VISIT OF MINISTERS TO INVER CARGILL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 2, Issue 255, 29 January 1881, Page 2

VISIT OF MINISTERS TO INVER CARGILL.

A Warm Reception. (By Telegraph.) Invercargill, To-day. Major Atkinson and Mr. Oliver arrived at 9.30 last night. An excited crowd at the railway station relieved their feelings by tremendous hooting, groaning and howling like a menagerie broken loose. The noise was audible more than half a mile off. • The Ministers declined to enter a cab, and. walked, followed by the hooting crowd, to the hotel, being hardly pressed by the mob once or twice.. Major Atkinson turned upon his pursuers and exchanged some chaff with them, but, not being backed up by his friends, who were evidently in a hurry to get to shelter, he had to give way. Pie continued, however, to perform the duty of rear guard with admirable coolness, and was the last man off the street. Mr. Oliver and Mr. Bain were special marks of popular disapprobation, and they evidently felt the humiliation keenly. A few over ripe eggs were thrown. .After the party entered the hotel the groaning was kept up for some time, but no personal violence was done. The proceedings wound up with three cheers for Sir George Grey. The banquet was attended by 35 Ministerial supporters. The Mayor presided, in an avowedly neutral capacity. Major Atkinson pleaded the urgency for retrenchment. He denied the accusation that the position of the colony was depicted by him in too dark colors, but expressed confidence in the resources of the colony, and said that renerved prosperity would follow' the exercise of thrift. Mr. Oliver claimed indulgence on the score of the difficulties encountered in reorganising the railway service. He denied that he had purposely disestablished the Southland workshops for the benefit of Duntdin, and said he had only given effect to the recommendation of Mr. Maxwell, who found four men pottering away at a one man’s job. The rest of the speeches had no political significance. One or two tried to introduce local grievances, but they tvere put down by more sensible banquetters.