Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1898. ARRIVAL OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 12, Issue 951, 13 June 1868, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1898. ARRIVAL OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR.

WU Y_-i-_-NU_.*-. The p.s. Sturt arrived yesterday morning from Poverty Bay aud other parts of the coast, having on board His Excellency the Governor, who was accompanied by his aide-de-camp, Captain Young, and the Hon. J. C. Richmond. The Sturt having moored alongside the wharf, His Excellency aud suite landed at eleven a.m., under a salute from Gore Browne barracks. A guard of honor — consisting of a detachment of H.M. 18th regiment aud the company of Napier volunteers, the whole under the command of Capt. Wray, 18th Royal Irish— lined Custom Housestreet (leading frora the wharf to Wag-horn-street) which was gaily decorated with flags, trained across the street in the form of an arch. Although the day after the Governor's arrival was the one intended to be observed as a holiday, no sooner was the fact of His Excellency having actually arrived made generally known than places of business *were simultaneously closed ; Napier assumed quite a holiday aspect ; and a large proportion of the residents flocked to. the Spit to see Sir George Boweu upon first setting foot ashore.His Excellency, upon lauding, was received with three hearty cheers ; in response he called first, for three cheers for Her Majesty, and then for three for Hawke's Bay and the Superintendent. He then drove to the Council Chamber, a uumber of carriages and other vehicles following. Ou reaching the Government buildings he passed under an arch, stretching from the main gate to Reardon's corner, across Shakespeare road, composed of Hau Hau flags, and presenting quite a gay appearance, He next passed through the gate, which was surmounted by an arch of evergreen shrubs, and entered the Council Chamber, where several gentlemen were presented to His Excellency, and where the following address was presented by the Speaker of the Provincial Council :— • To His Excellency Sir George Ferguson Boweii, Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, Governor and Commander-in-Ohief in and over Her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its Dependencies, and Vice-admiral of the same. May it please yo%i,r Excellency,— We, the Provincial Council of the province of Hawke's Bay, bid your Excellency a hearty welcome to our province on this your first visit to Hawke'' s Bay. We hope that your Excellency will be able on this occasion to visit some of the adjacent country, so that during your administration you may hereafter be enabled at future visits to mark the progress of the most recently colonised province in this island. We exceedingly regret that we cannot also now welcome Lady Bowen to Napier, but we hope that at a future time we may be afforded the opportunity of doing so. We trust that your Excellency's administration may be attended with the happiest results to both races of Her Majesty's subjects in the colony, and assure youi- Excellency of our earnest desire to clo our utmost to support your Government to that end. — His Excellency replied as follows :— Mr. Speaker and Gentlemen, — I thank the Provincial Council of Hawke's Bay for this address, and for the hearty welcome which you have accorded to me on my first visit to your province. The support and sympathy which I receive from the public bodies, and from all classes of my fellow-countrymen in every part of New Zealand, are most gratifying to me. personally, and are most satisfactory on public grounds, as fresh proofs of the loyalty of the entire population, and of their good will to the representative of their Sovereign. Napier, the name of your capital, recalls the memory of a great soldier ; and Hawke's Bay, the name of your province, recalls the memory of a great seaman, the early friend and patron of the illustrious navigator, who first planted tho British flag on these snores. I visited yesterday the exact spot at Turanganui where Captain Cook first landed in New Zealand; and I thought that it would have rejoiced his heart, amid tho distresses and anxieties of his voyages of discovery, if he could have foreseen that in the then savage region which he made known to his countrymen, within less than a century a ; flourishing colony woulcl arise, destined, in all human probability, to become the Great Britain of the Southern hemisphere. I hope to spend some days in visiting the interior of this noble province, so rich in pastoral and agricultural resources. I regret exceedingly that Lady Bowen is unable to accompany me on the present occasion, and I thank yoii for your kind reference to her name. Finally, Mr. Speaker and gentlemen, I earnestly trust, witli you, that, under the blessing of Providence, and through the wisdom of the colonial legislatures, the clouds which now partially obscure our horizon may be cleared away during the period of my, administration, and that peaco and prosperity may be finally established for both races of Her Majesty's subjects in New Zealand. — After leaving the Council Chamber, : His Excellency and suite, accompanied

by His Honor the Superintendent, and followed by Cobb's coach containing several members of Council and other gentlemen, left town for.Wai-o-hiki pa. On arrival, the vice-regal party found the new flagstaff covered v. ith. bunting, and' about, 2oo natives ready to receive aud welcome them. A detachment of native militia was drawn up iv front of the large meeting house, who presented arms with a precision not expected by a stranger. Numerous speeches of welcome were made, to which His Excellency replied. The reply, as well as the substance of the uative addresses, we hope to publish in Tuesday's Herald. His Excellency, after a stay of one aud a half to two hours, crossed through the South Meanee block to' Pakowhai. The militia, as at Tareha's pa, presented arms ; they also fired two volleys aud gave three English cheers in honor of the . Governor. Speeches of welcome and loyalty were again the order of the day ; and the natives, who are by no means indifferent physiognomists, were, we understand, very favorably impressed with the new Governor's appearance. His Excellency, as before, replied to the addresses made. The party here partook of refreshment, which was nicely served in European fashiou, and then returned by way of Waitangi Bridge — reaching town a little before dusk. An undress levee will be held in the Council Chamber this day at noon ; and the public dinner, which was the only compliment circumstances woulcl permit to be offered to our distinguished guest, will take place at half-past six this evening. It is, we understand, His Excellency's intention to proceed to Wellington by the overland route.