THE ROYAL VISIT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXIII, Issue 126, 22 June 1901, Page 2

THE ROYAL VISIT.

■» (By Eleetrio Telegraph.—Copyright) PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. Received 21,11.10 p m. London, June 21. The Duke of Cornwall is sending to London «n< husiastic cables The King is immensely delighted. with tho reception, and impressed with the po 4 <mtiilitiPs of the colonies, and the good to roault to the Empire frcrn tho \,'*,it. MINISTERIAL BANQUET TO VISITORS. Wellington, June 21. The Government entertained vititing Australian politicians aed visiting journalist* at a dinner at Bellamy's last night. The toast of the evening was " The Pres?." A banquet to returned members of New Zealand Contingents will be gives thin afternoon. At the dinner last night Sir Joseph Ward -said tint in order that visiters from EngUiid and Australia might see as much as possible of the beauties of the colony the Government had arranged for a stealer excutsioa to the O.ago Sounds LAYING THE FOUNDATION BTONKOF THK HAILWAY OKFIOBB. Wellington, June 21. The ceremony of laying the foundation s'eoe of the Railway offices in F.ath«rston-street took place at noon. The drizzling rain of the morning had settled down into a steady downpour precisely as the function oonameuoed. A lefty staging, forming three fides of a tquare, provided 6eats for some 1300 people, to whom invitations bad been issued, but apart from these the attendance of the public was not large. Tbe Taranaki battallion supplied A guord-ef-benour and attracted general attention and high commendation for their gplendid physique. There was * small army of cameras in position, all levelled at tbe state, whioh*t(wd ready under a gojly decorated ptvilion, the approaches to which wer», as if in mcckery, two fountains played.

Theatoue was inscribed with E.R. and the Royal Arms in gilt r»li-f above the words "This stone was laid by R.R.H. ~the Duke of Cornwall and York, 2lst Jim-, 1901." The Royal patty contained several members of the suit" and the Governor and Ministers, with a number of ltdies, who occupied ►eits in the pavilion. .Lady Waid presented the Duchess,with a bouquet in a beautiful holder of geld greenstone and pearls, and the Minuter then read a statement of the usual coins and documents contained in a cylinder deposed beneath the stone. Aft r declaring the stone well and . ni \jU'id his Royal Highness said he was haPPy l ' lft t the la't ceremony of his vei y p'e'S nt visit to Wellington should ho in connection wish so important a Dop rtmest as the Railways, which w«s always a telltale of the p ~ r perity •fa country, and* the fact that more accommodation w.g needed was proof of the pro p'ri'y of the-colony. After alluding to the work don* in conitrnc•ion, he ongrat«hi 4 *d Sir Jo»eph Ward and his rredfcessor, the Hob. Mr. dadman, on their adurin'st r »tion, and expnwd his gratification of what he had soon yesterday in the workshops, and pr*Wd tho'.h<inds-nse carriagfs provided for his accommodation. (Cheers.) Mr. Carmichflol, th« c»n*rac*or,hav•ng been iiitrolnred, wraps were produced, and tK« Royal'pitty drove away in closed carriages. As at all publiof unetiors where they have append the Prince was welcom d with hearty-cheers. A very hacd-ome gold trowel, with a greenstone handle, encVed in a gold Maori osket, was presented to the D»k< along with 1 a mallet made of na'ivo wo<d; Mr Wilfwd, M.tf R„ has written to 'ho Pctnior requesting a public enquiry by a Committee of independent nrn into the Newton Park scandal. The weathar is still dull and wet, the wind has shifted to th* >o<ith and a misty isin is falling wi'li the promise •>f wo-te to follow. DEPARTURES FOR CHRISTOHUROH. At t h e <Ky,went on the wea'her became woi«e, hut a law c<owd lined the streets and occupied the stagings at the wharf to see their Highnesses cVpart. They drove to the Ophir in a closed carriage. ther»jn Hbiog at its heaviest as they loft Govern mast House. They were greeted very demonstratively, the c.heo<ine being hearty and sp-mtaneons, and handkerchiefs fluttered every where. Sufficient tro ps were left in town to line a portion of the route, and those without groifc coats must have got rather wet—not a ve r y good preparation for their trip this evening to Uhnstchurch Thn Mayor, City Council ard Harbour Boird occupied the eooU shod, and took a brief leave of the Duke and Duchefs, apo'ogiiirgjfor the weather, which, as Mr. B*auoha<np pat it, was in tonrs on their leaving. No time was lost iu costing 10-se, and the Ophir drew away from the wharf lat six minutes before the time announced, which wa» 4 p.m. Just at this moment, the Premier and other i Min'sters, who had been attending the luncheon to the returned trooper*, rushed up with Sir John Anderson. The latttr very rearly missed his passage, b'lt, assisted by the stalwart arm of tho Piemior, ho was hauled over t*io rdil Iml'oiu tho ship got e'ear. [n tiu miuutis the Ophir was he-iding down the h-rhour, followed by throe energutic cheers tho small party on the pier, which wer* with equal goodwill by tbo ladies and gentinmen of the suite on deck, accompanied bv muo'i waving of handkerchiefs. In the meaotuaa the Bt. George and Juro got under weigh, ani as soon ns the Qphir reached the centre of the harbour, took up their p-sition in fr>nt and precadfd her rouod P.-iut HaVw 11, where the flot.il'a was quickly awa'lowed up in the murky < voni' g D spite the weather, numbers o : p ople swarmed in the R.ilway Hid Glasgov whirves and liioistworks, and vigo r ously waved handkerchiefs to tha donaiting yacht, wbilo the ferry stoimer, which made tho excursion down the harbour, found enough pe n p"e, sufficiently brave to dare the weather, to fill her. In fact the *ay fpoctators turned out on such a uii erable day was most surprising. Dunedin, June 21. Visitors are already flocking into to-.vn fov tho Roynl visit. The prolonged spall of fine weather broke today, when a drizzling win fell, interring soraowhit with the preparatiors. Official intimation has been received te-night that Royalties will leave Dunedin at 11.30 on Thursday morning, instead of 10.30 at night.