THE ROYAL VISIT.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4312, 22 March 1901, Page 5

THE ROYAL VISIT.

MOVEMENTS OF THE OTHER. / LONDON, March 20. - The Orient steamer Ophir, with; the Royal party on.board, lias passed’ Sar grcs, to the south of Cape St. Vincent, the scuth-western-corner of Spain. A 'MESSAGE, BY WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY. ■ (Received March 21, 11.1 p.m.) ' LONDON, March ,20. HAf.S. Niobc, which forms, part of t|ie, escort to the Ophir, by means of wireless telegraphy, sent a telegram to * Gibraltar conveying the wishes of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall with regard to the reception there. DISPLAY IN MELBOURNE. MELBOURNE. March 21. Fine designs have been drawn up for the arches m connection with the re. oeptiou of the Duke of Cornwall. ■ The chief arch will be the Queen’s Arch in Collins street, which will be surmounted by a gilded figure of the late Queen, while statues of the King, the Queen and the late Prince Consort will surround the central figure.

A CHARACTERISTIC LETTER. ‘"THE EEL-FISHER NODDING IN UNCONCERN.” | The Hon James Carroll has .received the following characteristic letter ’from a Waipawa native; To the Hon Timi Kara. j Long may you live to perform thh important duties incumbent upon you in behalf of the people. _ i Great, indeed, is,the news which has regaledl our ears: no less than the looming of the illustrious * Rongo-ma-tane, the God-like visitor, to this land. . s":■ Well, then, what are we doing? Shall we be as the drowsy eel-fisher nodding in unconcern, or shall we put on the wa.kcfullp.ess of the war-party ever on the footsteps of action? i •' If we are to be alive and on the! warpath, you will have to' sound the alarm! rouse up the pah! and put life into, your people. Incant them as of yore in the following formula: i “ Sleepers arise! i “ Already the bird is on the perch dtecked for the fray. j , “They are upon us! i “Perhaps emboldened by the spirit of

tTa. j “Aha! dismayed, .they find us due prepared.” ; \ ' . 'j H Yon, however, know all these things, and the necessity for yourself 'to direct. This district (Heretaunga) has always been difficult to move into fit purpose, as the old sayings applied 1 thereto Jindicate :—/ j. '« ‘-d •- ku.ui.evji 1 ;,; y,, •" . ; “Heretaunga of many:dews/’ ! T-El. “HeretaUriga;. bf, many! paths,’? "Heretaunga. pLmany tongues.” ... But now, in this .your, day. it should ,bq differerit ' you jhavd 1 chjtnljed the ; old jbrc|er for a^!policy, J o|‘wolteig;‘.'together you'have urged thp pwifiedo' he ] one, therefore don thong and.lead, us into action;., ;i • ifAh"this 1 point .letlime a conclude. 1 trust- you will live■ onj and*‘-Under God’s blessing.,., ; _. - ... —. ybu.njliUmblest' of kirij -v • ‘ . : (Sign.6d) IHAIA HIITANA. Waipawa,.MqJ!pK;l4th)xJ9ol,'l' . 1 Nnte. —* “of the greatest. diviriitiAh uff PoiyiibSia. , ~-tTu—^-tho,Godtof - iWar T “ J C' i .]‘>■ JToro'a —the Albatnossl:’, - r !■>{' ‘ RECEPTION OK’ROYAY !••' I PARTY, I-.'...-,, ' :i Dl^3Sl6N^^'Tj^'-CTTY' .... , „ v (REPORT ; •' ByT PB0E,“ 1 jKAYOR. 1

