THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1557, 13 May 1887, Page 2

THE QUEEN'S JUBILEE

A. public meeting was held In the Wdfellowa' Hall last evening for the mrpose of considaring the question of lelebrating the Queen's Jubilee." The noeting had been convened by the Borough and County authorities jointly. Despite the rather unfavorable weather ;here was a very fair attendance. On the motion of the Mayor (Mr T. scaly), Mr G. J. Harper, the ActingDh * al I min i. l of he Oount y °°ono". wm troted to the chair. Seals on the platform were occupied by the Mayor and Messrs 0. W. Purnell and D. Williamson. The Chairman opened the proceedings: by reading the advertisement calling the meeting, He said that though he was only the deputy of Mr Walker, the permanent Chairman of the County ' Council, ho was authorised by hli colleagues m the Council to act specially on their behalf that evening. He was quite sure the people of this diettlot were not wanting la that loyalty whloh was actuating paople elsewhere In their taking steps to commemorate a very important era m the life of the Queen. There had been very few sovereigns on earth to whom it had been pstmitted to reign for 50 years and there had been none whose reign had surpassed that of our Queen In those qualities whloh promoted the Interest of i the subjects of a sovereign. They would I be wanting m gratitude if they did not do something —get up some memorial, something that would last m the memories of the people— to celebrate this very important event. If the people of he country and town were only properly solicited he was gore they would not be backward In according their support to each a objaot. It was m the highest; degree unlikely that any of those present would ever see such another event; it waa one that practically oould only occur once m a lifetime, therefore they should have something-festivities, or whatevsr elao they elected to have— that would mako the occasion one that would live for their lifetimes In the memories of even the children of the diafcriot. He called upon the Mayor to move the first resolution. The Mayor moved—" That the Queen's Jubilee be celebrated by festivities to bs held oti the day which is appointed by the Governor as a public holiday for the oooialou." He thought that it was unneoese >ry for him to enlarge upon ther resolution, and that it would commend itself to all of them. He explained the circumstances wh : oh had led to the oonvenlng of the meeting. .It had baen felt that when places of much less importance than Aahburton wera all making arrangements to celebrate the Jubilee, it would be felt by outsiders to be something akin *o d'sloyalty if Ashbuiton held aloof, art fleotion he wri sure settlers m this district did not wish oast upon them, for they wen quite as loyal as any people m the British dominions. He was sure the paopb here would enter into tha celebration with hearty good will and nuke it Fiomethlng worthy of them. He thought New Zealand should be foremoet m displaying loyalty m this occasion. It was aim at within the present beneficent reign that New Zealand had sprung ioto life; The Mayor epoke upon hissubjeot at some length and conoluded by appealing to the people ot the County and Borough to put their shoulders to tho wheel and show tht colony that they were as loyal as any of the subjects of the queen, Mr D. Williamson seconded the motion. He said that he was not to detain the meeting, for he was sure thoaa proiont knew as much about the matter and were

aB Joyal an he wag. He did not fool like gushing ioyaUy, but If the Qaeen's throne and position were endangered, he, and he bettered every man m NewZsaland, wonld he ready to defend lee i£ called upon. Bat it was of come Importance th»t they Bhould show their loyalty on an ozoasioa like this ; if Ashburton held back while

olher places wore all gofn» heartily m for oo.'olrations, this district would acquire an unenviable distinction, He hoped that whatever was decided upon. that night, or by the Committee which would moat likely be appointed, would be gone Into heartily and that there woald be no laok of funds. Anything decided upon would donbtleqs be of an extensive character, but it could be easily accomplished if eaoh person m the district gave lq nothing, no matter how little it was. The motion was then put to the meeting and carriod unanimously. Mr 0. W, Purnell, m moving the fol. lowine resolution :—" That a permanent memorial be erected by the public subscriplions of the inhabitants of the County and Borough of Ashburton m commemoration of the Jubilee," Baid that an event which was about to be celebrated by three hundred millions of peoplo, deserved aomo more lasting memorial than a day's festivities. The previous speakers had pointed out that tho celebration was desirable, out of respect to Her Majesty. But there was onother point: the occasion would bo a* kind of land mark from whioh wo could look back and observe the progress wo had made, and from which we might reasonably look forward and form

