TEA MEETING AT THE BLUE SPUE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume 42, Issue I, 28 November 1868, Page 3

TEA MEETING AT THE BLUE SPUE.

A Tea Meeting, in aid of the funds of the Church of England, was held in the Blue 4Bpur,Sehoolhouse qn, Thurs- r day evening. The meeting had bee& advertised to take place on Wednesday, but the committee yielded precedence in a most graceful manner to the' entertainment in aid of the Hospital at "Wetherstones. This courtesy ' brought its own reward, as the fine weather on ' Thursday induced a larger assemblage, than had ever before congregated at the Spur, to attend the meeting. In spite of the large number to provide for, the ladies who furnished the tables did their'work in so liberal a manner, that there proved to be abundance for all. A more liberal spread we seldom have witnessed, and warn the people jS>t the Junction that they will have to bestir themselves, if they want to oiit r vie their neighbours at the Spur. "Honour to whom honour is due" is an excellent maxim, and accordingly we append the names ofe.ihe -ladies furnishing tables; — Mesdames J Pope, H Mills, Kirkby, Morris, , Hall, W Evans, Curregh, JViore., M Pope, Thompson, and Miss Elliot. After every one had done full justice to the good things, the tables were cleared away, and tho Eev. Mr. Martin 'took the thsft. ■ So great a number were .present, that the schoolroom was found too small to contain all, and the open windows, arid the door were thronged with eager listeners. Our Reporter had to make his entrance through the window, as any other way of reaching the desk was quite blocked up. The Eev. Mr. Martin opened the proceedings with prayer, and then addressed the meeting. He began by complimenting his friends on the splendid and unrivalled success of the meeting; the ladies had surpassed themselves, and indeed he had never seen them look so well as they did" tnat night; he congratulated them- on the fine weather, and he specially would congratulate them on living in so peaceful a spot, in being, resiof the ' Southern, not the Northern portion of -the. colony. The Eev. gentleman then drew a vivid picture of the atrocities perpetrated' by the Maories, and contrasted this with the peaceful state of things at the Spur. At the present time, be thought, the good, results of the deliberations of the General Synod at Auckland^ were a subject of rejoicing to alldenomi'nations. Bishop. Tenner, it was agreed tyiariimoiisly, should be asked io' withdraw his claim to the Bishopric -of Dunedin; this. waa a. result, gratfying to every Christian man. Down with Sirualism, he exclaimed, it is like the Devil coming clad in sheep's clothing, but within a ravening wolf. The Eev. gentleman next advocated the building of a church at Lawrence, and told his hearers not to run away when they saw him coming round, .with.'., a book marked "Subscriptions. "The Eev. gentleman congratulated the Spur folks on their unsectarian spirit, and specially awarded his -thanks to Mr. M l Lelland, who had read service when he'was absent at the Teviot, arid* who always cbnducted the singing. He trusted others might be found, to aid Mr. M'Lelland in the singing, and he was authorized by Mrs. Martin to offer her services in' teaching the various .Chants and Canticles.' He believed it was to the indefatigable spirit, of Messrs. M'Lelland and Morris that the success of this meeting was owing. lie would call upon' the former gentleman to address afew remarks to the meeting 1 Mr. SjpLelland. acknowledged the praise awarded him by. the last speaker in a few appropriate remarks. He said there was, at the- Blue Spur, -nothing •of sectarianism; the last dying embers were about extinct. :He believed men's hearts were expanding, and they were • striving "to do unto the Lord-, and not jinto men." The Jciridlof charity he "believed in flowed continually, like one of the'Mreams r-use'dr -used l £6r Mining, not fitfully and at stated .periods. Mr. if'! Lelland proceeded to criticize the Blue, ; Sp ; lit co-respondent ef {£& who i -hiß'Jstated.had>spfflifc'jrhif > o&ckl 4)ishojpric,- by ; .iiiaking {r public,jbhe fapjt! that he had. read a s.ermon -when,ofiici- ( ating during Mr. Martnr s absence at; •'3tihe Teviofe He -said- he inten|fed. toj claim heavy damages^ £5009 a ? l eas *i! Sot the injury. tHus done him. Ti&sneaker proceeded to express his willingness: toldo Ins ©est in coadacting fh©.. siiig-i ing, and expr&sed his willingness'^ io tat at Mrs. Martin's feet for instruct-! ion in chanting. Mr. Morris said it gave him-g^atn]^asuro tg^see so many, happy faces. He was not a skilled! orator, so he would read them a fewj j remarks he had penned for the occasion. ' Wt^T&kmß tEeii ireld iuv|B§>feßJ Avhich j •we are compelled to, omit for want of -^^^^^dratssidnp^e^e^eir^n ~«S-] -count of the great ability displayed in

