The Recent Christchurch Conference.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4964, 6 December 1884, Page 3

The Recent Christchurch Conference.

A faif number met last night in the Shortland Wesleyan Church to listen to a lecture from the Eev. Henry Bull on 11 What I saw and heard at the Christchurch Conference." The chair was taken by Mr Lawry. The rev. lecturer commenced with a reference to his first impressions of Canterbury upon landing there twenty-years ago, showing someing of the progress since made. Passing on to the subject of the Conference, he said all the Australian representatives were most favorably impressed with what they saw of New Zealand. Some bad come with crude ideas of our civilization ; others with high ideals of tbe state of things they would fiDd, but almost all confessed the actual exceeded their expectations. They found a land intersected by streams, rivers, and brooks; they saw cattle and sheep that excelled the general product of their own country, and tested mutton and beef which they acknowledged to be far superior to what they were accustomed to eat. Further, they were constrained to say that upon the cheeks of the children and the ladies of New Zealand there Was a color, and a rosy-tint glow of vigour, t»at wan anything but general in Australia. In a word, their opinion of New Zealand was that it was a grand country. Mr Bull then referred to the personnel of the Conference, giving a short sketch of the principal representatives ; epitormised the measures passed and the work done during the session, gave some interesting particulars of the state of some of tbe general funds, and paid a hifch tribute to the hospitality of the friends by whom the representatives were entertained, in conclusion saying there was but one opinion among those who had attended the Conference—that a grjindand highly profitable meeting"hud been held. A collection was taken up after the lecture on behalf of the Circuit Fund.