our anticipations of the future. There was never a sovereign who commanded tho respect of such a multitude of subjects as does the Queen ? and not only was she respected by her" own people, but alao by those of qther nation^ aa w*s evidenced by the manner m which ahe waß received whenever she visited the Continent of Europe ; and he felt Bare that if she were to visit the United SJtatei Bhe woqld. although the people there were republican, be reoeived everywhere with enthusiasm. That this should be was evidence that the Queen wag of no. ordinary qharapter. The British a?e a high-apirited race and that a sovereign should occupy tho throne for 50 years and inoteaslng m their rein :c fc , spoke of tact and ability In the highest degree. He thought that the Qdeen's aaoooaa wai largely dno to the faot that the had always kept within the Constitution. Although she waa known to held very strong political opialcns, she alwafi deferred to her advlaerß. Now If the Queen ha 4 not acted m this way the oonscquenoes might have been serious. If she had endeavored to aesarfc her own will or to extend her prerogative there might have boon civil war with oonsequoncea dtoattrous and perhaps fatal to tho Empire. That tho Qaeon should reign over 50 years amlnd the increasing respect of her sutj cts waß proof that she waa a sovereign of go ordinary qualities, and he thought it was right that they Bhould make a fitting recognionthe occasion of her Jubilee, In her private Hfo she had always been the friend of domestic virtue and all those who had boon brought into contact with her wore- unanimous m th^ir toßtiutony that siho was fn 'tho highest * degret palrlotlo; and keenly alive' to the intere'atl of the country." He would" not enlarge any fgrthgr on thjs point, but tljey might fairly look baok at the pyogresv they had made sines the Q aeon's »coewion bo the thtone. There was no other nation ihat possessed auoh an immense mercantile marine, as Great Britain. There wai not a port m the whole world where British sulpn were no|; to be found. A. recent Governor of 4'onquin lament ted' that sir the way 'from Marseille! to China be did not meet a ship wlftch was not flying the British flig, 'and Hurt the Suea whiph wbb the outgonje bf the gennio of a French Engineer Tjfas now \a reality 'a British . He tef errea tp tija advances whioh had been mad"! during the Queen's reign— the praotloul application of steam and telegraphy to the asrvloe of mankind and the large adoift! and political reforms whioh had been inaugurated. As previous speakers had ia!d, New 2eala»d, a 9 a community, hag

