THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO WESTLAND.

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

THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO WESTLAND.

G RE TM O'tf ofHf." "'" ""^

A jolly, happy, hearty day was yesterday'iiiGreymouth. ■ Thfe sun%hone'mor& 7 than he usually shinesnn this part of the world ; the face of nature was thereby made pleasant ;' tlie people lie'reabbut were in the humor to make holiday ; and they had reason -for doing so in .the arrival of Sir James : Fergusson,' ; Baronetjaiid Governor of the (Jbloriy. '' It was the liveliest j jplli.est;day;that; ,Grey mouth has suffered for a very long time. The people were 1 well" disposed ; ' *the ' Gov'ernor was gracious ; and the ceremonies [oi receiving and entertaining His ■Excellency were so simple, short, and expressive of "good feeling ; that, they . satisfied:.;higlily the entertainers and entertained. The entertainers, at any rate, acted with an which exhibited that their'hearLS, were in their work, and .the,, entertained, l; the. Governor, seemed to appreciate-' the/. spirit of his hosts, and to;desire.to make>liimself as they were, and 9.3 was the weather. , The; Governor came: from jHokitik'a to Greymouth -■: tfy • sea,' • on 1 board -of ■ -the steamer Titan; and : 'witH tli^ 'ste'atner Lioness, as a consort. The Titan, withJ His^Excellency on board, came into port 1 about half-past 'eleven o'clock, the most: observable object on board being a. Union Jack 'at the ■ mast-head— a' Jaclc of ' Hokitikanianuiacture^and of enprm.ous dimensions' fprv'-ay'iteirneV; of the size of the Titan/ There was ample accommodation for a steamer at any part of the wharf, the Dispatch being: the only ;". vessel -in. port," but, fpr ithexsake-bfifsatisfying -the. public in their wish to see and salute the Governor, 1 - the Titan'- was 'moored by ttie Harbormaster nearly .opposite, Boundary street. There.. the ,Corporation,^\yith. i a. liberality which was distinguishable, in, connection -with'every part of 'the' day's pro'ceedirigsj but with no particular taste in the laying down of carpets, provided something soft an.d picturesque for the Governor to land upon and- walk over. His Excellency, lauding there, wa's received by the' Mayor, Mr Glenn, by members 'of the Borough Council, and by a crowd of citizens assembled 'on the wharf, on -'the -street, and on derricks whiohhappeded-toi be placed ;in positions convenient. for: those whose . ambition, it .was to. ,be. spectators. As His Excellency landed, the steamer Dispatch; ifired .^Governor's salute, and Cobden, aitiid many complimentary remarks from the crowd, did the same. ; and 'this ; *cro wd ;, '&l&O .cheered ! and,, uncovered. Prominent' "as Van . uncovered and loyal subject -of. Her .Majesty", was. the. Town Cierk, and lie .was.; .prominent for the purpope of reading an addres.s, ,in ; the riahl'e" of the BbroiVgh Council arid burgesses. -He read: it, and probably heard, himsblf read it, which no other body did, and he handed to the Governor the ' cbpy, '• which had been 'handsomely written by Mr Curie. This address,- as spoken by<the l Town Clerk/said :— iir <v ■ " To His Excellency 'Sit 1 James Fergusson,.Baronet, Member, of Her Majesty's 'Most Honorable Trivy 'Council, Go: : '- ; vernor and Commarider.-in-Cbief,' -l in and • over Her i Majesty's : Celony of u New Zealand and its dependericies,--'iarid Vice- Admiral of the-same, &c, &c. " May it 'ttiikii 'youb 'Excellency—

