STATE CEREMONY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 111, 12 May 1937, Page 10

STATE CEREMONY

AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE

HOMAGE TO KING

LOYAL ADDRESSES

Amid the cheers of the vast assembly, the Governor-General (Lord Galway), attended by his staff, drove up to the dais, and after inspecting the naval and military guards of honour, took his place on the dais. Associated with his Excellency on the platform were the Acting Prime Minister (the Hon. P. Fraser) and Mrs. Fraser, the Minister of Lands (the Hon. F. Langstone) and Mrs. Langstone, the Post-master-General (the Hon. F. Jones) and Mrs. Jones, the Minister of Public Works (the Hon. K. Semple) and Mrs. Semple, the Minister of Railways (the Hon. D. G. Sullivan), the AttorneyGeneral (the Hon. H. G. R. J&ason) and Mrs. Mason, the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Lr. Martin) and Mrs. Martin, the Leader of the Legislative Council (the Hon. M. Fagan), the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) and Lady Myers, the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) and Mrs. Hislop, the Bishop of Wellington (the Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe Holland) and. Mrs. Holland, the Bishop of Aotearoa (the Rt. Rev. F. A. Bennett), the Rev. D. D. Scott and Mrs. Scott, the Rev. L. J. Boulton-Smith and Mrs. Boulton-Smith, Rabbi S. Katz and Mrs. Katz, Captain R. D. Oliver, R.N., Major-General J. E. Duigan, the Speaker of the Legislative Council (Sir Walter Carncross) and Lady Carncross. The hymn "All People That ,on Earth Do Dwell," with band accompaniment, was impressively sung. , "HALLOWING OF THE KING." "Brethren, we are met together to add our prayers to the thoughts of countless multitudes whose minds are turning at this time to one of the most sacred places in the history of our race —the Abbey Church of St. Peter at Westminster," said Bishop ' Bennett. "Thither our King and Queen are coming to receive from God the anointing which seals their life's service and bestows God's grace for its fulfilment, and the crowns which are the emblems of their royal state. They will come as other kings andqueens before them have come for a thousand years. Each prayer, each act in the solemn rite, is rich in memories of the long history through which by God's Providence the Monarchy of this realm has been preserved. • "Yet it is no mere relic of the past. It speaks still- of kingship as a trust received from God. It speaks now of the hallowing of the King for the service of God and of the people not in Great Britain only but in all his Dominions overseas. Today, in a manner hitherto unknown in history, the Kirig will come to his consecration and his crowning accompanied by his people. For by a marvel of science millions of them throughout the world will be able to listen to the noble words which lay his great charge upon him as if they themselves were present in the Abbey Church of Westminster; .'■ « ■ "In another and far deeper sense he bears his people with him. For he is their representative. With him and through -him they too are called to consecrat* the life of nation and Empire to the, service of the King of Kings. Wherefore let us now prepare our hearts and minds that we may worthily associate ourselves with our, King and Queen on this great day." Rabbi Katz read a passage from' the First Book of Kings, Chapter 111, beginning at verse four, and ending ■with verse sixteen. The following prayer, specially composed for the occasion, was offered by the Rev. D. D. Scott:— "Almighty and Everlasting God who upholdest and governest all things in Thy wisdom, by Thy power, and according to Thy love, we humbly beseech Thee to preserve the life of Thy servant, George our King. Impart to him day by day the assurance that Thou art near him in Thy Fatherly mercy. In the duties that press upon him enable him to accomplish ; that which is pleasing to Thee. Grant that he may ever do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Thee, "our Gpd. Throughout reign may he enjoy the full-hearted loyalty of all his people. So enrich his heart with heavenly grace that he may adorn the Throne, and when his earthly service' closes may he enter into the possession of an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away: through Jesus Christ, our Lord. "Almighty God, the Fountain of all goodness, "give ear, we beseech Thep, to our prayers, and multiply Thy blessings upon Thy servant Elizabeth, consecrated in Thy Name to be our Queen; defend her evermore from all dangers, spiritual and bodily; make her a great example of virtue and piety, and a blessing to this.Empire* through Jesus Christ, our Lord. ■, . ■ "O God the FatHer, from Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, we thank Thee for the Royal Home. We entreat Thee to favour the Princesses with all protection and comfort. May Thy Spirit enlighten their souls with true vision, and let Thy good hand be with them in air the responsible tasks before them, and having done all things well may they obtain eternal glory: Jesus Christ, our Lord. "O God, the Creator and Lord of all, we pray for, the. widely-scattered Empire over which our King is appointed to reign. May all the people dwell to-

