TOTAL ABSTINENCE SOIREE AT ROXBURGH,

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 144, 10 November 1870, Page 4

TOTAL ABSTINENCE SOIREE AT ROXBURGH,

(From our own Correspondent.)

A soiree in connection with the 1 Teviot Total Abstinence Society took I pi a ce in the Schoolhouse, on the evenijn* of Thursday, 3rd November. The eatables were abundantly provided by Mr. Glass, baker, and appeared to be thoroughly enjoyed by the large nuni* "ber of old and young who sat down at the tables, which were presided over by Misses Thomson, Tamblyn, Broad, Brodie, Norton, and G-ordon. After tea, the tables were cleared, and the room put to rights, for the hearing of the numerous addresses, songs, &c, which were to follow. J, B. Barton, Esq., R.M., occupied the chair, anc*| Mr. Burton presided at the harmoniu Jf The Chairman stated that this e t* ing was to inaugurate the Teviot 1 -?^ Abstinence Society, and he bP e< + was only the first of numero^ mcc ** ings which would be held, D fc onl 7 to pass the evening, but for t^ r mutual improvement. He recoir^dff, tha * fhe readings, songs, be ol j an instructive ola'*»,/ ealcu l ated to i amuse and offend noK, # • Mr. Marte*, JPesleyan minister, was then exiled /P on to address the 'meeting He /ated that the chairman had giv/* a ra ther difficult task to perfjr m » viz -> to instruct and 1 amuse with/ ut offending, as somehow ! or other, /thout meaning it, he always i nianao-e^ 0 tread on somebody's corns. Refers *° moderate drinkers, he ga j/%at many people say they can always manage to get along well enough as moderate drinkers, and do irot see any use in joining teetotal. . Se compared moderate drinking to a narrow plank placed across a chasm, lover which people in crossing were Uost in great numbers by falling from the plank. He stated that the average number who died a drunkard's death was 60,000 per year, and that was dreadful to look at from a religious point of view, as it is distinctly stated jthat "No drunkard can inherit the ] kingdom of heaven." Some people, jhe remarked, said they could always ! give up their pipe and their pot when itfoay pleased ; but it very often turned j out that instead of their being the servants to the man, the man was a | thorough slave to them, and the pipe i-aud the pot generally turned out very | hard taskmasters. It was often stated » by people when they were requested ito sign the pledge-book, that in so I doing they would be signing away I their freedom ; but the fact was that j the dread sneers of their comrades and ; the laugh of the landlord, was the real pause of their not signing — thus show- , ing them to be the slaves of fear. I Moderate drinkers, when requests +n ;si^n tne pled&c, very often replied, Leave me alone | I have never done I you any harm. That excuse may be to a mad dog running along •the streets, after having bitten several people, when a party calls out, Kill that dog ! and is answered by another to let the dog alone, as he had never done him any harm. He (the speaker) .considered that the excuse was equally igood in either case. He stated that there was no passage in scripture that Recommended the drinking of wine, piough some people imagined there Was. He understood the scriptural swine meant only the fruit of the grape, .not the spirit. His opinion was that total abstinence would triumph, and become universal all over the world. In his daily prayers he prayed, " Thy jwill be done on earth as it is in [heaven," and when that took place, as it assuredly would, there would be no (drunkenness here as there were none in heaven. He said that drunkenness was not the sin of the foolish and ignorant alone, but that it prevailed in all classes of society, and quoted the names of a number of celebrated men, w\so said that drunkenness- was the ,caubQ of their premature old age. Man, \e observed, should walk the earth the image of his Maker, but when drunk was a mere counterfeit, bearing the stamp of the devil. When we see a fellow manjying drunk in the public way, we should not be like the priest and the Leyite, and pass him by, b,ut rather act the part of the Samaritan (^ thing seldom done), and by our advice^ and assistance, reclaim him from tß^ pit into which he had fallen. Mr, Maiten concluded by saying that ■?the totaV tJ^stinence movement would be greatly assisted by the co-operation of the ladies, % he observed, ought all to sign the \ledge-book, as their well-known moralVtofl U ence and power over men would gWly advance the .cause. \ The Chairman consumed Mr. Mapten's hint should be acted, on, and that all the ladies present sh^ld enroll their names, and thus lend\ helping hand to a good cause. \ & Reading by Mr. Shepherd—*' The Town Pump." \ Song by Mrs. M'Pherson-^" ~B,xcelsior." \

Recitation by Mr. R. Smith—" The CJameronian's Dream." . $ong by Mr, James J. Smitlw fl Freedom- to the Slave."

