ST. STEPHEN'S ORPHAN HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1400, 13 May 1868, Page 4

ST. STEPHEN'S ORPHAN HOME.

Last evening a musical soiree was held in the Volunteer Drill Shed, near the Albert Barracks, in aid of ( the abovo institution. There was a very fashionable and crowded audience. lady Bowen was amongßt the ladies present. Tea was served at Bix o'clock, the trays being provided by the ladies of the respective parishes of fet. Paul's, St. Mary's, Parnell; St Matthew «. ffobeonstr»et; St. Sepulchre's Symonds- treet ; All Saints, Ponsonbv Road; and St. Mark s, liemiiera. The which makes the institution at present in need of assistance, may be briefly stated as follows: —The Provincial Government were used to pay £10 a-voarto the institution for each child received on the recommendation of the Superintendent, which amount was paid until the child was ten years of On this arrangement übout thirty-fire childron hid been received. Kecently, owing to the circumstances of the Government, to which it is not neces«arv to advert, this allowance has been renuced to £5" per annum. As the cost of maintaining each child is nearly £15 a-year, the institution has found it necessiry to solicit public aid. The following ladies furnished tho trays : — St Pauls. —Mesdames Lloyd, Fenton, and Flower. St.' Mary's, Parnell—Lady Martin, Mesdames Ni'hill Ireland, Edgar, Kenny, R. Wood, and Lush. St. ' Matthew's. — Mesdames, Walker, Hnnper, Sndlier, Fames, Brown, Sadiier, Doonin, tVrigg, Vernon, Morrin, Maude, G. Graham, '.'oppct, Cadman. Madden, Doonin, Stannus Jones, Miss Karnes, the Misses "Vickers. St. Sepulchres. — Mesdames Dudley, Butterhold, Miss Lysnar. ' St. Marks (Remuora). —Mesdames Lisle ani lieyThere was a very excellent choir, composed of the performing members of the Choral Society, under tho conduct of Mr. Joseph Brown. ~,,,, , . The Rev, Dr. Maun Sell was called to tho chair, and said he regretted exceedingly that he to whom the Institution owed its origin, was not amongst them that evening to preside over tho meeting. Thiy would remember the building in which the Institution had first found shelter, and which had now crown to be as large as St. Stephens itself. 1 hat magnificent building had been built entirely by priVate munificence. Tlioße who would visit the Institution would learn there were some sixty children to be maintained, clothed, and educated. 1 hose children were the admiration of the people,, especially the poor, as they went to Church on the Skbbath day, on account of their cleanly and healthy look and their orderly behaviour, evidencing the effectiveness of christian training. All this had been tho • result of the co-operation of christian friends. It showed the Institution touched a cord of human svmpathy which vibrated in every heart. Brit in order that success should be continued to thorn, they should have faith in tho fcather of tho Fatherless, and in the operation of that power ot christian love whi-h He pours into the hearts of rfis people The whole aspect of the Institution testified the economy and sound judgment with which it was administered. It had had its trial, but it had overcome them. It had its great trial at that moment, but with perseverance and christian fortitude that would also bo overcome. They wero all aware that the Government had entered into a contract with the Manager of the Institution to pay £10 a y«ar tow' ll '" 3 the maintenance of each child received on Th-" maintenance of each child cost nearly £la. But the Government bad now said, "We are now too poor, we cannot give you £10; we can give you only £5 You have the children and we car.not take them back." It was felt that the whole strength of tLe Institution was absorbed in providing for its own children. The Government had, however, given it about thirtv-five children, and although the In-titution could not afford to keep them, the Government could not take them hack Let anvene imagine what it would be to find half adozen hungry children in his house one fine morning as an addition to his own family, without the means to support them, and without the heart to turn them out of doors. He (Dr. Maunsell) was reminded of the saying of the Psalmist, " Put not J°^ r princes, nor in any of the sons of ni-n Indeed, he thought the sooner the institution disconnected itself from the Government, and relied entirely on the great affluence of Christianity, which had never been found to fail in the performance of good works the better. (Ohoera.) It was well known what had been done by private contributions during the If.st years. One gentleman alone had given a sum of £25. He knew also tlxero were individuals in that room who had the ability to collect twice that sum, and who would not only do that, but were prepared to double their own contributions at the same time. (Cheers.) The Rev. Archdeacon Lloyd road the report for the year as follows: — " Rbfort

"Of the Managers of the Orphan Home for the year ending March 31, 1888. " At the close of the financial year, March 31, 1863, there were S9 children in the Orphan Home. During the past year 24: children were admitted into the institution, and 20 were removed from it. Of t'neee latter some were removed by their relatives, and some were put out into respectable families. The managers are happy to bo enabled to state that the accounts they havo hitherto received of the conduct of the children who have been put oat from the Orphan Home into private families have been without exception satisfactory.

" The health of the children in the institution during the past year has been remarkably good. There has not been one case of eeriohs illness. A 1 the sanitary arrangements of the Orphanage are under the charge of Dr. Goldtbro', who gives his professional assistance gratuitously —visiting the Home, inspecting its arrangements, and attending the sick.

