"[TO THE EDITOR.]

Grey River Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1779, 18 April 1874, Page 2

"[TO THE EDITOR.]

' ' Sik — The Governor has for the first time seen in an Australian newspaper a full quotation of a letter or article said to have been published in the Western Star, in which, he is described as having been both discourteous and insensible to the active efforts which had been made to give him a handsome reception on the occasion of his visit to Riverton. ,As must be well known, immediately after that visit, he made an expedition to the South- West Coast, which prevented his seeing any newspaper for some weeks ; and after his return he was naturally engrossed with business. It is not, therefore, surprising that he has only become aware, after a considerable interval, that such accusations have been made. JHe believes that he will, in most places which he has visited or resided in, be credited with a desire to treat the public with, consideration, and with a sense of kindness or compliment shown to him,] so that it will be understood how greatly such expressions as he now finds have been widely copiexl and circulated have taken him by surprise. As he has seen in the Australasian that the Otago Daily Times has assisted in this work, he would request its assistance, as having probably the largest circulation in Otago, to setjthe matter right. [ " Without repeating in detail the series of accusations made in connection with his visit to Riverton, he thinks that it will be best to state as briefly as possible the circumstances, which he ventures to believe will clear him from any such imputations as have been cast upon him.; "From the time of his arrival in :the Province of Otago, to visiting which he had all along determined to devote a month, he designed to visit Riverton. The numerous engagements which: it seemed proper to make, led to this being pi iced as last on the programme — as it was, in fact, the most distant point to be visited. The day was fixed a3 soon as possible, and at that time it was expected that the monthly English mail would arrive some days previously. It happened, however, to be some days late, but it was necessary that the Governor should be at hand, in order to receive his despatches and letters, and deal with any matters of consequence which they might contain, so as to forward his communications; to Wellington by the same steamer which brought the mail. This did not arrive, in fact, till the morning of the day fixed for his visit to Riverton, and in order to save time, he proceeded to the Bluff, where he read his papers and did what was necessary. He would have postponed his visit to Riverton till the next day but for two reasons — first, that he was informed that many persons had come from the country to meet him who could not be there on the morrow; and, secondly, because the Superintendent was anxious to accompany him, and that gentleman was obliged to return to Dunedin without delay. It was arranged therefore that the mail steamer should wait at the Bluff until just before sunset. Four horses had been kept at Invercargill in readiness to convey the Governor to Riverton, but on the return of the party, it was found that the enterprising proprietor was employing at least two of them in drawing a fly. Some time was lost in recovering them, and when, put together they were not in a state to make the journey as rapidly as was anticipated. Besides, the route which had been 1 selected, both to show the country and to meet the horsemen, proved longer and much heavier than that by the shore ; and from these causes His Excellency's arrival: was further delayed. Horsemen met him by twos and threes in many different groups: In some cases the badness of the roads, or the nervousness of the horses required some attention to his driving, and it is possible that some salute

may have been unacknowledged by him, but that it was an exception must be known by many who were present, and was certainly contrary to His Excellency's habit. , If a number of horsemen had assembled at any point to escort him ; he is not aware what he could have done otherwise than to .drive between their lines to the place of general meeting, where he ehdeavored-bbth ta-accbunt for' his late arrival, and to. make general and particular acknowledgements of the attention shown to him. That ' he did riot deign to say a word to the Volunteers who formed the guard of honor' is simply the reverse of the fact. He walked along the ranks, addressed the officer in command, and explicitly expressed his thanks for their attendauce. But it was absolutely necessary that the party should return shortly. They spent the whole/time at their disposal in walking about the place in company with the gentlemen who came to the front in receiving him, and in viewing the harbor, only stopping for fivo minutes at an inn to obtain. a cup of tea. With fresh horses driven at speed, and a special engine sent as far up the line as would meet the road, the Superintendent was enabled to reach the steamer a little after the appointed time. Perhaps on the whole a good geueral idea of the district was obtained, especially by the light of the information afforded by so competent a guide as the Superintendent of Otago. But at all events the Governor did what he could in the circumstances to fulfil his engagement. "With regard to the statement that the Mayor received an intimation between 9 and 10 o'clock on the previous evening that the Governor ' disapproved of the programme,' I beg to inform you that it was ; only an hour or two earlier that a gentleman placed in the hands of the Superintendent a printed programme of certain things which his Excellency was to do on the following day, to which his consent had not been asked. He had everywhere deprecate arrangements involving expense on the occasion of his visits, while ' desiring ; to see as much as possible of the people, which is not in his opinion to be best attained by so-called banquets, to which but a few can be admitted, but which must be burdensome to some who nevertheless take part in them. It was by no means his intention " that his stay should be limited to an hour." On the contrary, he intended to devote the entire day to the expedition. In all cases where there has been any previous communication of the wishes of the community, the proceedings have been satisfactorily arranged ; but it is surely strange that those who desire to do honor to the Governor , of the Colony should fix their plans entirely without his knowledge, and then be offended if any part of them prove impossible of unacceptable. : His Excellency, however, hopes that the author of the article in question does not accurately represent the feelings of the community of the Riverton district, to many of whom the circumstances must be well known, which went far to spoil the pleasure which he at least anticipated from his visit, "lam, &c, " Francis A. Hare, " Private Secretary. " Government House, "Auckland, 31st March;" [The excuse is too, elaborate, and verifies an old proverb which Shakespeare had in his mind when he wrote the words, "We think the lady doth protest too much."] _____