OPENINg OF THE PORT CHALMERS RAIL-WAY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 258, 9 January 1873, Page 6

OPENINg OF THE PORT CHALMERS RAIL-WAY.

(From the Morning Star, January 1.) About 150 ladies and gentlemen accepted Messrs Oliver and Proudfoot's invitation to proceed by special train to Port yesterday, to witness the formal opening of the railway. At half-past twelve, the Governor, accompanied by Lady Bowen and the Misses Bowen, his Honoi the Superintendent, Major Pitt, A.D.C., Captain Machell, the hon. Dr. Buchanan, &c, arrived, and imme<

diately the train, which was drawn by the gaily decorated, started. A stoppage was made at Burkes hrewerw the Port being reached a few seconds before one o'clock At the Port terminus were assembled t^e M#.yor and Corporation, together with a f ir sprinkling of the townspeople, whilo the ships alongside the K/ilway Pier and in the stream profusely displayed bunting ♦'n his Excellency aliasing from his carriage, he* was addressed by the Mayor of Port Chalmers (\Tr Dench) in a few well-chosen words, to which Sir George replied as fol-" lows : — Mr Mayor and Gentlemen,— l thank you for the kind terms in which you have just spoken regarding myself ; and I have to congratulate you on the completion of this important work, which connects the commercial capital of the Colony with the principal Port of the Province. 1 hope that the working men employed ,on, this railway, and on the other railways now in progress or approaching completion in the Colony, will find happy homes for themselves on those broad lands open in this colony for agricultural purposes, and I would have them remember that under the expansive freedom of our Colonial institutions, even more surely than in the parent •isles, Britain opens for all her sons a cheering prospect of wealth and fame; if genius b? combined with virtue and industry. I now declare the railway to be formally open for public traffic ""11" 1 (Cheers.) Cheers were then £?iven for his Excellency, Lady Bowen, and family, for the railway, and, at his Excellency's request for the Port. The viGe-regal party then proceeded down the railway pier, when it was intimated by Mr Dench that advantage would be taken of Lady Bowen's visit to get her to christen the pier. This her ladyahip consented to do, and the customary bottle of champagne having been produced, » it was broken, the pier being named at Che same time the Lady Bowen Pier. The' return t<> town was done in- 22 minutes, the quickest journey yet made. The vice regal party and the promoters' guests then proceeded to the TJcniyißrsity Hall, where TftE LUNCHEON was laid. The chair was occupied by Mr Oliver, general manager of the railway and one of its promoters, and he was supnorted on his right hy the Governor and Sir F. D Bell, and on his left by the Superintendent and Judge Chapman. About 16 > gentlemen sat down to a cold collation, served in Host Jones', of the Club, best style. The orchestra was occupied by Mr West's band. A-fter the cloth had been removed The_ Chairman proposed the toast of "The Queen," which was enthusiastically received. Mr Justice Chapman, in propovng the next toast, spoke as follows : The chairman has requested me to propose what 1 think T may call the toast of the day. I find by the cards that this luncheon, as we may call it though I dare say it will serve miny of us as a dinner (laughter), has been given to do honor to his Excellency Sir George Boweu, the Governor of this Colony (hear), soon. lam sorry to say, to be our Governor no longer. I have to propose "The health o1o 1 the Governor," and T think I shall be doing no violence to the feelings of the numerous meeting, if I request the permission of the chairman, and your permission, to add to it a sincere wish for the health and happines- 1 of Lady Bowen and her_fruuily (hoar) in the country to which they are about to proceed. I have no doubt, gentlemen, you will almost anticipate the difficulty I am about to shadow fort*» in proposing the health of a person <vho is present. This meeting is to do honor to the Governor, and if we did not think well of him, that is to say, if the 160 or 170 persons now present had not a good opinion of hi 3 Excellency, he would scarcely have been asked here to day. — (Hear). T am expected to satisfy the feelings and sentiment of all persons now present, and in doing that I must nee ssarily deal with praise ; and if I fall short of the general conceptions of those present, I shall fail to satisfy them. But th r re is a dilemma in this. I have to deal with praise of a per son who is present, and I feel myself restrained by the clanger and difficulty of violating good taste., and offending his delicacy by saying just so much as. will satisfy the re quirements of/~the company. This is the difficulty I find myself in r T have to steer between two extremes. That difficultyis, however, considerably m 'dified from the position which his Excellency h>>lds. Had he been a mere, private gentleman, and 1 had to propose his health, I should ftd very little difficulty in the matter, and I would then say a good deal which I should be only too proud and too gla I to say if he were not present. But, fortunately for us, his Excellency is before us in his public capacity ; he is our property, and we may deal with him with less delicacy than if we had to deal vith simple Sir George Bowen. He is Governor, and we are entitled to say something of him, though we may slightly offend his taste and delicacy. I say