Visit of Imperial Troops to Palmerston.

Manawatu Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 7162, 13 February 1901, Page 4

Visit of Imperial Troops to Palmerston.

The visit of the Imperial troops to Palmerston yesterday was the greatest event that has taken place in this town, and it need hardly be said that the honor conferred on she townspeople in having in their midst some of the finest representatives of " The Soldiers of the King" was thoroughly appreciated. The crowd of people that assembled in the Square yesterday comprised not only a very large section of tbe residents of this district, buc also a large number of people from adjoiciug townships, the total number of adults and children on the showground being estimated at fully 12.000. Tho sight as the troops marched round the Square was one which will long be cemembered.

Major Asquith, who w«is i<\ charge of the force when it arrived here on Monday, proceeded northwards from Wanganui to Rotorua, and the men were under the command'of Captain S. M. Scrase-Dickins, of the Higblanel Light Infantry. As the train containing tho Imperial men was brought to a standstill in the Square at 12.40 p.m., the Palmerston North Brass Band under Bandmaster Meyrick played a lively air, while tbe public who lined ■ the fences surrounding the Square enclosure opposite the band rotunda shouted themselves hoarse with cries of \ welcome, a number of Maoris belonging to the Rangitane tribe also joining in the cheers, which were vociforoi.sly given. The school children, who [ occupied a prominent place in the crowd, wore streamers of red, white aud blue, and they also joined heartily in the cheering. In addition to the Imperial tooops, the Square enclosure was occupied by the Mayor and Borough Councillors, Mr Pirani, M.H.R., the Town Chik\ (Mr R. N. Keeling;, Mr Filzherbert (Borough Solicitor, who was in uniform as a retired naval officer), und the lJalinerston North Pipe Bund. The approaches to the reserves were kept clear by the police under tsergt.-Major Ramsay and a detachment of the Manawatu Mounted Rifles. The Hon J. G. Ward and Colonel Pole-Penton nccotnpanied the Imperial troops from Wanganui. When the iroops were formed into line, the order oE the procession was as follow:— Advance Guard Manawatu Mounted Rifles Palmerston Rifles Veterans Rangitane Tribe Mayor and Borough Councillors, and Visiting Mayors Palmerston North Brass Baud Life Guards Lancers I Royal Hoi se Guards Royal Hors3 Artillery j Roval Gnrri«on Arfc'lbry Gronaditr Guards bcoor.Aiuu.rds Highland Light Infantry Band Somersetshire Light Ir fan try Royal fusiliers Welsh Fusiliers Scottish Rifles Black Watch Palmerston Pipe Band Scottish Pipes Cameron Highlanders Highland Light Infantry Devons Royal Army Medical Corps Middlesex liifle Volunteeis Rear Guard Manawatu Mounted Rifles

The line of route was round the Square, along Rangitikei street, into Cuba street, and thence to the Showground. All the balconies of the hotels and the verandahs of .business establishments were crowded with people, who repeatedly cheered the troop*. As the force marchcclon to the Showground shouts of welcome went up from the women and children who crowded boih staods. The men were drawn up into line in front of the Grandstand, where they were formally welcomed by the Mayor and Borough Councillors. The Mayor referred to tho great pleasure felt'by ,the peoDle of Palmerston North in having a visit from the troops, and he was -extremely pleased that the weather bad p'-oved so favourable, enabling so many people to come into town to see the visitors. He thought the troop* would recognise that the public of Palmerston Noith had appreciated their presence in the town, and no effort had been spared to make the visit enjoyable. They iooked upon tbe troops assembled as part of the British Army and tbe British nation, and tho people of this rown felt ph-asinv in belonging to such a great Empire. The New Zealinders had fought side by sido in South Africa with the Imperial troops, and even now fiesh men were beii g obfaivud for the campaign. The Mayor concluded Ins remarks by again according a luaitv welcome to Palniurston North. He thwi ca'l-d f r three cliecs for the cfiicpi-s and met), the response bein» a a very b any on*. °

_ At the eoneusion of the cheering a line oxlnbi;iof of sword tmci lance drill wrk given |, v n-. e Roxal Horse Artilleiy aid '2ls( o T unce s respectively unoer the oinuiHnd ~1 iiegimeiual Sex'eant Major Lausjhton, the remarkable 3 piohcicncy disiviiv^d by the men bung the theme of admiration.

