UNKNOWN

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 2, Issue 62, 27 November 1858, Page 5

UNKNOWN

THE INAUGinU*IO2!r O*'T3£ SrAJoifiOi? D'obx'..

The second of the.3pecicf celebrations of tho fetes of Cherbooi'g^ the opening" of the Oreat JJi^ sin, or Napoleon Dock, of the military port, took place on the 7th "August in the 1 presoneo of the empei-or and an immtoise concoifrso of people. When the imperial couple leftj the emperor conducted the empress through the arsenal, leaving suißdent time in his passage through ths dense mass of people for the admiration of the Empress Eugenie's simple; and tasteful -toilet? consisting of a white muslin dress with embroidery, a shawl mantilla of light green silkj fringed wiiii black point, and white bonnet, with ribbons of th<j Biuntn-3r toilet, in its simplicity and composition of colourar.' * ...

THE INAUGURATION Otf aH£ STATIfE OV SAP, I. The last act was performed on -Sunday* the Bth of August. After mass, the emperor and empvosa followed by the imperial cortege,' proceeded t-o the Place Napoleon to inaugurate t'lie equestrian' 1 ' Btatue of Napoleon L, which took plaeo in the prcsen.ee of an immense crowd* On their .arrival tha blject that covered the statue was removed amidst the most enthusiastic cries of " Vive r.Empereur !" "Yive Napoleon I.!" "Vive Napoleon 111.!" while at thj same moment salutes were fired from all the vessels in the harbour and from the forts. The Emperor, observing round the statue a.number of persous wearing the St. Helena medal, invited them to approach to the foot of the .platform. Each of them had in his hand a wreath, of immortelles or of laurel, and they advanced- with the loudest acclamations to the placed assigned to them. As soon as silence was restored, the ilayor of Cherbourg ascended the steps of the platform, and delivered a rather poeticaladdreas, to. which the Emperor made the following soeeeh ' in reply.- • ■ ■ •*■■ .

■ "Gkmtlemen, — In thankirig you on siy arrival at Cherbourg for your oordiui aaddres s 1 told you that it appeared to be my destiny to see accomplished by pcaco the great designs which the Etuperov had conceived during war. In fact-, notonly have those gigantic works of which he conceived the idea been completed, but in the raorol order of things the principles which he sought to enforce by means of arms -now triumph through the simple effect of reason. Thus one of the questions for which he struggled the most energetically — the freedom of the seas, which ratifies Uio rights of neutrals — is solved by common accord. So true is it that posterity always takes on ilself to realise the ideas of a great man. Eat whiis rendering justice to the emperor, we must .not forget in these places the persevering efforts of .the governments which preceded and followed him. The first idea of the creation of the port of Cherbourg dates back, as you well know, to him who. "created all our military ports and all our fortified places — to Louis XIV., seconded by the genius of Yauhan. Louis XVI. actively continued tho works. . The .chief of my .family gave them a -decisive impulse ; and since that tim'3 every government has looked on it as a duty to follow liis example. I thank the town of Cherbourg for" having erected a siatue to. the Emperor in the space for which he felt so much solicitude. You have wished to render homage to him, who, "in spite of continental wax'?, never lost sight ot" the importance of the navy. . when there is now inaugurated at the same time the statue of the great Captain, and the completion of this military port, public opinion feels do alarm, for the more powerful a nation is, the more it is respected ; and the stronger a government, tho more moderation there is in its councils, and the more justice in its resolutions. The repose of the country consequently is not risked to satisfy a, vain pride or to achieve an ephemeral popularity. A government which is founded ou the will of tim masses is not the slave of any party ; it does not make war, except when compelled to do bo in defence of national honour, or of the givat interest 3 of the people. Let us therefore continue to do velop in peace the different resources of France : let us invite foreigners to come and inspect our works ; let them come as friends, not as rivals. Let us show them that a nation in which unity and confidence prevail resists the passion of a day, and being under self-command, only obeys tfie di&tates of honour and of reason."

Louis Napoleon delivered this "improvised" speech with greai flueno} 1 . It was received by loud acclamations from the thousands of persons assembled.

It is reported that the .Emperor towards the close of (he summer, will retxirn to Queen Victoria, at Osborne, the visit with -which sha has honoured him at Cherbourg. It will be merely a private and friendly viait. '"

TheFitzJj&OY river gold field mania seems to have subsided:— accounts .©f little-gold and great privation having reached Sydney. ' ' . ' Wo observe that afc Cape' Town /'^lrietenings" are added in the public journals to Birtka, Deaths, and Marriages. " V ■

We learn fromthe "Liverpool Albion" that several steam vessels were being built of steel pi&tesV