the (Mayor :and (Councillors of; .the Borough of ; j3r6y.moiithyiou behalf of this town and district,- respectfully desire to offer Four-ieongratnlations to your Excellency, and bidijibn a hearty welcome on this 1 y our" fks't> visit tq ; G reyinbutli and the West Coast Gold-fields^ as the represen ta'fci ve y 6i ' --Bet : Most Gracio iis' : Maj esty; our beloved Srivfareign. ' ' ' ''.We have with . pleasure looked forward..to. this "visit of your Excellency, promised onyour first .sighting the: shores of the Colony,. whe,n.\ye had the honor s pf hastily welcoming yoiir arrival. i,."your present visit is likewise hailed by U3 as accompanying the. creation of four new Province.,: which, alike with our mineral: resources and commercial enterprises, though yet.in their infancy, we trust 1 will at no distant date enable the district I to . bear, favorable comparison with the ; older settlements of the Colony. J ; ;. : "We have reason to congratulate ourselves also;- upon '.the .circumstance ■ that' yoxir Excellency's visit, is "made at' a ; , time .when, in this parfcf,of : the ; Province', 'there. ; are, in progress public ; works associated with a wise policy, and ! whiely are' calculated to prove highly beneficial' 'add permanently advantageous to jthe development of, ,our ; cbat-mides, .goldfields, and agricultural' settlements. '" >'|_ ! " Wishing,, your, Excellency,; and Lady 'Fergusson long' life, prosperity, and hapi pipega, yve have the honor , to be your,Ex- ;- 'celWcjrfg most dbedient.servauts. v • -. -<U: ;.. ;' "Signed by thei S^orO and? Ooun-r; icillors." : Hi^ 'replying, addressed i ■t;lie : : ; people {assembled^ ?tnd did)SO;dis-V emphatically, 'and' briefly, bjjt ; there was,jnpisei.enp.Hghi,4o -prevent even < the smartest sbork-haiid writer from dis- i tinguishing. every .wbrdy-andit is sufficient and safe to say that he thanked the comrmn:nafiy"lieartily- for th'eir^loyal address, and for the manner of his,rcception, It gratified him, hie 'said, to seize the occa3ibn of; visiting,. Wesj:land ;r at the time ■ when'.lt becVme one bf the Provinces, of ; IJewi^Zealand, ; and. ,;he] trusted thatj the ghangp to the P^oyinqial, ,f orm of Govern^.. ment would do' niuglj towards developing . the r> disfcr ict, ,and .prompting its pppsperitiy . : .-Having,, said this,, or. sonvething. like itj : , with "more brevity, and in better; wordsy. : His j.Excellency .walked 'bflVtlie wharf on ;to tl^e gtreet, and he was there saluted by a cempany bf^Tbluriteefs 1 , c'ooimanded by^ Oaptain ; -Hamilton j arid 1 the band belotig^ ing to the same played " God'sa ! ve"the ir Queen,'? National ; having, been ! thus playea^ and th f ere liaving"beenl sundry v Qhfiers,i,and .gun-firing,Mand hatliftiijg, a'ijd a g£nera| distyibtttio^of goodnatur,e land. lpy^Ji feeling anioiig tli.epople; 6 H is ;-JgscpHgn'6y ! walked : up jbTie. „ Gilmer's: Hotel',; ; fte ? w^ appomp'anied ' thither by everybody 1 who- oeci<pie3 ft local public position, and whose name it is not necessary'to take the ; trpuble,pf 'r^corSing^ af»d ; h£ wa]kect : between' tVo'riiw'fjbfi'pr.ißit^; cliil <3j?e^ s l?el f Qfjgi ng tlje^Sijtida'y Schbols' and to pa^en^ffw^o'Mgiit'well be proud O f ( begetting te aM $ tog abl^ |to, little pe^c:;i:fsl4if-fe §to pn g( | m i the Governor ana .. "■ uy * l W V walked stood uncovered, and then t~. . • _ on to Gilmer's, passing underneath, a . handsome arch which had been erected | midway up Mawhera Quay. Upon th c ]

