THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

Otago Witness, Issue 2727, 20 June 1906, Page 28

THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

LYING IN STATE. (Fa©« Ova Ows O.ob.eespondejtt.')

WELLINGTON. June 18.

Wellington is heginning already to fill with large numbers of people who are coming to attend the funeral of our late Premier. The florists' shops are crammed with wreaths, ami others have been sent up to the Parliamentary Buildings. It has been arranged that the body will lie in state at the Parliamentary Buildings from 9 a.m. till noon on "Thu«-«lay. There is a very general expression of opinion that it should be dispensed with, especially as lying in state 10 days after death is most unusual. In any case, such an arrangement would now only result in the gratifying of idle curiosity, seeing that to-day the coffin had to be finally sealed down, and no one will ever again gaze on the face, of the late Premier. Moreover, the time allottee 1 seems to be inadequate.

The observatory site has been chosen as the burial ground, and to-day the telescope and all the other instruments had to be taken out of the observatory, and the observatory itself was being removed. A new observatory will have to be built somewhere else. Even the slab which marked the meridian line has been taken up. A gentleman well versed in marine matters informs me that this wm not at all necessary, and that it will cause serious inconvenience for some time, seeing that New Zealand mean time was obtained from this observatory. It will take some two or three months, with observation of etars, etc., to fix the meridian accurately for an observatory on another site, and during that period the shipping and the railway service will be working on time that may be inaccurate. Howovor, the mischief has now been done, though Mr Seddon himself, I feel sure, would have been the la^t one to cau»e such trouble. When I visited the site this afternoon many people were arriving to have a look at it. General Babington and Captain Elliot (of the Encounter) were amongst the number, and were apparently spying out the land with a view to the military dispositions at the burial. The funeral procession will 6tart at 2.30 p.m. for St. Paul's pro-Cathedral, where a fchort service will be held. Afterwards the procession will proceed by way of Mulgrave street to Pipitea street, along Davis street and Thoindon quay to Lambton quay, past the Government Buildings, up Bowen street, and through Museum street to Sydney street, and thence to the cemetery gates and through the grounds to the observatory. The general public will not be allowed into the grounds at this time, but arrangements have been made to allow those desiring to pass the grave to do so afterwards. The Permanent Artillery will supply the firing party, and minute guns will be discharged from th« forts. The lin« of procession will be lined by Volunteers and cadets. A number of bands have offered their services. It has been arranged that they will play alternately the " Dead March" in "Saul" and " The Garland of Flowers. "'

So far no definite order of procession has been arranged, and Colonel Collins requests that all societies wishing to be represented shall send in their applications immediately, so that positions can be allotted to-morrow morning.

H.M.S. Pioneer, which was to leave for Napier and Auckland this morning, has been detained till after the funeral.