MEMORIAL SERVICES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1789, 20 June 1906, Page 56

MEMORIAL SERVICES.

GATHERING OF NOTABLES AT ST. PAUL’S.

SIR JOSEPH AND LADY WARD THE CHIEF MOURNERS.

LONDON, June 20.

The service in memory of Air Seddon took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral at noon yesterday. It was conducted by the Bishop of Stepney (Dr C. G. Lang), assisted by the Dean (Dr Robert Gregory) and Archdeacon (Dr William H. Sinclair) of St. Paul’s. Sir George Clement Alartin (organist of St. Paul’s) played Chopin’s “Dead Alarch” at th© commencement of the

Service and the “Dead March.” from “Saul” at its close.

King Edward was represented by Lord Suffield, the Prince of Wales by Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. Sir William H. P. Carington,, and Sir H. C. Bannerman by Mr N. Lamont, M.P. for Buteshire. There were also present Mr Austen Chamberlain, representing his father and Mrs Chamberlain; Lord Elgin, Secretary of State for the Colonies; Mr Winston Churchill, Under-Secretary for the Colonies; Sir Joseph Ward, Lady Ward, and Miss Ward, of New Zealand, wno sat in the seat of the chief mourners; Mr W. P. Reeves, High Commissioner for New Zealand; Lord Onslow, ex-Governor of New Zealand; Mr Alfred Lyttelton ex-Colonial Secretary; Janet Lady Clarke, of Melbourne; Mr J. Cathcart Wason, M.P., formerly a member of the New Zealand Housfe of ‘Representatives; Sir West by Perceval, an ex-member of the New Zealand House and at one time Agent-General for that colony ; Lord Ranfurly, late Governor of New Zealand; Mr B. H. Holland, private secretary to the Colonial Secretary : Mr William Gray, Secretary to the New Zealand Postal Deoartment; Sir John Cockburn, ex-Premier of South Australia; Sir M. F. Ommanev. Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies ; Mr Justice Williams, of Dunedin ; Mr Harold Beauchamp and Mrs Beauchamp, of Wellington: Sir Frederick Young, President of the Royal Colonial Institute: Mr J. S. O’Halloran, Secretary to the Royal Colonial Institute ; Mrs Muecke (nee Ada Crossley), the. famous contralto; Sir E. Montagu Nelson: Mr W. J. Napier, of Auckland; Mr Montgomery, ex-

member of the New Zealand House of Representatives ; Mr Henniker-Heaton ; Captain poilins, Military Adviser to the Commonwealth Government; and the Agents-General for all the Australian States.

TO THE PEOPLE OF NEW ZEALAND.

SIR JOSEPH WARD’S MESSAGE.

LONDON, Juno 20.

Sir Joseph Ward sends the following message to tho public of New Zealand :

I deeply regret that I am unable to pay my last personal tribute of respect to my respected old friend and colleague. Yet I am grateful that I had tho opportunity of taking part in the beautiful and touching memorial service at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

The large and varied character of the gathering was the greatest possible tribute to Mr Seddon’s memory, and tho grief' manifested shows how deeply hio services beyond New Zealand’s chores, as well as within the colony, are recognised in the heart of the Empire. Spell sympathy will heip to soften the terrible blow the widow and family have suffered.

LARGE CONGREGATION AT SYDNEY.

SYDNEY, June 21

Flags were half-masted at the Admiralty Depoo at Garden Island and on all public buildings and shipping.

At noon a large congregation assembled at St. Andrew’s Cathedral to pay, in unison with those taking part in the funeral rites at Wellington, a last tribute to Mr Seddon. The building was draped in purple and black, and the altar decked with white flowers. Union Jacks were suspended.

