Memorial Services.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 6917, 28 January 1901, Page 2

Memorial Services.

It was only to be expected that the general feeling of regret at the death, of Queen Victoria would find expression at the Memorial Church services yesterterday, the congregations at which were the largest ever seen in the district, while the official signs of mourning were universally worn. We cannot remember a time when the feeling of sadness was so evident as on this occasion, while in some of the churches tears were freely shed as the preachers' eloquence touched the hearts of their hearers. The most prominent service, from the public point of view, was that held at

ALL SAINTS'.

Punctually at 10.30 yesterday morning, the Manawatu Mounted Rifles, under Lieut. Pringle, the Palmerston North Rifles, under Captain Mounsey, and the Palmerston North Band, under Bandmaster Meyrick, marched from Coleman Place where the "fall in," was sounded, to All Saints' Church, where an "InMemorian" service in connection with the lamented death of Queen Victoria was conducted by the Bey. C. C. Harper. Included in the parade were several veterans, both English and Colonial, comprising Captains Gardner and Preece, Lieut. Bell, and Messrs West, Batchelar and others. The members of the Borough Council and Mr F. Firani, M.H.E., were also present in their official capacity, occupying a pew j immediately in front of the military. The church was densely packed, seating accommodation being at a premium in all parts of the building. Beyond heavy drapery on a Union Jack hanging just behind the pulpit, and black ribbon on the lectern ana altar cloths, the Church was not draped, but nearly everyone in the congregation wore the mourning prescribed by the Government regulations. . The Bey. H. F. Wilson read the morning prayers most impressively. The vicar, the Bey. C. C. Harper, preached a fine and imEressive sermon taking as his text the fe of the Queen, which he aptly decribed as a text in itself. Prefacing his address with the remark that he intended f- •' -1 mor» particularly with the Queen aj a sovereign, than her personality, which he spoke upon at the evening service, the rev. gentleman pointed out the love and respect which was entertained for Her Majesty as a Queen not only in England, but throughout Europe and America. She had at all times been spoken of as "The Queen." ijlt hod not been necessary to describe her as Queen Victoria. No sovereign had ever had the love and respect not only from her own great Empire, which she 1 under God had been the means of building up, but from the whole world. Ec- ! ferring to the Queen's personal appearI ance, the rev. gentleman stated she was | not beautiful in the ordinary sense of the word, she was small in stature, but her expression 'was such that men and women in her presence felt they were in i the presence of a Queen. She had taken up the reins of Government at the I age of 18 years when other girls had hardly completed their tuition, and took lit up at a fame when the English Crown | was by no means respected by Englishmen themselves. Comparisons were drawn between her character and that of George UL The luxury, profligacy and laziness which had distinguished George's reign were dwelt upon, together with the obstinacy shown by him in connection with the United States of America, which ultimately lost to Britain the American Republic and earned (it could have been said a few years ago) American hatred. Geerge 111 in this I matter had overruled the great Pitt, though no stronger statesman than the, latter had ever lived. He constrasted the action of George HI in this matter with that of the Queen in regard to Lord Palmerston, another strong statesman, but whom she ultimately removed from Lord John Bussell's Ministry, as showing the power for ill or good even [of a constitutional monarch. Reference was made at length to the powerful factor | for peace the Queen had always been, and also to the singular immunity England had always enjoyed from anarchy. Her life in that respect was contrasted with that of the King of Italy, recently shot by an anarchist, the Czar of Russia, who was in daily dread, while e»-en the Prince of Wales had been shot at on the Continent. Proceeding the rev. gentleman referred to the respect the King was now held in, and though unfortunately it had not always been so with some people who set themselves up as censors, there were temptations placed in the way of one in his position which made I it most difficult to judge his conduct by the ordinary standard. Throughout the course of the Vicar's remarks he was listened to with the greatest attention and interest, and seldom has a more eloquent and touching peroration been delivered in the church.

During the service appropriate hymns were used, and a portion of the service for the burial of the dead was read, as well as prayers authorised by the Bishop and published by us on Saturday. At the close of the service the congregation remained standing while the "Dead March in Saul" was played by the organist, Mr A. Drew, in a masterly manner.

In the evening, the Rev. Mr Harper again conducted the service. He continued his remarks on the death of the Queen from the personal point of view and also referred to the duty of everyone in honoring the King. After speaking of Her Majesty's many virtues, he said he thought the British Empire had been given a mission in the world—a Etission to take the Bible to the many thousands in the Empire who had never heard the word of God. Queen Victoria had surely been raised up by God for the furtherance of that mission, and while kmenfang her death, they should thank God forone so great and good, lhe hymn, " When our heads are bowed m woe, Tennyson's "Crossing the Bar, and others for the burial of the dead were sung during the service, and again the "Dead March" was played at tne conclusion.