ODD-FELLOWS' ANNIVERSARY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume II, Issue 1, 2 January 1867, Page 2

ODD-FELLOWS' ANNIVERSARY.

Yesterday the members of the Ho wariNfc* and Nelson lodges in this town, hel^3| their twenty-fourth anniversary. An ar« ? rangemeut had been made that the Forest* f er's with whom and the Odd-Fellows there i had not existed the most cordial feeliu^s' v should join in the procession. According <"$ the united orders with banner* wavuio- I and marching to the music of Mr. Speed's I drum and fife band, paraded the streets of \ the town, accompanied by a goodly nutn- "*■ ber of citizens with their wives and chil- • dreri. In the evening about 120 OddFellows, Foresters, and friends of both' orders sat down to an excellent dinner in the Odd-Fellows' Hall, provided by Mr. Pickard of this town. P. P. G. M. Gra" ha n officiated as chairman, and Mr. R. Burn, of the Foresters, vice-chairman. It was considered a fortunate circumstance *• that the two bodies had united on this oc- j casion, and it was understood that the \ OJd-Fellows intended to reciprocate the £ good feeling on the occasion of the Fores- p ters anniversary in February next. * On the cloth being removed, the chairman gave the first toast, " The Queen " k which was well received, the company * standing and singing the National Anthem, i P. P. G. M. Percy, leading in capital style with the melody. The health of the : \ Prince and Princess of Wales, and the rest .: of the royal family, and his Excellency the Governor, was drunk with enthusiasm, " ' and was followed by a song, « The Eng- ': lishman," well suug by P. P. G. M. Percy. *i The chairman gave next The Army?' and Navy, Militia and Volunteers. He • remarked that united they were a formi- '||L dable body, and the Volunteers were not, JH the least important. The toast was wel&9 received. ;< "1B Captain Wigzell, of the Cadet Corps, : re-'' I sponded. He was confident that the forcdW although now comparatively small, wouldi^H soon be increased in number, and was--/H pretty well certain that the Volunteers if 1 ' 1 ever called upon, would not fail to do / their duty. P. C. Ranger Joseph East^l sang " My Bold Bloodhound," with great ?' taste and feeling. „'^j P. P. G. M. Percy said he had been^ pressed to propose a toast in a somewhat^C unceremonious way, and he had no time- f to collect his thoughts so as to do justice ;/ to the subject. The toast was " The 'U Grand Master and the Board of Directors." £f They stood in the same relation to the -,| body that the Colonial Secretary aud 1b Executive did to the Government, and jj[ they were most importaut officers in thiattfl respect. They ruled the main body of^B Odd-Fellows throughout the world, and .V their importance would be recognised!] when it was remembered that there°were ' at least 350,000 members in the order, $ double the number the New Zealand % Executive, had to rule over, including £ both the native and European population! f To the Board of Directors the order was I indebted for their regulations, good ! government, and any success that followed. f It was manifest that a few good heads were required to secure a proper management^' 7 of affairs. These men were selected "nor ),'' as the Executive of New Zealand was, for I their political predilections, but for their I administrative and other good qualities. | Once a year all the district? in England ' ' might send a member if they chose,°from V which the Executive was to be selected,! ' and who governed the large body of Odd-f Fellows throughout the world. These! ' officers then were carefully selected, theyjl; were, the best that could possibly be at--^ tained, there could be no doubt of their^# competence and capacity of discharging!^ the important duties required of them.°HeJ§ had the greatest confidence, therefore, thadl - the meeting would join heartily in theji toast of the Grand Master and Board of I Directors of the Manchester Unity of the;! Independent Order of Odd-Fellows.j| (Cheers.) The toast was received withlf', the honors of the order. H A song by Mr. Pratt, the " Shells of '^ the Ocean," — followed ', JBj P. G. Lane proposed the next toast,|^l after complaining that no time had been J allowed him to do justice to the subject, t The toast was-—" The officers and brothers | of neighboring districts." The toast was I received with the honors of the order. Mr. -Thomas 'Mills sang "The Distant % Prairie." i P. G. "Webb said he was in the same t' category as some . previous speakers, in x being called on, without notice, to.propose a toast, "The past and present dis-t- ! office^ of the Nelson disti-ict." Hejjj bad pleasure in proposing the toast adH