gether in unity. Let -no disruptive forces clastroy our peace. May all rulers and statesmen accept the great trust Thou has given into their hand, and do Thou enable them to be just and merciful in all their ways. Thy Kingdom come: through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Chapter XIII of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans was read by the Rev. L. J. Boulton-Smith. "PRAYERS OF MILLIONS." "Our thoughts and our prayers are all centred on this great day in the Capital City of the Empire where the great ceremony of the Coronation of the King is being carried out," said his Excellency the Governor-General. "Westminster Abbey—'the nation's Valhalla' —is, by custom, the scene of this great ceremony. Beneath its grey arches happenings have taken place for hundreds of years: Kings and statesmen, men of letters and learning have worshipped in that Abbey during their life, and have passed through the great west door after their passing to be buried in that place sacred to the nation's memories. And within that Abbey within recent years was buried the Unknown Warrior to remind us that the representative of those who fell in the war was buried among, the Kings. . ) ■ ■ "Today, that procession will leave Buckingham1 Palace, bringing the King to his crowning, and we can imagine- with what feelings the deep emotion of his Majesty will be as he passes through the crowded streets and through a people filled with emotion, We know full well that he is determined to follow in the footsteps of his father, who for twenty-five years reigned in a most exemplary manner as a constitutional Monarch and raised the. prestige of the English Crown to a height never before reached. "We can follow in our thoughts his Majesty and her Majesty as they pass up Westminster Abbey to the scene of their crowning—to the seat in the sanctuary, the flagstones fi which are placed on ground from the Holy Land brought by \the Crusaders 600 years ago. There will take place the anointing of the King—a ceremony that goes back- thousands of years; and following that, takes place the Coronation, when the great Crown of England is placed on his Majesty's brow. At that moment the thunder of the guns'announces that the King is crowned, and a feeling of thrill, and enthusiasm, and joy will spread to the enormous multitudes of people in London. Then his Majesty and her Majesty will drive through the streets of London with crowds of people watching them, and it will- be the only time the people will see them going through the streets of London with their Crowns on their heads. .'■■'■ "Not only the,good wishes, but the prayers of millions will be with them in the promises they made that they will reign for the good of their people: in that they will follow a magnificent example. It is well sometimes to remember the words of Tennyson: 'Not once or twice in our rough island story, the path of duty was the way to glory.'" ,'' ■■■■'■ MR. FRASER'S ADDRESS. "Today New Zealand has the honour of leading in point of time the worldwide celebration by the. nations of the British Commonwealth of the crowning of the King and Queen," said Mr. Fraser. "Remote geographically from the heart of the Commonwealth —from the motherland, yet we are privileged today to be the first British nation to proclam our affection, regard, and esteem for, and loyalty to, King George and Queen Elizabeth, both of whom occupy such a prominent, assured, and cherished place in, the hearts of the people of New Zealand of both races, and who have been called' to such a high, honourable, arid responsible position at the head of the great British democracy—of the, greatest. association of democratic nations that the world has seen; ■•■■• "Along with the people of the other Dominions, Crown colonies, dependencies, and mandated territories, we proffer our sincere wishes for a happy and prosperous reign, a reign and a prosperity that we hope and believe will be marked and measured not by gaudy ostentatious show, not by flaunting of power, not by menace to other nations, not by blind and dangerous trust in 'reeking tube and iron shard'; but by firm adherence to fundamental principles of democracy; by faithfulness to the functions of constitutional Monarchy; by loyalty to the interests of the peoples, Who are so proud to proclaim them as King and Queen today; by the assurance of: an adequate and guaranteed standard of comfort, of happiness, and contentment in the homes of the people generally; and by the consistent and convinced proclamation and implementing of faith in human brotherhood and world peace, and their promotion through a" strengthened and reinspired League of Nations, v THE GENERAL GOOD. "We, all of us, believe.this day ihat our Sovereign and his Queen will help in promoting whatever is for the general good, that;' as expressed in the words ;of the National Anthem, they will defend the people's laws and ever give us cause to offer prayers with heart and voice lor their material and spiritual %yell-being. "Twenty-six years ago. King George the Fifth, was crowned. His, was a memorable reign, and the people of New Zealand will commemorate it generously with a fitting and worthy memorial, conceived with insight and a true understanding of the late monarch's concern for the welfare of the children, and which will* confer incalculable, blessings on our little ones. "The period of that reign was wonderful, as well at notable. It saw the world rise to great heights and sink to great depths; greater heights and greater depths probably than ever before in history. Alongside of the great advance of science and technical knowledge dedicated to the advancement of the race, came scientific and technical knowledge and discovery applied to the extermination of mankind. Along with great strides in human betterment came the overwhelming tragedy of the World War with its unprecedented toll of devastation, death, and suffering. Along with great' achievements in the winning of wider freedom and liberty in many lands, came the overthrow of democracy, the crushing of freedom, and the enthronement of tyranny in other lands. "The reign of King George the Fifth, was a reign marked by great achievement and great movements for good and ill and fraught with mighty conse-' quences for the human race. The period of the reign of King George the Sixth is likely to hold but even greater possibilities for weal or woe. Nations like our own, like the British Commonwealth, desiring to find peace and pursue it, anxious and willing to join in general disarmament and to establish through the League of Nations universal law and order based upon good will, co-operation, and mutual help and accommodation, are yet compelled to pay attention to armaments and defeu-

