WELLINGTON NOTES.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1910, 22 December 1874, Page 2

WELLINGTON NOTES.

[from a correspondent.] : December 14. His Excellency the Marquis of Nbrmariby has arrived, and ': by the time I write is, I trust, comfortably ensconced in Government House, no doubt quietly discussing with the Marchioness Wellington and the Wellingtonians. The official landing. took place at noon, and a more lame affair it coal A not well.be. I have seen many receptions of Colonial Governers, and been in places where they knew how not to do it with the same ex-i cellent ' :: Quality/ but the "Empire City" seems to be iii a ." p-h-6-g 1 ' aa. to either mode. No dpubt' some excuse is to ; be made on account of that silly telegram, emanating from a .sillier brain; but this scarcely, exonerates i the proper authorities for the slip-shod, manner in which the reception was effected. lam not a .believer in. " flunkeyism"— - on the contrary ;'but I am in the good old motto of " what is • worth doing at all, is worth doing, well."It is evident because the late Governor forgot his ■ position so far >as to snub the ; loyal colonists on a like occasion, .the. good ' people of Wellington, imagined his • sue- 1 eessor would follow suit ; but the Marquis" has shown that i he .understands his posi- J tion 'as..theVr^^ ; Grown, ;when-,he /.'leayes^ it Vto $$ jin.habitantSiof Wellington tp.xqceive.him in the manner they may think proper." He does riot make the "snobbish" imistiike of supposing it is to : him -.; the ;- honor isi offered. As I jhave said,; the reception took place at 12 o'clock, a salute bejLng fired by, the ; artillery-: was .the signal |for the lauding. : : A small number of volunteers in various uniforms were.) drawn up; on the wharf, at the end of i which stood the Mayor- and City Con ncillora with a carriage ] in v waiting, the address of welcome |bvss.: read and briefly replied to, 'a nodding of smooth aiid shiny heads, some shaking of hands, and then the^ vice-legal . carriage (Which; by-the-bye, ' was a poor 'specimen "•< of. a hackney , coach) is driven away at a ■smart s pace, leaving.; the" gallant fireijnen': astonished and puzzled to know what fcheiy ! were .• wanted if or,, but, [after considering

the matter, they were not to be done out of a procession, so they obtained theservices of the band and marched round? town, and this evening that useful body (useful at all times, but especially so at demonstrations) wound up the proceed-, ings by a torchl : ght procession. I noticed the torchrs were of a most primitive constructi'jn, the idea of a simple but efficient torch of your own excellent brigade not having travelled thus far. - Other events just now assume a secondary importance.; Of 1 course you know the fate of the scientists here in re the event of the 9 fch,-" but- of all places, you know, who would have thought of it being seen to advantage in Hokitika," said a gentleman in conversing on the matter. " Why not ?" I asked. " I thought it was always raining, down on the; West Coast," was the reply. It was astonishing how smoked glasses vere in request on that eveutfui morning,, and how many ., fair Venus's reered through ,themi, in search .of r ,^heir ... . namesake. Especially eager were thoW ..who , were in possession 0f.," jetty^ ringlets, ''softly, flowing"j" and who knows but th^t they w^re more successful in their , aim than the ■astronomers'? '""""' '' ' ' ; The S tephensdn-Buff ord troupe^ notwithstanding the attractions of pieces with blue fire, a double murderj and a: suicide, has disbanded some of c :the members being engaged to assist Mr - and' Mrs Bates, who are expected: shortly; irorn Dunedin. ;. ;/, ' i An. ■ old Greymouth favorite, Miss Aitken, opens 'on Wednesday, ■' "at -;the Oddfellowa' HalL with' some "farewell readings, previous to •her, 'departure for Europe. . -.■ ";' > ' ; ;: V- '' :Wi7 -' M l.''"' '"'"' ( '~''