On the 26th His Excellency proceeded by the " Aphrasia" steamer to Geelong, where he was received with enthusiasm, and presented with an Address, to which he replied extempore, not having been previously apprised of the intended compliment. T h e 27th was passed by Sir George in an inspection of the town and neighbourhood, and in seeking information upon matters of importance.
The Ball.
On the evening of the 27th, His Excellency was entertained in the manner thus described in a newspaper of the period :— " T h e subscribers to the 'Private Assemblies' gave a Ball and Supper at the Exchange Rooms in Collins Street, in honour of the Governor, at which his Excellency appeared, and in high spirits. T h e apartments were tastefully decorated with festoons, and the walls beautifully papered for the occasion. Upwards of one hundred and fifty of the elite of rank and fashion of the town and surrounding districts were present, Mrs. Latrobe uniting with the 'fair' party in adding additional fascinations to the attractive scene. Dancing was continued to twelve o'clock, when supper was announced. T h e company then partook of a sumptuous repast prepared in M r . Davis' best style. T h e following toasts, amongst others, were appropriately introduced : — T h e Queen, Sir George Gipps, Lady Gipps, M r . Latrobe, Mrs. Latrobe, etc. His Excellency was particularly happy in responding. H e was sorry that her Ladyship had not accompanied him, as she had, up to the last moment of his departure intended to do, as she must have felt gratified by the w a r m and handsome manner in which he had been received." T h e 28th was quite a busy day with His Excellency. H e received a memorial from the Exchange Committee (Chamber of Commerce), bringing under his notice the requirements of the port, the state of the wharf, pilotage and harbour dues, and other matters connected with trade and commerce, to which representations His Excellency promised a careful consideration. T h e editors of three Melbourne journals urged by the all-powerful impulse of self-interest, agreed to an armistice, and buried the hatchet of personal vituperation for a brief season. T h e triad resolved themselves into a deputation, and interviewed the Governor for the purpose of obtaining a relaxation of some of the most stringent provisions of the " Newspapers Acts," which were passed during the reign of Governor Darling, for the penal colony of N e w South Wales. They constituted a penal code of m u c h vigour, and did no credit to the Legislative wisdom by which they were generated. T h e Governor received the " Fourth Estate" with affability and good humour, remarking that " h e did not see that they had m u c h cause of complaint, for if there be a place where the newspapers did exactly as they liked, that place was Melbourne." H e expressed an opinion that the Colonial Press should be placed on the same footing as obtained in England, and he should be prepared to give favourable consideration to any proposition to such effect. T h e same evening he was feted at a public dinner in his honour, but as no complimentary tickets were issued to the Press, the proceedings were not reported, and only very short, and not very complimentary, paragraphs appeared on the subject. It was afterwards considered that it would never do to allow such an interesting event to pass by altogether so " unhonoured and unsung," and, accordingly, in the course of the week, what purported to be a detailed report of the sayings and doings appeared in " Extraordinaries" simultaneously issued from the three offices. As the speeches were cooked up for this occasion, it might be termed a typographical picnic, for each person contributed his o w n share or " w h a c k " to the literary entertainment; but the "baked meats" were cold, and the relish had worn off by the time the feast was served. There was an imposing array oftoasts,forin addition to the formal ones, the following were disposed of by the gentlemen named after each:—
"The Civil and Religious Institutions of the Colony," Mr. A.F. Molison; "The Bench and the Bar of the Colony," Mr. C. H. Ebden; "The Golden Fleece of Australia," Mr. P. W . Welsh; "The Agricultural Interests of the Colony," Mr. A. Cunninghame; "The Mercantile Interests of the Colony," Mr S. Raymond; "Immigration," Mr. R. Barry; "Lady Gipps," Mr. C. H. Ebden; "Mrs. Latrobe and the Ladies of Australia Felix," Mr. Manning; "The Hero of the Age, the Duke of Wellington," Hon. E. Murray; "Prosperity to Australia Felix," Sir George Gipps.
