GAELIC SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2006, 4 August 1892, Page 20

GAELIC SOCIETY.

The eleventh annual gathering, concert, and ball of the Gaelic Society of New Zealand was held in the Garrison Hall on Friday night, and was largely attended. The Rev. Dr Stuart occupied the chair, and among others who were accommodated with seats on the platform were Sir Robert Stout, the Rev. John Ryley, Messrs D. M'Lachlan (president), J. F. M. Fraser, A. J. Burns, A. Grant, S. M'Donald, and W. M'Leod.

The Cilmuman, in opening the proceedings, said : While I am glad to meet you, lam bound to say that my pleasure is marred by the reflection that the duties of my 'calling as a minister aud citizen prevent me rendering our society the services which belong to the honourable position in which you have placed me. I often say to myself that I should make room for a fresher and younger man. There is room for our society in this fair land, and it does good service in directing us to the far-away Highlands, with their institutions social and religious, and their treasures of song and story. We owe our love of liberty far more than we think to the voices of their mountains, rivers, lochs, sounds, and open sea ; and to the men of second sight and the sages of the clacbans more than to books did we owe our sure hope that the times would come when every honest man would have his vote and every child his school, and we trusted they would come — and they have come in part, and will come in their fulness the world round. In my boyhood game laws, deer forests, and immense sheep runs forced on young men the alternative of mere existence or expatriation, and they 1.-ft in squads while yet in their teens. But wherever they went they took with them, our love of liberty and the lamp of wisdom. An acquaintance who held out his light in the kingdom of Fife found many difficulties in acquiring a settlement, but tho Providence who never fails the self-reliant brought him aid and encouragement in the form of three maidens of the age when wisdom and benevolence are their glory. They did much to lick him into shape, but they were horrified to find that his principles bordered on 'Chartism. With the design of healing him they prescribed, the pictured page of Alison's !" History of the French Revolution," vol. I. He read and reread, and when criticised they found that Liberalism had got the throne in his heart. After consultation, they resolved to continue their interest in him, and leave him to God and the changes which a beard brings for the exorcism of political views which they deemed evil. My friends owed much to these Christian '■women, and as oft he recalls them he blesses God for their many services, which helped him over stiles and led him into ways of progress, comfort, and usefulness. I heard him say again and again that he would vote 10 times over in favour of such women and all mothers of sis children getting the franchise. I am inclined to say that if I were Prime Minister I would nominate the best of them for the Legislative Council. I like to recall that the Highlands have a good record in the armies of the empire. It is my boast that my section of the Highlands—including Appin and Athol, Breadalbane and Glengoss, Glendochart and Glenlochy — reared the men who formed the Black Watch, and whose dauntless spirit still beats under its tartan,

I prizv" our Highlands lor their family and social life. The family was a school of industry, of co-operation, and of natural piety. The housemother directed its varied industries and" duties with consummate wisdom. Her daughters by the time they were 16 could spin and cook and milk aud make shirt and shroud — and thenceforward they were given leisure to make, year in and year out, a substantial addition to the replenishing of the coming home ; while the boys of the family were not grudged time for recreation, they were required to master their school lessons} and give heed to their technical studies. I have seen a good half-dozen engaged during the winter evenings — one making creels, one beehives, one ■wooden spoons and ladles, and others butter prints and snuff spoons — over and above the acquisition of threshing, winnowing, planting, hoeing, earthing and digging potatoes. The home of our strath exemplified social industry in a high degree ; nor was there a single home which did not extend to the hard-up, through misfortune and friendlessness, assistance according to their ability. In the times of long ago the deep-seated religion of the Highlands placed churches within reach of the population. Wherever there was a good ford there was planted near it a plaiu church — at first of turf or wattle-and-daub, and af berwards wood or stone, — where on the Lord's day met chiefs and their clansmen. But with the advent of game laws and tho doctrine that sheep are better than men, the roads to the fords were shut up, and the people of the clachan were forced to seek their living in the rising towns of the Saxons, aud, by-and-bye, cotters and farmers, deprived of hill commonage and excluded from bush aud brake — much as they loved their hills and their heather — sought homes, in thousands of instances, beyond the western main, where unhindered

They might rear an independent shed, And get the lips they loved unborrowed bread. The Highlands still remain, aud our kith and kin people their straths and their glens, while others prosecute fishing on their lochs and far out at sea where the finny tribes congregate. As of yore they still prize church and school, and are to a man on the side of orthodoxy and simplicity in the public worship of a loving and true God. — (Loud applause.)

The annual report was in the following terms: —

In presenting their eleventh annual report your committee have much pleasure in recording the unabated vitality of the society. The year's proceedings commenced with the grand annual gathering, concert, and ball, held in the Garrison Hall on the 31st July last year, and the same was in every way a most successful gathering. Thereafter 12 ordinary monthly meetings were held in the Oddfellows' Hall, Stuart street, all of which were attended by large and intelligent audiences, who gave ample evidence of the pleasure these meetings afforded them. The speeches, recitations, translations, songs, and pipe music, which formed the staple resources of amusement and instruction at these entertainments, were well up to the average of former years, and the signs of appreciation accorded to them ought to prove an incentive to even more ambitious efforts during the ensuing session. In connection with the Gaelic singing, your committee regret losing the valuable services of one of the lady signers— Mrs M'lntosh — through her removal to another part of the colony.

