THE LATE W.P. MOAT.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 73, 27 March 1895, Page 5

THE LATE W.P. MOAT.

BURIAL TODAY.

A MASONIC FUNERAL,

The burial of the late Mr W. P. Moat, of this ciby, took place this afternoon, the funeral being abtended by a cortege representative of all classes of citizens and of all the local public bodies of importance. As befitted a member of the. Masonic frabernity, the mortal remains of deceased were laid to rest with all the solemn rites of the Freemasons' order. The body of the late Mr Moat lay in the Freemasons' Hall, Princes-street, yesterday and to-day, set under a black-draped catalfaque, and ib was vißited to-day by a large number of the deceased's friends.

A. Masonic funeral service over Bro. Moat's remains was held ab two o'clock this afternoon in the Freemasons' Hall, thore being a large attendance of Masons besides other friends of bhe-lobe Mr Moat. The doors were closed shortly after two o'clock and the impressivo service. was then proceeded wibh. Amongst those present were bhe leading dignitaries of the Districb Grand Lodge of England, and the Provincial Grand Lodges of Ireland and Scotland. The mourners presenb included Bros. G. S. Graham,D.G.M..E.C.; W. J.Ilaes.P.G.M., LC. ; Wm. MeCullough, P.G.M., S.C; Whitaker, W.M.. Lodge Ara ; J. R. Hanna, P.G., Sec. 1.0.; A. Brock, P.M. ;W. Anderson, D.P.G.M., S.C.; Dr. Dawson, D.D.G.M..8.C. ; W. Malcolm, P.M., S.C.; W.Caron, R.W.M., Sb. Andrew; M. Niccol, and other prominent Masons, chiefly of the English Constitution, of which deceased waa D.G. Registrar. Amongst the others prosent were: Messrs E. MitcheUon, M.H.R., F. Lawry, M.H.R., J. M. Dargaville, R. Udy (Chairman Board of Education), S. Luke, Vincent Rice, Dr. Walker, members of City School. Committee, Crown Lands Board, and other public bodies with which Mr Moab had been associated.

-The solemn ritual of tha Masonic.service waa opened by Bro. Dr. Walker sounding low twelve, after which the assembled Maeons sang the hymn " Solemn Strikes the Funeral Chime." Bro. G. S. Graham, D.G.M., 8.C., then delivered an appropriate oration over the body, as follows:—"My brethren, we are now assembled round the mortal remains of a skilled and honoured craftsman, to pay the last duties and tok_na of respect we owe to our friend and brother. Ib may with great proprieby be said on this spot, a spot where departed friendship yet lingers with melancholy yet pleasing reminiscences of him who has departed from us, that his memory will always remain green in our minds as one of the pillars of our Order, as one who has carried out our precepts nob only within the sacred precincts of. our -Lodges bub outside, and whose Masonic virtues have been bo lastrous thab the world in general has re* cognised him as emblematic of the Craft, one to whom the distressed' might apply, feeling soro their sorrows would be relieved and thoir labours lightened. He has gone, preceding ourselves, the cheeka that mantle- now. with sunny smiles, the eyes fch ab . sparkle •»; with - v health, <-■■ m ' -also the lips! .that utter sentiments of sorrow for him, - must - follow,- and another .generation . jvill: arise to . occupy our places and stations in life. The sun will rise and set, the earth still revolve, strangers will tread upon our graves, and in time no one will be left to remember or concern themselves with onr pasb joys and sorrows — whilst we shall be conversant with the wondrous glories of another world. Impressed with these feelings, we surround the coffin of our departed friend and brother, which has now to be conveyed to the silenb tomb, wibh our full conviction of the nothingness of all earthly and perishable objects. May we so profit by the dispensation of Divine Providence granted to us, and so live thab when our feeble frames shall slumber under the cold clay sods—the needy . and distressed—the widow and orphan—may poinb with sorrow to our sleeping ashes and each exclaim, " There rest the men whose compassion soothed our woes—who... maxims tranquilised our porburbed spirits, and whose bounty relieved our pressing necessities." Those presenb then sang the hymn, •• What Sounds of Grief in Sadness Telia Brother's Early Doom," Major Pirie being ab the organ. Bro, G. S. Graham then took his place at the head of the catalfaque with Bro. Dr. Dawson, D.D.G.M., while Bros. W. J. Rees and tbe Hon. W. McCulloagh took their places ab the foot. The ceremonial of the order, responses, etc., wore then gone through. The hymn " O God Our Help in Ages Past," wasßung, after which the D.G.M. placed some beautiful flowers on the coffin, to tbe uccompanimenb of solemn organ music. After the pronouncements by Bro. J. Rees, " Let us die the death of the righteous and let our last end be like bis," to which the suitable response was made by Bro. W. McCullough, Bro. Graham placed the regalia of the deceased on the coffin, and in doing so commended the soul of the deceased brother into the hands of tho Grand Architect of the Universe. After further solemn musin, Bro. D. G. Chaplain, the Rev. E. J. McFarland, pronounced a Masonic prayer over the deceased, and the hymn, "Brief Life is Here Our Portion," was sung. The coffin was then removed to tb. hearse in waiting outside, the organist playing the "Dead March " in "Saul." At three o'clock the funeral loft the Freemasons' Hall for the Purewa Cemetery, where the interment, took place. A large number of vehicles containing mourners and friends of the deceased followed the hearse.

A large number of the members of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Educational Institute met at the Welles-ley-sbreeb School ab two o'clock, and from there proceeded to the Freemasons' Hall and attended the funeral service. A beautiful floral wreath was placed on the coffin as a token of- the esteem in which the deceased was held by the members of tbe Institute.