QUESTION REFERRED -TO A 'COM--I r At tlie 'meetingAjf' the,. ( Oity'''ttunoil. last night the qnestiSS. ‘ Duke, and Duchess of , Cornwall on their visit to Wellington. Was again discussed.-. The Mayor (Mr J." G. W. Aitken), in a verbal report, of the interview between members ,of; the Crf£y Council. anß the Premier;-’ which 1 tohlf place on Monday, said’:—rYour committee “Went *to interview the Premier .'of- the colony to find out whether ,or.not it. would be possible for him to pass, or to give us a definite promise that he wiould an Enabling Bill empowering us to spend more money in welcoming , their Royal- .Highnesses than is at our disposal just now, and to learn, also, -whether it would be possible to look to the Government for a £1 for £1 subsidy of money spent by the Council for that purpose. In reply to the committee. Mr Seddon, <1 think, did .not make any definite promise that he would indemnify the City Council for any money spent over and above the £250 allowed by. the Municipal Corporations Act:., He made ai- general state-' 'meat that if he found it necessary it could be done, but he did not give any definite promise that it would be done. On the second point, as to a subsidy, he was not only emphatic, but to some extent insulting—not only insulting, to the City Council, but to the whole of the citizens of Wellington. He said a very great deal about the citizens that I do not wish to repeat. But I think it night and proper that this Council should, know that certain were made by the Premier to the detriment of the City of Wellington as a whole. Ho practically gave Wellington the-name of being the very meanest city in. the whole of the colony, and he held up Dunedin and the other cities, hut particularly Dunedin, as affording a bright contrast. X saw afterwards that he had previously given Auckland the .name of being the meanest city in the . colony. I suppose Auckland had mended its ways since then. It is now above .Wellington. Some other members of the deputation are here. I think I have fairly stated what occurred. (Hear, hear.) Personally, as Mayor of this city;' and as a member of this. Council, from what took place at the int erview with the Premier on Monday, I could not advise, this Council'td spend more than, £250.;' I do. not think that' the Prosier oFthe or any ode else, hasuny right to expect that any .member ;of tins Council should render himself liable to be sued in. Oours for A very large sum of money. r. Councillor.- Tolhurst: Could we not limit the tbing to’a. casket and address, as is being don© hr. Sydney P : Councillor 1 Jzard: There must be a casket; you cannot give the address on a piece of brown paper. Councillor Winder said ho understood that’ the Melrose and Petone Borough 1 Councils could contribute £250 each if they liked. - ;; , Hie Mayor : No. I question whether Melrose could contribute more than £SO, according to the law. _ Councillor Anderson said the thing should not be alleged to fall through. [ He t ent had taken up an: illiberal attitude. Wellington ! bad been mentioned with Sydney, in ’ comparison with which it was really only t a village. Comwillor Luke said it was not nie«

to 'get an - ' Indemnity* Act’ beforehand/ But he;dicTnot'./wabt. to ‘see fall through. Ho thought-, the best way to deal, with-the matter was to refer it to a committee. Ho moved to that effect. - ;: He' wfe not in favour of going to the Prepiicr.again. : The ; Harbourßoard, for instance, 1 might be approached.jßeCause'.they had. no Indemnity Act fwas not a .reason tb justify them in throwing the matter up-altogether. Councillor _Smithsaid~ the Council would, not- be doing’ its, duty: l unless it spent something more than 1 -£250. The Premier,- in! the should' havebeenithelast man- torun down! any portion of the colony over'which he presided. He thought that if’the Premier passed his word’that-an.' Indemnity' Act would be passed, the Council might take it as an assurance vthiCt it. w p uld tqe ; do ue. Councillor Tolhurst moved as,. an amendment that the Council spend!just £250! Increased rates, ought'not to provide. for, a demonstration which wiould' last only half an hour or so. He did not thiffitlie' game whs'rwor'th the caudle,. .

