THE INDIAN FAMINE RELIEF FUND.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5172, 19 October 1877, Page 4

THE INDIAN FAMINE RELIEF FUND.

PUBLIC MEETING. A public meeting, convened by his Worship the Mayor, was held at the Provincial Hall last evening, to take into consideration what steps should be taken in aid of the movement for the relief of the sufferers by the Indian Famine.. ' His Excellency the Governor occupied the chair, and amongst those present we observed his Honor the Chief Justice, his Worship the Mayor, G. Hunter, Esq., M.H.11,; W. T. L. Travers, M.H.11.; and other leading citizens. His Exoellbhot said if Ids memory did not fail him, this was the first occasion on which he had presided at a public meeting of the citizens of Wellington. In the position which he held, it was inadvisable, and, indeed, unnecessary, that he should do so frequently; but on this occasion he felt he should not be doing his duty to this great colony, nor to the Royal Mistress whom he served, if he did not accept the invitation of the Mayor and the representatives of Wellington to be present at this meeting. He was not going to make a long speech. He could not say exactly that he was “ unaccustomed to public speaking,” for he had frequently addressed large audiences; but at the same

time he disliked. hearing his own voice in a public assembly a moment longer than was necessary to explain the object in view and the feelings he desired to express; nor did he think that long speeches were conducive to the attainment of the object sought for. Much speaking was usually accompanied with very little work, and what was now required was to put their hands to the work before them. At the present moment the lives ot hundreds of thousands of our fellow-subjects in India were hanging in the balance, and unless speedy assistance arrived must perish. They had read of the horrors in the laud where the war was raging, where slaughter and devastation were to be seen in their naked reality, but what were those horrors compared to hundreds of thousands of deaths by actual famine ? Moreover, the horrors and troubles of this war were not brought about by the direct dispensation of Providence, but were attributable to the people themselves and those who ruled over them. From what had been published in the papers, they knew that this Famine was of . almost unparall-. led extent, and travellers described riding through the country as being like riding over a battlefield, with the dead and dying around. He need say but little to induce aid for distress like this, which was brought about apparently not by any fault of the people, but by the direct dispensation of Providence. They could not fathom God’s laws; but they knew it was their duty to assist their neighbors, and their neighbors were all those who were in difficulty and distress. They should rejoice {hat the opportunity was given to them to afford relief and assistance to these sufferers, and he appealed to them as Christians, as fellow-subjects of one common Sovereign, and would ask them if they did not think it their duty to assist their fellow-sufferers. In this favored land famine and drought were unknown, and they would ill requite the benefits showered upon them by a bountiful Providence if they did not respond to the call now made upcjn them. Actions, not words, were wanted, and he felt confident that the citizens of Wellington would prove how deeply they felt the obligation imposed upon them, and the necessity of rendering prompt assistance. (Cheers.) The Mayor read the following letters from Sir W. Fitzherbert, Sir John Richardson, and Mr. A. Lindsay, and said he had also to apologise for the unavoidable absence of the Bishop and Archdeacon Stock ;

October 18,1877.—T0 George Hunter, Esq., M.G. A. —My Dear Sir.—As the House is sitting to-night, I am unable to be absent. May I therefore ask you to be kind enough to explain to the meeting through the chairman that Xam unavoidably absent. Otherwise, nothing would have prevented me from attending the meeting this evening and expressing my deep sympathy with the sufferings of our fellow subjects in India. I enclose a subscription for ten guineas, and it it should be necessary to make a further appeal hereafter, I. shall cheerfully subscribe a similar amount.— X am, &o, William Fitzherbebt.

Wellington, October 18, 1877.—His Worship the Mayor of Wellington—Sir—Herewith X send yon the sum of £lO 10s. as a contribution from 463 S.C. to the Indian Famine Belief Fund. This is contributed as an evidence to our distressed brethren in I ndia that we sympathise with them in their misfortune. —I am, &0., Alfred Lindsay.

My Dear Sir,—l see that there is a meeting of citizens on behalf of our suffering fellow-subjects in Southern India, and fully sympathising wish the cause, I ask to bo allowed to become a subscriber of ten guineas. Should this terrible calamity continue, and further donations be requested, I shall be prepared to remit to you the same sum. It is well that the colonies of Great Britain should recognise the claims of a dependency of the Crown visited by so severe a calamity.— l am, &c., J. .Richardson. His Honor the Chief Justice moved the following resolution : —“ That this meeting sympathises with the large numbers who are suffering from famine in India, and hereby pledges itself to adopt such measures as may be most expedient for helping the general movement towards an alleviation of their distiess.” His Honor said he echoed all that his Lordship had said about short speeches, and he was not going to make a long one himself. He thought if the newspapers had been filled with accounts of the distress and suffering in India to the same extent they were with details of the horrors of the war, this meeting would have been more largely, if not more influentially, attended. He should have liked to have seen more present of that class which in this country perhaps more than in any other had not only the capacity to enjoy food, but had au abundance of it. The appeal on this occasion should not be made to the wealthy only—to those, and there were many of them, who had been fortunate enough to amass fortunes —but to those who now with plenty of work and plenty of food, and living in this fine climate, might call to mind perhaps the days when their condition was different. The appeal should not. be confined to those who could give large sums, hut to others also who could only give smaller ones. It was necessary that relief should be extended not only to those who were in actual distress, but to those also who were endeavoring to alleviate their sufferings. He had seen from an article copied from the Loudon Times that many persons engaged in alleviating the sufferers were nearly giving up in despair, but by affording timely relief to them new vigor would be imparted to their exertions. It had been said that “ charity begins at home,” but it ought not to end there.

