The Funeral of the Late Hon. John Ballance

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 134, 2 May 1893, Page 3

The Funeral of the Late Hon. John Ballance

The special trains from North and South to Wanganui on Sunday, were crowded with passengers who were desirous of paying a last tribute of respect to the deceased statest_>i*n. All classes and alt shades of political opinion were represented and the enormous assemblage of persons who took part in the procession at Wanganui, afforded an irrefrngible evidence of the esteem in which tbe late Premier was held, both as a statesman and a good citizen. Feilding was represented by the Masonic Lodge, of which Bro. H. L. Sherwill is tne Worshipful Master, and the local yolun« teers by Lieutenants Kirton, and Bray. A considerable number of private friends from ihe town and district went by the same train. Wklukgton, April 30. Never in the history of Wellington was there such an assemblage as met this morning to pay the last tribute of respect to the memory of the late Premier. Shortly after daybreak spectators assembled in front of the Ministerial residence in Tinakori road, in which Mr Ballance died, and at about 6.30 a.m- the volunteers began to muster in force, followed shortly afterwards by the friends of deceased. A detachment of the Permanent Artillery, who were to form the firing party, were the first to invest the grounds, and were drawn up in line in front of the main entrance. The , friends oi Mr Ballance who arrived early i had an opportunity of viewing the body, but shortly before 7 o'clock the coffin was screwed down and preparations made for tbe funeral. Innumerable wreaths were delivered at the residence, sent from all parts of the colony. The volunteers and the Katoomba men, the latter wearing crape bands, headed the cortege. After them came the firing party. The procession comprised all the leading citizens ia Wellington, besides numerous friends of the deceased, who had arrived from all parts of the eclonv, including the Speaker of the House of Representatives and several southern members. The streets were thronged throughout tbe line of procession, and at the railway station au immense crowd had gathered. It was quite 8 a.m. before the station was reached, but little time was lost in placing the coffin on board, and at 8.15 the tram conveying abont 500, invited by the Ministers, left for Wanganui. Waxgasvi. April 80. Long before the hour (2.30) appointed for tbe commencement of the ceremony the people began to pour into town from suburbs, from distant towns and villages, and by special train* trom all parls of tbe island, until, as time closed on to halfpast two, the streets were thronged. Ou the arrival of the Wellington train our local forces were reinforced by a detachment of about fifty men of the Permanent Artillery under Major Messenger. This officer then assumed command of the escort, and the following officers of the Forces joined the procession : — Colonel Fox, Commandant of the N.Z. Forces ; Lieutenant-Colonel Newall, Officer in Command Wellington and West Coast ; Majors Shannon, Quick, and Sommerville, Active Unattached List ; Captain S. C. Anderson, Government Defence Storekeeper ; Captain Skerman and Lieutenants Sutchflf and Mar, Marton Boyals; Lieutenants Kirton and Bray, Manchester Rifles; Captain Hall, Palmerston Rifles; Captain Dunk and Lieutenant James, Manawatu Mounted Rifles ; Lieutenants Thurston and Taylor, Wairoa Light Horse ; Captain Johnston, Hawera Mounted Rifles; and many oncers of the Wellington Garrison. The crowd at this juncture was enormous, but tbe platform was kept clear by tbe members of the police force- uuder Inspector Thomson, who had the assistance of 11 extra constables from up and down the coast, as well as the whole of the members of the local, force, the only persons beiug allowed within the precincts of the station being members of both Houses, chief mourners, aud representatives of the press. When the tram drew up the carriage containing the coffin was brought to a stand opposite the mam entrance from the Quay to the railway good.' shed, where, after large numbers of wreaths from distant parts had been added to those already gathered, the coffin was taken by six members of the gun squad, under C.P.O. Dustm. and placed on the awaiting gun carriage. Then, to the solemn strains of the Garrison Band, the great pageant moved off along Taupo Quay, the arranged rout, as previously notified, being from the Railway Station to the Avenue, thence up to Guy ton street and along to the Cemetery. The Garrison Band led off with the magnificent strains of the American dead march, "Rock," which was followed in turn by tbe Town Band playing Beethoven's beautiful composition, and then by the Otaki Native Band with the grand and solemn " Dead March in Saul," the other two bands taking up the same strains in succession, and no fault was perceptible in the efforts of any of them. After tbe musical bodies, and following Bro Law, came the Masonic Lodges, wbo had previously assembled in the local lodge room to the number of about 300 members. Amongst the masons from Feilding were:— H. L, Sherwill, W.M. 41. N!Z.C. ; H. Worsfold, S.W. 41, N.Z.0.; U. Bray, junr., J.W. 41, N.Z.C. ; Bros J. C. Morey, J. H. Stevens J. Pringle, J. Neilson, G. Simpson, F. Y. Lethbridge, 0. Carr, S. Strachan, Edmd Goodbehere, W. G. Haybittle, P.M. ; G>- Kirton, P.M. ; C. Bray, eenr,, P.M. ; Walter Bailey, P.M. ; Dr Sorlev, R. F. Haybittle, A. B. Curtis, 463, B.C. The Gun Carnage came next, and was under the charge of Chief Petty Officer Dnstin, of the Navale, who had with him Qunners 3£ite, Paul, Healey, Keen, Bell, AP»I e y» Townsend and Oorton, the pall bearers by their side being, on tbe right the Hon B. J. Seddon, the Hon J. G. Ward, and on the left the Hon W. P. Beeves, the Hon J. McKenzie and the Hon J. Carrol. The wreaths, which were act on a Fire Brigade ladder carriage, were both numerous and handsome. After the gun-carriage and wreaths followed Bro. Perry, of the St. Andrew Kilwinning Lodge, wbo preceded the chief mourners, at whose head came the private carriage in which were Mrs Ballance, Mrs Foreman, Lady Buckley, Mrs W. P. Beeves, and Miss Griffiths. Immediately behind came Sir Robert Stout, Sir Patrick Buckley, Messrs S. Foreman, Willis, Notman, H. S. Taylor, T. R. Taylor, Anderson, C. and A. Mittward, Oliver, and others, These were followed by the Governor's representatives, Captains Hunter-Blair, and Clayton, and they, in turn, by tbe Foreign consuls, Mr F. A. Krull, German ; Mr F. H. J. R. Tilley, representing Mr C. J. Johnston, Belgian consul. Behind these gentlemen marched the members of the Legislative Council, Hons. S. E. Sbrimski, W. Jennings, W. McCullocb, E. Richardson, Jenkinson, J. Rigg, W. Walker, Kelly, and in their immediate rear came the undermentioned members of the House o/ Representatives—The foea^er, l^on, W, J. Steward), and Messrs T. Thompson, W. L. Bees, Auckland ; E. M. Smith, Taranaki ; W. C. Smith, Waipawa; J. G. Wilson, Palmerston, North; W. L. Buick, Wairau ; W. C. Richardson, Wairarapa ; G. Hutchison, Waitotara; B. Moore, Kaiapoi; John Joyce, Akaroa; Wi Parata, Southern Maori ; Hoana Taipua, Otaki ; W. HallJones, Timaru ; Felix McGnire, Hawera ; George Fisher, Wellington ; C. H. Mills, Waimea- Picton ; W. Earnshaw and W. j Dawson, Dunedin ; Sandford, Christchurch ;W. W. Tanner, Heathcote ; Hon. J. R. Richardson, Mataura. The general public, wbo brought up the extreme rear— on foot, on horse, in carriage or in fcgp-rwai made up from, the whole town