" The managers regret the loss to the institution of Miss Brothers, who has just resigned her office of matron of the Orphan Hotno. They feel that a large measure of its present efficiency is due to the conscientious and conciliatory 'manner in which she uniformly discharged the duties of her office. They trust that the newly-appointed matron, Mis 3 Hull, will prove equally efficient. '' The average number of children maintained in the Home during the year ending March 31, 1868, has been 58. It will be 6een by the of accounts that the total cost of th'i establishment dnring the same period was £854 14s 4d The average cost, therefore, of this maintemraco of each child during the year has been £'4 14s BJ. For this sum a child may be housed, well fed, clothed, and instructed in the Orphan Home, and receive at the same time all tho inestimable advantages of a well ordered Christian home. This expenditure is considerably leas in proportion than that of similar institutions in the neighbouring colonies of Australia. It appeals by the last annual report of the St. Vincent Orphanage, in Melbourne, that there were 250 children maintained there at a total cost of £4,200, which gives £16 16s as the average cost of each child. The average would, of course, be considerably increased over the comparatively small number of children that are maintained in the Orphan Home.

"It will also be seen by the Treasurer's account that the receipts during the half-year have amounted to £964 4s 7d. "Of this amount £510 Xss 4d was contributed by the Provincial Government. This latter Bum consists partly of the half rations allowed by the Government to destitute children, which the Superintendent in this case kindly gives in money in lieu of rations, partly of an allowance of £10 per annum for each child received into the institution on the recommendation of the Provincial authorities. "The Managers regret to report that, on the "21st of last February they received a lotter from the Provincial Secretary informing them that, in consequence of the amount voted by the Provincial Council for the relief of the poor, and for the maintfinanco of orphans and destitute children, being in°uffic : ent lor the purpose, the Provincial Government would be unable to continue the allowance of £10 per'annum for each child admitted under their authority, and that after the close of that month only half that amount would be allowed. In reply to this letter the Manager reminded His Honor the Superintendent that all such children as were admitted into the Orphan Home, under the authority of the Provincial Government, were . admitted in consequence of an express arrangement proposed in the first instance by the Provincial Government itself and agreed to by the managers, the terms of which arrangement were that £10 per annum should be paid ior the maintenance of each child received into the Institute on the recommendation of ,the Superintendent, and that children continued toi be received on these terms up to a recent date, two haying been admitted so late as the sth of this month, at; the close of which the reduction was- proposed to be made. ■ The managers further : stated, that as the Institution, possessed no endowment whatever J it was entirely dependent for. its inpport upon jth* voluntary contributions of tb« public upon the

allowance hitherto made by the Provincial Government. It would be out of their power to maintain the children at tho re iuoed rate of £5, the piesent Co6t of their maintenance being nearly £15 per annum each. They not unreasonably, thersfore, requested his Honor the Superintendent to reconeidor bis proposal, and at least to continue the usual payment of £10 per annum for all such children as were already admitted under his authority until theyconld be put out advantageously. To this the .Superintendent replied that lie regretted tho Government had no funds at their disposal, which would viinit of their paying a higher rate than the sum proposed. " In consequence of thiß Berious reduction, the e is now in the Orphan Home a much larger number of children" lhan"'its' funds will maintain. The manager therefore felt compelled, however reluctantly, to reduce tho number of children to about 30, or at most 35, that is, tb noarly one-half. At tho same time they feel strongly ttint this painful necessity ought not to have been imposed upon them. " It is, to say the least of it, a short sighted policy, which would allow childron whom 'rovidunce has deprived of their parents ill their early childhood to grow up uncared for and neglected. Such children are apt to become, in after life, the principal source of crime and disorder in the community, aB well as of expense to the Government. The annual expenditure in tHe mother country upon prisons and convict establishments, upon criminal prosecutions nnd police, exclusive of all judicial establishments, exceeds two millions. five millions are annually absorbed in England and Wales in tho maintenance of the poor laws, and nearly half that amount in Ireland and Scotland. Immense sums are also spent upon hospitals nnd lunatic asylums. But it is well known that far the greater portion of all tho crime, indigence and disease, which render these establishments necessary, is occasioned by the neglect of good training in early youth. How much better it would be for the Government to endeavour to prevent these gigantic evil* by the proper training of the young ? Who can estimate the benefits that would accrue to the country by such a course, whether wo rogard the ultimate saving of its resources, or tho peaco, prosperity, and happiness of the community ?

