REPORT OF THE AUCKLAND LADIES’ BENEVOLENT SOCIETY, FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH, 1865.

New Zealander, Volume XXII, Issue 2391, 30 March 1865, Page 3

REPORT OF THE AUCKLAND LADIES’ BENEVOLENT SOCIETY, FOR THE YEAR ENDING MARCH, 1865.

It has been the custom of the Connnttee of the “Auckland La lies’ Benevolent Society,” in previous years to convene, as early in the month of March as was found practicable, a public meeting, at which their Annual Report of the operations of the] Society, Iwith an abstract of the Treasurer’s accounts, was submitted to the subscribers and friends of the institution. This year, however, on the arrival of the period at which it would be necessary to mue the arrangements for such a meeting various difficulties appeared in the way, of which a principal one was that the buildings in which the meetings had been held on former occasions were pre-engaged so as to preclude the possibility of any of them being secured for the purpose. A postponement of the presentation of the report and financial statement would have entailed the serious consequence of a corresponding postponement of their applications to the supporters of the Society for a renewal of their contributions to its funds; it be : ng their constant usage not to solicit renewed subscription, until an account of the manner in which those previously received were expended had been prepare! for the information of the donors. The grave inconvenience which would have resulted from delay will be evident from the fact that the balance in the Treasurer’s hands is quite inadequate to meet the unavoidable outlay of the current month (of March). Under these circumstances, the Committee appointed by the last public meeting have resolved to issue, at the usual time, their Report for the year now ending, with an accredited abstract of receipts and expenditure, and a detailed list of subscribers, and to go forward with their work of waiting upon the friends of the Society for their accustomed pecuniary aid. They are convinced that thus they will not only best perform their own duty but also act most in accordance with the views of the charitable supporters of the institution, whose desire they are assured would be that the practical operations of the

| Society should not be interrupted or suspend-el, while I the culls for their continuance an i extension are so i nnnorous and urgent. T'le lie,.oris which, fro n year to ya tr, the Coni' raittee of “ The Auckland Ltdies’ Benevolent Society” feel it tneir duty to lay before the supporters and frien Is of the institution, however they may he occasionally to some extent varied by reference to particular cases or circumstances during the ira mediately preceding twelve months, have necessarily very in i hj the character of sameness and repetition. It cannot be otherwise, seeing that the principles an 1 plans of the Society remain unchanged ; that the necess ty for its existence and the a laptation of its operations to the conditions of distress an 1 destitution which couinue to be found even in this generally prosperous comm mity, are exhibited (with comparatively rcre exceptions) not so raich in new or strange forms of poverty or suffering, as in the recurrence of such cases as those which, from its establishment, it has been the aim of the Society to relieve ; and that (as the Committee would add with th mkfulness to the Father of Mercies, who gives the ability to be practically charitable, and also dispuses the heart to charity) there has been a steady continuance of liberality on the part of the supporters of the Institution, by which means have been provided for helping miny of the sons and daughters of affliction in seasons of pain and suffering, when little, if any help was likely to reach them from oth r sources.

So far, therefore, as relates to those who have known and sustained the Society in past time, no fresh ex planation of its objects, organization, or working, can now be requisite in this Eighth Annual Report ; and if the Report were only for their information, a mere statement of the number of cases relieved, and an account of the income and expenditure during th - list year might be deemed amply sufficient But our population is receiving rapi I and large additions, from which, as, on the one hand, there will doubtless be new claimants on the funds, so, on the oilier, new contributors to these funis may reasonably be looked for, and it seems desirable again to set forth briefly such a statement of the leading characteristics of the Institution as may enable benevolent persons who have recently arrived to make themselves acquainted with the grounds on which the Committee, on behalf of the Society, and on behalf of the poor an 1 needy, for whose sa :e it was founded anlstid exists, would earnestly solicit their patronage and support. This statement is subjoiue 1, substantially as it was presented ia tic Report of last year. The object for which the Society was established (in March, 1857) was, as defined in the original rules, to relieve the wants of the poor, particularly ot fern lies and desitute children, by supplying them with clothes, food, an 1 other necessaries ; it being provided that “ primary attention should be paid to the sick, to cases of extreme penury, and to poor worn in in their confinement.’’ In affording such assistance, a fundamental principle which has always been faithfully acted on, hash ten that no distinction of country, or of religious profession shonld be permitted to operate so as to produce either prejudice or partiality in the mode of dealing wi hj applications for relief, but that the claim of d stress should of itself be sufficient to secure consideration, and if it proved to be a wellfounded claim, an amount of practical help restricted only bv the necessities,of the case and the means at disposal ot the Society. The carrying out of this object has been entrusted, from year to year, to a Committee of sixteen ladies. The City, with its immediate neighbourhood, has been divided into eight districts, to each of which tne labors of two of these ladies have been assigned, it being their duty to visit the applicants tor relief (including both now cases and those already receiving aid) at their own places of abode. This systematic visitation is a feature in the working of the Society which has, perhaps more than any other, contributed to its usefulness. Amongst the benefits resulting from it, the following are equally important and obvious. (1). It materially assists the Committee in their constant endeavour to di criminate between deserving and undeserving objects, by affording means of testing the truthfulness of the applicants in their statements of distress, and thus guarding, as far as practicable, against imposition, and the misappropriation of the Society’s bounty to the cases of unworthy persons. (-2). It enables the t isitors to judge, from personal observation and enquiry, not only generally as to the necessities of each case, but also as to the form in which relief may be most advantageously administered. The assistance accordingly is granted sometimes by donations of money; som-times by the p ly.neut ot rent ; sometimes by supplies of food, ot fuel, or clothing ; sometimes by the provision of attendance or requisite sustenance in confinement or sickness ; as tiie exigencies of particular cases, seen by the visiting ladies for themselves, may suggest as most suitable and beneficicial: and

