GENERAL BOOTH. Wellington, October 8.

Otago Witness, Issue 2173, 17 October 1895, Page 19

GENERAL BOOTH. Wellington, October 8.

General Booth and staff arrived from London by tbe steamer Uirautaka this afternoon. The fcrni'T laudod shottly before 5 o'clook on the Jervois quay from the Government launoh Ellen Bullanoe, which had tendered the direcb sroi»m:-r. There wes a very large att*nd*nce of members of the Salvation Army, numb.rs haviug come from various parts of the colony to wrloome the chief under whose flag they servo. Theic was, too, a large number of the general public present., but the somewhat boUterous leather— a high nor'-weottr prevailing — militatod agaiuivb gitater succcfs. Immediately on landing th(- G ntral was recoivid by the Mayor j and Sir Robert Bt< ub (whoso guett the visitor rr»mhw ffhite in Welin^ton) was »l*o pn sent. Mr Luke, on bf-half of the citizeus, in a brief address welcomed th« Geuerftl to Wellington, and the Gentral, in an equally brief opeech, exprtssed pleasure at once moru being in New Zealand, and returned thunkii ft v the manner in wbioh he hr.d b^n roctived. Afcer the fornittl »e r i;m » y General Booth, accurapanied by Mr Luke cud Su It. St<tit, drove away, and the Army forced ioto proce^ion and paraded the principal streets. Th< majority of tbosutaltiog part were lass«a gaily decorated with ribbons and sashes bearing tho word " Welcome." Horded by the Army band, the procession inarched through Grey, Willis, Manners, and Cuba Htreets to the barrack*, and then dispersed in order to p.oi>aro for the gre.it welcome meet* ing to-nirfhfc. at which Sir R. Stoub presides. : One nolkeablo feature of tbe procession was the Maori contingent, tho chief members of which were clothed in Maori matn, and attracted great attention. General Booth appears to bo in excellent health and little changed tinoe his last visit to New Zealand. At the gr<iht cccial meeting on Tbuwday the Pieinier,will prct^ido There was a tremendous audience in the Optra Hoiifo to roemvo G-noral Baoth to-night. Si i* ft. S;t ut, in introducing tbe General, paid a high tribute to the work done by the Army fli'jee its inauguration by General Booth. The latter acknowledged the kind reception, and said <ho Army, though only 50 years old, had brought peace and assurance to thousands, and he bhai.ked Gel that le bad been made the 7nea;-'.s of bringing about this result. His theology was bummity, and humanity his tfie«l< gy. It w«8, he t-uid, a beautiful theology. He entered into btitistios at length, showing the. v«.st incroiso of the Army in all branches, aiA ivlso as to the circulation of their weekly papor, whiob, ho said, bd fjr as the newspaper pn 63 was concerned placed thorn ahend of all other Christian denrmmationp. The proceedings were marked with great enthusiasm. Ootober 12. General Booth had a loi.g interview with Ministers before leaving Wellington. The Piemier explained tho co-opcrativa sysbem, of which the Geutrr.l oxpre^sed admiration. He is to formu'ato a scheme for giving this colony tbo beucflt of tho Army organisation in its sooial sphere, and this scheme the Government will consider. Chiiistchorch, October 12. Genoral Booth arrived at Ljttelton this moru I tig, and a public reception took place in Cathedral square this afternoon. The prccessiou through toe principal streets was about 1500 fctivng, and included some 400 corp3 officiTß from all parts of the colony, about 600 soldiers, and nearly 500 rescue officers and visitor*. General Booth will be the guest 08 the Rev. Dr Elmslie during his stay here.