For the encouragement of pipe music among youths, the society offered, as in the previous year, two prizes — a gold and a silver medal — in connection with the Caledonian Society's sports, and these were won by Messrs John Murray ami John M'Kechnie.

The conservation of the Gaelic language and literature being one of the main objects of the society, your-, committee are gratified to observe that the Gaelic services are still maintained in Chalmers Church on the last Sabbath of each month. These being held at such an hour in the afternoon as does not interfere with any other church services, give an excellent opportunity to Highlanders of keeping up their acquaintance with their mother tongue, which has been, not inaptly, styled "the language of devotion." The Gaelic library has increased in popularity during the year, as evidenced by the number of books taken out for reading as compared with former sessions, and special thanks are due to the chief of the society (Dr Stuart),' for his gift of a number of volumes just added to the shelves. The advancement of any of the members of the society to exalted positions being always a source of delight to the other members, your committee .have pleasure in recording that during the year one of your number has been elected to the highest municipal honour in the gift of his fellow citizens here — viz., the mayoralty of the city. The president of the society (Mr Dugald M'Lachlan) being desirous of making a tour of Australia for a well-earned holiday, and partly for the benefit of his health, the committee_ met on the eve of his departure and invested him with the powers of a delegate to any kindred societies that might exist in the sister colonies, and accredited him as a representative Highlander to all with whom he might come in contact during his travels. They further voted a sum of money towards his expenses, and they are pleased to say that he returned from his trip greatly invigorated, and on his return delivered to the society an interesting risumA of his journey. It is with much regret that your committee have to record the death of three worthy members of the society during the yeai I—viz.,1 — viz., Messrs William Sutherland, A. Graham, and Neil M'Donald. To the funerals of two of these, which took place in Dunedin, the society turned out in a body, with their pipers at their head; thus paying all the respect they could to their departed comrades. In two instances during the year has the fund available for benevolent purposes been drawn upon. One was on the occasion of a Highlander being incapacitated for some time from work through an accident ; and the other, where the death of a Highlander was the cause of his family being in straitened circumstances. Ten guineas were expended in this way, and a donation was also made towards the erection of a tombstone over the grave of the late Mr Donald M'Gregor, one of the fathers of the society. The treasurer's accounts, audited by Messrs G. Ritchie and J. M'Millan, commenced the year with a credit balance of L2B IGs 6d. The income during the intervening time has been L 27 12s lid, and the expenditure L 42 103 6d, leaving a credit bank balance of Ll3 18s lid.

JLn conclusion, your committee, from a retrospect of the past 11 years, confidently look forward to a prosperous future, and indulge the hope that all Highlanders will help "towards this result by every means within their power.

Sir Robert Stout, in moving tho adoption of the report, congratulated the society on the large attendance that night, and referred to the gratification that members of the society must feel in the fact of the Hon. John M'Kenzie, who was one of their number, having attained to a position in the Ministry. He also advised those present to read an article in the Lyttelton Times, which described Mr M'Konzie's speech in the financial debate as one of the ablest speeches made during that debate ; and advised the audience not to depend on what they read in the press here with regard to the Minister for Lands.

Mr J. F. M. Fkasei?, in seconding the adoption of the report, said he thought he voiced the sentiments of those present when he expressed his gratification at seeing Dr Stuart in the chair. He hoped that the doctor might be spared for many years to occupy the position he did that night. He also referred to the fact that one of the members of the society had attained to the highest position that it was in the power of the citizens to bestow ; and expressed Wb regret that the Minister for Lands was not able to be present. He was certain that the members of TO9 society felt proud that

one of their number occupied almost the highest Oifice in the colony. Mr D. M'Lachlan, who supported the adoption of the report in Gaelic, remarked that years ago in the colony there was a spirit of Celticism abroad and Gaelic societies were started in all directions, but the Gaelic Society of New Zealand, which was in Dunedin, was really the only one that was left of the whole of them, aud he was glad to say it was still in as flourishing a condition as ever.

The motion for the adoption of the report was carried unanimously.

The concert programme was of considerable length, comprising two dozen items, included in which was a good deal of dancing, and this was a undoubtedly the best feature of the entertainment. The reel of Tulloch. was danced by four Highlanders and four ladies ; a. Highland fling was admirably executed by Masters D. M'Donald, A. Smith, W. Smith, and R. Clark ; a double sword dance was given in first-class fashion by Messrs J. and D. M'Kechnie ; an Irish jig by Mr R. Thomson ; and a seauntreus by Mr J. D. S. Burt. Songs were contributed by Misses Rose Blaney, M. Morrison, C. M'Donald, Ada Matheson, M 'Master, and Mary Johnston, Mrs James M'Donald, Messrs W. Densem (who was vociferously encored for his rendering of "Father O'Flynn"), Neil M'Fadyen (bard), A. Paterson, D. Munro, and A. Boyd. At the conclusion of the concert the hall was cleared for the ball, and dancing was maintained well into the morning to the strains of music supplied by Briggs' band.