POPULAR ENTERTAINMENTS.

Southland Times, Issue 1172, 7 June 1869, Page 5

POPULAR ENTERTAINMENTS.

9 PTJBLIC MEETING AT THE PRO. VINCI AL HOTEL* . There is now a fair prospect bi" those 3 popular entertainments, known heretot tore as the Penny QBteadings,^ being resuuied within tne next week or two. In . matters of pußlic concern, such as this, a, i little action, opportunely taken, i& worth I no end of speaking and writing. So itL happens that; the movement made by r Messrs and Gilmour, in , calling a ! public meeting on the : subject, has re- . suited in putting things in train for an <■ immediate commencement, with, almost a certainty of complete success. The meeting alluded to, took place in the Provincial Hotel on Monday evening 1 last, and was numerously attended. Amongst those present, there were many who had taken an active part in carrying on the former series, and all manifested an earnest desire tp see the entertainments re-established. ; On the motion of. Mr Perkins, Mr C D. Irvine was voted to the chair. Having read the advertisement calling the meeting, the chairman Baid it would naturally be expected those gentlemen whose names were attached' to the announcement, would have some course to propose, or some* explanation to make, which it might ] be useful for -the meeting to know before any decided step was taken. ; • „, ■■ .i, ,-. ,, . . . . „ Mr G-ilmour then said that by arrangement between himself and, r Mr Smith, it devolved, upon him to 'state how matters stood; but, that all things might be done in order, he yrould first test the opinion of those present as to 1 the desirability of starting the readings again at all, for which purpose, he would movfc, — " That in the opinion of this meeting it is desirable that the evening entertainments known as Penny. Readings should be resumed." The motion beingcarriedwithout dissentj the mover said that, as all present were aware, a great deal had been said during tne. last month or two, both by the members of the' old committee, and by the general public, about recommencing .; the P^nny, Where the onus of taking the first steps rested, did not, Jioweyer,. seem to be so clearly understood, and thus the season during. which the . entertaioments were specially valuable, was passing away and nothing being done. Mr Smith and himself, as members of the' old committee, after waiting sufficiently to; allow of others who had held a more prominent position taking the first step in the matter, had come to the conclusion that to remain lonarer inactive would be culpable on their part, consequently t be advertisement was written out and inserted. There were still accounts tor the" amount of tiome £15 or so standing against" the old committee, which theyhadfeltin honor bound to make an attempt to^pay^off, and for the payment o£-wMcj£,^:^M^|h) thought not the old comm9f(«e^oi?|y,^ but every one who had bad' T anj^ Stfare ; in carrying on i the entertainments, should to ; a certain extent feel responsible. He was confidentthat. such, was the case — that all present recognised the justice of making the payment of existing, liabilities a first charge against the new series. Regarding the manner in .which such a large balance against the Society had accumulated, when at the meeting of the General Committee, just prior to the wind up last year, it was understood that all debts were paid, he explained that it arose not from any oversight on the part of the committee, or any laxness in the manner of paying accounts, but through the right of ordering goods or service on the society's account not hiaving been clearly defined and. restricted, and its being therefore rather freely used, and through the negligence of persons having accounts against the society, unknown to the committee, not sending ttiein in; in time. It had been found, however^ upon examination, thai although perhaps informally incurred, the accounts were all, with one trifling exception, justly chargeable against the society, and they had accordingly been paid as far as possible, the smaller bills being first discharged. The ! sum now> outstanding, cpmprised. only a few accounts of larger amount, accounts which were, from theirnature first charge against the proceeds-^, rent <fcc. Having said so much.ofthe past, he would now co me to the present. Since the insertion 'of the advertisement in the papers, he had heard rumors to the effect that a move ment had been commenced some time prior by a number of gentlemen for the establishment of a course of popular entertainments, altogether independent of the old committee, and of consequence not necessarily responsible for old liabilities. These gentlemen, however, on seeing signs of life 'in the old committee, had courteously acknowledged in it a sort of vested right, and intimated their willingness to amalgamate their scheme with that which might be started by the present meeting. They had, through a gentleman present, communicated their intentions to him, and handed him a paper bearing the names of those whom they would wish! to see forming the committee. He had agreed to bring this paper before the meeting in the shape of a substantive motion, on the express assurance that all the gentlemen named t were prepared to act, and that if elected they would assume the responsibilities of the old committee. In -moving the resolution, he would no.t have the meeting think it was any pet scheme of his own, or that he was necessarily anxious that it should f be carried, butit would give those present , an. idea who were prepared to act, and would 'forin a starting point for discussion. He begged to move that Messrs E. Rogers, R. Gilmour, ~Sff. Conyers, J. G. SifiithV Ei B. Butts, and D. Macrprie, be the committee to carry on the Popular Entertainments, with full powers to make all necessary arrangements, and that, .Messrs . Thos. "Watson, H. M'Cullocb, and Jno. Blacklock, be elected patrons, to preside alternately at the meetings. . t , . , a -

The motion was seconded by Mr Perkins. After one or two .remarks bad , been made on the; resolution, ; Mr J. G. Smith proposed as an amendment, seconded by Mr Pqrter, " That this meeting proceed to the election of a committee by ballot.", The amendment met with general approval, and on being put from the chair, was carried by show of hands. Mr Ferguson then proposed "That the committee should «bnsist of five members, seconded by Mr Smith, and carried. The manner of balloting having been arranged — each person present to write the names of five gentlemen on a slip of paper, and drOp it into a hat—and two scrutineers for the purpose appointed, the election was proceeded with, the result being the placing of the following gentlemen on the poll in the order named, viz., Messrs E. Gilmour, J. G. Smith, E. D. BuUs, E. Eogers, D. Macrorie and T. Perkins, equal. A fresh ballot resulted in favor of the firstnamed of the two, but on its being, proposed to add Mr Perkins' name to the liati the motion was carried by acclamation, thereby increasing the committee to aix. It was then proposed by Mr Gilmour, spconded by Mr - Ktngsland, , " That Messrs Thos. Watson, H. M'Culloch, and Jno. Blacklock, be elected patrons of the society, to preside alternately at the entertainments." ; Considerable discussion ensued on this motion, in which nearly all present took part, some thinking it preferable simply to appoint a chairman each evening from amongst those present. Some judicious remarks by Messrs Macrorie and Kingsland, seemed, however, to carry the meeting. An amendment which was proposed was' lost, and the original motion 'passed ' almost' unanimously. Some discussion of a conversational iiature followed on the subject of where the meetings should be held, the price of admission, and What should be done with any surplus funds, &c. It was, however, deemed best to leave the arrangements entirejy'in the hands of the committee. Throughout the meeting the utmost harmony and good feeling prevailed, the ruling desire on the part of all obviously being, hot 1 thfe preferment of any particular individual, ideti or 1 suggestion, but the adoption' df' such propositions as would best secure the object of the meeting — the establishment of a series of popular entertainments, at once recreative and instructive. By unanimous request the musical departments, vocal and instrumental, will be under the direction of Messrs Kingsland and Stevens,' respectively.