The service was choral. As the congregation gathered, the organist played ‘T Know That My Redeemer Liveth.” The opening hymn was “Brief Life is Here Our Portion.” Then followed the- service for the dead, impressively sung by the choir, concluding with the anthem “Crossing the Bar,” -to Woodward’s music. The solemn service terminated with the singing of the hymn “Ten Thousand Times Ten Thousand,” the organist playing the “Dead March” in “Saul” and Beethoven’s “Funeral March.” Archdeacon Gunther officiated, assisted ty Canons Langley, Sharpe, and Boyce.

Among those present were Lord Northcote, Sir Harry Rawson, Mr J. A. Hogue (Chief Secretary), the Lord Mayor, Captain Stoke Roes (representing the navy), Mr E. W. O’Sullivan, Mr T. E. Donne, Mr Jackson (of tho Union Company), Mr Pike (Bank of New Zealand), and a large number of New Zealanders.

AUSTRALIA’S TRIBUTE

SPECIAL DEMONSTRATION NEAR MELBOURNE.

MELBOURNE, June 21

Flags were flown at half-mast to-day on all public and many private buntl-

ings, out of respect to the late Mr Seddon. His former connection with the Victorian railway service was signalised in a special manner. The railway authorities issued a special order to the employees at the Newport workshops that all work should cease between 3 p.m. and five minutes past, during which time all engines sounded whistles at intervals of one minute. It was further directed that each man. should remain at his post in perfect silence during a five minutes’ interval.

SYDNEY, June 21. Flags were flown at half-mast on public buildings, and other tokens of respect for the late Mr Seddon were manifested throughout the Commonwealth to-day.

INTERESTING ADDRESSES.

BISHOP NELIGAN’S TRIBUTE.

AUCKLAND, June 21.

Business was suspended in Auckland this afternoon, and several largely attended memorial services were held. The official military service was held at St. Matthew’s Anglican Church. The building, capable of seating about 1600 people, was crowded in every part, those present, besides the troops, being officers and men from the United States warship Baltimore foreign Consuls, representatives .of local bodies, Government service, Magistrates, and other officials. The service was a most solemn one, mainly taken from the order for the burial of the dead.

The Bishop (Dr Neiigan) gave a striking and impressive address on the glory and dignity of labour, as illustrated by the life of Mr Seddon. Addressing the American representatives, he said:—■ “Between us of the Union Jack and you, my brothers, who equally proudly own allegiance to the Stars and Stripes, there is ‘the thin red line’ of kinship, which of necessity provokes a sympathy of regard for a strong and fearless character. To you, sir (addressing the French Consul), representing illustriously an illustrious nation, the thought of the larger entente eordiale will he the more valued by the memory of kindly feeling and act exchanged between France and New Zealand, because of men rescued from tue perils ,oi the sea. To you, gentlemen of the Consular service of other nations, tho memory of our late Premier will be, I doubt not, that of a man wholly devoted to the interests of the British Empire, but equally wholly devoted to tho maintenance of those cordial and friendly relations with other countries, which we of that Empire love to call the life-work of our King and Emperor.” Referring to Mr Seddon’s political life, the Bishop said: —“The late Premier, as it seems to me, stepped out into the theatre of the world’s affairs, and by tho underlying principles of his labour legislation told tho world that it was forgetting tho old lesson of tho dignity of work.” Dr Neiigan also referred most feelingly to the bereaved relations:- —“The hardest worker in New Zealand is deadl A gentle lady widowed full early stands with fatherless children at an open grave. ‘We beseech Thee, good Lord, that it may please Theo to defend the fatherless chiiuren and widows, and all that are desoiate and oppressed’ is the petition in the iitany oi New Zealand to-day.” Friendly societies held a memorial service in the Choral Hall, which tvas crowded. The service was an impressive one. Sacred solos and hymns were sung, and at the conclusion of the service the “Dead March” in “Saul” was played. An oloquent address was delivered by Mr A. J. Black, a wellknown evangelist. Mr Black said: —• “We are gathered to-day to do honour to the memory of an illustrious man, whose sudden death has left not only tho loved members of his family circle, not only the pe-op.-o of this country, so dear to his heart, but the whole Eng-lish-speaking worid in mourning. To-