PRIMITIVE METHODIST TEA MEETING.

Southland Times, Issue 1827, 5 December 1873, Page 2

PRIMITIVE METHODIST TEA MEETING.

A public tea meeting, in connect ion with the opening of the new Primitive Methodist Church in Don street, was held in the Drill Hall on Wednesday evening. The walls were most tastefully decorated with ferns and evergreens, and the tables, besides being profusely covered with a great variety of delicacies, were sst off with bouquets of roses and other sweet and beautiful flowers, saying much for the taste of those who placed them there, and for the state of floriculture in Invercargill. The Hall was well lighted, especially with smiling faces, for it contained as many maids and matrons, men and children, as it conveniently could, and they all appeared to be per. fectly happy. Full justice having been dove to the cheer wherewith the tables were so plentifully spread, and the tablecloths, tea'dishea, and the fragments of the feast having been removed, the meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr Taylor, of the Wesleyan Church, after which the Rev. Mr Westbrooke, on the motiou of Mr Thomas Perkins, took the chair. Mr Westbrooke said he hoped the meeting would be an orderly one, and that it would give a patient and respectful hearing to any gentleman who might address it that evening, inasmuch as some of their former gatherings had been characterised as disorderly. The young people had been blamed, but he did not think the imputation could with justice be laid at their door, or in fact at the door of any one connected with their meetings. However, such an imputation had been laid against them, and it was not desirable to have ifc repeated. The meeting was a religious one, and he trusted they would conduct themselves with due decorum, and give a respectful hearing to any one who might address them. A hymn was then sung, after which Mr Froggatt read the financial statement, which showed the congregation's indebtedness to be £249 18s ; this) sum, however, they expected to be able to clear off before that time next year. After Mr

Froggatt had made his statement, the chairman remarked that they intended to open a bazaar in a few months' time ; and by that and other legitimate means they hoped ere long to be able to clear their church of debt. Another hymn having Veen sung, the chairman called upon the ]<cv. Mr Thomson, of Winton, who observed that, as was U9ual with him on such occasions, he had no speech. He heartily sympathised with his brother, the Rev. Mr Taylor, who had juat whispered to him that a person might aa well be living in purgatory as in a place where there were so many soirees and speeches to be made. To be serious, however, be was very pleased to have that opportunity of meeting with them. He was always pleased at a tea meeting, and he decidedly thought that such meetings aa the present one were of the highest importance. Tea meetings promoted sociability and good-fellowship, and if they were not sociable in this world, how could they expect to be so in the one to come? They were all travelling to the same country, and they should be united in love and well-doing here if they would be united in joy hereafter. The rev. chairman then said that he had much pleasure in calling upon his father, who bad recently arrived from the old country, to address them for a short time ; and the venerable old man, in rising to his son's call, said that if he were to give way to his feelings on that occasion, he would he like the first speaker — without a speech. He was gratified to find his son occupying so sunny a spot in the hearts of his own people, and living at peace with all other sects and churches ; and it would be impossible for him to express bis gratitude to many who were then present for having received him so kindly for his son's sake. The meeting again sung a hymn, after j which the chairman called upon the Key. Mr Stobo, who said that he liked to be present at tea meetings, were it not for the speechmaking. He thought, on all such occasions, when a man is to be «alled upon to speak in public, that seme j previous notice should be given, in order to give him time to prepare his speech, or at least to select his subject, as it was difficult, for him at least, to speak to the point when unexpectedly called upon to address a public audience. He (the speaker) was at one time prejudiced against the Primitive Methodists, because in his country (Scotland), they were usually called "ranters," and the term biassed bis mind against them. However, since be had becomeacquaintedwith them, especially in Invercargill, he had neither seen nor heard anything which justified that term. He loved the Methodists well, but he loved the Presbyterians better, just as he thought much of the English, but more of the Scotch. And ■ here the reverend gentleman vient on j humorously to observe that if Otago was • at one time a Scotch colony, it was so no longer, for it was now being overspread by Englishmen who were not Presbyterians ! He decidedly objected to this ; | the Scotch should have a colony to themselves ; Scotch law was better than English law, and why should Scotchmen be compelled to live under English law whenever they left their own country ? He protested against everything being j called English, and against an English j mail. Away with this custom, for be ! would have no more of it ! Let them say British, not English. Mr T. Perkins, being next called upon, said that while the last speaker was addressing the meeting, he was reminded of an anecdote which he would relate. Mr Stofco .had spoken about the superiority of Scotchmen and Scotch law. Well, not long ago, he was travelling in the Flint's Bush district, when the settlers are Scotch almost to a family, and while there he met with an English settler, who complained, and apparently j not without cause, of the exclusivenees, clannithnesa, and unsociability of his Scotch neighbors ; but who concluded his plaint with an energetic — " Thank God, we live under English law !" As regarded the debt on the new church, that did not trouble him much. Two gentlemen bad promised £50 each towards its liquidation, and that was a great deal. As regarded the balance, there was little fear but they would be able to pay it all honorably enough, and in time enough? too. Th« "Roy. Mr Taylor said he did not know how a fish felt when out of the water, but if it felt as uncomfortable as he did at that moment, it felt very uncomfortable indeed. He did not think that speech* making was his proper j element. He did not sympathise with his big brother, Mr Stobo, in his remarks about the Scot«b, and the disadvantages of their having to live under English law. The colonies could probably get on well enough without the Scotch; let them return to their shaggy woods and brown heaths and mountains and floods. But nae, nae ; when Scotchmen leave Scotland they generally take very good care never to go back again. Speaking of the Christian Church, and the various branches into which it is divided, the reverend gentleman said that Christianity was essentially aggresive, but that the various churches should not waste their aggression upon each other, but upon the mass of sin and irreligion which surrounded them; and that they should proceed side by side with the great work of evangelising the commuoity. He trusted that the churches would go on improving in their friendly relations to each other, and that all petty jealousies and heart-burnings would soon fade and pass away, and be no more. Another hymn was sung, and then the Bey. Mr Stobo pronounced the benediction, whereupon the meeting parted about ten o'clock, every one apparently well pleased with the way in which the evening bad been spent.