THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CORNWALL AND YORK.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12036, 7 May 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF CORNWALL AND YORK.

THEIR VISIT TO DUNEDIN*. For pome weeks past a reception committee Ims been cnyas.'i! ill inakini; preparations {nv ii fitting reception to the Duke ami Duchess of Cornwall ami York, and for their Mtrrlaiuuicnt and pleasure while tlicv remain in Duuciiin. On -VpriL 19 Lord Raufurly visited l|u> city and i-uiifcriril with Ins Wor-.-hip the .Mayor iMr K. Chisholm) coneeruin< the programme to he observed. I,onl Kaiifurly intimated that it was by no means certain as to whether the royal party would arrive by rail from Christehurch t.r by the steamer'Ophir at Port Chalmers. If by rail. they.will arrive at the JJii'iedin Nation lrv Kpi'iial train on Monday, the 24111 n( .lime, at 4 d.hi. If by steamer, they will reach tile lluuedin station after disembarking at the l'ori at about noon on Tuesday, the 25fli. I ■If lljc-y come to Otagn by tlio Ophir there . will he no ceremony at I'ort Chalmers. Ihe o|)hir will In boarded there by the mayor and Ibo chairman of tlio Harbour Hoard, am tlio roval visitors will Itf (iiiietly tratisfcrml from the steamer to the train. There will be no speechifying of any kind and no ceremony. The citizens will bo advised about six weeks before arrival as to whether the royal narlv arc coming by rail or steamer. If." as f/' most probable, they come by rail on the Monday, their Royal Highnesses will be mot at the station by the mayor and councillors at 4 p.m., and formally welcomed on behalf of the citizens. The mayor only will be presented, and anything he may say will bo merely in lb; nature of a few words, occupying iiot more than ten or fiftec . seconds. The I'lmncillnrn present will stand behind. There will be no speech-making of any tort whatever furllier than the few words of welcome by tlio mayor. The. royal visitor.-! will proceed to their residence in a carriage, accompanied by tlie rest of the parly who come from England. The route will- iie from t!ic railway station up Rattray .-(reel, by Cji - giJ]'s .Mominient, and along I'rinccs street to Manor place, and thus to the club. The streets through which tlio party drive will l:o illuminated and ripe-orated. This is to be a fas! drive— al a sharp trot—and will not in any way take the shape of a procession. In connection with tlio lighting of the ttrccts, his Excellency says that this cannot be overdone, lie would like to see plenty of electric lights, as well as the ordinary street lamps. On the Tuesday morning, al a time to bo fixed, between 11.30 and noon, the procession will Blart from the Fernhill Club, down Manor place, alone; Prineis street and Ocorgo street as far as Frederick street. The procession will turn down Frederick street, into Cumberland street, along that street to the railway station, and up High street into Prince* street and alone; Princes street to ihe Fernhill Club. On the return journey tlio horses will be trotting. It will not be a procession. The parly will simply return liy Cumberland street as quickly as possible. The pricessiun will practically end when it reachos Knox Church. When the procession has arrived at the Octagon the citizens' address will bo presented. His Excellency suggests that, with the view of giving the people nn opportunity of seeing as much as possible, a platform should bo erected at Ihe Kaikorai tram terminus alongside the liiirns statue, and that I ho plant; mil flowers should be. taken out of the enclosure, this space being occupied by the people. If this is done, both sides of tin' (let.j;-on and t!:n main street would bo available for the miblic. as the carriages will turn up al the New Zealand Clothing Factory's premises and remain on the upper side of the Oclagnu. Lord Kaiifurly thinks that the arch should b> in the Octagon, at the extreme south end—from the comer opposito the clothing factory's premises In the corner where (h'n lei Itr box stands,—holding that (his would lm heller than having an arch blocking the view of the people in (he centre of the Octagon, lie wishes the people to havo every reasonable facility. His Excellency improved upon the mayor that there is to be no speech-making at iho presentation of tlio addresses. Following the presentation of tlio address, the Dirto will reply, after which all other addresses will bo simply handed in without any talking of any kind. The royal parly will lunch al, Ihe rluli. Tn the aftornoon. at 3 o'clock, they will proceed to (ho Caledonian ground to view the children's gathering, and at 3.',5 they will go to the agricultural bliow and to tlio liorT.irtilliir.il show. The Duke will not open the winter show. His Excellency says it is quite contrary to the wish nf their Itoy.il that they should open any show or take part in any such function. On Wednesday, the 2(>th, the morning is to be set aside for the private pleasure of Ihn royal parly. It lias been enggeslcd that tlio Dtiko should lay the foundation stone of the Queen's memorinl statue at 12.30, but there aro many difficulties attached to this function, and these must be overcome before the (iovernor can approve of il. His Excellency would prefer that, Ihn ceremony should be on the Tuesday if possible. The review at Forbury Park is out of the question. There aro to 1)0 only two volunteer reviews in the colony—one in Christrhureh and the other in Auckland. In the evening, if the committee Piiccccd in obtaining a suitable hall, the question of a citizens' reception is a perfectly proper thing in connection with the visit; but that function is not to bo of a formal character—that is to say, (hero is to bo no speechifying. It is to be a gathering at which (he citizens ran walk nbmit and converso with one another and the guests. A few songs- will bo appropriate if good sinaers can bo procured, but there is to bo nothintt in the form of a concert. The citizens will require to provide, a royal simper. Their Royal Nighnos«c4 will be at the receotion at 10 o'clock slmri), and leave precisely at 11.30. Everyone else must ho in nUcitdnurn half an hour before the arrival of tlio royal party. At this reception their Royal Highnesses will be dressed in the deepest mourning, and ladies attending must be in half-mourn-inir or full mourning. Tlio suggestion that the Duchess should present tlio children's cot to tlio hospital is ruled out. His Excellency also says that (ho Royal party will nnf receive any prerentations from any individuals or firms or from any sourco whatever, excepting, perhaps, a bouquet at the children's demonstration. Coming by train on the Monday aftornoon, the party will remain in Dunedin until Thursday morning, when they will take train for the liluir. If the party come by steamer nn the Tuesi day the same programme will be observed, i exrrptiiig (hat the procession will slfirt direct from Ihe railway station after the prei rental inn of the addresses, about noon. In that ens', Iho order of (he procession would b" reversed. After the presentation of Ihe citizens' address and oilier addresses at the - railway station, tlio procession would trot along Cumberland street to Frederick street, end up Frederick street, and walk from Frcderi'-k street along Ocorgo street, through ihe Octagon, to Princes siveet, and up Manor place to the Fcrnliill Club. All the nrranecments so fa' - made are. of course, subject to the approval of their Royal , Highness:.-.