(3). It widens and deepens the salutary operation of the Society, by bringing the distributors and the recipients of the Society’s bounty into immediate contact and communication, under circumstances wn cn enabled the visitors to manifest a sympathy in the distress of the poor and afflicted which, it scircely need be said, is frequently more soothing and cheering *lian the mere donation of pecuniary assistance, however, urgently needed. Moreover, it gives the visitors the opportunity of imparting alviee, caution, or (when occasion arises, admonition or reproof, whiun, coming as it does from persons who, while they off;r it, are affording substantial evidence of their desire practically to do good to thote to whom it is addresse 1, is calculated to reu ler the moral influence ot the Society effective, by the Divine blessing, in promoting the highest object of true benevolence, even though many days may sometimes elapso before the bread thus cast upon the water by its visitors may be found.

The total numb r of cases relieved by the Society during the year now ending was 92, being two more than in the year immediately preceding, and twentyeight more chan in they ar before last. This t dal was made up as follows : —Destitute widows, 25 ; women left in poverty an 1 distress by the desertion of their husbands, 10 ; children, deserted or otherwise, left in destitution, 5 ; pool women in their confinement, p ovided with a measure of attendance and of the comfirts require! by their condition, 7 ; and 45 cases which can scarcely be classified unler any particular 'leading, beyond general suffering and privation. S ver il of the recipients ofassis ance had once known much better days, but, from various causes, were reduced to circumstances in which they were glad and thankful indeed to avail themselves of such relief as this Society could afford.

One sad narration, the details of which would be almost too painful for minute description, miy be briefly stated here. In December last a family arrived in this city, consisting of a widowed father, advanced in life, with three sons and two daughters. They landed ill good health, but after some week* fie father had an attack of paralysis. It was not long until disease, in the forms of fever, dysemry, an 1 inflamation of the lungs, seized upon other members of the family. The eldest son and younger daughter were ;first attacked. The elder daughter, a girl aged eighteen, bravely struggled to help the others until she was herself prostrated, and both she and her eldest brother were numbered with the dead. The youngest son was removed to the hospital on the day ot his brother’s burial, and there also the father, after having had a second paralytic attack, has been placed This mournful succession of afflictions had run a part of its course before the Committee had any knowledge of the circumstances ; and it would be no exaggeration to say that the state in which the li ly who vis ted the family found them was absolutely appalling. Careful attendance was provided, and necessary supplies for those who were yet living, though stricken with mortal diseas'; aid although the unavoidable expenditure for the relief of these sufferers, who wanted so much and hail next to nothin s, proved an unusually heavy charge on the limited funds of the Society, it is to the (Jommitsee (as they have no doubt it will be to the friends of the Society at large) matter of thankfulness that they were enibled in so me deg ee to alleviate distress so Jeep and accumulated ; and, it may be ailed, so little likely to have been relieved, or even known to exist, but for this Society. The Committee have pleasure in again placing on record an expression of their grateful sense of the liberality of the friends by whose pecuniary aid th-* operations of the Society have been su-tained. They would also make thankful mention of the kindness by which the Odd F Hows’ Hall was granted for the a-t Annual Meeting as well as for the meetings of previous years, under an arrangem mt which involved no actual payment for its use. And they would specially record the benefit conferred on the funds by Mr. W. C. Wilson, who printed the last Report free ot all cost to the Society.