When the drill was crvlerl the officers and men marched into the luocheon rooms where they pnrtook of a CHpifcal spivad, provided by the townspeople. The catering, which was in the hands of Messrs Glare and Tocld and Charker, gave complete satisfaction. The menu was ns_ follows :—Uoasta - Sucking pi», fowl, York hmn and ox tongue,"be^f. limb and mint sauce. Sweets—Apple njn, ,ipl;ie«. trifle supremo, plum pi-, biscuits and e!i<-c^-, almonds and raisins and fruit The liquid rolYishinewis i includ tI champagne. [ Tin! ftt.iv.ii- piYMd;(i atihc luncheon Ito the .•■llioovs, H-.YIIIJJ or, lily right ihe ! Hi-.n. JG. Waul ; ,nd Colonel Polo Ponton a- (1 oq Jim l(;it Capiftin H. \\ Sera*" ]) elcns. The offic-rs j pve K.)t. inciudprt Mnj:-r Ha.l, Captains Uiink.i. d Mounsc-y, U?u tenants Prinfjlp, •Mur.ro, L:>uisson »iml JJe *1-. A-nom-th" visiting Mayora -re Mr, Goodbehtre (I'KiJdng. ..nd .\u- Wilson (L'ahiatuai. After lunch-nn ji brie' c -a-i list was coinn cr.ceA. The jlm toast, was " Tiie Kint," proposed by the Mayor, The ■ Mayor, 'in propo'sinj; " The Imparial Uepie--oimuivo Corpa,'1 „<•- cordecl Captain Scraso-Diekins and tho members of his force a henrty wclcoiuo to Palujßi-ston North. Hb slut, d that ihe Msit had bean looked forward to with pleasure for somo time, mid it had t-tkon place under auspicious circumstance;. The assemblage of so many people frov. all parts of the district was very gratifying, and was suflicient iestimony that the visit of the troops was appreciated. He wished to thank the men for iho fin* exhibition of drill they g-ive rr'cr to the lurcheon. an.l he felt sura the ovolnthns would prove instructive to nur ovyn volunteers. The vi.-it of the tioops proved how strop" was the connect-.ng ' link between ih« ■ Mothi-r Cc.iuvvy and the colonies, and it also showed the great brotherhood cxinin;,' in the mi isti army. Thfy hop d i re long to ha' c the plpa«»re of welcoming ihe Duke of Cornwall, and his i

Ho.yal Highness would find that New j ZeA'aiiilcrs would £ive him a rec<-ption I quite (jijiuil to Unit which he wond ! receive in other pans of the Empire. Ho j full, stn-e that when the Imprr a! trcKpq i jc'ui'iieil b> rng'.'iml il< y would carry ' 'with them plena. nt recollections of their slay in >Vw Zetland. (Apptau-^). The Mayor then brleHy referred to ihc deat.ii of the Queen, wiiicii he Paid had cii^ca ycat s^.-in^s fhroughou-. this colony. • She vya- lovp4 am} rospicted both asa ! J moniu'cli mid wonjan, and theyal' hoped thai the King would follow in her lootsteps, i Captain Scrnse-Dickins, in responding, said he desired to heartily thank l\vl residents of fn.lmers;on North and ihe ! people of New Zealand grncnliy for the J kindness shown to the troops since they I hud arrived in the colony. The welcome j had been indeed kind, corchnl and ■hearty, aid the hospit-iliiy of the -iS'cw j Z-ealanders would ■ not be for« ittcn. ' Tliey had c rtainiy travelled a lon-- | distanco, hut the troap* know when they ' started that their reception would bo 'si hearty one. When the oiljccrs and men left EugUiia they all inpea, tim thej,

would have the opportunity of visiting New Zealand, anil they had found no colony aud no people so much like the Old Country and its inhabitants as this colony. From the time the troops arrived at the Bluff they had received nothing but pleasure .-md entertainment, and the only regret felt was that they could not stay for a longer period in the colony. When the troops returned home they would give a most appreciative account of the kindness ai d hospitality they had received from the people of New Zealand in general, and the people of Palmerston North in particular. The oflicers, in addition to a number of soldiers who had riled into room, owing to the want of room in the adjoining department, then rose to their feet and sang heartily "For they are jolly good fellows." At the request of Capfc. Scrase>-Dickcns cheers were given for the Mayor and people of Palmeiston North.

The next toast was "His Excellency tbe Governor." proposed by the Miiyor, and coupled with the name of the Hon. J. G- Ward. The hon. gentleman, in responding, expressed the great pleasure he felt in being present at the gathering, and on behalf of the Government he wished to state that the efforts made by the Palmerston North people were thoroughly appreciated. He regretted very much time it had been impossible to give a leaglhy notice in order to prepare the townspeople for the visit of tho Imperial force, but from the manner in which the arrangements had been carried out he was satisfied that they could not have done better, neither could they have shown greater hospitality. The hon. gentleman then went on to refer to the troubles in South Africa, in connection with which he pointed out ihe preat effect the war had had upon the British nation. If it bad not been for those troubles the Empire would not have been so firmly united, whilo it was very improbable that Imperial troops would have been sent to Australia to take part in the celebration of the Commonwealth. Although they all de^Wri the fact that some of their best blood had been spilt in South Africa, yet uju war had been the means of testing ihe real strength of the Empire, and had taught the outside world tbat they wou'd not only have to fight the British lion, but also the British cubs (Applause). On behalf of the Government he wished to express Mieir thanks for the way the people in this country had turned out to welcome the Imperial troops. Pahnsrston hid not been behind otber plnces in the colony in their efforts to make the visit of the force a memorable one, as he felt sure it had proved to all of themThe non-commissioned officers aid men were entertained in adjoining rooms. A really excellent luncheon whs provided for them, the bill-of-furo differing very little from that placed before the officers. The men received every attention from a large staff of waitresses, and the Palmorston North Rifles also lent valuable assistance iv this direction. When all had partaken to their satisfaction, MrP.Pirani, M.H.K., said it would not be well to let the visitors go without honouring the toast of, "The King." This toast whs enthusiastically diunk, and was followed by the Nation«l Anthem and three cheers for his Majesty and one for the Queen.

