HOW WELLINGTON CELEBRATED THE CORONATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1161, 23 June 1911, Page 6

HOW WELLINGTON CELEBRATED THE CORONATION.

FINE DAY AMD WET NIGHT.

RELIGIOUS SERVICES & MILITARY. DISPLAY.

When tho citizens of Wellington first looked out of their" windows yc.-lcrday morning, their sentiment was unusually and remarkably unanimous. The sky was j blue, and they were glad. They had been expecting a continuance of the gloom and tempest, of. the preceding days. Instead, a light northerly was rippling tho newflown. flags, while the unclouded sun silvered the morning misis and made fields of dazzling light, on the waters of the harbour. Pome few of the citizens may have thought of certain words to bp u;ed in on? of the solemn services later in the day—those aneirat sayings which liken a just king lo "the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a lnorniii" without clouds; when the tender gra's spriiigcth out of the earth, through clear shining after rain." But eveu if nobodv thought of the words, everybody was glad and surprised to find the -day beginniiiß with the fairest weather that a Wellington winter has to otrer. II was appropriate for a festival in which loyally and public spirit were to march hand'in hand with pleasure. , The rain which was to come m the evening did not (rouble tho smiling crowds of the sunny hours. People were soon abroad-early commimic'inls coin" to the churches, workmen piKting the \a«t tmiciios to the decors tions, shopkeepers liaiwins out the bunting which the ivid wealher of Wednesday had caused them"to keep within. Before (en o'clock the main streets were lined with toot lin-oirei'S aud heavily-loaded tramcars were pa«in". Mc=t of the people were goiu? southwards lo see or take part in the 'precession and to secure good places for viewiii" the ceremonies at Ivcwtown Park, but "there were, also trnffic-curron'.s towards the Anglican Pro-Cathedral and other churches, where services were held. The decorations in the f-troets wore verv gnv. and for the most part n<. ta-^f;; , - as" Ihey were effective, but nolnble displays by business firms and individuals were somewhat few. The weather of the earlier part of (bo week may have been the reason. The various buildings-of the Government, the Town Hall, and the. ships in tho harbour had the finest shows of loyal ornament. ■ •\ general but not a complete holiday was observed. The grocers' aud a few', other shops were open. Builders were at. work in various parts of the city, and corporation employees were toiling on the new' tramway extension in Customhouse The well-ordered riiilitary and civil processions and the spectacular ceremonies in Kcwtown Park (all fully described below) were a- great popular success. 1-ree picture shows for the children were the feature of tho afternoon, but the sunlit streets were still animated by holidaymakers from town and country. Towards dusk the sky became overcast, the wind changed, and about 7. o'clock came a storm of rain and wind. Tho weather was rough aud broken throughout, the evening, and (he closing features of the programme of- celebrations were abandoned.

whin a king hiiil (n bo. crowned. Some rce-jßin'lion of religion by the Slate was most tli'sirablo in tlio besi interests of tlio noinmonwraUli. Xo thoughtful :»nu could l)e satisfied with Ihe condition of thingfi in this respect in New Zealand, though it was to be loured that I hero could bo no improvement so long ns their unhappy sectarian difl'crenci's continued. At nil events there was no churchman of any denomination in this country.who was not glad that, tit. the Coronation of the King of England there, was throughout so full and clear a. recognition of the Crown rights and the kingdom of Him Who is Kin:; of Kings, and Whose dominion- is from everlasting to everlasting. It might seem to sonic as they rend thn ritual of t'lifl Coronation that (here was something of unreality at various points.' This was the. day, it would bo said, not of king?, but of parliaments and the people, but tlio reigns' of Victoria and (ho jato King Edward sufficed, apart from all other considerations, to show that the Sovereign of Great Britain is charged with duties as solemnly responsible as they are exalted. The King's functions in the State call for ceaseless watchfulness, pnliencr, and labour. His position .-it the summit of'tlio social order was incalculably iminrlant. They did well, therefore, not only to express their loyaltv. but to pra.v for him and the vast nnd beneficent Kmpiro of which ho is Hie head. The faults of the British iwripl« in the past were not. few. nnd their shortcoming in Ihe present were to be deplored by every true patriot:. Yet was it. not true, (hat (he Empire, its faults uol withstanding, stood (and for centuries had stood) for much that is noblest in human history. Tho flag was the emblem hml'qnnr.-liitep of freedom, justice, and equal rights for all nicii. To tho Christiiiu, the Eniuirc was, above all, dear because through its instr.umentalily lin trusted Ihat the passion of Christ would be fulfilled that all men should come to Him as the inspiration of all their right and righteousness. During the King's reinn let Ihcm pray that the Empiro mieht prove- worthy, not only, of its mighty past, but of its liieh calling of. Clod to witness for Him to the. world that a nation's life, consisteth not in tho abundance of the things it possossetli, but. j iu honour and t.nifh and righteousness ■ and flic love that sloops to sacrifice. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCHES. VOTIVE MASSES. A Votive Mass was celebrated in the Basilica of tho Sacred Heart. Hill Street, at !) a.m. yesterday by tho Ecv. Father Hickson. His Grace tin Archbishop celebrated V)tivo Mass nt an earlier hour. Similar services w.?i - o celebrated in all the other lloman Catholic churches of the city. At 2 o'clock in .lie afternoon the church boll; were rung in'th'o' : different parishes in honour of the Coronation. AT THE SYNAGOGUE. ' SERMON BY THE'.KABDI. ■ ■ ' Special prayers and thanksgivings were offered at the Jewish Synagogue, on the Terrace, at 5 o'clock last evening. The order'of Hie service was that prescribed In be. used in the United. Hebrew congregations throughout his. Majesty's Empire ,on 'Coronation Day. Rabbi' Van Staveren preached from I Samuel, xi, 14, 13—tho passage. which records the events when "they made Saul Jung before the Lord in liilgal." The preacher said ihat the Coronation of. the Sovereign was a very ancient institution in the history of the Hebrew people. Saul was first King of Israeli ibilt there '.were; many-; kings,,otEgypt, Edom, and other, countries, before.' any. king, ascended the-throne of Israel. ' The coronation cercmonu-s were described in the Hebrew .books, and a similar cere-, mony was taking place that day in West-, minster Abbey. On the very, spot whereKing George V would.sit I» receive the. crown was the stone on-, which Jacob rested his weary head when he had. quitted his father's house to go on his long journey to the home of his undo Laban, Iho Coronation was n,. solemn consecration of : the new monarch to his high otlicc, but even after he wns crowned nnd anointed he had no power or authority Jo interpret or administer the Word of God. Tho, Kabbi also referred to the ■ practical sym-; pathy shown by tho King and Queen, towards the poor and (he side and - to theiv personal- knowledge, ot tho dillorent countries within their world-widii. realm. He concluded with a solemn .invocation of tho Divine blessing upon th* Throne aud it's occupants. ■