For the coming year the Committee would solicit not only continued but augmented aid, to meat the increas'd demands which will most probably arise. They would ask the subscribers to take into considerati on the ptamicability of adding to the amount of their usual contributions, and also of bringing the claims of this Society under the notice of those amongst t ieir ftdenis and acquain‘ances who have not yet contributed, and especially of inviting the attention of persons recently arrived to the means which it affirls them of aidi ig in the relief of distress without the risk ot imposition and fraud, to which comparative strangers must be liable.

In addition to direct help in money, the work of the Committee would be greatly assisted by donations of wearing'apparel, the want of which has lately been very painfully experienced in some cases. Tue Committee hive not forgotten how an appeal for clothing to

j supply the im nediate wants of women and children whose a II had been destroyed in the disastrous firo |o - July, 18 S, was responlel to with a prompt | generosity which enabled the Society, within a day or , two, to profile twenty families wth com f ortable j clothing. Tnongh the present exigency is not of the ■ s:viaj urgently pressing character, vet a necessity does i exist (or supplies of this description, which, if the , d nails could be gone into, would establish a powerful I clai n on the sympathy of the kind-hoarte 1 ; aod the i Com uitteo trust that it is only ropiisito to bring this imi ter under th notice especiilly o their fenn'e I frien Is, to secure from them donations of clothing, ; which, in most instances, would involve Id le loss to | ‘heinselves, but would be of great value in e d, —particularly at the approach of winter, —to rainy on whom i scanty food, da np and com onless dwelhng-p’a'CS, : and insntHeient tiring, will bn: too surely entail sntferj iug, of which want of adeqmte clothing’ won d be no small aggravation. Sueh donations will be ;hankful!y received by any member of the Comm uee. Fully, the Com nittee would humbly commend the So i ay to tiiat Divine blessing by which alone humui otfors, i even iu the best cause, can be m ide prosperous ; I prayin; that they, and all the support rs of this iostiI tu ion, “ May find the mercy of the 1.0 1 in that day,’’ when the Judge of all men, who himself once for our sakes became a m in of sorrows, who ha I not where to lay his head, shall pronounce a gra nous b medic: o i o i those who have fed the hungry, visited the sick, and clothe i the naked, condescen ling to say unto them, j “ Inasmuch as ye have done it un o o io of the leas; of these my brethren, ye have done it nn‘ > a Abstract of Treasurers Accjdvt. RECEIPTS. £ s -1. Balance in hand last year ... 12 IS 10 Collected at Public Meeting, March 11, 1851,—including the following donations : -A Friend, £2O ; Mr, loir s, £2 ; Mr. Dobson. XI ; Mr. Mac a une, £1 ; Mr. Newman, £1 .. .. .. 3S 6 1> Interest on money in Bank . 015 0 li ceived in Subscriptions and Don ,ti >ns, from Maroh, 1864, till March, .865 ... 2)0 5 O Proceeds of Collection from Baptist Chapel, per Mr. Cornford ... .. 10 It <> £262 lb 8 EXPENDITURE. £ s. d. Expenses at Public Meeting ... .. 212 o Printing bills an I advertising ■. 22 5 Expended in relief of Poor in the several districts, from March, 1854, till Mirch, 1865 252 0 0 Balance in hand .. .. .. .. 6 4 2 £262 IS 8 A. Sisct.Aß, Treasurer. Mart Gorr e, ) . ... Mary Ann Smith j A ’ u> 1 b ‘ WELLINGTON. (from OUR OWN CORR BPONDENT.) 25th March. 1865. After a desperate struggle between “ Bur las j and reform,” and “ F atherston and respectability,” as he free and independent electors of this cnliglifene 1 town wore shouting yesterday morning, the state . f he poll is known only so far as o keep the athercnts ot both parties in a state of suspense which either would be willing to dispense with, except hat it enables each 'O declare itself positively to be the winner, until the result has been placed beyond doubt. The returns Ir hr the West Coast and from Castle Point cannot be in before Tuesday m irning, but it is supposed that the Hint and Wairarapa votes will really determine the contest. The numbers taken at the town palling booth yesterday were as follows ; Featherston - - - - 37 1 Borlase .... i s.» Showing a majority of 185 for Featherstone. A retu-n from Waintii was received, which gave niiu’eeu m ire to Featherston, and two to Borlase. Icw<>dd appear at first sight, that the Doctor’s party need have no further apprehension as to the result, but tlie <ve its of tiie last few days hj ive shown that his oi l a Ihcr-nts do not care to follow him -o blindly as hitherto, a id s weral defections have occurred. In the Mutt ami Wairarapa districts, the state of things has cause i ds prospects to he very material/ altered ; that he wi 1 oc in minority in both no one seems to dou ', but whether that difference will suffice t > balance his majority in tne town cannot be known till the full numbers i.bia the four polling places in VYairam ia are receive I. I sh ill probably obta'n them before the mai closes, an I they will undoubtedly indicate ei her that “ Reform ’ is to be the order of the day for this Province or that Wellington has again replaced her aitocrU ii h ; s almost absolute reign.