Mr Pirani then said he bad another toast to propose before the men left, which was ot rather a personal natuie, He did not think he ought to allow those present to go out without proposing the health of the Imperial troops who wore visiting here, and he was sure that all those who weie present would honour that toast with enthusiasm. He felt certain that the reception given them in this town had noi been exceUd in other parts of the c ilony, and it did not nead his rssuronca to t-.'l them that they were heartily welcome. The people of falmtrston were happy in having them here, and were sorry they were going'eo sooj. He wished them good luck and a safe journey to the Old Country.

The man immediately struck up " Fc r they are jolly good fellows," and gave loud and hearty chrers, while au embus iastic Rifleman called fcr ih.ee chrers for Mr Pivani, which were enthusiistically given. The visitors then filed out of tho luncheon room and proceeded to the oval, where Hare R«k na To A.we Awe, on behalf of the .Raugitane tribe! addressed the Imperial troops, Capttun Preece kindly officiating as interpreter. Hare Rakena commenced by welcoming the uipn as soldiers of"the Queaa" who had been taken from them, be said they had come to the colonies under the authority of the Q'!e-n, bur, since then she had. been taken from her people, hnd they had had a time of mourning for her whose good wo ks were so well known. He was pleased t:j hear that tho King was following in the stops of the Queen, and would stand as the protector of their race in the same manner as his mother had donß, He welcomed the Imperial troops, and wished them all long life under the rule of King Edward VII. At the conclusion of Kakena's address he was thanked for his kindly remarks by Captain Scrase Dickins, The troop 3 were then formed into lin >. after which they left the showground for the railway station amidst the enthusiastic applause of the spectators. As the train left the station the officers and men were vociferously cheered by the^ spectators, and thus ended a visir which will prove memorable in the annals of this colony.

The Highland Pipers connected with th i Imperial troops were entertained ufc laneheon at- the Masonic tlu^i y, Bterday uy toe Pahr.erston Pipe Band, mier which they paid a visit to the hospital.

Endorsed at Home. SUCH Pi OOF AS THIS SHOULD CONVINCE ANY PALVIER. Sl'OX CITIZEN.

Thd public 'endorsement of a local c.s zen is tr-e best proof that can b..• produced, iNone better, none stronger can be had. When a man comes forward und testifies to his fellow citizens, iiddresses his friends and neighbours, you may be sure he is thoroughly con vinoed or he would not do so. Telling one's experience when it is for the g ,od of the public is .an act of kindness that should be appreciated. The following st..itenif-nt g.ven by a resident of Palme " stou add.- o io more to tho many cas.s > f home mdorcenjent which are btini' publish-d about the " Little Conqueror.' Read it

Mr J. Buck, Campbell street, this city says; -" Having sufferrd with a pain i'u fc'ie small of my back nnd procuicd a box o£ Doan's Baclache Kidney Pills of Air Whi;eford of this city. Offa>'d < n I've beea troubled with backache a go >d deal. Ifevei- [ get a coU it is b ,u.',d ip str.kis jus.;- across the- spins and ma'-c things uncomfoitable fur me. Ac all ULQi-s I | Klvc f, )U!3 d -t very h i>d on me working ia ihe garden whtrc theru is a a strain on the back. Well I found thrsc p.llb the rignt m"dkiine for pains in the bacb,^ They eased my backache Boon «lter I begun to v.-c them, and can speak stros.gly in favor of these pills. Do not be satisfied with any imha-. ti-:i of l)oan'd Till-. It was Dunn's J3ack-.cho Kidney Pills Mr Buck us«d, tiiercfo.o t«ee that \ou get the same round v.

-Ooau's !>.cliichc Kidney Pill-j are for «ale at Mr Vvhitcfoids Piiannacy, mid Oy nil eh-'Uiis'.s iind s^u'ei^cpers at os per box, (six boxes 16s G.I) or will bo forwarded on receipt of piice by the p-oprietora, Foster, MoCk-llan" Co., Syrlucy. JiuL be i-'iiro they arc Dauu'x.

GOOD M!ilJiCiNra FOR UMILUUEN

"Thi'ju^li the months of. Juno and .Inly f'li" baby was tcuthing and took a itimiiiii; «j)l' of the bowela and sickness uf the <slouiauli, '■ says O. L*. M. Holiday. (> t Bernini;. Ind •' His bowels would move from live to eight times .1 day. [ had a 'Mttle of Cliamberlain's Colic, Cholei'u aud lJiorrhi'.-iv Remedy in the houso and gave linn toui- drops in a tcaspoouful of water, ami ho got bettar af once" .Sold by U.P.0.A., Agents, Palmerston North.— Advt