sprung Into life wltbln the last fifty yeai s. One of the most conspicuous facts of the present reigo was the enormous development of the British Colonial Empire. In 1837, when the Qaoen ascended the throne, New Zealand w«b Bcarcely known, and wis only known as a land of cannibals ; and New Holland, as Australia was then called, was only regarded aa a recsptao!e for onvicts. After speaking at some length as to the progress tae colonies had made, Mr Pumell wen-t on to nay that if tbe meeting agreed with him that » memorial was des'.rable, the next question was what form shonld it take. He had left that an open question so that the memorial ahould be one appropriate to the ocoaaion. Many propoeals had been made —some of them of an eccentric character which, although good m themselves, he did not think were Bultable for commemoration of the event. Some of the proposals Including public docks, Bwimmlng baths, etc, and one gentleman down south had actually proposed a drainage scheme for the town m which he lived to be called the Jubilee drainage loheme? All peoples, civilised and Bavage had from time immemorial oelebrated national events by erecting works of art or what they connidered works of ait The savage made b.'g mounds, and m a more advanced state pyramids, and civi* Hied people erected statues and arohes. The proposals he had before alluded to were very good In their way but he did not think that they were Buitable to commemorate an affair of this kind. He thonght that they should ratee funds and ereot some work of art. They also wanted something that would lest for centuries. Bis own Idea was the erection of an ornamental fountain, of marble but that was of oourße only a suggestion on bis part. In this county there was not one single public work of art and he did not tbiak this reflected yery highly on their taste for although individually they might be poor, as a community they were rloh, There ,was one thing, huwever, which must ba considered, whatever they decided to do must meet with general approbation. It was one thing to pass resolutions at that meeting, bat it was an entirely different matter to go outside and collect Bubscrlptio m. Whatever they elected to do he hoped all would work together and that the County and Borough would erect something worthy of themselves and the great event It was'intended to oommemofAte. Mr D. H. Brown seconded the resolution, and endorsed fn be main the reau r'is of the mover; The motion was then put and carried. The Mayor moved tbe following as a suggestion to teßt tJe feeling of the meetIng. " That the present Library building bo extended for the purpose of establishing an Industrial Museum to bo devoted to the exhibition of the geological and other specimens already m the hands of the custodian, also for displaying sampleH of the agricultural and p-storal, ro'neral and other productions of tha town and country, as well as providing me9ting aocomodation for farmers and others interested m the development of the resources of the district, at a cost of not exceeding £500 " He pointed out the advantages which would, m his opinion, accrue from the the establishment of such a place and the advantage it would be to jf.intws. [We regret exceedingly that owing to a crush of matter coming m at a lafci hour we are compelled to withhold the Mayor's remarks but we shall publish them t>• morrow.] Mr Williamson seconded tbe motion, and enlarged upon the Ideri which had been advanced by the Mayor. He pointed out that the building could ba utilised as a meeting place by tho A and P. Association, which at the pieaeat time was languishing for want of headquarters. Efcraugers and intend ng settlers to the district could see at a glance by an inepect! >n of tbe institution the capabilities of ihii district, than which there ie no better m New Zealand. Mr Hughes moved an amendment to the effect that the matter of deciding what form the memorial should take ihould be left to the Oc ramittee. He did not think that the Mayor's proposal would be. found to answer. Some years ago there had been a great deal of talk m Christohuroh about the manner m which the interests of the farmers were neglected, The Provincial Government thereupon voted a sum of £1350 to eatabliih a coin exchange, In which the farmers could tr&nsiot their business, but the sequel ehowed that the farmers never went near the Corn Exchango but transacted their bnßlneri as formerly under the verandah of. the White Hart Hotel. It would be the same here, the, farmers would not go near the Institution pro*posed by the Mayor, if it were erected, but would go to the hotel and do what business they had over a glass of beer. Besides if the building turned out the success which was anticipated by the mover and the seconder — and there was not a shadow of a doubt m his mind that it would not— a custodian would be required and this meant a large additional expense. He moved as an amendment that Mr PurneH's resolution be left m tbe hands of a Committee to deal with. Mr Purnell seconded the amendment. He considered a Gcimniitee was the proper body to deal with a question of this tort as they could go thoroughly Ipto all the p.rog and cons of the suggestions which might be brought before them, . Mr Knecn proposed as a further amendment that swimming baths be constructed This was not seconded, but tho Chairmen said that it might be taken as a suggestion, The Mftyot felt grieved at the roraarke wbiph bad feUa.n from M-r Hughes. H(b Bpeeoh was nothing lrss than a gross Insult to the farming community. To ■ay that farmers would not go to the Institute, if established, but would go to the next publio house — wri that a right statement, to make? OSTo) He pointed out the d'fference between the Corn Exchange that resulted irrfatlaro, and his proposal. Farmers could go to a place, such ai he eusgested, and transact the nuny Htile rr^tte:i of business that might call them to town, The expanse Involved m maintenance would be very Blight, as there wai a?reidy a librarian at the building it was proposed to enlarge. Mr Hughes asked leave to reply to thb strict ares of the Mayor which were not creditable to him. He (Mr Hugh- 3) had not Intended to Insult any farmer or any body of fanner,*. What he said was that farmers would go to the centre of business; here it Is the Somerset Hotel and the Areadb Q?he farmers wouldro'takeß&mplos of grain or wool to the back of the library for sparrow* and hawks to lock at. They Would take samples of their products to the buyers and not the post office or such !>lac:s.' He emphatically repudiated any Btgntfon pf insulting tbp farmers. 1 The knnera ana squatters were tho backbone of thp cou*;manity and any man who would wantonly Insult them was either | knav3 or a fool, (Some expressloni|(of dissent with Mr Hughes' remarks were made at the begin- , ning of his speech, but these were promptly suppressed by the Chairman ) Some other proposals were tben made. A poblfc olock was suggested by Mr F. M. Joijes, and Mr 4- E. Buchanan hoped tha^ilithe idea of the Mayor's were carried but provision would be made' for attend!) g t'o'tne Hntalle'otuftl requirements of thti community by means of lectures, etc. Ultimately, In order to' expedite buslaejn, It was resolved to appoint a C minfttee to whom the suggestion^wo\ild be r@fe.rred, ana 'on the motion of Mr Friedlander the following was appointed : — " The Ashbarton County and Borough OounoUi', the Chairmen of the various Town and Road Boards throughout the county, tad a representative from each

friendly society. Meßsrei J. Orr, A. Orr, G. Jamoaon, 0. Hirdy, Gordon Holmes, Robert Patton, J. Hood, W. Sutherland, Jamei Brown, D. Wilson, H. Zander, D. OsmeroD, 0. G. Hawdon, 0. H. Dowdlng, E. H. Dobson, Hugo Friedlander, M. Stilt, 0. W. Purne'.l, H, Cullon, J. Boyle, J. Lamble, M. Scott, D. Brick, 0. Tucker, L. Oxley, B. Morrow, J. 0. Mo William, Rowbo, W.O. Walker, M.H.R., J. lvess, M.H.R., W. J. Steward, M.H.It., D. H. Brown, E. Eerrbg, T. Bullock, R. Alcorn, J. Scaly, J. Ward, J. R. Steel, P. Chalmeia, the Clergy of all denominations, The Commissioned officerß of the Volunteer* Corps, and the Captains and Lieutenants of tho Fire. Brigades." It was Intimated that the Commit' 63 would take suggestions made to them by letter. A vote of thanks to the chair concluded the proceedings.