platform above there were seats for spectators, who assembled early in large numbers. Over the wooden framework of the bridge streamers of flags were hung. The display of bunting was profuse, and gave a festive appearance to what was otherwise a somewhat sombre scene. A band, kindly lent for the occasion by Mr. R. K. Montgomerie, of the New Brewery, West Melbourne, was present, and relieved the tedium of waiting by selections of music.
"Punctually at 12 o'clock the Mayoress of Melbourne (Mrs. J. C. Stewart) arrived, and was greeted with cheers by those inside and outside of the enclosure. The Mayoress was accompanied by the Mayor and the Town Clerk (Mr. Fitzgibbon), and was received at the entrance by the contractor (Mr. D. Munro). Amongst the gentlemen present were the Chief Secretary (Mr. Deakin), the Commissioner of Customs (Mr. Walker), the Commissioner of Public Works (Mr. Nimmo), the Minister of Education (Mr. Pearson), the Postmaster-General (Mr. Derham), the Minister of Defence (Mr. Lorimer), the President of the Legislative Council (Sir Jas. MacBain), Colonel Sargood, Mr. F. Ormond, Mr. C. J. Ham, Mr. Simon Fraser, M.L.C.'s, Mr. T. Bent, Mr. J. B. Patterson, Mr. G. D. Carter, Mr. E. L. Zox, and Mr. J. W . Peirce, M.L.A.'s, Mr. W. H. Steele (Inspector-General of Public Works), Mr. C. Le Cren (Secretary of Public Works), Representatives of the contributing Municipalities, and Messrs. Green, Dobbie, and Gall (members of the Adelaide Chamber of Manufactures).
"Everything being in readiness for the ceremony, Mr. D. Munro called upon the Chief Secretary to address the assembly.
"Mr. Deakin said,—'Mr. Mayor, Ladies, and Gentlemen,—It is rather more than 40 years since the foundation-stone of the first Prince's Bridge was laid on the other side of the Yarra, and he would have been a bold man, I fancy, who on that day would have ventured to predict that even within a century that handsome and substantial structure would be removed in order to make way for a still finer and more imposing bridge. Under no ordinary circumstances could such a change in so short a time have been well imagined; but the circumstances of Victoria have not been ordinary. They have been entirely unprecedented, and in a space of less than half a century the Government and the City Council of Melbourne and the Councils of its now existing suburbs are called upon to face quite a new order of things. Forty years ago Melbourne had 12,000 inhabitants, and the colony as a whole had only a population of 33,000. To-day Melbourne has 365,000 inhabitants, and the colony has a population of more than 1,000,000 within its borders. (Cheers). Such a change in so short a space of time, I suppose, has not been witnessed in any other part of the world. Then there was great rejoicing at the commencement of the construction of a bridge which cost £20,000, and which took four years to complete. To-day we celebrate the laying of the foundation-stone of a bridge which is to cost £150,000, and which, we expect, will be completed in less than two years. Judging by the progress which the contractor has made, I think we are well justified in that expectation. At the same time, we cannot afford to despise the day of small things. On the contrary, one of the chief obstacles to the construction of a bridge sufficiently magnificent to meet the demands of modern Melbourne was the fact that the existing structure was a beautiful, and in its way, a splendid structure. There was the greatest regret at even the idea of cancelling such an old land-mark—one which had so many associations clustered around it, and which had so well fulfilled its purpose. It was not until we were able to connect this question of the Prince's Bridge with the larger question of the river improvement, and permanent protection from floods, that we saw any means whatever of enabling a new bridge to be built. Consequently, we resorted to that device.
'"When I had the honour, in 1883, to be Minister of Public Works, I introduced a Bill into the Legislative Assembly to authorize the construction of a temporary bridge in place of the old bridge, because it was felt that as long as the old bridge stood before the eyes and in the hearts of the people of Melbourne there would be no chance of getting a new bridge. We obtained the necessary permission to have the old bridge removed, and the Public Works department determined then to put up such a structure as would not satisfy the people for any long period of time. That innocent piece of strategy has justified itself, and that structure is now to be superseded by one worthy of our metropolis. The cost and the importance of this work have been greatly increased by the fact that it is part of our great scheme of river improvements. There are many here who can