we are entitled to siy a great deal of him in his public capacity, which we would shrink from saying if we. were dealing with the man. Now, let me ask why is it that we have just drunk the health of her gracious M ijesty the Queen so enthusiastically ? Why is it in the present age, amongst Englishmen, whether they be Tories, Conservatives, Whigs, or something more, or even Radicals or Democrats, that, in proposing her health, we are so enthusiastically loyal? I take it that the reason is that our Queen is the most constitutional monarch that ever sat upon the throne. (Applause.) The loyalty which we should accord to a constitutional monarch is not mere cold loyalty, and the warm affection which we feel for our Queen is no doubt generated by her domestic relations. I believe that the Queen of England and of these Colonies — therefore our Queen — is one of the best of wives, as she was one of the best of daughters, and one of the best of mothers as she is one of the best of women. (Cheers.) I guard myself against saying she is the best, because we have our English wives, mothers, and daughters, thousands of them, equally good ; but it is something to say of our Queen that we esteem, reverence, and love her, because she can take rank among the best families of her subjects, either as a wife, a mother, or a woman. (Cheerd. ) Not only does that reflect back on the constitutional character of the Queen — not only does it generate a great deal of our personal affection towards her— but it augments th^ loyalty which Enelisbraen feel towards their constitutional monarch. If that be the case, if those are our feelings of ' loyalty towards our Queen in the circumstances whjch I have just described, is a constitutional Governor entitled ,£p our respect I hope, my voice will reach Victoria. I think I am justified in saying this. lam not using the slightest flattery, for I detest flattery, but I am justified in saying that, a* the Queen Has been one of the most constitutional Monarchs that ever sat upon the English throne, for the same reason his Excellency is one of the most constitutional Governors that overtook charge of the Colony. (Applause.) He has been singularly fortunate in many respects ; but, more than that, his services have been appreciated by the Home Government, which is not always the ose. At all events, the Queen has been advised to confer upon Sir George what I may venture to call the best of all Colonial Governorships within the gift of the Crown. — (Hieer*.) It is a Colony which is peculiarly gratifying to a Governor who has anything in him. It is an advancing Colony, as Sir George will find when he goes there in 1873, and if be continue there

s whole nix years of office, at the end of that time be will leave it far more prosperous, far more populous, wealthy, intelligent, and better educated than when he found it. This is a gratifying circumstance to a man of honorable ambition. There is another e'reumstance to be considered. He will there be able to brin? his charming family, without fear of pestilential Vapors end-mgaring their health. I trust, therefore, . that under all the cir umstances that he will find wh^re he is about to so. there will nnt only be a field for his pc uliar ambition — high and honorable aspirations I should rather call them — and that it will contribute to the health and hapnines's of Lady Bwen and her family. I t!ii<k lam justified in asking yon to couple that wish with the toast. There is another circumstance which I think ought to be mentioned here. There have been no memoranduminiads between Sir George and his Ministers, and no such quarrels as were shadowed forth by Mr Fitzgerald of Wellington, who called them New Zealand Gegamorrahs. Everything seems to have gone smoothly. Of course I cannot enter into the secrets of the Qabinet, though 1 daresay there have beea some little differences, occasionally, between his Excellency and his Ministers, but those who are in the habit of reading the newspapers will agree that his Government here has been one of nctive co-operation with and «ur>port of the Ministry of the day, he that Ministry called Conservative. Whig, or Radical. In effect he has pucceeled in attaining tbe po>i ion which Lord Elgin, one of the '•overnors-General of Canada, said should be should be the aim <>f a constitutional Governor, namely,- to sustain a dignified neutrality between parties. Sir- George's career has been one of success — success which has been rewarded in the proper way/ viz., by his transference ta a larger and higher field I therefore feel qnite sure that yon will join with me in drinking, with all the honors, ' The fTeilth of Sir Genrgo Bowen." coupled with a sincere and henrtfolt wish that he and liia family will enjoy happiness ih the country to which they are going. I think we in New Zealand can promise the people of Victoria that they will have a man who thoroughly understands the constitution of his ewn country, and knows exactly to what the British Constitution can be applied in these Connies. He will go to Victoria with a stera determination to carry out that constitution in all its integrity. So far then he may be 'justly called the representative of the Constitutional Monarch who now sits on the British throne. (Loud cheers). Rig Excelle cy thanked those present, and his Honor Judge Chapman, for ths very kind and flattering manner in which his health had been proposed and drunk He considered it only too kind annl flattering He trusted the meeting would not