THE PROCLAMATION READ,

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 814, 11 May 1910, Page 6

THE PROCLAMATION READ,

INTERESTING CEREMONY IN WELLINGTON. DOINGS IN OTHER CENTRES.

, fThft stains of John Ballance, round the cheers of loyal ceremony and (rattle of ordered arms have ceased to Bound for several years, witnessed yes(today a ceremony seen only once before (in Wellington—or rather did not witness iit, tot kept its back to the high •pageantry in the indifference of death. 3d the absence, through illness, of his I. ' . ,

{he Governor, the Prime Min- ! Ester- (Kr Joseph Ward) read from the Steps of the old Parliamentary Braidings the proclamation of the death of late Sovereign lord, King Edward ' She Sewenfi, of blessed and/ glorious Jtaemary," and accession of "the High Send Mighty Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert" to tie greatest throne Jen v j . A tags AsMmbtaga. ! T/mg before the hour fixed for the ceremony & crowd began to gather on jHw lawn* and in the portico of the Jboilding. By noon they almost covered jthe green laxra, and lined both sides of fhe overlooking streets. The wind soughed mournfully, and a few raindrops felL ffho Prime Minister arrived a few minjatea before noon, tesplendfint as a Privy (Councillor, with peaked hat, stany or- • Hare, and coat whose front is like a forest of branching gold. , .'By this time the view over the heads cf tile assembled dignitaries and crowd afforded a strange contrast. The portico pas orowded with ladies, Ministers of the Crown, and of religion, City Councillors, and Government officials. ( The eyo, which could not distingnish crowded Egnrea, took ia a eea of high black hots. it die front oftie steps the Prime Minister. in. his gorge6us uniform, stood becdo the Mayor, wearing his bright regalia of office. Near them the white nrwl scarlet feathers in the peaked hats of a group of military officers, brilliant in fall dress, review order, tossed in the breeze. Below them, past the helmets said sloped bayonets of the official guard, (stretched an expanse of dingy—by comiparison—hats and caps, ridged in by, jgloomy umbrellas. A confused brrzz of tongues want up from lawn and steps. Beaiftng Ore' Proclamation. 33» Prime Minister commenced to jead, and at the word "Proclamation!" i&e sea of hats was a sea of upturned, etraining faces, hats having vanished in an insfrmt, and all voices but Sir Joseph's being of & 6udden still. The Bonoroua language of the proclamation leqniied only a few minutes to read. 1 Over the Prime Minister, reading 5n a slow and solemn voice, the heavy (folds of black and purple mourning from the stone-work overhead, jfnrnrmg ,a fluttering, high-pointed arch. if*Tho King is Dead—Long Live the Eng," that was the purport of thus proclamation, and the crowd listened in fashed silence. A few subdued cheers 'followed the concluding .words, ."God Saw the King." "The King LivesF Bni the King lives! Flags, which a moment before drooped sadly at half'mast, axe flying high and free to attest , the event A verse of the National Anthem is song. "Three cheers fijr King 'George V," are called for by the Prime Minister, and given with enthusiasm. Three cheers for Queen Mary!" are also given with good will. Tho bugle sounds . the call for the Boyal salute, the bayonets of the official guard flash :&t the "Present," then gleam once more above blue, gold-braided shoulders. The .guard moves off, the crowd disperses, *"Long Live the King!" But to-day the flags will droop again st half-mast. It' is too early to forget that a King is dead. Text of Proclamation. Tho text of the Proclamation read by far Joseph Ward is as follows "Whereas it has pleased Almighty God to call to His mercy our late Sovereign Lord King Edward tho Seventh, of blessed and glorious memory, by whoso decease tho Imperial Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and all other his lato Majesty's dominions is solely and rightfully coino to the High and Mighty Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert: We, therefore, William Leo, Baron Plunket, tho Governor of the Dominion of New Zealand, Joseph George Ward, a member of his lato Majesty's Privy Council, Prime Minister of tho said Dominion, and the members of tho Exccutivo Council of tho Baid Dominion, assisted by members of both Houses of tho General Assembly, judges and magistrates, ministers of chairmen and members.