and country side, and included ns well many visitors who came to pay their respects in a private capacity. The principal mourners amongst the visitors, not including the members of the Legislature and others mentioned elsewhere, were Judges Denniston and W T ard, District Judge Kettle, Native Judge Ward, and Mr W. H. Brabant, R.M. The outside press were Messrs J. Wilkinson (Marlborough Express), W. A. Ellis (Mercury), A. Wilson (New Zealand ' Times), Hornsby and Calthorp (Napier Evening News), E. T. Gillon (editor of I the Post), Loughnan (editor of the New Zealand Times), N. Andrew (o? the Advocate), Kirton and Curlis (of the Feildinß Star;, nnd VVickhum (Auckland Weekly News). The ceremony at the grave side was one ot the most im pressive of its kind. A space had been reserved immediately round the crave for ths chief mou-ners, the offio.'iiing brethren, and the press. Mrs Ballance walked to the Rnive side on the arm of Sir Robert Stout, and wns followed hy Mrs Foreman and Miss Griffiths, Lady Buckley and Mrs W. P. Kecvos. The coffin containing the decea«cd wns then brought up to the grave, and tho body was lowered into its last resting-place by tho Masonic brethren in charge. The mom body of Masons ranged themselves round the square, and the service was commencod by the Rev. A. O. Williams, P.CB. of the ,'fongariro Lodge. It was opened by the singing of a Masonic ode. The service was then continued by Bro. Williams, Masonic Chaplain, nnd after tbe apron, the sign of purity, had been cast into the grave in accordance with the usual custom, a scco__ ode w_s sung. The Masons present then, with the proper signs, repeated after Bro. John Stevenson the lines— " We cherish his memory here ; " We commend his spirit to the God who gave it ; "We commend his body to the grave." Bro. Eecsing then said " Merciful and Almighty God, miy the virtue of our dear departe I brother be cycr green in your memory as it will bo in ours." The Masons then approached the grave and each cast in a green ncacin twig. Mro John Stevenson then pronounced the Benediction ofandine at the head of the grave. He said, " Friend of our hearts, mayest thou rest in peace. ' Raised 'by onr Grand Master's word. Mny est thou share in the blessings of immortal life and unfaded glory. So mote it be" The firing party then fired three volleys, nnd the funeral obsequies were ended. The attendance on tbo way to the cemetery was enormous, and including tbose in the procession, as well as those collected in the cemetery, the number must have reached nearly 10,000 For continuation Ot Reading Matter see fourth pane.)