VOLUNTEER INTELLIGENCE.

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 366, 13 March 1871, Page 2

VOLUNTEER INTELLIGENCE.

These was yesterday morning a church parada of the Auckland and Southern Volunteers, when they attended St. Paul's Church at half- j past nine o'clock, and listened to a very eloquent sermon, delivered by the Bishop of Auckland. The Rifles and the Southern competitors, together with the Cavalry, mustered at the Drill-shed before nine o'clock ; the Artillery and Navals mustered at Fort Britomart. There was an excellent attendance of members —fully 300 men of the different forces being present, exclusive of the three bands and our visitors from the South. Colenel Harrington was in command, and Mnjora (Gordon and Tisdall and the whole of the officers of the forces were present. The men marched to church, headed by their bands, at half-past nine o'clock, when the service at once commenced. The prayers were read by the Key. C. M. Nelson, chaplain to the Bishop, and after singing the 100 th Psalm, His Lordship addressed the Volunteers present, taking for his text the character of Pontius Pilate, as depicted in the second lesson for the morning service. He showed that the fearful sin ! of Pilate arose solely from lack of moral courage, and enlarged upon the necessity of this virtue, without which no man could be a true Christian. The Bishop touched upon several matters which he considered hinged upon the exercise of moral courage, and urged upon his hearers the importance of earning and sustaining for themselves as a body a high moral character. He condemned the practice of " shouting," and the too prevalent custom of an expenditure beyond a man's means. Throughout the whole of big interesting addre»s he was listened to attentively, and the service was concluded soon after half-past ten o'clock. The men were then reformed in companies, and marched by fours along Symonds-street, through the barracks, and thence to their parade ground, the bands playing selections of martial music on the route, after which they were dismissed. A large number of persons were attracted to the vicinity of the church, and followed the Volunteers on the short march afterwards. A meeting of the Ball Committee was held on Saturday evening, at the Northern Club, when several names were added to the committee, and additional arrangements made in view of the forthcoming ball. A meeting of the ball committee will be held in the strangers'room «f the Northern Club afc half-past seven o'clock this evening.