THIRTY THOUSAND FILE PAST THE COFFIN.

Colonist, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11668, 2 July 1906, Page 2 (Supplement)

THIRTY THOUSAND FILE PAST THE COFFIN.

A MAORI TANGI. THE ROUTE LINED BY VOLUNTEERS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. i _____ (Per United Press Association. ) Wellington, June 21. The funeral of the late Premier took place to-day, when immense crowds of people thronged the route taken by the cortege from the Parlimontary Buildings to the Sydney ' street Cemetery, where the interment j took place. Shortly before 8 o'clock this morning the coffin was removed from deceased's late residence in Molesworth street to the main lobby !cf the Parliamentary Buildings, ;j where hundreds of floral tributes received by the family during the past week hid beon arranged. The representatives of the Maori race, who had assembled from all parts of the Colony, held an impressive fangi. "The "sun had set," said the Native Minister, speaking in the Maori tongue to the mourners of his race, j "the people have lost their provider, j Tho totara tree uf the forest has fallen. Come tread whore he trod while alive. Death is no respecter of persons. Man is like a butterfly. " Hon. J. Carroll then read an address to Mrs Seddon, which he handed to Captain Seddon, who with his two brothers, stood by the coffin. Fol- ] lowing this, laments were delivered iby the Maori women keeping up a j continuous wailing. Mats and other tokens had been placed by the coffin. After this the doors of the building were thrown open to the public, and in the succeeding hours a stream of people filed through the lobby, paying their last respect to the memory of the deceased. Over thirty thousand people thus viewed the coQin. By noon the streets in the vicinity oE the Parliamentary and Government Buildings were thronged and every point of vantage was crowded. On the lawn in front of the House of Representatives stood a detachment of military and bandsmen. At two o'clock the collin was removed from the building, and was plnced on the gun carriage, around which the Ministers of the Crown stood as pall bearers. In a few minutes the gun sounded, and the procession moved towards St. Paul's Church, the Band playing the "Dead March from Saul: Mrs Seddon, Captain R. J. Seddon, Mr T. Y. Seddon, Master Stuart Seddon, Misses Mary Seddon, May E. Seddon, Rubi Seddon, Rev. and Mrs Bean, Mr F. and ! Mrs Dyer, Dr. and Mrs Morice, Mr JE. Seddon (brother), Mrs Ounlifl'e j and Mrs McKay (sisters), Mr G. I Hnotswood (Mrs Seddon's brother). j Captain Hennah and Mrs Hennah I (Mrs Seddon's sister), Mr W. S. | Hennah (Mrs Seddon's nephew), i Mrs Hennah, Mr H. Hennah ( rs 1 Seddon's nephew), Miss Elsie Hen- | nah (Mrs Seddon's niece). Mr Reed [and Mrs Reed (Mrs Seddon's niead), ; Mr and Mrs N. Seddon(Mr Saddoirs cousin); after the members of the family followed his Excellency the Governor's carriage, representative of I his Excellency, the Admiral, Sir J.G. Ward's carriage, thejjOommandanfc of the New Zealand Forces, the Judges and ex-Judges of the Supreme Court; the Speaker and members of the House of Representatives; ex-Minis- | ters of the Crown ; ex-membera of Parliament; Foreign Consuls; representatives of other colonies, including representatives of New Zsalanders in Sydney; and following these representatives from all parts of New Zealand. At the Church the remains were jmet by the Rev. Dr. Wallis (Bishop '< of Wellington and other clergy. I When the Bishop had read the usual j texts, the choir sang hymn No. 231, I the 90th Psalm, and then hymn 27, "'Abide with me." On the completion of the service, the cortege moved off, the choir chanting "Nunc Dimittus. " Leaving the Church, the cortege turned out of Mulgrave street into a semi -circle in Pipitea street, past the Girls' High School, and across Hobson street into Davis street, amid ever the same cordon of watching thousands. Each of the lines were held by Volunteers, including the Highlanders, Maori Corpn, North Canterbury Mounted Rifles, and sundry other corps, not forgettiug the School Cadets. The same unimpeded progress, without a hitch, saw the cortege pass along Thorndon Quay into Lambton Quay, where the crowd began to thicken. The view opening out showed the Band some distance ahead. Wellington Terrace was lined with spectators, who had chosen that spot for a distant, but commanding view point. It was on entering Bowen street, which rises gradually from Lambton Quay, that there was the greatest press. The most striking sight was witnessed here. On the rise at the top of the street were gathered many people, who preseoted a scene of human heads, a rising gallery from the level of the procession to the top of the eminence on which they stood, but in the middle of the human sea, like something streaked across it, appeared a quivering of green, something that lived and moved, and appeared to bsckon the procession. As the cortege drew up, it was seen to be the green wreaths of the Maoris, now waved in the hand in the manner of the poi, and quivering in unison, with their wild Native chant. It was a master stroke of effect, both visually and orally, and one not to bo forgotten. For a moment the procession lingered, then on it went to its destination, via Museum street, into Sydney street, and on to the Cemetery gates. Here was gathering now the' full force of the mighty crowd, requiring all the authority of law and order, backed up hy the Volunteers, to keep the human wave in check. This was, however, done. At the Cemetery gate the body was received by representatives of the headquarters staff, Colonel Webb. Major Joyce, and Major A. R. Hislop, V. D. A detachment of bluejackets from the cruisers Encounter and Pioneer, under Lieuten ant Trenen, of the former vesssl, formed a guard at the graveside, and a gun party of 23 men from the Eacounter, under Warrant Offijer Wearing, were awaiting the body at tho entrance to the Cemetery. The nine feet wide winding gravel path from the Sydney street gates to the summit of the hill, where the «race is situated, was lined with Naval Volunteers and a detachment ot nartnes from the Encounter, formed i line on the north side of the "rave, inder Marine Lieutenant S'^ffa. Che Garrison Band, which heaied ;be cortege, drew past the Cemetery jates to permit the artillery gun :arriage to pull up close to the En:ounter's Armstrong field gun carri- "?<» and limber. The transfer of the toffin to the smaller gun cariagiccupied less than two minutdH, aid

