THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

Kumara Times, Issue 1154, 10 June 1880, Page 4

THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT

[OHMSXOHUBOH PEESS.j Comparatively few members were prei sent at the opening of Parliament this afternoon; only about a dozen Legislative Councillors and twenty-eight members of (the House of Representatives. On assembling in the Lower House, before the summons to the other chamber, they were scattered about' indiscriminately without anything like an attempt at party grouping, No two members seemed inclined to chat together, excepting at one time, when Messrs Oliver, Swanson, and Murray held a brief casual colloquy. I noticed among the members present Messrs Dick, Beetham, Wallis, Thompson, Speight, Mason, Brandon, and Te Wheoro, Mr Bailer went straight to his seat, and sat in an attitude of calm expectancy. Then Mr Hall entered the House, wearing a new white hat. With an air of cheerful confidence he spoke to the Clerk about some Bills, and then Mr Speight came up and exchanged a few words with him, but, on the whole, members simply straggled about, and the most ingenious Updid deduce no conclusions as to party, prospects from anything like their assaciatlon in cliques or knots. Meanwhile .the, Legislative Council chamber waacrowded with ladies, especially on the floor, to. which portion addmittance apparently had been conceded much more freely and generally than usual. Those, present included the Hon. Lady Robinson; and ■ her, two daughters, Miss Robinson, and Mrs St. John. The galleries were hardly so thronged as usual, probably owing ! to ■ so few members having arrived. The Hons. Whitaker and Dignan, were the only members of the Council visible. . Members of both Houses were summoned for two o’clock, but.it was generally understood that the actual ceremony would . not begin before half past. However at 2.10 p m., the Governor entered the building, attended by his private secretary and A.D.C, also by the German and American Consuls. (Messrs Krnil and M‘lntyre) in full uniform. Sir Hercules wore the Windsor uniform, with the star and ribbon of St, Michael and St. George. He was received at the entrance by the new volunteer corps, Wellington Guards, a fine soberly body-of men, whose scarlet grenadier uniforms, and big bearskins, looked very well and imposing. They were under the command of Captain the Hon. Randall Johnston, M.L.C. The Artillery corps were stationed on the tennis lawn on the west side of the Parliamentary buildings, under command of Captain Moorhouse, M.H.R, with their Armstrong field pieces. The weather was fine, but doll and chilly. Avast crowd of spectators assembled on all sides* and on the arrival o£ fcho Governor the artillery fired a salute of seventeen guns, and the Guards’ band playing the National Anthem, the Guards presenting arms. _ His Excellency, on entering the Council Chamber, bowed slightly to those present, and proceeded at once to the Speaker s chair, escorted by Sir William Fitzherbert, Speaker in the Council. The Governor being seated, Captain St. John, A.D.C., was despatched to fetch the Commons departing in a very free and easy manner, without the usual series of profound bows. During the iIrTT V T?7 P®uding the arrival of the M.H.R. s, the calm atmosphere of the Lords was disturbed .bjr the sudden entrance of a stranger, whi* evidently had lost his way, and was clearly dumbfounded at the, august presence in which he unexpectedly found himself and with being the cynosure of so many eyes, masculine and feminine. As he stood there, speechless and motionless, he was promptly collared by two messengers and run out with remarkable swiftness. At length the members of the House of Representatives entered, headed »y Mr O’Rorke, the Speaker, and attended by Major Paul, Serjeant-at- Arms, with the mace. The Hon. F. Whitaker then handed the speech, which was engrossed on parchment, to the Rev. C. Meysey Thomson, private secretary, who passed each sheet to his Excellency as required. The Governor read the speech with remarkable clearness and distinctness, seeming to dwell with special'force and emphasis' when alluding to the necessity foV cate and economy regarding the public finances. The speech was unsuallly brief, but the general verdict was that it was practical and to the point, and it appeared to create a favorable impression bn the whole. On concluding the Governor handed the speech to Sir J. Fitzherbert, and the M.H.R.’s, having withdrawn, his Excellency retired amid renewed salutes from the cannon and loyal .strains from the band. The whole proceedings occupied less than a quarter of an hour.

The Westport Colliery Company is experiencing more than its share of the troubles ■of this life (says the Westport Times.) Since work commenced on the incline railway, seveiral niißhiips have occurred, and a rather serious one took place on Tuesday. Whilst •loaded truck waß being lowered, the wire rope, bysome means, slipped off the drum, thus -giving "the descending truck too much * slaok,” The truck, at the time, being on the summit of a steep grade, received such as to either break the rope or dis* •Oonneot- it' from the cylinder, the result •iff* that the truck, left to its own sweet “ter sundry acrobatic feats, eventual’y landed at {he bottom of Conn’s Creek. Of course the truck was completely ruined. The cause of this accident is set down to the fact of the inexperience in the work of the ? contractors for lowering the coal. Demonstration was given that the incline will suit ■U requirements by a truck being lowered in fine style just previous to the occurrence w the accident above noted.—The Bnlier News puts down the expense at Lsoo<