Page:Physical Description of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land.djvu/32

 the court-yard of the chamber, and his Excellency was received with presented arms, the band playing ' God save the Queen.' “ The Governor was received at the door of the council chamber by the Speaker, who conducted him to the vice-regal chair prepared for him on the left of the Speaker's chair. At this moment the appearance of the house was extremely striking; the elegant costumes of the ladies, and the brilliant uniforms of the official and military members, and of the numerous staff, which occupied places below the vice-regal chair, completing the mise en scene, which was in every respect worthy of the occasion. The mayor, aldermen, and common council of the city were accommodated with seats within the bar. The strangers' gallery was crowded to excess, as was also the reporters' gallery—of which, however, we should be ungrateful to complain, inasmuch as every desire has been evinced by Mr. Lewis and the other authorities to meet 'the views and adopt the suggestions of the respective journals. Reverting to the brilliant appearance of the chamber, we must not omit to notice the prompt adoption of our hint by Mr. W. C. Wentworth, who, on this occasion, appeared in the usual costume of the time—a mark of good sense that we gladly recognise. “ His Excellency having taken his seat, delivered the following address:— “ Gentlemen of the Legislative Council. “ The time has at length arrived which has, for many years, been anxiously looked forward to by us all; and I have this day the pleasure to meet, for the first time, the Legislative Council of New South Wales, enlarged as it has been under the statute recently passed by the Imperial Parliament for the government of the colony. I congratulate you very sincerely on the introduction of popular