PRIMROSE DAY.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 2013, 11 June 1885, Page 2

PRIMROSE DAY.

Primroses were more generally worn in i London and throughout the country on : ' Sunday, April 19, arid on Saturday, April 18, as a tribute to the memory of Lord Beaconsfield, than on any previous anniversary (states the 'St. James's Gazette'). By command of the Qeeen a wreath of primroses was sent to Kughjeiiden on Sunday morning and pWd on the tomb of Lord by Mrs Blagd. n, wife of the vicar, on behalf of- the Queen. There large number of visitor? tq the parish church and thejjrave ojE Lord Beaconsfield. The vicar had received crosses and wreaths from numerous admirers of the deceased. statesman, and they were placed on the grave, on which; is _ now growing a beautiful' bed of Princess Royal hyacinths. One magns- - ■ wreath, composed' of; pic and yellew roses, with a crown pf stephanotia, ! lilies, of the valley, amj forget-me-nots,

received from Hong Kong, ,tfaa placed-in the>Earl's Btall.,in the • churoli, and other portions of i.tho, edifice; wore. decorated with primroses, moss, ferns, andA'iolets. Many wreatlis:of primroses were sent:by Conservative 'associations from various parts of the country. An/; extraordinary demonstration took place . Saturday ?=•' So'nie thousands of person's assembled in front of St, ,George's Hall, wliere.standa' the statuo ; of Lord Beaconsfield. The statue and pedestal were covered with wreaths and masses of primroses, and several bands paraded aboutthelarge area,playing "'Auld tang Syne" and other aira, and the crowd increased to such an'extent thcit-iocomor tiOn became almost impossible, In Birmingham the streets were all-aglow; with primroses, tjome extraordinary sales of the flowers are reported in the town, one tradesman having sold upwards of 30,000 bunches on : It, is estimated that on Saturday and Sunday no'fewer than a quarter of a million bunches were sold in Birmingham. A Primrose League dinner was given in memory of Lord BeacoMeld pn Saturday 'evening at St. James's 'Hall; Loi;d,Jolm Manners presiding;. About 700,-icniMp of the-league were.presen.t, -as yimw many dames, all wearing: the decoration ;of the . day. ■ The ' scene" was ; most; impressive when the " Memory of the Earl of Beaconsfield" was drunk, in solemn silence. Lord Randolph Churchill proposed " The Primrose league," and, referring to the day, remarked that the desire to honor Lord Beaconsfield. by.wearing; his .favorite flower had been especially shown •among the masses of the people."- v -