• architecture of this arch a good deal of eulogy might with propriety be expended, but it may be sufficient for the present to - say-that it -waß*a rpronunent-objeekaraong-other decorations, including the FireBrigade, the -Volunteers, and the pleasafit- " picture of youth and beau tyjepresen ted r- -in tfre v assemljly"bf'chfldrenT"^^^'^^'' L " i AtGilmer'slherewasilunchvpyp^idedandj r partaken of, aud it is said that His Ex-j : oellency found leisure to \yaik about-townj to inspect .sqine' .of the public, institutions,! I and even 'to have phot'ograpiis taken— ap- i 1 parently an essential- part of the life of; j Governors, or of professional photo-; graphers on the occasion of gubernatorial; ? visits. After a lapse of time, during/ 3 which; madyip'eople admired thY weather, \ 3 the pleasant expression of a painted liorij 3 above Gilmer's door, and the good looksj of many young ladies, buggies and coaches! 3 - were seen to congregate, o,r. to be congre-j 3 gated. Thepurpose ßf tlireir congregationj 1 'was 'to' the 'Governor arid.' all' J /pexsons else 'who chpseto be.cbnvey.ecl, to s ; the coal-mine—^the Biggest and best sample of . the ''natural 1 resources ' of .th'e.districk! It \yks ; ]at' 'this moment— <tnp],m'bm.en't.of; a '.tiie , ; cb'ng'regatioh' '.-of . the. bviggies, i &0.,\ £ aforesaid— that' Mr..Tainui,-.lthe chief, of c the Native race in thesis; parts,. addressed; the Governor.,: The. address was not'written ;, ifc- was;.- aim ply spoken j. and it was : spoken ; with all j the-* emphasis and ' brevity of the Maori! iTainiii said-" Hullo,' '! J: and ; tlie Governor graciously f accepted-'the. fc i compliment^ arid- the' 'friendly^. ? fitailiajr: 1 ihariiier in ivhi6h lf itwas pai,d.' Subsequ^rt; ■ 'to this Ceremony, thb gubernatqtipil visitor; started for the 'bbal-mihef 'driven by^ ~ they Mayor ].M.t] '■ Glenn,; . and c:fbllpwed| a : by . £ our. . . coaches, -containing — eminent; citizens. In one of these coaches there] were the clergyVwKcWvaluable lives were! » appropriately entrusted to the care~of Mr! ; WilliamEvans, ; 6f H6kitika.iTlh^an'oth.er', were the Borough Councillors, and a-'few: ," ; friends of the : 6ryer'()f '"-jolly fellows,"! and in. another ,were , the, .Band and; ' their bugles. ; Sixty gentlemen 'on. 1 horse- i back follpwedj;; riding a^ if, ; aricl ' , ajmid,' much dust,V>yhich.'th'ey ; ; seemed; ipqre|o .'.'enjoy J^.than'othew^ = : wer^h^b'yv^ and; j Donald Maclean, and represented: a- very | fair average of white hats and respect- ; ? ' ability,;,.., :,, i -. I!-:-: ■,;/ 1,.;-." S : :^:>:::w;i ] ' ■;:• Thus; escorted^and with;; floral decora- _ tions at intervals, the Goyernbrw'as driven ; to the; coal-mine, -brra day which' demon- 1 ' strated the possibility ctf "fine," weather ; prevailing.on the West r Coast,, : 'aibhg a i'dad Vwjiich' demp'nstrated the, 'possibility ' f of Toada being made, übder;yery difficult; 2 qircumstances,^^ and"-.alongsiaial of the principal public work iii. these!parts— the • !, railway. At Coal-bridge, or : whatever its ' ; name is, the cavalcade: was.. stopped and j was stabled, and the..Go:verrior, with a numerous .retinue, crossed .the .riyer to 1 Br'uhnertori iir.'&e cprriQipri .cbnyeyance — ; a punt. The, Gbvernpr and his .party-were ? reeei.vedTbyrMr.Whitefoprd, the Warden of , the district^ . • and .wece . .introduced to , Mr Dent, who is the manager of the mine, ; L> and who appeared, after the manner of ; r Diogenes, with r a lantern "in; hand. He was ■ fortunately^ accoinpariied . by. ; Dr Hector, wlio happened" to .arrive iv the district yesterday,; and who " had a 'parcel of ./candles .