. Councillor' Evans said, he, tyonld bo very sorry to see the rocefitioiinn Wel-lington-of the representatives of the Throne .become a third-rate or a foiirthrate ■ thing. • He l thought Wellington, as the,Empire,City, should rise to the op. casioh. An' Indemnity Act: could have .been passed last" session, and there: was time-to:pass-ehe now before.their Royal Highnesses arrived. Personally, he did not think the Council would be justi. fied in breaking-the law, in thp hope of being . indemnified - afterwords. The al-! ternatjvo '--was, to appeal.-,to .the citizens for.. subscriptions, . ... , r . . _ ; Councillor Izard saidVitbe' deputation asked the Premier for bread. He gave them'a -stone. -. -iThp -Premier referred to Wellington as the meanest city in New Zealand!'" .Well, th© city of Wellington had' subscribed ho less a sum thhni £19,415 for patriotic purposes within I the last thirteen or fourteen months. If that mad'© rit the meanest city in New'. Zealand, he would like to see one better. •' o;V r.i, T vCTT' f-.TC STT/Onn , , The Mayor r .through this'pfficetj v'' 3 vVi . ; Odunclllflii; ’ ’ Ijiardir, £'fim ; ' r fhe. now'hhdohVdihcussmii,' japq which would arise In all the ■ ’(our. fentres. If the Coyornment would, advance- money to the four centres to be Bpent;in ; welcoming their- Royal Highnesses! he be. lieved-it could, be' fairly/andr'honestly done, and that the mouoyrcould be repaid sunder , some,, arrangementi to be come to when PaNiaraent/jniet,.:» He suggested/ that .the. Premier should telegraph to members of Parliamentsasking them, whether, they would sanction advances of £4OOO each being made by the Government to the four centres, to be spent in welcoming their Royal Highnesses. , '■' i ’

The -Mayor suggested! that Councillor Tolhuxst' should Jot- th©-matter- go to the committee to see, if it could! fix up a scheme. ■ - • -

, Councillor. Tblhurst said' he wanted a vote on his amendment.'• Councillor lizard mentioned that during the afternoon a number pf citizens hud discussed ‘the question. Ohe gentle, man liadi put-his.name down for! £lO5 on condition that £2OOO was subscribed. Co un<allor ; To Lhurst’s*. amendment was negatived,’ its only other supporter be-' ing Councillor Evans. Councillor Luke’s . motion was carried on the voices. ■ \ , :

The resolution of the Council means that: the question of finance! will be considered by its committee, who may con-, fen with the "Citizens’ Committee. A report •wiUpbemre^n^d 1 to the Council 'ot tne J resltttrof I 'thlr'committee’s in-;

/:o £i*teiAß»4fciArio>r. ~ March 21. ’"■'■■A. put>lio' , meotiiig ) ; '-ati't4li««d by between, thirty. pnd,fe)rty citizens, was held to-d’ay' 'to’ consider 1 "* matters in connection with the reception oi the Duke and DucKe«S' o r f r; ' r C?d^n'wiol , r * SjSPßjmctingMayor J£T.° ffl^ided-, said the cost of "dewrtting the' city would I>e,ahotit ( £l6oo r .and--at r fiad been 'suggested) tKat) tl^etPily^Coaiftf^flHouid r fifid-sEiOOfl; narrdfjtli’b -local hffiiiisjlHe-.’bilahoot* The/gatttaalfis|)inion be borne by the Governmehtpand 1 on the motion .of Mr W-, Chiystail, it was this' meetingipf the citizens "bf'Omistbhftrch', 1 called' to 1 ’ooflsider what steps should, be taken in connection with the reception of the’Duko and Duchess of Cornwall, all expenses attending such reception should: be borne by the Consolidated l Fund, and that the' chairman be re. quested to forward! a copy of this resolution to the Premier; and; that this meeting be., adjourned until receipt of his reply.” ' It was resolved to send.'‘a copy, of . the resolution to the. Mayors of ‘the'other cities asking’ thctm'Aojco-opcr-ate in-the direction indicated.

! Tile {following telegram, has been re. ceivodl ■ by: Mr J. <}. ■ W.'' Aitken (Mayor of Wellington) from Mr.J. T.:Smith (Acting-Mayor of' Christchurch): — j , ‘'■'Public'meeting directed me to ~f op ward the following- resolution, and to ask your city to, 00-qperate in) urging tha Government, to. give effect to the sam© resolution:—‘A in’the opinion of this meeting of the citizens of Christy churbh, called to consider- what steps should .be"taken in connection with the reception of‘the: Dulk© and Duchess of Cornwall, all 'expenses attending such reception should be 'borne; by the Consolidated: Fund,and that (he chairman lie requested to' forward - a 'copy of' this resolution to the Premier,: pnd-that this meeting bo adjourned until the receipt of his reply.’ ’’ ’ - . . Comishme u. are invited to iinoet. at the Trocadero this evening , to consider wthat steps shall be taken in connection with the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. r