expect too much of him. He was reminded, while listening to Jadge Chapman, of a remark by a nobleman well known to bis Honor, who, on his health being proposed, remarked, " as soon sis he recovered his wind he would let loose for the entertainment of the company." During the past week he had had so many addresses that he could not adequately ex- i press his thanks. He fspe ially desired t» thank those present for their good wishes to his f imily and him°elf. With regard to what had been said by his Honor Judge Chapman, his only wish was to say that, in all ne had clone he desired to do his duty. He should look bick with pleasure to his stay in N e w Zealand in which he had spent five of the banniest years of his life, during which one of his children was born, and whe^e as Governor during a most crit : cal period his name must be associated with the events that had occurred. He trusted that the result would be seen in a permanent peace with the Maoris. His name would be secondly connecte 1 with that large scheme of public works and immigration, which had received the sanction of two Parliaments. He had not the remotest idea of touching upon Colonial politics— he knew his duty too well. »Us idea of Colonial advancement was to combine tho prudence of the Englishman with the energetic progressivene s of the American. Combining the caution of the European with the soaheadedness of the American'^ n"e believed the scheme would be carried out ilrtfew Zealand. The Chairman then proposed the health of his Hi«nor the Superintendent, remaking that to tho personal exertioas of thatrgentlftman the Province was in a great measure^ indebted for its present prosperity. It would be rem«mnered that eight o^ nine years ago a line of railway be ween Dunedin and Port Chalmers was surveyed, but the master *vas not pushed forward, and the people were left without qui-k means of transit between the City and the Port. Ultimately, however, the Superintendentreviewed the qn-s-tion, and mainly to his energy and zeal the Port Chalmers railway waa now an accomplished fact. He had always found, and no doubt all present would bear him out in stating, that nearly every important public work in the Province was originated and matured by the Superintendent, and that that gentleman had ever shown a desire to advance the interests of the community. The Superintendent, in renlying. said that ifc had always been his wish to do all he could to advance Ofca^o. This was scarcely the place to discuss the actions of the Superintendent, -therefore he would not further allude to his official connection with the Province. His Honor then referred to the difficu ties the early settlers experienced in parsing from one part of the country to another, and in the transport of merchandise. Years ago, the Custom-house was at the Heads ; after a time it was removed to Port Chalmers, and ultimately to Dunedin. During this time the greatest difficulty was experienced in getting goods to town. The first thing he attempted in connection with the public affairs of the Province, was the formation of a road from Danedin to the Port This was found to be a great convenience But there were croakers in those days as well as now, and they talked loudly against the expense incurred. The completion of this work was followed by the placing of a small steamer on the bay, which was soon succeeded by .others^ improving and quickening the means of transit But still the growing requirements of the community were not met, and hence the inauguration of the work the completion of which they were called on to commemorate that day. The croakers, however, we r s not satisfied. They thought that the work was not necessary, and that the money might have been better expended in other ways. Had the railway been constructed by the Government when it was first proposed, there was little doubt but the Province would now be in a position to construct all the railways it required If that had been don-, the' income therefrom would now probably amount' to L 50.000 per annum— a sum sufficient' to • enable .the Government to borrow L 1,000,000..', 000,000..' Owing to the action of the Central Government, the Provincial authorities were not in a position to proceed with the work until a private firm, in 1870, proposed to undertake it. That firm deserved the greatest credit for the manner in which they had executed their task. They would no dou,bt realise a very handsome fortune out of tba speculation, but he thought that the country ouyht to participate with them by purchasing the line, and thus compete the system of railways now in course of construction. He sincerely thanked the company for the enthusiastic manner in which his health had been drunk. His Excellency spoke as follows: — Judge Chapman had just proposed whathe was Pleased to term the toast of the day j bat bo i

