"BILLY BRAY"

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3357, 9 November 1889, Page 2

"BILLY BRAY"

The course of temperance lectures which fllrCWl lias been delivering in Duneclm city was brought to a close last Hominy night says the Star, by h monster meeting in the City Hall. The chair was occupied by Mr J. W. Jago, and there was not an inch of standing room in any part of the hall. The chairman briefly introduced the lecturer and his subject, and referred with pleasure to the fact that Mr C'ond was to return to Dunedin at the end of the month for the purpose of delivering a lecturo in aid ot the cabmens' shelter which is about to be erected by the Young Women's Temperance Union.

Mr Coiiil then took possession the audience. The expression ru used advisedly, for that is exactly what Mr Goad does, Before lie lias spoken half a dozen words everyone in the hall is listening attentively, It is impossible to go to hear Mr Coadr without paying close attention to' what he is saying; and there is an amount of nervous forco in his quaint, sentences which compels admiration, however much one may be inclined to criticise their construction. The subject chosen by Mr Goad for his lecture last night was" Billy Bray"; but before entering upon his main subject the lecturer made a good many preliminary remarks upon the broad subject' of Christian temperance, He expressed pleasuro at tho very large attendance, which showed real sympathy with the object-that of assisting tho work of the Now Zealand Alliance. The money was none of it going into his own pocket; fa had alwajs been able to pay his own way, having learnt when very young that it " was more creditabjk to sari) an honost penny than fto touch the brim of your bat to tlie sqniro for ninepence." In assisting the New Zeiland Allianco, they should bear in mind that they were helping to give their sons a colony to live in withoutany liquor shops in it. Ho hoped those present would consider that they had got their shilling's worth after hearing his lecture; but it did not much matter whether they did or not, for he had got their shillings, and it was foV a good cause, (Applause). Speaking of the prevalence of lulewarmncss in the cause amongst a good many of (he churches, ho said there were toemany who were afraid to tackle tit*,

Devil if ho was a brewer Bitting in the pew of & church. Tito duty wits off soup, an«S too much soap wus used in tho churches. "Where," ho asked,'" was the ro«n nowftdftyfl.— outside tho Salvation Army—who wbb ready to go to gaol for Christ's sake ?" " Hera," said a voice from tie bottom of the hall. "That's right," said the lecturer; " I hope you will go there nest week!" {Uproarious laughter and applaud). Spcakiiig oC sects Mr Coad expressed himself as followB: •' Tho Devil take the wet." The lecturer then dovoted himself to the main subject of the lecture. Billy Bray, he said, was a (Jorniskman of small sta-tarc. but of noblo heart, who was born in 1791 and died in 1808—an un usually long life for a Cornish miner. He profseded to desoribe how he hut! been a runk&rd till the age of 20 but bad afterwards devoted his time and money to the cause of Christ and temperance. Since his dentil two bundled thousand copies of Lis. life had been sold in the Old Country, and the book had been translated into six foreign languages. Inthe course of his remarks on the subject of " Billy Bray" and his life, which were of a remarkably discursive character, Mr Goad alluded, to the late John Wesley and James Teare as having been the greatest blessings Cornwall ever had. H.«s lecture was, of course, interspersed at frequent intervals -with appeals of a forcible against the use of strong drink and tobacco; and in connection tnth the latter aiiicle of consumption lie pleasantly chaffed his audience at the unresponsive way in which they received any allusion to smoking as an evil practice. ______

An Amusing IncidentA carious incidout is reported by the Melbourne Arjtus as haying occurred in the Victorian Legislative Assembly the other clay. There was a debate dealing incidentally Avith the Hew Hebrides, when a, stringer hailing from this sequestered part of tbs world entered the Speaker'** gallery, carrying aome books mid Goauments, and nt onco began to ialiti great interest in the proceedings. One of the members (Dt Miilouey) li&pponed to apeak on the subject, and took occasion to remark that the "only British subject whom lie had inown in connection with tho row * Hebrides was a contemptible scounii drel. Attlns point it watt observed that p the interest of thw gentleman in the gallery in what was going on visibly increased. The Chairman thought D* Maioney waa diverging from the question aeta&Uy before the chair, and culled ttie hon. member to order. " I am sorry I cannot proceed in tin's win," remarked Dr Maioney, "but what I have said is true—he is a contemptible scoundrel." Tho ' Argus' continues:—"Thereupon the straneor from the island, feeling that he was the individual described, made a j demonstration on his own account by ] raising bis right thumb to bis nose' and extending lus fingers in the direction of the hon. member." Whether this is some gesture or signal particularly in vogue among the inhabitants of the New Hebrides we are not told but it was evidently understood by Dr Maloney,and produced aratheralarming effect on that gentleman," He fell into & state of extreme agitation." Ha tried to sit still but could I not. Then he called an officer the House, ani said "Messenger, you see that that man there with the red whiskers—have Mm turned out." The officer was not sufficiently alert, so the hon member ran to the eferk and lodged a complaint. The clerk immediately summoned the sergeamVat-arms, who -went to the" stranger and requested him to retire. Some, persuasioii was evidently necessary before "the man with the whiskers" could be got to seo the propriety of going, but at length he departed. Then the hon member gradually regained his composure.