Mr. Hunter, seconded the resolution, saying that after the eloquent address of the Governor and the speech of the Chief Justice, he had very little to say to enforce the resolution. But as an old resident of Wellington, and as one connected with its first settlement, he was most anxious that the city and provincial district should do its part in aiding the movement. Direct telegraphic communication with Europe, which had been interrupted, had been re-opened, and news had been received that the Indian Famine Relief Fund had reached £350,000. The Queen had given £SOO, and Baring Brothers and other large merchants £loud each. Now, in some respects they were better off here than people were at Home. This was the finest country in the world. There was very little distress, and he desired to see the district of Wellington subscribe such a sum as should be a credit to her.

The resolution was put, and carried unanimously. Sir Georoe Geet said he had been asked to propose the next resolution, which was as follows :—That keeping the object of the foregoing resolution in view, a committee shall be appointed to take immediate steps to obtain subscriptions for transmission to the Mansion. House Fund. He proposed to say only a very few words in bringing the resolution forward. He would remind them that in the early days of the colony they were almost out off' from the old world, and could only hold communication with the old country at intervals of many months; but now how different it was; and he felt pride in standing here and thinking what a great Empire it was of which this colony was part and parcel. In a few hours the news would reach India that assistance was being rendered to thorn from this remote spot. He urged upon the meeting to extend its sympathies to the people of India, who were our fellow-subjects, and thus to follow the bright example of our Queen, who was also Empress of India. A common claim to our sympathy had been established, and he trusted that the people here would do thenduty as British subjects, and contribute liberally to the fund.

Mr. J. Woodward seconded the resolution, observing that many people here hardly knew what want was, and it was difficult to realise the appalling extent of misery caused by the Indian Famine. He had seen years ago terrible distress in London, and people dying of starvation, and it was a terrible sight, but when it was multiplied a millionfold it was difficult to comprehend the sad reality. But no appeal that was ever made to the people here for charity had been refused. He remembered how liberally the people subscribed at the time of the Lancashire cotton famine, and that those who could only subscribe their shillings or half-crowns expressed the pleasure they felt at being able to subscribe, and in no one case had he met with a refusal. He believed that the men of Wellington were the same men to-day that they were then, and whilst feeling thankful for large sums subscribed, especially desired to see the gifts of those who could give but little, remembering her who was commended in the Bible for what she had done when she cast her two mites-into the treasury. The resolution was put, and carried unanimously.

Mr. Travers proposed the following resolu--tion, —That the committee shall consist of the following gentlemen, with power to add to their number : —The clergy of the city, his Worship tlie Mayor, the members for the city, Messrs. W. W. Johnston, Brandon, Moorhouse,. Gisborne, Holdsworth, W. S. Reid, C. P. Powles, J. E. Nathan, J. E. Tolhurst, Jackson, Sawers, Buchanan, Dransfield, and Duncan. He said it was unnecessary for him to add one word to what had been already said in support of the resolution When such an appeal as this was made to Englishmen they always responded to it. The Rev. Mr. Paterson seconded the resolution, observing that the appeal made went home to every generous heart. Whenever a brother was in need there should be another brother to help him ; and, as the Chief Justic.6 had remarked, if charity began at home it should not end there. He urged the claims of the Indian sufferers as those of our fellow subjects. He regretted that the local Press had devoted more of their space to this subject. He himself was not aware until he read from the London Times how great was the extent of the destitution. He knew from experience that the people of Wellington were always charitable ; indeed, he had never been in a place where calls for assistance were so readily met, and he was sure they would respond to the appeal made in this instance.

The Mayor moved a vote of thanks to his Excellency the Governor for his kindness in presiding on this occasion.—This was carried by acclamation. His Excellency returned thanks ; and the meeting separated. A committee meeting was then held, and the following subscriptions were announced ;■— Subscriptions ; His Excellency the Governor, £25 ; a lady, £5 ; Sir George Grey, £lO XOs.; A. Lindsay, for 463 S.C., £lO 10s.; Sir William Fitzherbert, £lO 10s.; anonymous, 10s.; Mr. Gear, £5 ; Mr. Dixon, £5 ; Rev. Mr. Maginn, £X ; 8.5., £2 ; Mr. Devonport,. £1 ; Right Rev. Bishop Redwood, £5 ; Mrs. Tutchen, £1 ; his Honor the Chief Justice, £10; Mrs. Prendergast, £5 ; Right Rev, Bishop Hadfield, £5 ; Ven. Archdeacon Stock, £2 ; a working man, 10s.; Messrs. Dawson & Co., £10; Mr. Oarruthers, £25 ; Mr. G. Hunter, M.H.R., £2l ; Mr. W. T. L. Travers, M. H. 8., £5 ; Sir J. Richardson, £lO ; Dr. Kemp, £lO ; Nos. 2 and 3 shops (Gear), £5 ; Messrs. J. and H. Barber, £5 ss. ; Holt and McCarthy, £5 55.; H. P. Higginson, £5 ; O. W. Knorp, £5 ; Rev. J. Paterson, £3 ; Rev. S. Ogg, £3. Total, £217.