ORANGE CELEBRATIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1863, 13 July 1920, Page 5

ORANGE CELEBRATIONS.

The Municipal Hall was crowded last ni-rht for the invitation social given by the members of L.0.L., No. 18, in commemoration of the event which, 23C years ago, definitely settled the question of the Protestant succession to the throne of Great Britain and Ireland. The hall was gaily decorated with flags and hunting for the occasion, and between 30 nnd 40 members of the bci.lclin.sj Orange Lodge motored over to attend the function, the gathering being said to be the largest assemblage of Orangemen yet held in ’ Palmerston North on such an occasion. An interesting programme ol voca and instrumental items, recitations, and humorous sketches, was gone through, die several performers being liberally encoded, and a stirring address on Orangetsm wnSalivcred by Bro. the Rev. C. W. Duncmnb, who said that he had been asked to speak upon the “tiunlificsitionfc ol an Orangeman, tiiese having being previously recited by the Deputy Master of No. 18, Bro. C. Taylor. Mr Duncumb commented in m toresting fashion upon the principles o) the Order, and concluded with a direct appeal f"j more vigorous Protestant thought, _ and united action, to counter the • political activities of a church, which he did not hesitate to say had, in many ways,-shown its enmity to Protestant ideals. .■, A resolution, which was enthusiastically endorsed by the gathering, was subsequently carried, expressing “deep concern,, for and sympathy with. the. Protestants of Ireland, in tiro present fateful crisis 1 creed upon that unhappv country by the Home Rule legislation of 1914, and the. amending .measure now before the British Honscof C■ominous.” which legislation the resolution affirmed “is largely responsible for the rebellion and unrest so conspicuously apparent in Ireland during the last six^ years.” J ne resolution further expressed its “apjrroeiation of the efforts made by Sir Edward Carson, and his collagucs. of the Ulster Unionist Council, to preserve the unity of the throe kingdoms ol England, Ireland and Scotland, and the Principality of Wales,” and its belief that “the safety and welfare of the British Empire are inseparably hound up In the maintenance- of that unify.” Yet further it expressed (he conviction that “any attempt to perpetuate the existence of the so-called ‘Republic of Ireland’ must inevitably tend to bring about the - disruption of the Empire and result in dire peril to its Protestant, peoples.” Copies of the motion wore directed bv a further resolution to he sent to Mr Lloyd George, Sir Edward Carson and Mr Massey, the latter to bo informed that the mooting emphatically endorsed the protest recently made by the Christchurch Council of Churches against the separatist propaganda. of the New Zealand Tablet, the official organ of the Roman Catholic Church in the Dominion. The programme, which opened with the National Anthem, was brought to a close about ten o’clock, when supper war, served to ihe assembled guests, a dance following, which was kept up with much spirit til! an early hour in the morning.