GLASGOW RELIEF FUND.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1550, 6 February 1879, Page 2

GLASGOW RELIEF FUND.

The meeting convened by his Worship the Mayor, to consider what steps should be taken to raise subscriptions to the Glasgow Relief Fund, took place last evening, at the Music Hull. There wore twenty persons present when the proceedings opened, at nearly eight o’clock. His Worship the Mayor occupied the chair, and called upon the town clerk to read the advertisement convening the meeting. This having been done, His Worship read a letter from the Lord Provost of Glasgow, appealing for subscriptions. After receiving the letter ho had laid it before the City Council, who almost unanimously agreed with him that it was the proper thing to do to call a public meeting, which course had been adopted in Dunedin and other cities. It had been said that the failure was not a national one, but he differed from, this, as it had brought poverty to thousands of persons in Scotland. These "persons hud been living on the savings of hard work, and now they were plunged into poverty. It was perfectly understood that the subscriptions were not to be used in liquidation of the calls, but retained to be handed over to the shareholders after the affairs of the Bank had been settled. They had subscribed nobly to the Indian Relief fund, and surely they would now come forward and aid those'of their own kindred when the day of necessity had arrived. The meeting that evening was a small one, but he did not despair on that account. Ho would now Jcall upon Mr H, Selwyn Smith to move the first resolution.

Mr H. 8. Smith said he had come there as a listener, and was, therefore, not prepared to draw harrowing pictures of distress and poverty. Soever, ho felt sure that though the meeting that evening was a •mall one, the pfeople would not be backward in coming forward to contribute their share to the fund when the meeting was followed hy a vigorous canvass. It would not be right for him to criticise the conduct of those who were mainly responsible for the state of things which they so deplored. He did not asK for sympathy for those speculators who had gone into a joint stock concern with their eyes perfectly open, but for the widows, the orphans, and others of a dependent cltias whose whole resources were invested in the Bank. Let them bring the matter home to themselves, and consider what their feelings would be if they were suddenly, and without warning, deprived of the source of their income. They in the colonies were never to he deaf to the appeals of suffering humanity, let it come from where it might, and he had confidence in the residents of Christchurch and Canterbury that they would contribute liberally towards the movement which had been inaugurated under the auspices of the Mayor. The colonies had nobly responded to the appeals made to them on the occasion of the Crimean war, the Indian Mutiny, and the Indian Famine. Therefore he said that despite the paucity of attendance that night they might confidently look forward to a •cheerful and ready response to the appeal now made. The resolution he had to move was as follows —1. “That this meeting sympathises with the shareholders of the Q-lasgow Bank in consequence of the sad •calamity which has befallen them through the failure of that institution, and as many families are left without the means of subsistence, this meeting resolves that a fund •shall be raised to assist in the relief Cf those who may be left in destitute circumstances or in need of procuring help for their support." He might say that he desired to appeal on behalf of the widows, the orphans, and the helpless ; not for the business men who might recover from the blow so unexpectedly received by them. Lot them remember that it was far more blessed to give than to receive, and though they did not require large contributions they hoped to get small contributions from many which in the aggregate would enable a handsome sum towards the object to be forwarded. The subscriptions iu the city where the calamity arose were large, and they were only asked here to give according to their means.

The Rev. 0. Fraser seconded the motion. He did not think so much b{ the paucity of attendance as what they wanted was deeds, not words, and no doubt the deeds would follow. It must be recollected that this money was not required to be used until the shareholders had been released from their liabilities—until, in fact, they had suffered to the last—when this fund ■would be brought in. The demand on the shareholders was about £SOO £>er share, which meant ruin to the great body of the shareholders. The young people v;ho had as it were been brought up in thelejp of luxury had faced the ruin bravely, and hod gone out into the world and had taken various situations. They were not appealing to this or any other meeting for help and aid ; but what was wanted was help for the aged and widows who were now driven out of their homes, and for whose support this fund was required. The city of Glasgow had nobly come forward and had subscribed some £190,000. [Hear, hear ] Now, in Christchurch the people had always shown the .greatest amount of sympathy when any case was put before them deserving their support. It had been said that there was distress in England amongst the working classes, but if ithis was so why should it be an argument against their subscribing towards the fund for the relief of the distress in Glasgow. He hoped that the time would never come when they in the color y shirked their responsibilities and connection with the Empire. It was all very well for the newspapers to say that they were glad to take part in Imperial conquests here or there, but when it came to subscribing they did not seem to think they were called upon to do so. The people of Christchurch were well known for their liberality, and he hoped that they would come forward and subscribe liberally. [Cheers ]

His Worship read letters from the Primate, and the Revs, Elmslie and Glasson, the latter of whom suggested that the action of the meeting should take a wider scope and endeavor to get subscriptions for the distress existing iu the north of England ; the Rev. Father Ginerty, Revs. Flavell, Watson, and Mr Hargreaves, Ho might say he had received a subscription from his Honor Mr Justice Johnston, who fully sympathised with the movement.

