THE INAUGURAL CEREMONY.

West Coast Times, Issue 351, 7 November 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE INAUGURAL CEREMONY.

The ceremony of inauguration was carried through felicitously from first to last. The lowering sky reduced the crowd of on-lookers at the chief entrance to the lowest point public curiosity -would permit, but then the several hundreds who were there were enough to give the street the cheerful air so much required on occasions of the sort. A sufficient body of police were by to secure order, and they did their work efficiently. By eleven o'clock there was a press at the doors to obtain admission, but it was never very violent, thanks to the excellent arrangements. Drawn up at the entrance by which the Governor was to enter was a guard of honor, composed of about 120 volunteers belonging to the East Melbourne, Emerald Hill, St, Kilda, and Metropolitan Artillery Corps, and the Melbourne and North Melbourne, Carlton, Collingwood, Richmond, and Southern Rifles, under the command of Lieutenant- Colonel Muir. Inside the building the spectacle was splendid. The hall was divided by portable barriers into three compartments. The centre was for the inaugural ceremony, and only those who had special cards of entree were admitted to it. Other ticket-holders had ingress to the sjmces on either side, which were quite iillcd, and about 1500 persons were witnesses of the proceedings. - In this central area had arisen during the night the pyramid of gokl representing the auiount of the precious metal which had been obtained in Victoria, and its dimensions since 18GI had greatly increased. Opposite, on the western side was the dais, on which were seats for his Excellency aud family,

and it was surmounted by the elegantly painted banner of the Brunswick Municipality, on which the Royal Arms is pourtrayed. Round about floated other similar banners, whose general beauty threw into most disagreeable contrast one of those coarse imitations of the Royal standard which are generally to be found on Government buildings on state occasions. A few minutes before twelve, so complete were the preparations, Mr J. G. Knight, the secretary to the commissioners, appeared with bound copies of the " Exhibition Catalogue," wet from the printers and binders, for the more distinguished of those present. As noon struck the vice-regal party arrived. His Excellency, Lady Man-ners-Sutton, and family appeared at the entrance communicating with the Public Library, and proceeded to the dais. ( )n the moment the band and chorus of 300 performers, with Mr C. E. Horsely conducting, commenced the National Anthem, with thrilling effect. It was arranged in harmony and unison, and embellished with original instrumental accompaniments by the conductor, and it pealed grandly through the vast hall. As it concluded, Sir Francis Murphy, the acting president of the commissioners (the latter surrounding the dais), stepped forward and read an appropriate address, and handed the report of the Organisation Committee to his Excellency, who replied in a lengthy speech. MrMacgregor, the Minister of Mines, then presented his Excellency with handsomely bound copies of the catalogue of minerals exhibited by the Department of Mines. The musical part of the ceremony, which was mostly of a religious character, now began. First was sung by the performers before mentioned, the Old Hundredth.' Psalm. Handel's Hallelujah Chorus followed ; the performance concluded with a grand March, composed by the conductor for the occasion. In describing it we cannot now go into detail, but believe it will be admitted by the initiated to rank with the best compositions of our time. It was performed by the band with care and zeal, and elicited loud applause at its conclusion. The inauguration was now over. Cheers were heartily given for the Exhibition, the Queen, and th-3 Governor, and in a few minutes the barriers were removed, and the company spread all over the building. Up to tho latter part of the afternoon, 1737 jjersons holding season tickets had passed at the doors.