THE MEMORIAL SERVICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13210, 22 June 1906, Page 6

THE MEMORIAL SERVICES.

CROWDED CONGREGATIONS.

GREAT MILITARY PARADE

MASONIC AND OTHER

'GATHERINGS.

IMPRESSIVE ADDRESSES.

At last the body of a great man is laid in the grave, while he himself has passed 1o the island-valley ;of Avilion," falls not hail, or rain, or -any- snow, nor ever wind blows loudly." The hull has passed tj-the verge beyond the dawn and on the mere the waitings died away. The public tension of the past few days is now relaxed, the effects of the, stunning blow have passed, the trappings of sorrow are taken down and the flags no longer fly half-mast high. Men now begin to realise the great gap caused in their ranks by the removal of such a conspicuous personality as that of the late Richard John Seddon.

Memorial services were held in representative places of worship in the city yesterday. At St. Matthew's Anglican' Church there was a, semi-military service, at St. Paul's the proceedings were of a similar character, members of the Nonconformist bodies met at the Baptist Tabernacle, the Hebrew congregation assembled at the Synagogue, the Freemasons gathered .it Pitt-street Mehodisl Church to drop as it were, the sprig of acacia in the open grave and • the friendly societies mustered in great strength at the Choral Hail. All manner of men. with widely" divergent creeds and all political professions, met together in solemn assembly, bound by -i common grief, all standing "in the, presenceof the stern reality of death, the passing ol.all,things transient, the end of all ternporalities.

The day was fair .enough at- its openiiw and quite warm, but in'the afternoon the sky was overcast, with thick gray, pall-like clouds. Most of the shops were shut during the hour of the holding of the memorial services, and the hotel "doors were also closed. The day was a holiday, in the. sense that Tittle or no business or work was done, but it was not a holiday in "a festive sense. The people thronged the streets. but in an unwontedly inactive sort of wav, not exactly grief-stricken, but sufficiently moved by the solemnity of the occasion as to carry themselves gravely. Crowds assembled round St. Matthew's U-urch and the We-ilesley-street approach thereto, for that way the military came—the three regimental bands, 'the Permanent Force, and volunteers, the bluejacket* from the American man-of-war Baltimore,: with thencolours scarfed in crepe, the firemen and other uniformed persons. 'there, were many spectators, outside the Choral Hall, also where the friendly societies met, for the late Mr. Seddon, among many other things, was an enthusiastic Oddfellow. At the Pitt-street Church, where the M'asonic fraternity gathered in great strength, there was also a large crowd to witness the entrance of the brethren into the church, where they paid, the last honour to one who in life occupied an exalted position among them. When the service at St. Matthew's had ended, great crowds lined Weilesley-street, from the church, and across Queen-street to the Municipal Buildings, in. older to watch the service men march to the Drill Hall to dismiss. The official presence of the men of the Baltimore was warmly appreciated by the citizens, who,' in the streets at any rate, were noT slow in expressing their sense of obligation to the citizens of a friendly nation for thus participating in a national event. The tramcars— by the w.ay, carried black scarves on the trolley-poles—ceased running for a few minutes during the services in the various. places of. worship. After the. services the streets were filled with people;, who lingered about for an hour or more, *