The motion was then put and carried unanimously. Dr. Turnbull proposed the second resolution, as follows : —“ That a general committee, with power to add to their number, for the purpose of collecting subscriptions, and to carry out the objects of this meeting, be appointed.” He did not intend to detain the meeting at all, but simply to move the resolution committed to him. He felt sure that when the committee went resolutely to work with that wonderfully clever organiser, Mr John Ollhier, at the bead of affairs, they would find a wide-spread feeling of sympathy with the movement existing amongst the people. Or Cass seconded the motion. He regarded the Glasgow Bank failure as a national calamity, and for this reason he to a great extent sympathised with the movement While he said this, he could not conceal from himself the feeling that they would ere long have to render aid to a number of persons, owing to calamities such as the one now before them.

The Mayor suggested that Cr Cass should name the committee at once, and they could be embodied in the resolution. Dr Turnbull would move the following gentlemen as the committee : —Revs H. C. M. Watson, H. Glasson, and Charles Fraser, Father Ginerty, Dr. Turnbull, his Worship the Mayor, Messrs A. Duncan, John Anderson, J. A, Bird, John Ollivier, B. Cass, H. S. Smith, and D. W. Pratt, with power to add to their number. The resolution with the names inserted was carried unanimously.

Mr Ollivier then moved the following resolution: officebearers of the various churches be asked to give a surplus offering on Sunday, 15th February, for the purposes of this fund.” He was not sanguine of the success of this movement, as he had found that very generally cold water had been thrown on it. It was absolutely necessary in collecting for an object like this that heart and spirit should go with it, or success was not likely to be attained. As regarded the resolution he had moved, he might say that he thought the word “surplus” should be loft out, and the word “special” inserted, so as to make the offertories for this object special. (Hear, hear.) Mr Smith had told them plainly the extent of the suffering which existed, and no doubt there was a great deal of misery. But while this was so, they must not forget that there was looming in the distance much distress amongst the working classes in the old country to which the colonial dependencies would have to send aid. Ho trusted that this movement would be a successful one, but he might just point out that when the disaster occurred at Waimate, close to their very doors, the amount he had received on behalf of the fund for their suffering fellow colonists at Waimate was £1 7s, and that from a section of the church fifty miles from Christchurch. He hoped that the result of this appeal would be a greater sxxccess than this.

Mr Andrew Duncan seconded the motion. It was, he contended, a national calamity, and that it was their duty to give liberally, as it would cement that bond of union which should exist between New Zealand and the old country It would do them good commercially, and more from the feeling that they had done their duty, [Applause.] In reply to Mr Ollivier, Mr Duncan said that what the word “ surplus ” meant was this, that the amount ordinarily given at the weekly offertories should be taken out of the sum colloo'od, and anv remaining over sent to the committee. Mr H. S. Smith would desire to move an amendment as follows—“ That the word ‘ surplus ’ be left out and the word ‘ special ’

substituted." He thought it was very wrung for them first, to use a vulgar term, “ take their whack ” out. of the collect! ms, and then sending the rest on. Mr J. A. Bird seconded the amendment. Rev. Mr Fnteer said that he desired to explain that it was a rule of the churches that the ordinary weekly collection for the church could not bo set aside except by resolution of the church officers. Besides there might be persons who objected to the object, and they would either have to stop away from church or not contribute anything. Mr Ollivier said that the largest part of the subscriptions to the Indian Relief Fund came from the churches. If, therefore, the rules were relaxed then why not now ? After some discussion, it was resolved that the words “ special ” and “ surplus ” should both be omitted, and the resolution as amended was then agreed to. Mr Pratt moved the next resolution, as follows That the Mayor of Christchurch be requested to communicate with the Mayors of Lyttelton, Timaru, Kaiapoi, Akaroa, Sydenham, Rangiora, and Ashburton, together with the chairmen of the several counties in the Canterbury provincial district, soliciting their co-operation in the collection of subscriptions to the general fund.”

Mr John Anderson seconded the motion, which was agreed to, with the amendment suggested by Hr. Turnbull, including “chairmen of Road Boards " instead of “ chairmen of Counties." Mr H. S. Smith moved-“ That Mr John Anderson and Mr A. Duncan bo requested to act os treasurer and secretary respectively.” Mr W. Pratt seconded the motion, which was agreed to. A vote of thanks to the Mayor concluded the proceedings.