THE BURNS' STATUTE.

Patea Mail, 27 March 1882, Page 3

THE BURNS' STATUTE.

, sAt a- 1 grand Scotch concert given in Dunedin,'"in aid of the Robert Burns statute, , fund, Mr Thomas.v,, Fergus, in ' thanking the performers, „ said 1 lie' was glad to * see , such , a large gathering, notwithstanding counter attractions. He was prbnd of the fact that he was* a Scotchman to “ the backbone apdhspitfak nhurow.”>'. The banks ajnd braes of Scotland had been itnuibrlalibed 0 by : ,Ver sweet ‘singers; ~;but| ,jthere . was none; greater in this respect i-thanßobert Burns, ' : ’who; j; * was 'a. iparishioner: of his (the speaker’s) ownV His name .would.. always Jb,e .hbnp.ured,, "especially' ? by- those belonging? do the , limd of iibrns.. ' desired,; in this .country to real” a monument to Scot- 1 .■land’s greatest . .popular poet. JJe(tylr 'Fergus) was‘*not so foolish as to imagine "!t|*at;,. Burns., was the greatest poet-who had ever written in any land ; hilt Burns ,'had,,wntten. : poet;ry Vwhich i.mend him to every man of right feeling ;uiitb the world’s end The Coinnst(ce had Enthusiasm in their project to erect a monument' in. Dunedin ito the memory? of Robert Burns. Not only would we be .abloutb erect? a monument injbronae to Scotland’s immortal poet, but it was also ; pr.obable . that wcwou.ldhe able ftp found several scholarships which would assist to continue the memory; of Buy 11 8; *in this the land of our adoption.