Mr. G-rover being called upon to address the meeting, congratulated his brethren in the society on its success. Many said it would fail, but he gloried in its success, which had been proved. In referring to the drinking habits, be «• remarked that some say the digger has »Q comfort £jt hqme, and therefore

goes to the public house for it, where he finds it is all right as long as be Has plenty of money ; but when the nx>ney is done, there is no comfort for them then — they may then go abrut their business, and they cannot fven get a drink to start them, al^ough they may have spent a consumable amount for the short, time the^ may nave been there. He cautions' people to avoid the public house a' a P lace where the publicans threw out , all tne allurements possible co entice them to spend their hard-ea ned money in drink, to the total ru* of tae i r boa > and s o ul - He renamed aa * public houses always a number of people who v^ 6 rin ed " loafers," who were aj w^ s ready to assist the foolish in g e </ing rid of their money. He -loted a number of instances of great distress be had witnessed in families, through the want of the money thus foolishly spent. He hoped the members would persevere, and let the scoffers laugh as much as they pleased, for he was certain they (the teetotallers) would win ; and he trusted that every member would, before next meeting, endeavour to make at least one convert to the cause.

During the latter part of Mr. Grrover's speech, some unseemly disturbance was caused by some parties outside throwing stones and wood on the roof, which being of iron, created a noise that almost drowned the voice of the speaker.

Mr. Ireland, in addressing the meeting, said that his sympathy was with that and all similar meetings, as they certainly tended to improve the morals of the community. He put the principles of teetotalism on the basis of common sense, as well as religion. The Mount Benger District was not now as it used to be, peopled almost entirely by single men ; a great number were now married, and coiniortably settled down> and had no need to go to hotels for comfort ; and on that account, to some extent, teetotalism was bound to be a, success. He at one time was not an advocate of total abstinence, but the sights he had seen at different times had caused him to alter his opinion. He thought that ere long it would be a rare sight to see the working men rolling about drunk, and spending the money that should go to maintain their families on iutoxicating liquors.

During this part of Mr. Ireland's address, the interruptions outside were continued, with the addition of Chinese crackers, which, with stones, &c, were thrown on the roof and close before the windows, for the purpose of drowning the speaker's voice. Mr. Ireland, alluding to the disturbance outside, said that some parties seemed to have a great antipathy to the cause for which the meeting was held, and took their paltry revp.ngf hy 1,1-ii-e.wi'TUjr sfcrnip.s nrn^kers, &C, on the roof v He thought it would be a more,, manly plan to come on to the platform and puc their arguments in words. -

Mr. Tamblyn, in addressing the meeting, considered the cause was already working great improvements in the district, and called upon all moderate drinkers to come forward aud sign the pledge, and so encourage their weaker-minded fellow men to follow in their wake. He advised every one, young and old, to sign the pledge, and remarked that children who had signed the pledge made the best adult teetotallers. The women especially should all sign the pledge, as their influence for good or evil over the mind of man was undoubtedly great, and by so doing they would also inculcate their principles into the mind of the rising generation. He believed the ladies were all at heart as staunch teetotallers as any in the district, and hoped they would all shortly enroll their names.

This address was also accompanied by variations of Chinese crackers and stones on the roof.

Sous; by Mrs. M'Phersou— " The G-ay Lover," which was loudly enoored, and responded to with "Mother, dear mother, dear father sleeps long." Mr. Me.-vyn, M.H.R., addressing the meeting, said that having been speaking so much these few days, he was tired of it ; but as " England expects cv Q ,ry man to do his duty," he must say something in support of the cause. He considered it difficult to work strictly up to teetotal principles in the colonies. Considered that the people in the district getting married was the cause of the great improvement which had taken place in it. As the ladies' influence was great, he recommended everyone who had not a wife to get one immediately, as a means of bettering himself. He agreed with and appreciated the motives of the gentlemen who had most disinterestedly tried, and were still trying to bring about a change for the benedt of the district; and that, if he was returned to the Ifouse of Representatives for the district, and three-fourths of his constituents agreeable, be would do his utmost to get a Permissive Bill passed. During all the time of the address the disturbance outside had assumed greater proportions, and •in referring to it Mr. Mervyn said that it was a disgrace to the district that such unseemly interruptions should take place, and that it was a cowardly plan to use physical force in such a case to bring about what they cannot do by argument. He^ recommended stopping it by the strong arm of the law. The parties (he could not call them

gentlemen) who were causing the disturbance outside could now come for* ward to the platform and express their views. The Chairman, commenting on Mr. Mervyn's remarks about getting married, said that although not married himself lie was greatly in favour of the movement, and would tie the knot for them with the greatest pleasure. He had always observed in this district that the marriage state was a happy one, and for everybody's good. He thanked the public for their attendance, and remarked that meetings of that kind oannot be successfully conducted without the assistance of the ladies, who he found were always ready to assist in anything that had for its aim the good of the district, Mr. Ireland then proposed a vote of thanks to Mrs. M'Pherson, for obliging the company with her excellent songs; also the ladies who had kindly presided at the tables, and the ladies in general for their attendance. The disturbance outside was commenced with greater force than ever as soon as Mr. Ireland rose to move tbe vote of thanks to the ladies. Mr. Ireland remarked that it must be borne in mind that this meeting was for the benefit of the school, and the people who were making the disturbance, and did not know any better, might think they were doing a firstrate thing, instead of making a degrading spectacle of themselves. Mr. Mervyn was glad to see the gentleman at the head of affairs in the district in the chair, and had great pleasure in moving a vote of thanks to the chairman, which was carried unanimqiisly. The room was then cleared and dancing commenced, which was carried on with spirit until an early hour in the morning.