^, in., his f podket j 'a^d.,.wiili'' h'i.in ''and^^c'Den^as " guides, /and' ,c,andelabr^, , the< .Governor ' enfcoroxl-?jfcho:r mine.,'; jbyJita-^uppar^.level- ' receiving from "Mr Dent and Dr Hector much valuable, information regarding c.oal;fifelds- id general, and tliis ! mihe 4in"par- - ticnlariv, A sojourn;) of; vtetiJisminutes or i more was sufficient to. satisfy the Governor 3 that there was cbal' in the district, and he ) [ subsequentiyenteredithe mine by tlje lower -. , shaftj at the inner extremity of which there 1 ; was along. table, laid with viands^ndiWines 1 I— both provided by the Borough Council - of Greymouth. The Bcind was present, ; : and playec], several airs> with" an echo pro- • videdj3y,,tliQ,sikiatiqn > and one-toast was - proposed,. 3-, '? Prosperity , to' , the r , Goal-. [ nilne." It. was proposed' by tl;e Governor,, ,• ! and *iu a few 'happily pointed sentences F ; , which plbased and 'aniused' his audience, iand which 1 apparently inade ; everybody r i feel "at homey'^ although everybody was; ! r. \ physically, - atj: as_ : gfeat .'a distance : from : I that domestic quarter as he had. probably, ■ ever .been. . |,d '.the iniue, "dqp.i^g , jthb ; ! gubernatorial visit,, darkness was made [.' 'visible by 'the presence 'of innumerable j j sperm candles, and at its entrance, on jbhe ■arrival and departure of His Excel'lenbyj: • there was much nbise made by tlie firing s ]of fowling pieces 1 arid the blacksmith's, s ; an viL ' Altogether the incident- of yiaiting, i jthe t) cpal-mine was well \managed ;by;allf ', icbncemßd, and'prpvi3d to be what it ; was;. l '. intended; — the introduction of ,the: Go-j • jvemor.t.6 ;the principal resource iof, the. 'district, and. one of the'.'inpst valuable re^- ■ ; sources of .the Colony: : J . ; ' ' ■■: ''■ ; Last, but by no 'means least] -was thb r ; demonstration 'on; the ; G-bvprhor's -de/; ■ paftureJ j rlt realised 1 .the ; Cbpk'ney'a : cod- ] • :ceptibn ! of Mpurif Vesuvius id:^riiptipn;; I, jit 1 -' wW i Fire Brigade turned" out >lj m ' m'ctsse, ' j and lined Ihe^street from Gilmer's Hotel" to the arch at thelAlbib'n^Hotel. About 9 o'clock His Excellency, accompanied by- ;' jhis suite' and' a numbe^- of gentlemenf proceeded to the wharf, fpllowed by ! procession, and wfent on'bbslrd! the Titan ? , ! the .V"ol;unteej?B presenting, ;arms, .and the; jßand playmg:.-";.God I +sajve....l^e;;-.Que6n>",'i •The Yolunteersj Fire /Brigades/Band ,i and i« a ; large i'ttuinbervot ; ; citiz'ensli went; - ;bnl I the. Dispatch^iand 1 'accompan'iedi :His; f 'Excellency, over the: bar.^.Before'J 'leaving the wliapf, salujes^ere" fifed; andjhearty cheers were' given for His Ex§elg_ lency. ::Firew.pr ; ks ; .of lejyeryo description ■were "brought into requisition, and , the triuiii j>h ; a'l' arch tfas brilliantly illuminated through the 'liberalityof the' Gas Company;' everything' and everybody seeming-unitedO to make the .reception and departure of i the Governor an-.^unqualified • success,] which they thoroughly succeeded in accom- { plishing. In fact, the visit of Governorr ;Fergusson to Greymouth has been one of.the happiesi; incidents in its history/ It \ was shorthand sharp, but it- •was^-alsb 1 ' 7 decisive as' an' expression of local 'loyalty, and,' c while tlie'-'Gbvernor lias gone away ipparently - well ' impressed , with jGrey?, mQvj'tß,-Vor^mbuth^yen^ with ; the !; gbriviptibn N that, " if\ '^ir '^ames Fergussonj .the-. Qplouy ;hai) a GoVprnpr } & gentleman^ and ft brick. I ,'!' ?j : The banquet to was giypn in Gilmer's Hall, and was a . banquet accbrdirigto-the test desires : bf tne'hosts, and the best efforts of the caterers. 1 The Mayor (G.<'Glebn, USsq.) was supported on the right by the County Chairmkn^hV lop^M^ I ' Wain ! Fe^ gusson, Dr ftedot \ on s fch(3 v% leffc, u 'b^' the gon, Mr Ijahman^ Warden price, Mr Lundan, and others. " After the u^!* 1 Wai toasts had been proposed, the Mayor gave in* ne«Wn of