of local bodies, and numerous other representative European and Maori citizens here present, do now hereby, with one full voice and consent of tongue and heart, publish and proclaim that the High and Mighty Prince George Frederick Ernest Albert is now by the death of our late Sovereign of happy and glorious memory become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lord George the Fifth, by

the grace of God, King of the' United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of tho British Dominions beyond the Seas, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India, Supreme Lord in and over the Dominion of New Zealand and its dependencies, to whom we do acknowledge all faith and constant obedience with all hearty and humble affection, beseeching God, by Whom kings and queens do' reign, to bless the Boyal Prince George the ..Fifth with long and happy years to reign over us." Guard and Officer*. The official guard was furnished by the Boyal Now Zealand Artillery, in charge of Major J. E. Hume and Captain Mickle, while a detachment from the . training ship Amokura, under Commander Hooper, E.N., was also on parade. At the conclusion of the ceremony the Amokura boys were officially inspected by the Chief of the General Staff (Colonel Eobin) and Lieutenant-Colonel Chaytor. The officers present included Colonel A. W. Eobin, CJJ. (Chief of the General Staff), Colonel H I, Collins, ¥•!>•> I-S-O. (chief executive officer of the Dominion Eifle Association),/ Colonel J. R. Purdy (Director of Medical Services), Lieuten-ant-Colonel E. W. C. Chaytor (Director of Military Education), Lieutenant-Col-onel A. Bau'chop, CJrLG. (officer commanding the district), Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. Duthie (officer commanding tho First Wellington Biile Battalion), Chap-lain-Major W. Shirer, Major J. E. Hume (Royal New Zealand Artillery), Major F. J. Courtney (N.Z.G.A.V., Wellington), Major E. C. Kirk (activo list, unattached), Major C. D. Mackintosh (Battalion Staff), Commander Hooper, ILNItraining ship Amokura), Captam Symon, E.N.Z.E., Captains G. S. Eichardson, J. E. Duigan, S. V. Trask, and Hon. Captain J. O'Sullivan (Headquarters Staff), Captain E. 0. Chesney (District Adjutant), Captam Mickle, B.N.Z.A, Captains A. B. Hislop and J. T. Hall (active list, unattached), and the following officers of the garrison s—Captain Daviß, VJ). and Lieutenant Simeon (Kelburne Eifles),' Captain Turner '(College Rifles), Captain Corrigan and Lieutenants Columb and Treadwell (Zealandia Eifles), Captain Hume and Lieutenant Brown (Electric Light Corps), Captain M'Diaimid and Lieutenant Willis (Highland Eifles), Captain Gibbs (Wellington Engineers), Lieutenants Price and Meredith 1 (G.A.V.), Captain Dalrymple and Liontenant Hastings (Dominion Scoute). At the City Council. After the ceremony at tho Parliamentary Buildings, the Mayor and t councillors returned 1 to the City Council Chamber, where the proclamation was read by tho Mayor in the presence of a full council, representatives of the defence headquarters 6taff, district staff, and garrison, and a number of other citizens. Cheers were given for the : new King and Queen, and the National Anthem was sung. Suburban Boroughs, „ The proclamation of the accession of King George V was read at the Karori Borough Council Chambers at moon yesterday by the Mayor (Mr. C. 1 Dasent) in tho presence of councillors and others. The leading was followed by cheers for the new lung.' j The Mayor of Eastbourne (Mr. & W. j Shortt) read the proclamation at Bona Bay. At Lower Hutt all business places were closed between 11 and 1 o'clock, and a laiga number of residents gathered at the Town Hall, where the Deputy Mayor {Mr. Baldwin) read the proclamation. The proceedings terminated with the sing-, ing of the National Anthem. At noon yesterday the Mayor of Petcne (Mr. J. W. MTJwan), attended by the Mayoress, councillors, and ministers of religion, read tho proclamation to between 300 and 400 people. The Mayor then requested all present to 6ing tho National Anthem. The Citizens' Band accompanied. All the business places closed their doors between tho hours of 11 a.m. and 1 pjn.