a sample of the whple, and we-seleetitffbr^he benefit of tftrMKeS? f'Take ajfinetlady, w-ho; is jof delicate iframe, and you may obseryV from the. jhQur she -rises,, a, eerfaii^ weajt-Jjaess- jO.fj aH-abjQut her,. I have,k^Qpwn' r naany rbJ my-uietiine, who were much' too 1 nice> to'beiquite aliveV They were, sick of jthe; ''strange, frightM pbo'ple they jmet;" one is "so awkward^nd another is 'Vq s disagreeable" that "it, seemed, a penance .to breathe .the same air with tnem. ; xou.see ladies,, this .is so very true, tliatk- gDoddeal of ceremony ;.abd. goodbreeding among ladies*- turns upon their uneasiness. • • Mr. Matthews said he bad, been requested to address the meeting,", and when he very naturally asked what subject he would talk about,- had been told to say what he liked; this gave him considerable scope, and -'he wouldavail himself of it. He spoke in high terms of Mr. Martin's ministry, and said that it was.with great pleasure .per--sons*b.e:l6nging to' other- denominations . fulfilled, the command, "to rejoice with those that rejoice," on this occasion. The Church was composed of many branches, likejso -many candlesticks as it were, and meetings like tho present, acted like snuffers, making thq light burn more clearly. He said every one could do something to. aid. a preacher, could bring a stone to the bulwarks of the church, could add a ray to the glory round its head. There was great talk of a Land League at present, and Christians should form a Land League of their own; not to obtain, a land of bleak and barren hills, but one clad in everlasting verdure, and flowing with milk and honey; A hymn was ~then< sun^, and the chairman called on- Mr.' Cary for a few remarks. Mr. Cary said ho, was encouraged to address them,, by the 1 fact that one. of the prophets had been a bullock driver, and although he had not Elijah's mantle, people were generally in such good humour after a feast like that which had been pro.vided for them by th.eir lady friends, that he trusted,, they wonld overlook his shortcomings. Mr. Ca^y remarked on associations stirred up in his mind by the Church Service, and concluded by reading a beautiful- hymn. Dr. Copland was called upon for an address. The Eev. gentleman congratulated the people of Blue Spur on the success of their meeting.' Such meetings shewed' that Christianity was not a thing' for one clime, or nation, but for the whole world. There were assembled in that room persons of all denominations, -and- all countries. ,met onlthe ■ common ' of <Chi v iett r ; anity. He alluded to the recent Maori atrocities, as[ displaying the , tendency of heathenism. He said that at a time when feelings of vengeance were rife, it was the duty of religious persons to moderate tlie passions of the pu"blic,»nd to see, that, while the amplest demands of justice were satisfied, some effort should be made to christianise and improve the Maori race. Ho said he had been rather amusedat.the display of the peculiarities of different classes of men, at the public meeting lately held in Dunedin. -A respected clergyman had ! spoken first, and in- the spirit of his ' calling, had expressed sympathy for the sufferers, he wrs followed by a legislator who wanted something done in his .life, by changing the .government. ' 'A. merchant had followed,' and true to the spirit of trade,- had advised measures preventive of universal bankruptcy. ! Next uprose an auctioneer, who naturally enongh proposed putting .the Northern Island ! up j to auction, 1 a*nd knocking it down to the highest bidder. Then followed- an -ambitious and disappointed agitator who wished the Home authorities to -abolish; both General and Provincial Governments here, and to send oui Sir E. Napier to exterminate Tito Kowaru and his savage hofdej-a'nd after all was settled bestow a rational constitution on the country ; and, though his modesty' prevented him from saying it, appoint J. Gr. S. Grant governor. The whole -strongly reminded him of a series of letters which appeared in "Punch" at the time of the launch of the Great Eastern. In one of these a toy merchant suggested raising the huge hulkb^a^jhs of innumerable toy ballo<-u^fl|^B^ manufactured ; in another^^^^^^^f dian officer, proposed to nj^^^^^^^| of sepoys to the vessel, &|^^^^^^^^| them like blazes into th^H^^^^^^f feared that in inaiiy^^^^^^^^^H original races roseJ^^^^^^^^^H the colonists orjb]ieirj^^^^^^^^^^| blaSneworthy ; DutJjj^^^^^^^^^H to pronounce -akiyjo^^^^^^^^^^^B should be made 9F^«^^^^^^^^H had softened the he'arS^^^^^^^^^| British, Irish/ and /€aJ^^^^^^H xjeafcors. jJ^^^^^H Mr. Hamilton, tnovp^^^^^H thanks/to the, ladij^ waich^Jl^^B 'c"ord r ed-n^'a loQstj entipuisiasti'g pjitfiS^ A vote of "f&anks Jo t^B'^eHarr closed - • - ~" -i.MmUm 11 Urn**. lali-af- .