sivj measures. It is surely regrettable that even in our far southern seas we are driven by circumstances over which we can exercise no effective control to adopt precautionary measures, even as we have to provide against famine, pestilence, or earthquake. Such measures are not to be glorified; their present, and, I hope, passing inevitability is to be deplored. But the democratic nations of the British Commonwealth, indeed those of the world generally, cannot be allowed to perish. They must be maintained and strengthened mainly by the love of and devotion to true principles of human progress and advancement, deep-rooted in the minds, hearts, and consciences of their peoples. "The British people, the people of New Zealand, have declared for democracy with no uncertain voice. We extend the right hand of fellowship and good will to all lands, and to all peoples without distinction .of clime, race, creed, or colour, but we are determined that as far as we are concerned 'government of the 'people, for the people, and by the people' shall not perish from the earth. FLAME OF FREEDOM. "In our own land we can most truly help democracy by, making it a valued and living reality, by extending its principles from political to social ana economic conditions, by ensuring that 'with flame of freedom in our hearts and light of science in our eyes' we will take full advantage- of the means, opportunities, and potentialities available to us to Duild up an even greater nation—great in the prosperity, peace, and plenty that will prevail within our shores and in our homes, great in the knowledge that poverty. and the overshadowing fear of /poverty have been banished from our midst for ever—and that every man, woman, and child in the Land of the Long White Cloud are assured of the means of attaining a full, free, useful, cultured, and happy life. If we can achieve that inspiring, that noble objective, then New Zealand will be the brightest jewel in the Commonwealth Coronet. "In that spirit of hope, confidence, determination, and faith in the future; the spirit that was so characteristic of the pioneers of our land, who, with indomitable courage and perseverance subdued the wilderness, turned the desert places into smiling fields and gardens, who made barrenness blossom like the rose, who made the rough places smooth for their successors, and who well and truly laid the foundations of our nationhood; in that spirit we offer our King and Queqn on this, their Coronation Day, the heartfelt affection and loyalty of the people of New Zealand, both Maori and pakeha. We believe that this offer from a devoted and , progressive people still working out their own salvation in the light of their own . genius, will be accepted as a precious gift by them, because it conveys something far more eloquent than words,- and more precious than rubies, something that transcends any attempt at material embodiment, something, indeed, that wells up spontaneously from the depth of the people's'feelings and can only be adequately conveyed from heart to heart in the universal language of sympathy and understanding.' That gift we proffer to their Majesties. : "On this day we unite with the people of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland, of Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Indiai and all parts of: the-British Commonwealth, in wishing King George and Queen Elizabeth a beneficial and happy reign. Today they will receive the united honour and homage of millions in the British Commonwealth of Nations. Good will will be extended to them from the other nations great and small. We believe that they will carry on and enhance the traditions of our limited monarchy and will ever have the welfare of their many peoples at heart. Their reign will be a reign "broadbased upon the people's will," the most secure and honoured and enduring reign. Only a few can participate in or even witness the