the men-of-warsmen started W&s the \ hill at a smart walking pace. It 1 was necessary for all the other ] vehicles to be abandoned, owing to J the narrowness of the pathway, and I the procession proceeded up the hill, ' headed by the Bishop of Wellington. As soon as the graveside was reached, and the .body of N.c.w Zealand's great staesrdan lay' #bqve tho tomb, tbe chief mourners gathered round, with the members of Parliament tind others, when Bishop Wallis commenced his duties. It was first necessary to consecrate the ground, which Was done in the following words: "In tbe name of th« Father, the Son, and tbe Almighty Ghost, I solemnly consecrate thin burial, ground, and pray that his blessing may ever be upon this place, and sanctify it, and keep it holy, that it may bo a lit resting place for the bodies of bis si-rvnnts until the day of the .Lord Jesus, when He shall come to judge the . quick and the dead. Amen." The grey' winter afternoon was waning, and fitful watery clouds were passing. The wind sang mournfully among the trees, as Bishop Wallis, in a clear voice, commenced the short but beautiful concluding service of the Anglican Church for the burial of the dead. "Man that is born of a woman hath but a .short lime to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down like a flower. " A few raindrops fell at this moment, and it seemed that Nature was attuned to the circumstances. Deliberately the Bishop proceeded with th 9 impressive service, and the hearts of the listeners were full of grief as he spoke the words: "Wo therefore commit his" body to the grave, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life" Then came tho Lord's Prayer, which was repeated by the vast" and attentiave congregation. A few more sentences familiar to all, but perhaps never before listened to by mapy of those present under such "significant circumstances, and the Bishop concluded : "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all ever more. Amen." Then a very brief Masonic service was gone through. Bro. Malcolm Nicco, Grand Secretary and a Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand, conducted the service, concluding with a prayer, and the customary dropping in the grave of the late Brother of a spring of acacia, the Masonic emblem of immortality. Thus the religious portion, of the ceremony was over, amid the ill-suppressed sobs of tearstained mourners, it concluded to the accompaniment of weeping of women. But there was one more token of respect to be paid to the departed. In the course of his busy lile Mr Seddon carried out the duties of Minister of Defence, and he was therefore honored by the firing of three volleys by a detachment of the Permanent Force. The men were drawn up on the eastern side of the grave, and as soon as the devotional service was over the firing took place. After the first and second volleys a bugler sounded a bar of the "Sunset," and after the third "The Last Post, ' J and the ceremony was over.