" In the colonies, whero so many peop'e are drawn I together from all parts of the British Kmpiro, it fre- | quently happens that when children a-e deprived of the support of their parents, either through death or through infirmities, they haTe no relatives in tho colony capable of taking charge of them. They are therefore necessarily thrown upon e public for their maintenance and training. Tn consequence of the large number of children who are thus left unprovided for, it has been found necessary for tho Government in these colonies to aid in the training and maintenanoe of orphans and destituto children, either by establishing institutions of their own, or by assisting voluntary institutions. The former method has this great disadvantage, that it extinguishes voluntary effort and all tho 7.e»l which it brings with it. 'l'he receipts during tho past year on behalf of tho Orphan Homo amounted to £964 4s. 7d. Of this sum, £510 15s. 4d., or a little more than onehalf, was contributed bv tho Provincial Government. But in an ia«titution established and conducted by the Government alone, the whole cost of the establishment would have to be provided for out of the public revenues, which would entail upon the Government an expenditure of nearly twice the amount of that of voluntary institutions. But this is not the only or the most serious disadvantage ! that would attend this method of providing for the maintenance and training of orphans and destituto children. By extinguishing voluntary effort, tho community would loso the advantage of the activity and zeal, the benevolence and love, which, in amoral work of this nature, aro far the most valuable of all expedients. At the same time, by establishing one general institution for tho whole community, the Government, in order to satisfy all denominations of Christians, would feel itself compelled to impose restrictions upon the religious teaching of the children, or to exclude it altogether, and therefore to give a defective religious training, or none at all. How much better, then, on tho score of economy, as well as other important grounds, is the present mode of maintaining orphans aud dostitutu children, namely, by giving aid to voluntary institutions established for this purpose, and carried o it by tho3o who,-e main motive is one of Christian philanthropy.

" But if institutions of this nature uro to be maintained amongst us, they mus; be mora liberally supported by tho public than they are at present. The managers of the Orphan Home desire, therefore, to takethisopportunity—now especially that the Government have withdrawn so large a share of its support— of earnestly appealing to the public on behalf of the orphans and destitute children in this community. It is surely a duty binding upon every Christian to contribute, according to his ability, to tho maintenance of young children whom ifc has pleased God to deprive of their parents, and to do what lies in his power to provide for them tho discipline and blessings of a Christian home and family. It would indeed be a shameful neglect in a Christian community to leave even one such child unprovided for." The Ven. Archdeacon Lloyd read the financial statement, from which we take tho following subscriptions from the various parishes and districts and other sources, including the balance from last year

(£94 15s. Id.) £33,388; contributions from the Provincial Government, £510; Bishop's farewell meeting, £47 2s. 6d.; subscription on account of losses caused by tho war, £44; contributions on account of soldiers and other children, £28 18a. Id. j total receipts, £1058 193. Sd. Expenditure—by salaries, repairs, furniture, clothing, wood, fuel, improvements, &c., £SSO 15s. Bunk of Auckland by amount overdrawn by a firmer treasurer, £3 19s. 4d. Balance, £204 ss. 4d. ; £1058 19s. Bd. Mr. Abkahasi Boardman moved the first resolution "That tho report und financial statement be adopted and printed for circulation." Ho said that the education of orphan children was a duty which devolved not on the Government only, but devolved upon the whole community as n part of its christian obligations. That the Government of & country should assist in teaching and maintaining children deprived of their parents in early life, was H duty founded not upon any abstract theory, but on public and economical utility. It was cheapest to pay for the training of such children to be eood members of society instead of allowing them to grow up like wild arabs, their hand again-t every man ; far cheape' than to have to pay for po icftinon, migistrates, and gaols and all the oth-r paraphernalia of justice to subdue them when they grew up. If men were all the children of a common parent—if mankind waa really one extensive brotherhood, then it was also the duty of each individual as woll as that of the Government ; to assist, especially was it so where little children were cast desolate as it were upon a dista 't shore by the death of parents in early youth. (Cheers.) Those assembled would agree with him that if the Government could not continue to pay the whole ten pounds a-year. neither was it to be thought of for a moment that those children should be cast upon the wide world. That would be a sciindal upon the people of Auckland. (Cheers.) The motion for the adoption of the report was seconded, and carried unanimously. Mr. Irbland moved the following resolution, " That in addition to the clergymen and gentlemen who were cx-ojjlcio directors of the institution, the following gentlemen be re-elected to serve on the committee of management:—Rev. Mr. Chapman, the Itev. Mr. Dudley, A. B. Lusk, J. B. Fierce, Shirley Hill, and Abraham Boardman, Esqra." Ho trusted that those who took an interest in t'>e institution would continue to act with energy in obtaining for it the support of the public generally. The resolution was seconded, and carried unanimously. Mr. G. P. Pierce moved a vote of thanks to Dr. Goldsboro, who gave his professional services gratuitously to the institution. (Loud cheers.) The motion was curried unanimously. Mr. Or. P. Fibrch also hwnded in a. cheque for £20 from Mr. T. O. Williams, of Wellington. (Cheers.) The choir then performed the following musical and vocal selections: —Part song, " Ihe trees are all budding;" duett, "I muse on Thee;" part Bongs, "The Woodbii'd," "My Love is like a red red Rose," and several others. The proceedings were brought to a close by a vote of thanks to the chairman. 'J he liberality with which the ladies of the several 'parishes provided the, trays is worthy of especial praise. The whole a great success. There could not have been a less number than five hundred ladies and gentlemen present.