thought all present would agree with him that the toast he was about to propose was the re.il toast of the day. This would be acknowledge! when he said it wa-. "Success to the Port Cbnlmers and i-'unedin Railway," counled with the names of Messrs Oliver and Proudfoot. Nothing could be more creditable than the arr-ngements. The opening of that railway reminded him of the opening of the Liverpool au4 Manchester Railway, at which hp was p»esent. On that occasion, Sfr fTtiskhsnn lost his li p e. but; on thi? occasion po perfect had been the arrarg3ments that not tho slightest hitch or accident occurred. Su' h a ceremony might well lead to looking both before and behind. There could be no donbt that many early settlers, who had resided in New Zealand, would feel astonished at tbe progress made ia so short a time. As time passed on. and all the personal animosities that had been aroused on the questions of the day had passed away, thoso who had been instrumental in initiating the great public works in which they were engaged would be regarded by futnre generations as benefactors to the Colony — their names would be held in grateful remembrance. He would have liked to have had the opportunity of saying a few words to the woikmen encraged on the Port Chalmers line, as on a former occasion he had, of speaking to those who were present on turning tbe first sod of the Southern Trunk r> ail way. He would have asked thf-m to remember that there were lands open for ettl^ment in the country, and he hoped they wou'd make their homes upon those lands ; the pathway to wealth and fame was before them. let it be remembered that the Colonists were reproducing a new society under British laws— a prosperous future for New Zealand — and it was a Subject for thankfulness that, while* the nations of the old world had been engaged in bloody wars, those in this hemisphere r hWd"been,,st,urdily pursuing peacefuL,, work — their triumphs were those of peace. He proposed the toast he had already The Chairman replied :— It ia with deep satisfaction that I rise to acknowledge the kindness with which you have been pleased to drink to the prosperity of the Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway. Among the various sources of this satisfaction are the feeling that an arduous and engrossing labor is ended with success, and the gratitude which the g wishes of such an assemblage a=* the pr >sent one cill forth * but still more than these, the sat-sfactioi j whi;h n^' partner and 1 fenl at having beeable to contribute to the progrsfs of th- \ country by the construction ©f a most usefu : work. No doubfc. every honest worker i ' whatever sphere of aci>n. whether as produce? or distributer, is entitled to rake pride in his work aa being useful to his fellow* creatures as well as to himself When, however, the labor is directly and obviously of use to a whole community, the worker, if possessed of any generous sympathy with his kind, may be pardoned for exulting as we do now. ' 'ail ways are now recognised as being positively essential to the healthy life of a country. They are regard* das measures of a country's progress. No nation can do without them. Kven Japan, the latest convert from what may be termed the Toryism of nations, and the newest accession to the ranks of progress, is constructing and has constructed r.-iilway. For us, blessed as .we are with such a soil, climate, and people, to b 3 without a railway system would be absurd I hope, gentlemen, you wjll pardon me if I recall to your remembrance the circumstances which led to tho construction of the Dunedin and Por.t Chalmers railway. Eight or nine years ago, a survey of the line waa made, but nothing more was done, between two and three years aco, the. Superintendent and the Provincial Executive, desiring to commence a work of such manifest necessity, called on so ne of the most influential citizens to form a company to construct the lino, under certain concessions and guarantees ; but. after a long correspondence and negotiation, the Committee refused to proceed, unless the would, in addition to the guarantee of interest, put aside a block of land as an endowment. This, the Govern • ment had not the power to do ; so the effort failed. The Kxectjtive then entered on a negotiation, which resulted in the construction of the line, which has bepn opened to-day. This "has not been accomplished, gentlemen, without gre t difficulties. Small as the line is, it yet bad a sample of nearly every difficulty which railway construction presents, It has cuttin'/s and embankments > i course, but it has viaducts and bridges, miles of sea wall, a deep sea pier, and tunnels through the hardest rock — -rock hard as adamant, but not so hard to deal with as aonae of the proproprietors of the land through which we passed. In short, gentlemen, it called on all our energies. I think we may congratulate ourselves on the happy change in the prospects of the country, which has come about since we began this work. You will remember that we were urged to commence without delay, because of tbe number of unemployed. An infuriated crowd surnunded the Government building", and demanded work. Work was found for them, and owing to this line, to the other railway works commenced by *he Government, and to the rise in the price of wool, the price of labor to-day is nearly one-third higher. I again thank you for your kind wishes. Mr Proudfoot thanked those present for the manner in which the toast had been acknowledged. He could make a railway, but not a speech ; but he could not allow this opportunity pass of saying how much he had been assisted in his labours by Mr Simpson, who was engineer of the line, and Mr • eorge Proudfoot. (Cheers.) Mr Oliver proposed " The Parliament of N>w Zealand." coupled with the name of the Speaker, Sir F. D. Bell. sir F. D. Bbll acknowledged the toast. (We should have be-n glad to have reported Sir F. D. Bell's speech, but the acoustic properties of the building ar? such that we heard it so imperfectly that any attempt at reporting' it would be injustice to the speaker.) The proceedings were brought to a close by the band playing the National Anthem.