THE BISHOP OF NELSON AT MOTUEKA. ( Communicated).

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 300, 20 December 1871, Page 2

THE BISHOP OF NELSON AT MOTUEKA. ( Communica ted ) .

The Bishop, accompanied by Mrs. Suter and two of the students at Bishopdale, recently visited Motueka, aod on the 9th instant his Lordship held a meeting in the Church Schoolroom of communicants and candidates for confirmation. On /the following morning, the Bishop, assisted by one of the students, held an early service for the Maoris in their own schoolhouse, when the attendance was good, and the sermon was attentively listened to by both old aod young. There was a great want of life and unison in the responding, a failiDg not generally observable among the Maoris, who, as a rule, usually afford a good example to English congregations in this respect. The morning service at St. Thomas', was held at 1 1 o'clock, when six candidates presented themselves for confirmation. The church was well filled*rarid the service was conducted by the Bishop and the Kev. S. Poole. Before commencing *- the confirmation service, .ihe former delivered an address to the candidates from Psalm)XXy_l, viii, «' Seek ye my* face; my heart; said uDto thee, Thy ,',-qiX' "■ -J* 1 ' 1 i ■ ' ' '.. 'S ■ V" ' '

face, Lord, wilf I seek." At the conclusion of the service another address-was delivered fo the congregation, ofter which the Holy Communion was nd ministered to a large number of communicants. In the afternoon, aservicewas held &tPaDgl'totara, and again in the evening at St. Thomas'. On Monday evening, the Bishop delivered in the Motueka Institute, which was kindly placed at his disposal by the Committee, a lecture, illustrated by dissolving views of the scenes of St. Paul's travels and labors, at the conclusion of which Major Horneman proposed a vote of thanks to the lecturer for the pleasant evening's entertainment he had afforded his audience. On the following day, the Bishop visited Pangatotara School, and assisted in addressing the children, and distributing the prizes, and on Wednesday performed the same offices at the Government schools at Motueka under Mr. Bisley, and Mr. and Miss Guy. His address contained cheering words to the successful candidates, and suggestions as to the desirableness of the children ia all the Government Schools b.einjr taught to sing, with a view to encouraging 'greater distinctness in the utterance of tbeir words in reading, as also to making school attendance altogether more pleasant. On Thursday, the Bishop and party visited the Orphanage, when they were greatly pleased with the orderly and cheerful character of the establishment. In the evening the prizes were distributed at the Sunday School in the Parish schoolroom, when 'Mr. Frederick Greenwood, the superintendent, said a few words respecting the behaviour of the children, the progress they had made, and the advantages, so far as his own experience enabled him to judge, derived from Sunday school teaching at Motueka. After addressing some few kind words of encouragement to both teoctfersand scholars, he was followed by Mr. Poole, who gave a short account of his examination of the children, which comprised principally Scripture History, and the Church Catechism. The prizes were ihen distributed by the Bishop, who, after Mr. Wallace, the superintendent of the Orphanage, had given a short address on the work A of Sunday schools, spoke of the great necessity that existed for more teachers in the schools, particularly gentlemen helpers. He impressed upon the children the desirability of learning hymns, and, the pleasure to be derived in after life from a memory well stored with them, He also comment.ed upon the singing, and counselled both teachers and scholars to pay greater attention to this branch of instruction. A short prayer was then offered up, and after the doxology had been sung hy the children the meeting dispersed. RThe Sunday school treat, which was to iave been held on the 12th, was unavoidably postponed until Wednesday, the 28th inst. On Friday, the 15th, the Bishop returned to Nelson in order to be present at the distribution of prizes at the Bishop's School on Saturday last.