THE QUEEN’S DEATH.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3003, 29 January 1901, Page 3

THE QUEEN’S DEATH.

VEhY LATtS-

United Tress Association —Per Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Received 9.27 a.m., January 29th. LONDON, January 25.

The Queen’s body will be removed to Windsor on February Ist, via London. The Channel Squadron escorts from Portsmouth. The interment will take place at Frogmoro on the 2nd. The Queen expressed a wish for a military funeral, which is interpreted as a proof of her love for the Army, of which she was technically the head. Received 10.53 a.m., January 29th. There will be no lying in State beyond a few days in the coffin in the Osborne dining-room. The Duke of Norfolk notifies that it is expected, in pursuance of the order of the King-in-Privy-Council yesterday, that all persons will keep mourning from the 28th. Dutch churches at the Cape pre draped in black. Dutch and British, for the first time for many years, are sincerely united, in sorrow and mourning. The burghers of Pretoria show respectful sympathy. Received 12.24 a.m., January 29th. Every available ship is assembled at Spithead to participate in the Queen’s funeral. Per Press Association.

WELLINGTON, January 29. Mr Ward has decided* to declare Saturday as a Government holiday throughout the colony, and to ask the banks tand commercial houses to suspend business. On Saturday the following hours will be observed at all telegraph offices in the colony :—Open eight to ten in the morning and seven to eight in the evening. The Governor has suggested that ai statue of the late Queen should be erected in Wellington, and has offered to contribute 25 guineas towards the cost. His Worship is taking the necessary steps to carry out His Excellency’s suggestion.

NELSON, January 29,

Arrangements as to mourning are specially inconvenient to. Nelson, as Anniversary Day falls on Friday, February Ist. It has been decided by business people to keep open Friday and postpone the anniversary celebrations till the following Wednesday. PROPOSED UNITED FUNERAL SERVICE. A meeting of ministers of various churches in Timaru was held in the Borough Council Chambers this morning. There were present—The Mayor (in the chair), Archdeacon Harper, Revs. W. Gillies, G. Burgess, J. N. Buttle, W. C. Woodward, Ensign King (S.A.), J. M. Adcock. The Mayor presided, and made a few remarks on the importance of the occasion. It had been suggested by one of the Ministers that an endeavour should be made to hold a combined funeral service, and if such a thing could be arranged he was sure that the citizens would fall in with anything that might be decided on. He then invited the ministers to make suggestions.

Mr Woodward believed they would be consulting the wishes of the community if a combined service were arranged. Some of the churches had arranged special serviced for the day of the funeral, but « combined service could be held without clashing with any of these, by holding it in the afternoon. The first thing to be decided was whether there should be such a service, and then the time and place, whether in any of the public buildings or in the open air. And each church should be asked to take part in the service. General assent being given, to the proposal, Mr Woodward moved that a combined open air service be held, on Saturday, the day of the Queen’s funeral, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The Archdeacon said the proposal quite fell in with his views.. Mr Buttle said there was a general feeling throughout the community that there should be such a service. Mr Woodward’s motion was,carried unanimously. The place for the service was discussed for some time, and the conclusion come to that the most suitable place was that used for the Proclamation on Mondpy, and the Mayor undertook to have a similar platform erected. The Mayor undertook to communicate with Colonel Bailey about the attendance of the Volunteers and the Battalion Bamdespecially the band. .

It was agreed to have three hymns sung. A probable difficulty about band parts for the hymns was referred to, and Ensign King kindly offered anything that the Salvation Army has in the way of mnsic. deselection of hymns and the printing of 2000 copies of them, and arranging for music, was entrusted to Messrs Woodward, Adcock, and King; they also to arrange with the band to play two funeral marahes, at the opening and close. Mr Burgess hoped that the Volunteers would attend. It would add to the impressiveness of the ceremony, and to the good order of the proceedings.—The Archdeacon skid the Volunteers took part at Wellington, marching with arms reversed. It was decided that one hour would be long enough for the service. The order of service was then discussed, and finally the following list was agreed upon:—(1) Funeral March, Band;(2)hymn, given out by Rev. W. Gillies; (3) Scripture reading, Rev. J. M. Adcock; (4) prayer. Rev. J. N. Buttle; (5) Short address, Ven. Archdeacon Harper; (6) hymn, given out by Ensign King; (7) Script ure reading, Rev. W. C. Woodward ; (8) Short address, Rev, W. Gillies ; (9) prayer, Rev G. Burgess; (10) hymn, Rev. J. M. Adcock ; (11) Benediction, Archdeacon Harper : (12) Dead March, Band. The ministers agreed to ask their respective choirs, at the Fridav evening practice, to attend and take part in the singing of the hymns. ° The meeting resolved on the motion of the Rev. W. Gillies that the Mayor and Borough Council should be invited to attend the service.

Mr Burgess suggested that there should he an alternative place for the service, and he proposed that in the event of the weather being unfavourable the service should he held in the Drillshed, and that application be made for permission to hold it there if necessary.—Agreed to. The meeting then closed with a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding.

Being in doubt whether to use the word “colonial” or “colonist” in describing an Australian visitor, a “Daily Chronicle” representative asked a well-known squatter from New Bquth Wales for advice in the matter. “Well,” said the old gentleman ; “I dislike being cnlled a colonial. lam a, ‘colonist.’ But my boys and girls, who were all born out there, glory in being called ‘colonials.’ The word has crept in with the increase of the native or coially horn population, and the word ‘colonist’ will disappear when we old stagers hand over the reins to those that come after us. However,” continued the old gentleman, with a twinkle in his eye, “after January Ist next be careful about using the word ‘colonial’ at all, or you will have some of the young men of the new ‘Nation’ jumping on yon. Call them Australians and you are all right,”