Coronation ceremony, -but all can share in sending greetings and best wishes to their Majesties. They will be crowned in Westminster Abbey today; but they will be enthroned in the hearts of the British people, everywhere." THE CITY'S LOYALTY. "There has been allotted to me a period of five minutes within which to express on behalf of my fellowcitizens their feelings of loyalty to the Throne and their personal love and affection for the King and Queen upon this great and historic occasion," said the Mayor : (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop). "I feel when I look at this great, gathering of'the people of Wellington ■ and when I look with you through the streets of our city and see them bedecked as they are and know that tonight they will burst into a blaze of light, I feel that few words of mine are necessary to interpret their feelings of loyalty and love, but it is meet that we should consider the nature of this day, when the King and Queen go to dedicate themselves in the ancient Abbey of Westminster unto God and the service of the people over whom they are called to reign. "Think of what is this day occurring throughout the world, in every quarter of the north, south, east, and west, through every creed and every colour, in vast gatherings of millions upon millions of people, owing allegiance to the British Crown, to follow in' their minds the Sovereign as he goes to his crowning with feelings from the depths of their hearts of affection, regard, and loyalty. I venture to suggest to you that no greater event than this has ever taken place in the material history of the world. "Looking back upon the development of the British people under the Constitution as we know it and over the part' that Parliament has taken for the advancement of mankind throughout the world, looking upon history and seeing how, gradually broadening, from precedent to precedent, the liberties of mankind have grown and how the happiness of men, women, and children through the ages.have become greater and greater, cannot we now take inspiration from such a day as this, a sacred day in our national history? Let us resolve that this act of our King in dedicating himself to the service of his people shall lead each one of us to work honourably, each,-in his respective sphere,, at the tasks that iare before this city, in a spirit of unity, selflessness, and in a spirit recognising the great past, and we will move on as a united people towards the greater development and the greater happiness of the world. If we so resolve, then we can give a full and real and loving meaning to the words, 'God Save the King, God Save the Queen.'" PRAYER AND BENEDICTION. ' The following prayer was given by the Bishop of Wellington:— "O Lord our God, Who upholdest and governest all things by the word of Thy power; receive our humble prayers for ,our Sovereign Lord, King George; and as Thou dost this day set a crown of pure gold upon his head, so let wisdom be his guide and let Thine arm strengthen him; let truth and justice, holiness and righteousness, peace and charity, abound in his days; direct all his counsels and endeavours to Thy glory; and. the wel-

fare of his subjects; give us grace to obey him cheerfully for conscience sake, and let him always possess the hearts of his people. Let his reign be long and prosperous and crown him with everlasting life in the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." The Bishop also pronounced the following Benediction: — "Go forth into the world in peace. Honour all men: love the brotherhood: fear God, Honour the King. v And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit be amongst you and remain with you always." The National Anthem was then played by the band, and at the call of the Governor-General three cheers were tumultuously given for their Majesties. Before his departure his Excellency took the salute from .the march past.