LECTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2094, 4 September 1890, Page 3

LECTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT.

The Eight Eev. Bishop Julius delivered a delightful lecture last Tuesday evening in the Volunteer Hall, Temuka. The hall was crowded. The Eev. T. A. Hamilton occupied the chair, and the Eey. T. Jasper fjmyth occupied a seat on the platform. The rev. chairman briefly introduced His Lordship, who on coming forward was received with loud ; applause, proceeded to give his experience of three years in a country village in England, The lecture was most amusing and instructive from beginning to end, and kept the audience in roars of laughter. He gave descriptions of the scenery, introduced many of the principal characters to be met with; portraying their i idiosyhcraeies with telling dramatic effect, but chiefly dealt with the old church. He described the style of architecture in. the 12th, 13tb, 14th, and 18th century, all of which were combined in the church, atid then proceeded to; give, an account of the benches which were 500 years old; They were made of oak* beautifully carved, and were as substantial to-day as when they were made. : This was because they were not made by contract. Tendering meant that someone was to cheat, and nothing but strikes would change the'' present system. There was no putty and varnish about the old oak benches. They; were put to-gether by good honest labor. He next referred to the disputes between the secular clergy and the monks, and said the old monasteries were institutions for which England ought never cease to thank God, and characterised Henry VIII. as the biggest rascal that ever lived for plundering them. They were getting too numerous and some of them ought to have been shut up, but their wholesale destruction was a terrible injury to the commercial and social life of England.' ' He gave amusing descriptions of many of the village people—the parish clerk, the verger, and the village school. He would not speak of the Education question because he was afraid be could not help using strong language, but to those who talked about the denominational difficulty he would say it was pure humbug. After having spoken in his. peculiarly graphic and laughter-provoking stile for about an hour and a quarter he wound up with a reference to the present labor difficulty.' He said he believed it was the beginning of the greatest revolution the world had ever seen, but no one could say what the result would be at present. One pleasant feature was that he believed it woqld bo completely bloodless. Ife would ask them all to respect each other. If the man who had £20,000 had been poor he would have been on the side of labor, and in the same way if the poo? man had £20,000 ho would have been Conservative. As soon as a man got 60 acres of land he became Conservative at once. Change of position would result in change of thought. Jt was all the result of commerce, which was carried on in an unhealthy condition, but he had no doubt 1 that as sooni as they passed through the coming crisis they would have better times. (Great and prolonged applause). Refreshments were then handed round and partaken of. The following supplied the refreshments, viz., Lady Blunden, and Mesdame* Hamilton, ABpjpi*ll, Sj*jhurst, J. T. M. Hayhprst, Sweet, Ash well, Davey, Comer, Lloyd, N. C. Nicholas, A. Nicholas, Morris, Mclnnes, Surridge, Clinch, Barr, Prattley, and Mr John Talbot. The Salyatiou Aymy lent their forms and Mr G, Smith flowers and shrubs, Messrs Cathro and Newbury deserved thanks for the decorations and the excellence of the asrahgements generally. Immediately after the refreshments were disposed of the one-act dramma of the Bough Diamond was played, the cast being as follows j—Lord Plato, Mr Chapman ; Sir Wm. Evergreen, Mr Cathro; Captain Blenheim, Mr Bryars; Cousin Joe, Mr Pinckney; Lady Plato, Miss oimkin; Margery (Lady Evergreen), Miss A. Erwood. Too much praise could not be given to Misa Erwood I for the excellence of her acting. not pot on\y spolse her. lines clearly 'apd capital emphasis, but she

also threw a great deal of energy and go into her acting and showed a good conception, of her part. Mr Pickney -as usual made up to the life, and bis .acting jwas faultless, and Messrs Cathro, ■ Chapman, and Bryars, acquitted themselves remarkadly well. Miss Simkin . acted, in a quiet and natural way, and on the whole the performance was as good as could possibly ; have been expected from amateurs.; At the close of the lecture the rev. chairman ; moved a vote of thanks to all who assisted in the entertainment, and announced that. His Lordship, would visit them again in December.