THE OPENING OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT LAWRENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 664, 20 August 1864, Page 21

THE OPENING OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AT LAWRENCE.

( Communicated.^

This church was formally opened on Sunday last, the 14th instant, by three services, conducted in the morning and evening by Mr Meiklejohn, and in the afternoon by Mr Foraaith, both of these gentlemen having visited the district for the purpose. The attendance on each Occasion was very good, and the amount collected in aid of the church was L 23. The following day, Monday, was observed as a holiday in the district. From early morning numbers of residents in the immediate neighborhood came flocking into our quiet township — all being dressed in their holiday clothes in readiness for the grand soiree which had been announced to celebrate the opening of the church. The demand for tickets exceeded all anticipation, and as the evening approached, the number of people congregated forbade all hopes of accommodating them all. The high price of tickets (ss) had no deterring effect, and mus.t have considerably added to the exchequer of the committee. At six o'clock the doors were thrown open and such a display greeted the eyes of the expectant visitoi s as has certainly never before been produced in this, and very rarely in any other part of the Province, Dunedin itself not excepted. The tables were literally overloaded with the richest confectionery, iced cakes in profusion, «laborately ornamented, pound cakes, plum cakes, and every other kind of cakes, buns, and tarts, sandwiches, jellies, jams, rosy apples and luscious peare, oranges and nuts of various kinds, in fact, everything of the kind that could be procured in the district or from Dunedin. The spread would have done great credit to any community in the world, and the aggregate expense must have been great. But a difficulty arose in the absolute impossibility of admitting all the ticket holders at once. The doors had not been open many minutes before every inch of standing room was occupied and all aeats filled. Grace having been said, the good things were attacked with vigour, and in a short time those that had obtained seats rose and made room for a second set. Again and again the tables were replenished, and the delicacies dispatched until there seemed to be no more Visitors to come in.

All this time, the throng at the doors rendered ingress and egress a work of no ordinary difficulty. But in time all were admitted ; and then it apDeared with what liberality the ladies had supplied their tables, for the quantity cleared away must have equalled at least, if not exceed that consumed. The tables having been cleared and removed, the speeches followed. Major Croker, R.M., and Warden, occupied the chair and opened the meeting, expressing his satisfaction at seeing so large an assemblage. Nothing like it had been witnessed on Tuapeka before, but he hoped that many other occasions might present itself of uniting all together as cordially, for so great and good an object as the present. Much remained to be done. The delay that had occurred in the erection of a place for Protestant worship in the town was, to some extent, a nproach to the inhabitants, but wa3 not entirely without its good effects. The real cause was, that in the early day 3of the gold field, little attention had been given to these matters ; those that exerted themselves to establish public worship were few; building materials were difficult — nay, almost impossible to procure ; and canvas buildings had been erected, which had each in turn succumbed to the tempestuous winds occasionally prevalent in the Colony. He was pnrsuaded no community could long prosper and retain the Divine blessing without the establishment of means for public as well as private worship. He had hoped that the chair would have been occupied by a gentleman much more fitted for the duty (Major Richardson) but who ■was unavoidably absent. He would not detain Ihe meeting with any further remarks, as two gentlemen from Dunedin had kindly consented to take part in the evening's proceedings— Messrs Forsaith and Meiklejohn. He then called upon the Secretary to read the report. The worthy Major was received with much applause, and, as is invariably the case at all public meetings at which he appears, his popularity in the district was evinced by repeated cheers. Dr. Stewart (hon. sec.) then read a most interesting report, of which the following is a digest, much condensed:— In the early days of the diggings divine service was held in calico buildings, these being one by one iaid low by the strong winds, it was thought desirable to erect a eolid and substantial building, and the first step to be taken being the securing a. piece of ground, two quarter-acre sections were purchased from Government at the upset price of Ll2 lOs each, through the instrumentality of Mr Mackay, late gold receiver here. The first meeting connected with the present building, of which any record exists, was held on Ist December, 3863, at which the following committee

were elected — Messrs Mackay, Drummond, M'Coll, D. M'Donald, W. M'Donald, M'Bcath, Harrop, Weatherly, Munro, M'Kean, Buchan, Thompson, Herbert, and Gardner; Mr M'Kean (postmaster), being appointed hon. treasurer, and Dr Stewart, secretary. The names of Messrs Hughes (M.P.C.), Field, and Campbell were added at a subsequent meeting. Mr Howlison, J.P.8., kindly acceded to the request of the Committee, and furnished a design, bat as it was found that the cost of erection would far exceed the probable means at the disposal of the Committee, he again, at request of the Committee, furnished the plan and specifications by which (slightly modified) the building had been erected.

The erection of the building had been let by tender to Messrs M'Donald and Hendley for the sum of L 292. A supplementary contract for flooring and seating the church amounted to Lll4 6s, making a total of L 406 6s sterling. The policy of the Committee had been to incur no liabilities they yrere unable to meet, and it had worked well. Separate lists of subscription had been circulated for the shell of the building and the internal fittings, and separate accounts kept. Close on L3OO had been collected towards the first fund, and L 62 towards the second, to which latter must be added the proceeds of the church collections yesterday (L 23), making together LBS, leaving a debt of L 29 6s on the church, which sum, it was evident from the numerous assemblage present, had been more than made up by the sale of tickets.

