THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT.

Evening Star, Issue 3384, 24 December 1873, Page 2

THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT.

We supply particulars of the Governors entry into the City which we were necessarily prevented from giving yesterday, owing to the late hour at which the proceedings took place. At the City’s boundary, where the Mayor and Council received the Vice-Regal party, a plat form, on which the wires and friends of the •ivic body found seats, was erected. At about .'our o’clock—the hour evidencing that his Ex;olleucy is pretty punctual in his movements a four-horse drag, which contained dr -amoß and Lady Fergusson, his Honor die Superintendent, and Captain Fergus* .on, A.D.C., made its appearance at the Water of Leith toll bar, under the escort if Air Commissioner Weldon, Sub-Ins-pector Mallard, four mounted constables, and die carriages of some.citizens. On the platform being reached his Excellency was received by a guard of honor composed of No. 2 Coin--I,my and North Dunedin, under the command of Captain Copeland, Lieutenants Pell and Spalding, who presented arms, the Provincial timid playing the National Anthem, and on alighting, the Town Clerk read to him die address-, which we published yesterday. His Excellency replied as follows: -My Mayor and Councillors, ladies and gentlemen, - I have to tender you my best acknowledgments for the cordial welcome you have extended to Lady Fergusson and myself on our arrival at the threshold of your City. I have looked forward with much interest to my visit to this great Province, of which I need hardly say I heard much long before I crossed to the Southern hemisphere. I shall do my utmost during my stay to make myself acquainted as far as possible with the institutions which you have raised, and which, I have reason to believe, do credit to this great Province, I might have wished that my first entrance should be made til rough your Port, so that I might first see your Province through its great commercial and political capital; but the delightful and interesting journey which I hare just made—the stains of which I now bear—has certainly repaid me for any little fatigue. It has enabled me to see the great resources of the Province, the great work already done, and the bright promise held out of a great future for the Province when the important works now in progress shall have been more fully developed. I need hardly say that I shall endeavor, during my stay among you, to see as much as possible of the many things which I know are well worth seeing, and I trust that by not paying a hurried visit, hut by residing as long as possible in this Province, I shall be able during my term of Government to render you effective assistance. I have now only to thank you for this kindly and considerate welcome. I say “ considerate,” because, arriving as we do now, suffering from a certain amount of fatigue, you could not have received us in a more kindly manner.

Hie National Anthem was again played, bouquets were presented to Lady Fergusson by Misses Mercer and Atkinson, and th.ec cheers having been given for the Queen, Sir James and Lady Fergusson, and the Superintendent, a sort of cavalcade was formed. After the mounted police, came Lieut.-Col. Cargill, Majors Atkinson and Gordon, then his Excellency’s carriage, those of the City Council bringing up the rear. The progress through the City was made so rapidly that veiy few people indeed obtained even a glimpse of the vice-regal party. Many persons, and the volun teer guards of honor, preferred to accept the authority of the “ Man in the street,” that the Goveruorwouldnotarrivehere till near six, to the authoritative announcement that he would reach the City at four sharp. Thus it happened that the volunteer arrangements miscarried so woefully. The Naval Brigade, which was to have formed a guard of honor at the arch in the Octagon ; and the City Guards, which should have done like duty at Fern hill, were quietly performing some evolvtions —the first mentioned in the head-quarters drill-shed ; the Guards on the green near the stables of Government house - at the time his Excellency was passing their respective posts.