware. 'that be would b'e'met'by-a large' nuniljer^t'per^bnsjth^ he would be officially fecejsdd; : an*^|iaif he would be expected to' take paririn 'ah 1 ' imposing prbbessibn which' ;I wajs to^ipar|c|f the streets. There- was. nothing he cdula- < s have wislie'fl^ M&re^^h^^lo «iiet the (Citizens face to I face;' arid' address themV j but' he .might) be; ex-cui|Bd fronj doing? sdj tafter the vicissiludes he had thaV day undergone. VVhen" He "found that 'hB would ha^e > ]to\-> proceed- I : With i ■' ••■£ ' company of Volunteers' yM is&d f^lfows; l^oresfiers, prpbably-- -grand Tenipl^J j^lasong,. an'^^btheip/ijand) tbat r jje>l#ag llool^ing after the journey- "jnb i re:ih{^«>|({ jßoss-miner-than--|hei-Governer--oMbe-Colpny, .he/confesSßdi he,?jras iaoik |equal to the occasion. (Cheers ,sß*cF |laugb;ter,iK rflei^tiidugnt,) fori)p6HWe's* sake, let him gefekqme .ajidijyash his face, for he could never venture to meet the ladies in such a state (laughter.) In u o jest, bat fn §pb,er e^rnpst, hp trqs'tedt^a^ his visit would be taken as it was meant-rr. vi?., to congratulate Westland on its

accession to tho position of a Province. He trusted the change would be the precurser:oi a; season of prosperity, and that Westland; lf would be enabled "shortly : :! t6 fi rank 'second 'only to a fefy of. the'pldef: Ptfo'viilces r pf r the Colony/ ;in'. ; the .coijrae'. of his J yisit' throughout ! 'tKe l i ,^oi6nyV|.t ; y,as; i his.iiitentiprii jridt. brtly^to.Jn^ake "himself its inh^titaiiWv, 'He had; f^Tranged, asi ar; as.ni^dutiesVTCQuldfpeTmiti to i reside for certain: periods in; each^ Province,' aud at the present time he was supposed to be. residing'in. Christchurch , >where the ' Provincial Government -had 'placed a comfortable house at his ; 'disp6sal. ;- Under these i ; circumstances' : hV did'nbf think fie wfei .right in f beihg absent Movb 'than^a;. ■weefci but , he owed; "Westland another yis|t, 'and, ,ne. would \npt.. be long in '. ... paying, 7.., the^ -jdebt. .'■ ..'. ,He; hoped; that, .,--'_..iiis..,' 7 visits "7 vjould ; ; !nbt ; , be without public , .usefulness whenever he paid them. The very day on which he crossed the island he signed the proclamation' of :the Province^ and in doing so he wished the new creation God speed.- The : event was -not without its significance. He referred to the examples of the Australian Colonies, and hoped that, the people of; this Provirice.Vw;o,uld. render, themselves worthy of theHltle so recently conferred,' and •<$ the fespectof neighbors. Thei „ .determuiation shown \ in : assuming this rapk showed that, there was an intention ( to be secoud to none. Referring to the. Hokitika Hospital, the Gaol, and the! Asylum^ that he had that day visited, h© confessed that he was 'agreeably surprised, tfiough full justice 1 had not been done that' could be' done. "A's the Province was,, however, .eight years, pld| this ' was not: surprising, and though .deficiencies ysre7.stiH' visible!) the irifellfgence of the^ Proyminal CouucU.woiiidi no; doubt, | gqpn ]: ,supply ; them. 7 IJe thought that \ jiad a great future before lit. PrimarUy>jthe Council J would have :to take 1 up the. great ! question of Education- :• (cheers)i ■ Alarm ; ; had frequently been expressed at placing '"•' great political poVeHrt the hands pi the people, but/;' experience had"; shown that no danger was to, be apprehended, if they, were jpnlywstr acted" preyiousiyi' When, a crowdVwas seen' in Melbourne, .collected: in connection; with any. political question, ajlayge!.jnumber : of black coats were sure to be: . seen amongst: them, and there was npiifears.asjjto .what they would do., for {he majority hag a stak> in the i country, 9t nd<!respebtab' ility to- preserve. If the JOP*-young were-taught to read and write, and in godlulessji they woiild ! be preserved and prejudice. There had ™ been r of $ftte\a great' .'.'^esiire for popular edupatipn"; i^ndf pp dbnbt pjijß of the earliest flubqects !I 'T6r;.the Provitfciail Council to take upwduld.be to proyid^' for education.. It was rf iiptj 'his ..pjace ' to, express : any. opinion oh controversial ; .points on this or any other subject^but he had the good oL the^PjFpvince and the Colony at; heart, and. ( this. rsaouldf raise it above all party: politics. The settlement of this great qqeSr tiop iii England ipas fth honpra,ble cdmprbspisej deep passions, were excited. , Religious '^difficultieg ;"■ were 1 the.' reyer^ pf- :: : ; that in ' su(sh ,a '.icase •; shpn^d' naye % i p. evidence.,'''^'- £i was a great : ib v give effect to ; an^' great theory, ips,te'ad \qt\,'lopkmg practically, into the qujestipn, ,f prj generations might wait till a , perfect system was established, Jt would not do have a school here and a: school ih]ere>'. J ;fdr.: i fluch:iw6uld';notibe: found {to acpomplieh l all they had at heart. (Cheers.) Money would be-weU applied providing a sound education wheie' no controverted point was enforced and every; child was well educated. If to:; legislate". on education was alone the ambition seeking to elevdte £ Westlapd,j;in;ti) ; a Province, it would justify the rank' required, There were tod Few h^andsiri. the 'country tp dpthe wprTcjr^uired, as : he! had. ascertained Bifice' : lie ; crossed ohUbpday. ."-'.'^e then referred jj» Charles ©ilke's work, (• Greater Britain)" which, ' though he considered At an overrated work, still had don 6 its/share towards promoting iminigratioh to New Zealand, of which he hoped Westland •'would obtain a share. He spoke of I/Mr 'Trdllope'i work oh the Cblonies irrhigher. tenng, b\it as conducive fp tbe r same end. [ Without more hands, ?aVuab]e»,]anu in. tbe vicinity. o£ tbis town, could not! be made productive. It was not .satisfactory to be. told that it would not pay to clear land,. valuable ip itself, and ppyere^ wit|i valuable timber; When such" statements were made, it showed a l^great: disturbance of the social balance, which it required a Provincial Council to set right. -"'• It was a good provision ;n the Province i of Westlatfd; Ao't. ,that the Bu|erintepdent shpuld sit" and .vote in V the' r Cbunbii— that he Buovild , be elected by the people.. .He. deprecated useless debate .and cumbrous legislation, and, referring tp the Superintendent having a seat in. the Council, said, that his colleagues could thereby renderhim assistance, as theywiere not separated; by constitutional barriers^ i necessary perhaps 1 in larger communities^ bnt ; pb|ectionable in small ones, In -conclusion, he^saM thatif iiiy word he had "jittered should be ;of;apy practical yal^Sjj it' wo^ld. not -have, been spoken in yam, and that be! had great pleasure in j saying itj and !in. anything else associated with the birtji of the Provip.ce: of Westland. r His Excellency, :on sitting down, .was waymly and 1 heartily cheered.; The Chairman, in a- few *= words, proposed Jf- health of- 'the 'Ministry of New Zealand^ coupled witti' the health of Mr^VpgeL'V' The toa ; st : "was drunk witli all the .honors, and 'after" a few formal toa^ts'.tne company dispersed. : !