THE GOVERNOR AT CHRISTCHURCH.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 29, 19 November 1897, Page 19

THE GOVERNOR AT CHRISTCHURCH.

(From our own correspondent.) LONG before 2.30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon last in the vicinity of the Christchurch railway station there was gathered a large number of people all anxious to catch a sight of the " New Governor," his Excellency the Earl of Ranfurly. To prevent any undue crushing on the station the gates were kept closed until just before the arrival of the train, and then a body of police, under Inspector Broham and Sergeant- major Ramsay, had not much difficulty in keeping the people baok. A carpet was laid at the western entrance from the edge of the railway platform to the footpath where the carriages were waiting for the Vice-regal party. Punctually to the time the train arrived, and the Governor and his party were seen in the first carriage. His Excellency, who wore the insignia of a Knight Commander of St. Michael and St. George, of a Knight Justice of St. John of Jerusalem, and the medal granted by her Majesty to the members of her household in commemoration of the Diamond Jubilee, was accompanied by the Countess of llanfurly, Captain Alexander, West Yorkshire Regiment, Prince of Wales' Own (did Nth), private secretary ; Captain Ward, Itoy.il Ilor^-e Artillery. A D.C. ; the Hon. C. Hill Trevor, assistant private secretary ; the II >n. VV. Hall-Jones and Colonel Pole-Penton. A triumphal arch \v,is erected across Manchester street at its junction with the South Kelt. It bore on this, its second public appearance, the Earl ot Ranfurly's arms. All along the route the streets presented a guy appearance. They were thronged with peopLe, the windows and balconies weiv crowded, there was a good display of bunting, and colours were Hying from nearly every flagstaff in the city The escort to his Excellency's carriage was furnished by the Canterbury Mounted Rifles (.'il strong). In the second carriage were Lady Kanturly, the Mayoress, the Hon. C. E. Trevor and Colonel Pole-Pen* on. The members ot the friendly societies lagged somewhat behind the carnages, and the '"interval" thus formed was rather a wide one. It was the occasion of a contretemps at once amusing and annoying. A sweep, in his cart, managed to '• fall in " behind the rearmobc carriage as the eortet/c was Hearing its destination and actually succeeded m following the train of vehicles to Cathedral square. The public began to assemble at the latter place fully an hour before the time at which his Excellency was expected to be there, ;ind when that time approached the crowd which was gathered might have^ been numbered by thousands. A dais on which the reception ceremonial was to take place, was erected over the frontof theGodley statueenclosure. Behind it was suspended a line of flags, and in front the firebrigade arch rose to a height of -i.">ft. It was composed of the fire-escape and the telescope ladder and was prettily bedecked with flowers and flags, and surmounted by the figure of Britannia. The college rifles, f)0 strong, furnished a smart guard, who took post on either side of the dais. About half-past two o'clock the cathedral bells began a peal of welcome, and exactly at a quarter to three his Excellency's carriage, with its escort and procession, drove into the square amid the cheers of the crowd. V\ hen the vice-regal party Xhad descended from the carriages and walked on to the d.iis, several •addresses of welcome were read to his Excellency, and when he had replied to them, he and his party re-entered their carriages and were driven to Elmwood, where they will reside during their stay in Christchurch.