May Science still increase her store,
And Truth be reverenced more and more,
And Tolerance and Justice reign.
Father of all, our effort bless!
Without thy aid we are as nought,
We are but children to be taught
Thy way that leads to perfectness.
One graceful ceremony remained, and that typical of beauty, life, and growth—the planting of a tree to be known as "The University Tree," its destiny to grow with the University, and afford grateful shade to those brought within its wholesome influence. The pleasant duty of planting devolved upon Lady MacGregor, and it was carried out by means of a silver trowel presented to her by the Premier. The business of the afternoon had now concluded; the first step toward the establishment of the University had been taken: its future home had been dedicated.
THE DEDICATION SPEECHES.
The PREMIER (Hon. W. Kidston), in rising to ask His Excellency to dedicate Government House to the purposes of the University, said: Your Excellency and Ladies and Gentlemen,—To-day Queensland completes her first half-century as a self-governing community; and we are met to honour the occasion—to erect a white stone, as it were, to mark this point in our national progress. Fifty years ago a handful of settlers, not quite 24,000 in number, claimed and obtained the right to manage their own affairs; and the British Government, in granting that right, virtually handed over to those few pioneers the ownership of this vast territory now called Queensland—a territory exceeding in area the combined areas of England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Portugal, Spain, and Italy. If we consider how few they were and the way in which they undertook the work of opening up and civilising this vast territory, we must recognise that our first pioneers were men of enterprise, of self-reliance, and of high courage. (Hear, hear.) Although our population has increased twenty-four times since then, we are still but a handful in this vast land.