THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO THE PROVINCE OF MARLBOROUGH.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 55, 10 February 1872, Page 5

THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO THE PROVINCE OF MARLBOROUGH.

Marlborough being the only province of New Zealand which Sir George Bowen had not o'ready visited, he proceeded thither on the 24th January, The Colonial Goveiu« ment steamer Luna, having on board his Excellency the Governor and Lady Bowen, with Captain Pitt, A.D.C., pud Captain Machell, A.D.C., after touching at several points in the Tory Channel, arrived at the wharf at Pictoa at 5 p.m. on Thursday, the.2sth Jauurvy. His Excellency pud party landed, and, accompanied by his Honor the Suoerintendent (A. P. Seymour, Esq.), and Capt?in Ba'Uie, M.L.L., visited the gaol, school, &c. At noon the following day his Excellency proceeded to the Court-house, where a guard of honor of volunteers was drawn up to receive him, and held an undress levee ; Lady Bowen receiviug ladies at the some time. The following address was read by Mr the Chairman of the Board of Works: — ADDRESS. To His Excellency Sib George F. Bowen , G.C.M.G., Governor oe New Zealand, &c, &o. May it please your Excellency,— We, the members of the Picton Board of Works, desire to offer to you and Lady Bowen the expression of our satisfaction at this your first arrival in the province of Marlborough. As loyal subjects of our well beloved Queen, we cordially welcome her representative. In your passage up Queen Charlotte Sound to the port of Picton, your Excellency would doubtless appreciate the easy navigation of its watei'3, and the beauty of the surrounding scenery, which are rendered f?mous by the illustrious Captain Cook, who recognised the advantages of these Sounds in the navigation of the Southern Seas, and predicted for them a great future in connection with the commerce of New Zealand. This port, accessible at all times from the ocean by two different entrances, popsesses safe and commodious anchorage for the largest ships afloatj and will become the outlet of all the produce of the province, comprising gold, wool, tallow, timber, and flax, so soon as the railway , connecting it with the town of Blenheim and the adjacent plains and pastoral country is completed. This work, a portion of the Great Southern Bailway, will, we understand, be shortly commenced, and we trust that your Excellency w>H be ably to honor us again with your presence upon the auspicious occasion of the opening of the works. We desire to assure your Excellency of ovn sincere attachment to our beloved Queen and country j and hope for a continuation of the peace, prosperity, and happiness which we now enjoy under your government.—We are, &c, Thom\s Wi/lums, Chairman. Jam gs Smith ' Eobee* Lthry M b f fch JOHN GODEREY • Board WiliL?mEsSoN Jsoara. William Dait. ) To which his Excellency replied in the following terms: — REPLY. Gentlemen, —On behalf of Lady Bowen and myself, I thank you most heartily for thi3 '■ tdress and for the welcome which you have given us on our first arrival in the province of Marlborough. I regret exceedingly that the press of public business in the North Island should have prevented me from visiting you at rn earlier period. I knew well, by repute, the excellent harbors and picturesque scenery of your farfamed Sounds, which were selected (as you truly remark) by Capra :, i Cook for his headquarters in New Zealand. There could not be a better proof of their importance than this preference of the illustrious navigator, whose professional surveys and observations retain their value after all the progressive discoveries of a hundred years. But fully prepared as I was to admire, I am free to co'nfess that the