most of the gentlemen referred to were his personal friends with whom he had been closely associated during the last 18 years, and was sure they had always done their duty to the order. In leference to the large body the Odd-fellows had now become he thought Mr. Percy had underestimated their numbers wliich were at least 380,000. most of whom had wives and families. He was glad that politics were prohibited at these meetings or he might be tempted to express a wish that the framers of the New Zealand Constitution had followed the example of the Oddfellows in framing a government for the isolated places of the country. He sympathised on what had been said in praise of the head officers of the order, but was sure the meeting would agree with him that great credit was due to the officers he now referred to for the great care and attention they bad shown in the managemeut of the affairs of the various district lodges. They had carried out the principles, and conducted the business of the order in the most careful manner aud were entitled to the warmest thanks of the body. The toast was receive with the honors of the order. P.C.S. Edwards responded, thanking the company for the cordial way in which the toast had been received, and pledging himself that the officers in question would always discharge their duties to the best ! of their ability. Mr Plummer sang " Norah, the pride of Kildare." P.C.S. Edwards said he had been requested to propose the next toast — " Prosperity to the Widows and Orphans Fund" in the Nelson district. He thought this was the best feature of the society, and one that had effected a great amount of pood. During the last two years £227 lls had been expended on this object, and a balance now remained of £600. From 10 to 11 widows had been relieved, with from 20 to 25 children. He was glad to find tbe increase both of the numbers and funds of the order, and trusted it would continue to increase and alleviate on a greater scale thau ever the sufferings of those who had claims upon it (cheers). Song — " The robbers of the glen'' by Mr Geo. Dickens. PG. Joseph Harley proposed "All kindred societies." He complained of the short notice given to himself and others •who were expected to propose toasts and hoped the toast would be better received than it was when he proposed it two years ago. He thanked the Foresters for their co-operatiou that day, and trusted that it was the commencement of a cordial and lasting feeling that should always animate societies^ between whom, if there was a distinction there was no difference. Both aimed at the same object, and were influenced by the same principles, and he trusted that on all future occasions the festivities would be characterised by that union -which ought to exist between bodies who sought to attain a common object. The toast was received with musical honors. A comic song by the chairman was received with great favor. The vice-chairman responded to the previous toast. He said he was proud of that day's proceedings. The union of the Foresters and Odd-Fellows was a proper one, as their objects were the same, aud their aims one. The aim of both was to sympathise with suffering humanity, to relieve the sick and comfort those who mourned. The advantages of such societies were seen not here only but in our native laud, where during the failure of the cotton trade large sums were subscribed to relieve the prevailing distress which diminished the pressure on the British Government, by the prompt and energetic manner in which the succour was afforded. He hoped the same benevolent principles would continue to characterise all such societies, and that they would unite with one heart to drive the beggar from the door, and assist their fellow men (applause). P. G. Webb sang "Beautiful West." The V. Chairman, gave "The city and trade of 'Nelson," of the former, he was ready to speak, but he was not much acquainted with the latter. The city was compact and thev were proud of it, they admired its lovely spots aud loved to linger around them, and though it was called «* a sleepy hollow," they did not mind "that, it was a snug little city, and they delighted to! dwell in it. As to its wealth and - commercial, prosperity, they would like to see it increase and doubted not it

would when railway communication was established with the West Coast goldfields. Let the snort of the iron-horse be heard passing through our valleys, and an impulse would be given to the prosperity of Nelson, of which we have now but a faint conception (cheers.) Mr. Elliott responded at considerable length. Other toasts were given, including " the ladies," " the press," " the chairman, V. chairman," and other songs sung by the gentlemen present. The conviviality was kept up till a late hour. In reference to the number, of members in the Order of Odd- fellows. P. C. S. Edwards iuforms that on the Ist January, 1866, the number was 387,990.