If my letter was a true and perfect reflection of the Wellington mind, I should end here, for no thought or care has been given to any business or event, for the last week, but this absorbing Superintendency eK-ctio i. And I do not refer to the General Government for the sake of disclosing any new feature in their po'i •}', for no symptom has app ared of any change, but simply to note that they arc pursuing the same liberal —jealous people might say extravagant—course which has distinguished the Wellington ministry, since they gained their long wished for end of bringing the Government, and particularly tliO Treasury Department, to Wellington. And very grateful should Wellington be f>r what this persevering part)-have at last achieved, for if lavish expenditure and o abolishment of the town be any desideratum, they are getting all tha: they d esire, as fast as plans can be drawn and specifications be put into writing, And no one can be envious of this happy change which has come over the place, for it has introduce i ah enterprise and given a business like air to Welling .on which no one who has known it for tlie last d ill year would have credited. It will be onlyfair to the colony however, and carry to its proper length the generous policy the House of Assembly has iuiciac d, if the removal of the seat of Government be effected periodically, and then no other Province c m be jealous of the prosperity showered upon Veilington. by the presence of the Government, while the Separation Questi in would probably never b - heard of again. Canterbury is determined to have a capital of something, if it can possibly be got, either of the whole or part of the Colony, and Otago is wld about separation, merely for tiie sinni object, so that the arrangement would meet all their views, if the Ministers would only give their patriotism that scope which alone will complete the policy they have adopted. A handsome building is rising at the gate of the Givcrainent premises which I am told is for the m :ss m ;er in charge, and the assembly Library at the bark of the main building is now assuming an imnosing appearance. When all is corapi ne, the block o! bui'iings will form a handsome gr mp. hut this wil l require the older part to have a decoration of sour kind to hide its decaying walls. The architect prop >sc to place buttresses round it of a similar design ti thorn of th: new library, and this wi 1 not only giv* it the strength which is necessary to keep it up a a I, but with a thorough painting will give a uniformity t > t m whole b'oek. The rebuilding o Governm-at II use is about to be commenced at a cost of £2OOO, though the work will only he aa extension or the present place. It would surely have b;en wiser to pull the present rotten cottage down, and use I the T. 2,033 to some good purpose on so file a site as the one at their disposal. This of course proves the tru'h of my remark that the purchase of a site ha 1 been abandoned, and the present plan has I hear the p Tsonal preference of die Governor. Dr. ilictor arrived here from the south a few days ago, an i is making arrangmn nits I presume with ha Government in reference to his new appointm nt, that of Geologist- eneral, or Director oi Mines, w tatever the title may be, to the colony at a salary of £i,oJd a year. A wiser step than this of obtaining the D retor’s services the Government could not well take and it is to b • hoped that they will also neiermiae to in-titute a comprehensive trigonometrical survey whom wil! be the necessary complement of Dr Hector’s geological survev, that a perfect map of the connt-w may at last be made. A slight sh >ek of earthquake was felt here at eight o’clock on Tuesday morning last, being about the fifth in two months. It was only perceptible to any one sitting or lying still, and the ,notion appeared to be north and south. Three of the fiieut of the subsidized steamers have been lying here for the last day or two, viz., the ‘Tararm,’ ‘Wellington,’ and ‘Lord Ashley.’ The ‘ Tararua’ is not the most elegant in her lines, though lur general look is very smart and trim, but her engines are powerful, and tne internal fitness of tha cabin, and indeed throughou are very perfect, oho ran f .on Sydney to Nelson in four days eight hoars, a id across here from Nelson in ten hours, gung from twelve to thirteen knots the whole disra me. If the Panama steam ;rs to which she is to he a te i ier equal her in speel, t ie twenty-six days they will be allowed for the service from Panama to Wellington will be SO dimiuishel that the European news can easily reach Australia ns as short a ;irae as by the uez route. Ttiis is the only consi leratkm which will weigh with Australian merchants in deciding between the two lines. Further clechon returns have come in which diminish Featherstone’s majority to 143 ; it remains noW o be seen whether Wanganui anl Wairarapa hara ejected him or no.