Arrival of His Excellency Captain Grey.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2935, 27 June 1888, Page 2

Arrival of His Excellency Captain Grey.

We reprint from the New Zealand Spectator, of Saturday, February 14, 184G, the report of the reception of Sir George Grey on his first arrival in this colony. The paper from which we make tho Extract is the property of Mrs Arnott, and was in the recent exhibition. It is in a good state of preservation and the ink is unfadcd, It bears favorable comparison with the material used for newspapers at the present time. "On Thursday, H.M. frigate the Castor, Captain Graham, C.B. arrived in this harbor, having oil board His

Excellency Captain Grey, our new Governor, and Mrs Grey. His Excellency landed shortly afterwards in a private manner, and proceeded on horseback to the district of the Jfutfc, in company with Major Richmond* and returned to Wellington the same evening. This Governor's First Levee.

Yesterday it was generally understood that His Excellency would hold his first levee at Barratt's Hotel, at eleven o'clock, Accordingly near the appointed time a great number of the settlers assembled on the beach in. front of the Hotel to give His Excellency a cordial welcome. A guard of honor of the 90th regiment was stationed opposite the landing place, and Major Eiclimond, and other officers, were on the wharf in readiness to receive the Governor. Precisely at eleven o'clock, His Excellency embarked in the barge of the" Castor, accompanied by Captain Graham, under a salute from the Calliope (the Castor being prevented from saluting in consequence of the wounded on board). His Excellency lauded under a salute from the field pieces of the 96th regt,, and was enthusiastically received by the settlers, who formed a line on each side from the wharf to Barrett's hotel.. His Excellency seemed very much pleased with the reception, which he graciously acknowledged, and proceeded to the Hotel, where several of the settlers were presented to him by his private Secretary, Mr Symonds; the great majority, however, were not presented from their not being aware that the levee had commenced.

At twelve o'clock his Excellency received a number of tlio inhabitants at the residence of Major Richmond, when the following address, signed within twenty-four hours by 400 persons, was presented by Mr Clifford, the chairman of the meeting, in the name of the settlers of Wellington. To His Excellency George Grey Esq., Lieut-Governor and Ccmmander-in-Chief in and over her Majesty's Colony of New Zealand and its dupen-1 dencies, and Vice-Admiral of the same &g.

We the undersigned inhabitants of, Wellington beg to offer our sincere congratulations to your Excellency on your ' appointment to the government of Jliigi colony. '9; Although we should bo (as we have ever been) at all times ready to testify our devoted loyalty to our most gracious Sovereign, by giving a cordial welcome toiler representative on his'first'Visit to this settlement, yet we hesitate not to avow, that there are circumstances, which induce us to hail your Excellency's arrival not only with feelings of deep interest, but with the most heartfelt satisfaction.

Looking not merely to the recently ex- , pressed intentions of Her Majesty's Ministers in reference to the future government of this colony, but to the well-known views of your Excellency upon the treatment of aboriginal races, to the signal Buccess which attended your administration of the government of South Australia and above all to the glorious commencement of your Excellency's caieer in these islands, we feel satisfied that, after having been from the day on which we first planted this settlement up to the present time, virtually without a Government, we have every reason tu boliove, not only an efficient government will at length be established, but also that that line of pulicy which is alone capable of extricating tiio colony from its present difficulties and of restoring it to a permanent state of peace, order, and prosperity wtil be adopted. j* lleyarding, then, as we do, the appfiitSp' nient of your Excellency as a certain indication of an entire chango in the system which has hitherto been pursued, and the results of which have been equally disastrous to the two races, wo cannot but express our fervent prayers that the same success which attended your Excellency in South Australia may still attend you in the execution of your far morn arduous and. difficult duties w liicli have now devolved upon you. We would only further beg to tender our best wishes for the health and liappi-. ness of yourself and Mrs Grey,

' To this address His Excellency returned the following reply, but before doing so, requested Mr Clifford to ex- • plain to tlie settlers that he would, gladly have received their congratulations in public, but this being his first visit, and there being no Government House, considerable confusion had occurred, and he haduot been made acquainted with the wish of the settlers that the address should be presented in their presence, or he' would 'inret gladly have complied with their #- quest;— .

Wellington, 14th February, 184 G. Gentleman,—l feel much gratified at the congratulations you have offered me upon my appointment to the Government of this colony, as well as at the c'ordial terms in which those congratulations are expressed. Her Majesty's Government, in the instructions which they have issued to me for the settlement of the various difficulties now existing in New Zealand, and in placing means at my disposal for the attainment of this object, have evinced the most earnest desire that the happiness and future prosperity of'all classes of Her Majesty's subjects in these islands J should, with the least possible delay, be "f placed upon a firm and lasting basislt shall bo my constant endeavor to give effect to these wise and benevolent intentions.

1 cannot refrain from availing myself of this opportunity' of stating the surprise and pleasure with which . I have witnessed the result of the exertions which the European inhabitants ofthis portion of New Zeaiand have made' to develop the resources of their 'adopted country and to found a colony in every way worthy of the pareut state. I shall esteem it at once my duty, and a most pleasiiw task, to foster and encourage, by every means in my power, exertions so laudable in themselves, and so highly advantageous to British commerce and industry. Upon behalf of Mrs Grey and mysolf I have to tliauk you for the kind wishes you have expressed for our health aud happiness. Wo both trust that you will feel assured that we shall do our utmost to promote tho happiness and comfort of the inhabitants of Wellington and its vicinity.

G. Grey, Lieutenant Governor, and Commander-in-Chief. To 0. Clifford, Esquire, and the Gentlemen signing the Address. After leaving the Governor, Mr Clifford proceeded to read his answer to the public in front of Barrett's hotel and it was received with the most enthusiastic cheers. After they had ill some measure subsided, one parting cheer for Captain Grey, another for Mrs Grey, and one cheev more for'tte Gracious Lady, of whose power (his Excellency is in this colony the Vicerepent were wen.