THE HURUNUI TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5277, 22 February 1878, Page 3

THE HURUNUI TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.

TEA AND PUBLIC MEETING AT THE ATHEIGEUH HALL. It is always gratifying to observe advancement, and especially so _ when it takes a tendency that tends to the moral welfare of’ the community. Such a mark’ in our progress was ohserveabie last evening at the : new Athenaeum building, when about 250 persons sat down to tea at the soiree inaugurated by the temperauce society formed on board the ship Hunmui, one of our well-known English emigrant vessels. The large hall of the building was well filled, and the tables were laden with everything in the shape of light refreshments which could be wished for. Order and comfort appeared to prevail ou every hand, and in all respects the meeting proved an immense success. A cousiderable proportion of the company was composed of the immigrants who had come by the vessel, together witli a largo number of the officers and crew; ; and, thanks to the excellent catering of Mr. Thomas. Morgan of that vessel, who had been instrumental in getting the entertainment up, every one had enough and to spare. ; The Pioneer, the Star of Wellington, : and Excelsior Lodges of Good Templars were wellrepresented, and a number of the sisters; of these lodges did excellent service in officiating at the table. Comfort and frugality, combined with plenty, appeared to be an especial feature of the evening, and, as already said, the entertainment was a great credit) not only to those more immediately connected with it, hut to the temperance body as well. During the first portion of the soiree the Rev. Mr. Redstone officiated, and afterwards, on the tables being cleared, he occupied that position during the rest of the evening, Supported by. several •of the prominent ministers of the various denominations iu the city. On the platform there likewise appeared a number of lady and gentlemen members of the Good Templar Order, who greatly contributed towards the success of the entertainment. Mrs. Laubam presided at the piano. At the opening of 1 the ; meeting the Rev. Mr. Redstone read, the report of the Temperauce Society as formed on board the ship Hurunui, 'and which showed the, most satisfactory results.. It set forth tliat when the ship sailed from Loudon, on the 7th September last, Mr. Morgan, who was then, present, .was,, the only , teetotaller oh' board, and during the. passage from London something like tweuty-fourmembers had signed the pledge-book. Since then others had joined, and there were .in all .forty-eight names already attached, which showed that the cause was really progressing. In Order to assist-the movement in every possible way the crew of ,tlie vessel, by the kindness of Captain. 'McKelvie,had taken that opportunity of thanking the people, of Wellington, and also the '■temperance lodges'it possessed, for their kindness,in the. cause, they had' adopted. .At the conclusion of the reading of the‘address, whichwas drawn up by Mr. hightfoot (secretary), there was, great. applause, the cheering continuing for several minutes,—The Rey. Mr. Dumbell; then addressed the meeting, and iu some well-chosen remarks observed that Mr. Morgan; of the Human!) together with;the' captain, .officers, ,aud crew of that vessel, deserved credit for the’enileaybr which had been made to advance the cause of temperance. It was a noble movement, and he trusted that Mr. Morgan would achieve what he had attempted, and of which he had already exhibited such great results. Sailors in the rough were good and earnest, men at heart, and it was" truly,pleasing: to see that something.had been’ done for their benefit ; and not ouly for those of the Hurunui, but for all the other sailors visit-ing,-the port of Wellington, he would like to see a home established, wherein after) their voyage they might be able to congregate without ..being. exposed .to . the. temptations .which, were' too often thrown in', their .way.;—The Reverend Mr. Paterson likewise addressed the, : meeting, and in most eloquent terms expressed the'pleasure it afforded him at being present .upon such au occasion, which he considered as iu every respect creditable to the whole community. It was an occasion which moat unmistakeably showed the necessity for the establishment of a Sailors’ Home. He hoped ere long to see such ah institution inaugurated. As he had learned from Mr. Woodward, fit had been proposed many years ago to establish a sailors’ home on the site,'of the" building in which they were assembled, but other counsels had intervened, and that Home had not been formed. Now, however, they could well spare a place on the reclaimed iand near the sea. and where better could they locate those hard- sons sons of the sea than near where they always lived. The Home would be one great step in the way of the temperance cause, aud a credit to the community of New Zealand, of which Wellington was the Empire City. (Loud rid prolonged . applause).—Mr. Morgan su equently addressed the meeting, when he detailed various incidents of his experience in . forwardiug the temperance cause; after which Mr. Woodward aud tho Rev. Mr. Redstone delivered addresses. During the ; evening, which was most cnjoyably spent, various songs aud recitations were given by Mrs.. Ingram, Messrs. Taylor, Marryat, Lightfoot, Brook, Barfoot, Morris,-Hudson, and other gentlemen present, the whole demonstration being one united success.