THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO WAIROA NORTH.

Te Aroha News, Volume 1, Issue 47, 26 April 1884, Page 3

THE GOVERNOR'S VISIT TO WAIROA NORTH.

Helensville, April 21. His Excellency the Governor, accompanied by Mr Pennefather and Dr. Campbell, arrived by special train this morning, and proceeded by the steamer Durham to Dargaville.

Dargaville, April 21. This evening, between four and five, the Governor is expected here. With the usual pluck and energy of the Da^gaville people, every preparation is being made to do him honour, a splendid triumphal arch being erected on the main wharf, shops, hotels, and private houses being decorated with tree ferns, nikau, red blossom of puakakihakiha, etc., while flags of all nations in abundance make the township look excessively pretty. Two hundred natives on horseback arrived to-day, and they welcome and korero the Governor to-morrow morning. Between three and four hundrod more are expected between this and then. After interviewing them, the Governor visits a kauri forest to witness tree felling. The following address will be presented at the triumphal arch on his landing this afternoon. It is signed by the members of the Dargaville Town Board and of the County Council. About a thousand Europeans are expected to be present : — "To His Excellency Sir William Frederick Drummond Jervow, Governor. — May it please your Excellency, — We, the members of the Hobson County Council and of the Dargaville Town Board, on behalf of the inhabitants bid your Excellency a hearty welcome to this part of the colony. Fifteen years agogwe were last honoured with a visit from Her Majesty's representative. Since that time the European population of the district has increased one hundredfold. Our relations with]! the natives have, during all those years, been^of the most friendly and neighbourly chatacter. Hitherto settlement and the utilization of the resources of the district have been the result of unaided private enterprise. We are assured, however, that our soil and climate possess special capabilities for the cultivation and manufacture of certain sub-tropical products, for the introduction of which we do not possess the necessary facilities or practical knowledge, and we are much concerned at present to find some way of securing for ourselves and our children the benefits and advantages which a beneficent Providence has apparently intended to place within the reach of the inhabitants of this favoured part of the colony. We trust that your Excellency's visit will be as productive of pleasure to your Excellency as we feel sure it will be of advantage to the district. We pray your Excellency to be assured of our best wishes, that you may enjoy a happy and prosprous career as the representative of our beloved Queen."

The Sydney " Morning Herald u has the following regarding the Maori King and hie train : — "There have been numerous illustrious visitors to this city, but none perhaps who have played a more im portant part in a country's history than Tawhiao, the Maori King. He and his suite arrived here on Sunday night from New Zealand in the Union Company's steamship Tarawera. The party landed quietly yesterday morning, and took up their quarters at the Coffee Palace in Georgestreet, where they will remain until the 26th inst., when they leave for England in the R.M.S. Cuzco. (Our telegraphic news shows that this intention has been departed from— the party after visiting Melbourne having sailed from that city in the Sorata. The object of this visit home is for the purpose of bringing under the notice of the Queen and the Imperial Parliament several grievances from which the Maoris allege they are suffering at the hands of the New Zealand Government. King Tawhaio and the other members of the party are very reticent as to their object in visiting England, and merely state that they wish to see Queen Victoria, and to visit a land of which they have heard so much, the home of the pakeha The chiefs are dressed in plain tweed suits. The king, although adhering strictly to European costume, has imbellished this somewhat with the sharks' teeth set in red wax in his ears, and the plume of Huias feathers in his hat, while on his watchchain there dangles a considerable quantity of greenstone and other trophies. As the party proceeded aboutthe town yesterday the crowd became so great that the visitors were glad to seek refuge in a cab. They enjoyed their trip from Auckland, speaking highly of the steadiness of the steamer, but expressed no surprise at her size, the fittings, or even her speed, They were also unimpressed with the appearance of our shops and public buildings, saying that there were finer in Auckland- The fear that was entertained by New Zealanders that these representatives of the native race by this visit to the old country would simply bring disgrace on themselves and their cause by giving way to intemperance is groundless. The party are teetotallers, and cany the blue ribbon in their coats, evidently considering it some badge of honour ; and they are living quietly at a temperance establishment,