His Excellency Governor Fergusson, coupled with the name of Lady Fergusson. I His Excellency said he felt much «gratified^by»th6= earßest^nSaliaerin^whicfithe phairman hacj -pr^ppsed^his health, ahd'by the v enthVsiastic < re'spoTise it had received from the gentlemen-.present.^^-He - I''bee*n7"aT'the1 '' bee*n7"aT' the QlieenT^repre^entati ye in New Zealand;} ?kiudly and loyally re 4 ceived in-Greymouth. Id was his desire ,'tol make /himself 'acbjiain ! te r d %ith ; rthe country in which he was Govern or^'isq thatiat any[futlica\time-' he; might be'id a position to act in matters brought before him; ;,, Aitho ugh /not .able tta yisitioHtlying districts at' the present time, still he had had?, ap: opportunity! of obtainii%< valuable information on many subjects~from'7tEose : bes'^ able -to give' : it> • QTrbm'' Hi^ bwd servation he could see no engineering difficulties • in:-the'v way -bf^ Greymouth having a good harbor, and becoming a'; ceutral portj : He h'ad^n'b't-'been met with questions on his arrival, here^as was usually the caa'e'id'rnany^^^toWns— "What ' do you vthink of Gireymoiijth 1£ and that; was.icoticlusiye that the residents, h^d.fullf cbn-l fidence id their towii' and' '"district./ With a g'obdlhatbbf, ; abundance/jof- timber, the' extensive coal'measilrgs-^and the goldfields in the backgroiind, there, .could be? no doiibt'as' to ; the prospeWty" 8f r^ne : Proj vince. His Excellency,; ,in concluding his remarks; ' ' stitedjjthat' it jff ould__haye ■given TJadyriFergusspn much^.pleasure'tb have accorrip^anieo 1 ' *Hokitika and Greymouthy but- as -she bad lately- re-j . covered from .'se¥er'e? illnfess/ and dwin^pq the difficulties of travelling, it was deencfedi ;advisable to 9efer'ih6r'Visife .0 ■'• i' ; > v* Mv Masters jlthen "The .-Ministry 5 of ; ! New. ■ Zealand ? -? J )': re marking' upon the benefits -vstoich^had ; accrued to rthe* tb wh !i: thrb\igh : th6 -visit of Hon, Mr Fox, arid/ctlie receiit I .Visits, of the ..Groyernor^ ; ; :f' SJ!^ 1 '' 1 ;', ■~ Jh * ui - f^yi. iyru T^e'-Hon 1 ; '^PtiAMMAiit, responded'; Mr Masters then 'proposed "The Army, JN&yy^ ■ and coupled with the iiaraes of WardenJPrice, and.Oapt. iFergiisSbn,' 1 i j,'|iu / Akc'e)lencyv^;'/"', "'■■"'., ,' r . ' '[ "."-'•;'.* , . ,-r, t:T ."eap^tbjin FEROTssqif^returned'' thank>,i 'hlis, daim'b '.'haying ■.bee.tf i CQupJ^d^ith|'tiie; 2y^^ntebr,s^^.,;'j^ '„'.'.. t ''' : ' r *Z' "^ -l- ; ;' I *'* 'Mr l iiASMAN '^leQ^g»ye^ih,e't.oa|t,-'of77-! " His.. Excellency's .suite-,'-., accompanied by the name o^JJr.Mec^nr. „: ;L^r f! HßCTOft,;saidTtiat it was .only ac.ci'deritally 1 hef r 'jyas ir therb"'' thai 2 ! night, '-'but .there ,w.asjpno portion of the -Colony he took a greater linteresli J inth ! a t d'he'did /in this. ; .■-:••-.'■!'.: The GbyBKiTOB -proposed the toast — " The'- Maybr : and^ the '^orough Council of Greymibuth^" r'id 'thfe Mayor of Greymbijth he had f ound* a ft gentleman whose name would,,at ,an early. period, appear bd the rbll'bf J.F;'sfor«th6 < Colony. (Chbers.) . - ;> i j,..f ,^ r *„ ThereiVYere.a numbeE ; of formal toasts on the lisij-but a3 time was elapsing, and thei steamers were' making' themselves noisy, the p.arty broke, up. , .. v .;_ _ r v --^' There" are many ' incided'ts' connected with the gubernatbria,i vis.it v/high deserve notice in detail, but time and-space.;haye limits, and they;:must: be .imentioned on another occasion. Many- persons", who have not; :beeri -mentioned exerted themselves much in contribiitibg) : tb=the> welcome given to the -^Overabl:j' :! and[j;here were incideniis-WKichi-th'bu'gK'^oli^now noticed, aip v^drHiny of being r^pbVt'ejd at amore ■'c"onyenien^ r seM6fi^7^7." Il^-f'1 l^-f'■ Cf '^ *