The Committee desired to acknowledge the kindness of Mr Howlison, in supplying plans, &c, free of expense, doubtless with much labor and no little cost to himself; and, also, to record their, cense of Mr Drummond's kindness in furnishing plans for the internal fittings. Taking advantage of the appointment of the Rev. Mr Forsaith to labor among us for a month, the Committee arranged to have the opening of the Church on the 14th, and a Soiree to celebrate the event on this evening (the 15th). Letters of apology had been received from Major Richardson, and Rev. Messrs Todd and Stewart, stating their regret at not being able to be present to-night. The necessity was urgent of securing the services of a resident clergyman, and also the erection of a Manse (for which, it was stated, £200 could be obtained from the Presbytery). The immediate lining of the building with boards, and painting it, was also urged, and the report closed with an appeal to the audience to second the endeavours of the Committee to carry out these very necessary objects. At the suggestion of the Chairman, the report was adopted by acclamation The Rev Mr Mieklejohn next addressed the meeting, and having been only three days in Tuapeka, must express his astonishment and agreeable surprise at what he had witnessed to-night. He had never seen a more splendid ts-.ole spread, on a similar occasion. Nor was. he prepared to find so great an assemblage, all apparently joining heart and soul in the movement. The district had great cause for congratulation, and he should with pride and pleasure convey the tidings — the glad tidings— to the Presbytery, of the great interest displayed in the district in the establishment of public worship here. He congratulated the inhabitants on so useful and indefatigable a political representative as Mr Hughes, M.P.C., and assured them that that gentleman was also a valuable representative in religious matters, it being mainly owing to his solicitations that he, the speaker, was present that evening. The necessity of public worship and the pernicious results arising from its neglect and from the absence of a resident pastor, were strongly commented on, and the speaker proceeded to state that no country could flourish, or no nation prosper without religion and piety—both public and private. He would instance Great Britain, and fearlessly state that it was not the prowess of her invincible armies, not the strength of her vast navy, not her dockyards and arsenals, neither was it her vast centres of manufacture, nor her great proficiency in the arts and sciences that had raised her to the pinnacle of pride and power among the nations, but it was education and religion, and above all public worship that had formed the minds, that guided the hearts, that made Great Britain what she is. The speaker next spoke of a glorious future for New Zealand, quoting the well known passage from Lord Macaulay's history, and asked, if the glorious future of Great Britain had been foretold in the time of Julius Ca;sar, would it not have seemed more improbable than that New Zealand should in the course of time take a very high stand among the nations of the earth ? To enable it to do so education must be spread and religion fostered. He reminded his hearers of the millions of China and India, and even of many European nations who have not the same, or nearly so great, means of educational and religious development as they had ; and while congratulating them on the establishment of a permanent place of worship, could not

help lamenting there had not been one erected sooner. However, he hoped that, as Tuapeka had taken the lead, other gold fields should follow, and hoped that the Dunstan might be very shortly blessed with the same advantages. After the applause consequent upon the rev. gentleman's address had subsided, the Chairman called upon Rev. Mr Forsaith, who, complaining of his short stature as being inconvenient in addressing a public meeting, mounted the pulpit, and said that he always happened to be placed in a disadvantageous position on those occasions. (Laughter.) He was always called upon to speak after Borne one who had with great ability, as on the present occasion, exhausted the subject. He was inclined to say with the M.P. who, on one occasion, spoke after Mr Burke, and contented himself by saying " ditto to the previous speaker. After a number of humorous remarks, which much delighted the hearers, the rev. speaker entertained them with various anecdotes of his Maori experiences, and anecdotes illustrative of their natural eloquence and the poetic sentiments embodied in some of their traditions — always, however, skillfully " pointing a moral " and " adorning a tale" withita application to the company before him. The Maori tradition accounting for the hilly nature of the country, I do^ not remember to have seen before in print. According to the reverend speaker, it was somewhat thus. The ancient deities of the Maoris, or some of them, were out fishing one day, when one of them g«t a bite ; not being able to haul in his prize, he got the assistance of the others, and they tugged arad tugged, and hauled, for weeks and weeks, until they hauled something to the Biarface— that was New Zealand ; they immediately started to explore it, and as it was very soft and not yet hardened by exposure, their footsteps (of fabulous size, of course), formed the gullies and glens, and the mud oozing up from them formed the hills.

The speaker's address was replete wkh anecdotes of interest, and was received with repeated cheers; but as it would be encroaching too much on your space, I must unwillingly curtail it>— he reminded the company of the superior advantages they possessed, and prayed that they might make the most of them, and expressed his delight and surprise at seeing so numerous an assemblage. Mr Herbert returned thanks to the ladks on behalf of the meeting. Mr Hughes,, M.P.C., moved a vote of thanks to the choir, and spoke in glowing terms of the future of Tuapeka. Thanks were also voted to the ladies for their sumptuous tables; to the clergymen for their attendance; to the committee for their exertionsi ; and to the chairman ior his services.

It is needless to say, each sentiment was enthusiastically received. Up wards of 400 people were present, and the receipts will be a great help to the committee iv finishing the interior fittings of the church.