beauty of jour scenery surpasses my expectation' It will afford me great pleasure to accept your kind invitation to be present at the opening of the railway works in this province—a very interesting and auspicious occasion. The patriotism and loyalty which the inhabitants of Marlborough, together with the rest of the people of New Zealand invariably show, are very gratifying to our gracious Sovereign and to our fellow subjects in the old country, I trust that the future will draw Biill closer those bonds of national brotherhood and of common interests which contribute so powerfully to the strength and glory of the British Empire. (Signed) G. F. Bowen. Picton, 26th January, 1872. After being present at a luncheon, given by the Superintendent, at the Provincial Hotel, at Picton, and visiting all the public institutions in that township, his Excellency, Lady Bowen, the Superintendent, and Captain Machell, A.D.C., drove to Blenheim, escorted by a party of mounted volunteers, and returned to Picton the following day. On tneir way they visited the monument erected on the site of the Wairau massacre, which took place in June, 1843; and inspected the line of the proposed railway between Picton and Blenheim. On Saturday afternoon, the 27th January, th 3 Luna proceeded dovs.i Queen Charlotte's Sound, and anchored in Ship Cove, renowned as the favorite anchorage in New Zealand waters of Captain Cook. On Monday, the 29th, the Luna proceeded up the Pelorus Sound, and anchored off Havelock at 1 p.m. His Excellency landed, and was received by the Town Council, when the following address was read by Captain Levien : To which the-following reply was given : ADDBE3S PROM THE INHABITANTS OP HAVELOCK. May it please your Excellency,— We, the inhabitants of Havelock and the Pelorus district, are desirous of expressing our sense of the high honor conferred upon us by the visit of your Excellency and Lady Bowen. We regret our inability to receive you in a manner befiting you" high office—that of the representative in this colony of our Most Graciors Sovereign ; but although our numbers are small, and our town comparatively insignificant, we desire to express our devoted loyalty to her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen and also to the person of your Excellency. We regret that there are so few matters of interest to bring under the notice of your Excellency in this district, but we trust that the beautiful scenery of our Sound will in some measure compensate for other deficien - eies, rnd that you? own and Lady Bowen's recollections of fris visit will be, on the whole, )!ea3urab!e and satisfactory. We trust your Excellency will be pleased to accept this expression of our feelings, and we pray that the Divine blessing will rest upon yourself, Lady Bowen, and family, and that you may be spared to see this colony completely recovered from its present financial difficulties and take its place as the Britain of the South. Signed on behalf of the inhabitants, Frank Cohen, Chairman of Havelock Town Board. Joseph Kttti and, Chairman of Pelorus County. • REPLY. Gentlemen,—l assure you that I am very sensible of the good feeling shown by this address, and by the kind greeting which you have given me on the part of the inhabitants of Havelock and of the Pelorus district, although you unavoidably had such a short notice of my arrival. When the Duke of Edinburgh was at Nelson during his visit to New Zealand, he stated on a public occasion that our gracious Sovereign regards as " insignificant" no portion of her dominions, however remote from the seat of the Imperial Government, and no community of her subjects however small in numbers. I need scarcely say that it is alike my duty and a source of sincere pleasure to me to visit every portion of the colony over which I have the honor to preside as the representative of her Majesty. I must add that the extreme beauty of the scenery of the Pelorus Sound and of the mountains and forests surrounding your town, in conjunction with your hearty welcome, render our stay among you most enjoyable to Lady Bowen and myself. • Havelock perpetuates the name of a great and good man, the leading principle of whose life was devoted to his duty towards God and man, and who was a bright eximple to his countrymen in all time. Finally, gentlemen, I congratulate you on the advantages which you already enjoy in your goldfield, in your magnificent timber, and in your almost unrivalled water communication. I pray that the Divine blessing may prosper the efforts of your energy and industry, of which so many proofs are conspicuous all around me. G. F. Bowen. Havelock, January 29. His Excellency, Lady Bowen, and party were afterwards entertained at lunch by the Havelock Town Council, when the usual loyal toasts were given and received enthusiastically. The party also visited the church, school, and the other public buildings. On Tuesday, the 30th, the Luna visited various parts of the Pelorus Sound, and anchored for the night at Lewis' Cove, near Forsyth Island. On Wednesday, the 31st, the Lna steamed through Queen Charlotte's Sound and Tory Chmnel into Port Underwood ; and the settlers "• l the various bays of that magnificent hr'bor were visited by the Governor. The sb-p Chi 1 ! and the barque Annie Gamble were lying in Port Underwood loadmg with wool. The latter had her sails bent, and would probably leave for England , in a few days.

The Luna returned to Wellington on the morning of Ist February. The weather throughout was all that could be desired, and the trip was very much enjoyed by the Governor and Lady Bowen. ciir George appears to have been the first Governor that ever visited Havelock and other parts of the Peloids Sound, and of Port Underwood ; hence his visit was very satisfactory to the setters in those places.