Auckland News.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 42, 19 February 1901, Page 2

Auckland News.

THE TROOPS,

INDIGNATION AGAINST THE NO

BEER PARTY.

THE PREMIER APOLOGISES,

(Special to Times). Auckland, last night.

Aucklanders have never before witnessed such a crowd as assembled in the Domain on Saturday. The country provided its thousands, and the city its tens of thousands ; in all, 40,000 is by no means on excossive estimate of the number present. Some people believe that the attendance did not fall short of 50,000. From early morning, when it was known that the Britannic had* T arrived with the troops, till late at night, the city was abandoned to holiday. The arrangements, however, were not all that were desirable, and the Reception Committee came in for much severe criticism over the “ no-beer question.” The beer (which was liberally given by the local brewers) was not served to the men till after dinner, whereas they should have had it before, or with their dinner, when they considered they needed it. The liquor could have been just as easily served out at the proper time, and the men, as a body, took umbrage at tho reports that reached their ears that they were to get no beer because the Reception Committee did not think they were to be trusted to keep sober. “ It’s ridiculous,” they said, “ to think one glass of beer or two glasses will make a soldier drunk.”

Even at Napier they heard that they were to get no beer at Auckland, and they resented the idea of being treated like children.

However, oil was poured on the troubled water in the form of the after-dinner beer, and it was explained to the men that the committee was in no way representative of the general body of citizens on the beer question. The Premier, in the course of his remarks at the dinner, referred to the manner in which the troops were being entertained, and expressed regret that political questions should have been introduced on such an occasion. That, he said, was really what had happened, and ho regretted it. At the same time, he did not wish on such an occasion to have anything said that would subsequently cause any further trouble. But he would say that the troops as Britishers should not be dictated to as to what they should not eat and drink.—(Applause.) Speaking as the head of the colony, he asserted that it was not in accordance with the wishes of the great majority of the people that any such dictation should have occurred, and he apologised to the officers and men of the Imperial corps for anything of the kind having occurred.

APPOINTMENTS. The Rev. Father Corcoran, of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, has been appointed parish priest at Panmure. The Rev. Father O’Carroll, also of the Cathedra], has been appointed to the parish of Kihikihi. A NARROW ESCAPE.

A boy named Charles Hurford was paddling about in a boat on the Thames river at Kopu on Saturday, when the boat capsized. The lad kept afloat by holding on to one of the oars till he was rescued. "

DEPARTURE OF VESSELS. The Tyser steamer Star of New Zealand is timed to leave for Gisborne to-mor-row (Tuesday) evening. Tbe cruiser Mildura left on a cruise to the North to-day. She returns here about Friday next, and then proceeds South, The troopship Britannic will leave for Adelaide to-morrow. The Dalhousie also takes her departure for South to-morrow, arriving at Gisborne on Wednesday night.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.] Auckland, last night. It is stated thas never in the history of Auckland has such an immense crowd gathered in one spot as that which assembled in the Domain cricket ground on Saturday to see the Imperial troops. It is estimated that there must have been forty thousand spectators present. The great green amphitheatre was a marvelbus sig^