THE GOVERNOR’S VISIT.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2513, 7 March 1871, Page 3

THE GOVERNOR’S VISIT.

The reception committee of the City Council, and the delegates from the friendly and other public bodies appointed to make arrangement for giving the Governor a public' reception on his entrance into Dunedin, met to-day and agreed to dissolve without doing anything. There were present the Mayor, Councillors Walter and Thoneman, Major Atkinson representing the Volunteers, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Donald Held on behalf of the Government; Mr J. Wain, the Fire Brigade ; Messrs Hogg and Sherwiu, the Oddfellows; Mr F. J, Wilson, the Foresters; and Mr Begg, the Yacht Club. His Worship read the telegrams that had passed between himself and the Superintendent. The first was from his Worship, asking to be informed as to the probable hour of his Excellency’s arrival on Thursday, as the citizens were desirous of giving him a public reception, and suggesting that the hour of 2 p.m. would he most convenient, especially to the working-classes. To this his Honor replied that the hour of his Excellency’s arrival was uncertain, and would probably be late; that it would therefore ho better to postpone any public reception until Monday.

This morning he had received the following letter from the Colonial Secretary : “ Custom House, Dunedin, “ March 7.

“ Referring to your telegram to his Honor tho Superintendent of Otago, intimating that it is desii\d to give a public reception to his Excellency the Governor on his arrival at Dunedin, I am directed by his Excellency the Governor on his arrival at Dunedin, I am directed by his Excellency to express to you his thanks, and to assure you that he is fully sensible of the honor intended to be paid him by the citizens of Dunedin. As however it is found impassible to fix the hour of his arrival here after a long journey overland, his Excellency desires me to ask your Worship to be good enough to postpone any public demonstration until Monday afternoon next, when his Excellency proposes to hold a levee and general reception. “ I am, &c., “ W. Gisborxe.”

Immediately after the receipt of that letter he telegraphed to his Honor as follows : ‘■The public reception to his Excellency must be upon his entry into Dunedin, or not at all. It would be quite impossible when ho hplds his levee but to this telegram no reply had been received. The delegates were of opinion that any reception must bo given on his Excellency’s entry into Dunedin, and to hold one on Monday, in the midst of an election, was impossible. They therefore unanimously agreed to dissolve.