VISIT OF BISHOP OF WELLINGTON.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 10480, 4 December 1895, Page 2

VISIT OF BISHOP OF WELLINGTON.

SOCIAL IN ALEXANDRA HALL. A ■! i:.v and social given by the Beuefit Societies to welcome Dr. Wallis, Bishop of Wellington, and Mrs Wallis, were held in the Alexandra Hall on Tuesday night. The tea was laid out in the supper rorm, and between the hours of 6 and 8 o'clock about 150 partook of the appetising things provided. Mr Leal; ad catered in his well - known st v le. At 8 o'clock the social was held in the Hall, when there was a good attendance. Before the social tho Benefit Societies' Band, under Bandmaster J. Birch, played several selections in front of the Hall. His Worship the Mayor presided, having on his right Dr. Wallis, and on his left Mr J. Bellringer, chairman, and Mr Abner King, deputy chairman, of" the Benefit Societies' Committee appointed to arrange for the reception of the Bishop. There were also on the stage the other members of tho Committee and officers of tho Societies. All on the stage, including the Bishop, who is an Oddfellow of the M.U., wore their regalia. His Worship, in an opening address, said his remarks would be brief, as no doubt they would prefer to hear the Bishop speak t© them. Bishop Wallis had only been a short time in New Zealand, but in that time he had improved matters in his diocose by hw upright and Christian conduct. Tho visit of the Bishop at this time was opportune, as it was the anniversary of the church, and the, jubilee of their much beloved Archdeacon Govett. (Applause.) Members ,of societies, he pointed out, would be on a common platform, as the Biihop was one of them. He welcomed die Bishop to the Devonshire of New Zealand. He did not know if the Bishop was a West ceuntiyman ; if he were he would no doubt havo heard during his stay some good old Devonshire dialect. Bishop Wallis, after referring to the great pleasure that it had gives him to visit this district, said that he could not lay claim to be altogether a West countryman. His mother was, however, from the West Country, and old Plymouth he liked as it was the place where his father held his first curacy. He was from Wellington in Somerset, and it seemed appropriate that he should go from the old to the new Wellington. Tho old Plymouth was a place which brought vivid recollections to him, historical as the old town was, and during the few days- he had spent in around tho New Plymouth he had soen many sights that had charmed him. With regard to Benefit Societies he could inform them that he was an Oddtellow of the Manchester Unity, and although he not done a great deal so far to farther the work of the Manchester Unity, it was his intention to do so (applauje). Some work he had, however, done by deputy, for Mrs Wallis had be«n invited to take part in the foundation of a Female Oddfellows Lodge in Wellington. The Bishop next referred to the welcome that had been accorded him here, especially by tho Friendly Societies' on Sunday, when he had addressed the largest body of men he had, so far, done in New Zealand. He would take away with him pleasant recollections of New Plymouth and district, especially of the Societies' gathering that bad taken place iv their grand old stone church last Sunday (applause) . Mr J. Bellringer, Chairman of the Societies' Committee, was next called on to address the meeting. He said that his remarks would bo brief, and would be in the direction of showing how the benefit societies had already progressed in New Zealand. At the end of 1893 the total number of members was 29,763, that was of registered societies under The Friendly Societies Act. The accumulated funds amounted to £530,787, being money that the Societias made in their youth to. provide for the emergencies of old age. A sum of £62,970 had been paid away to members, &c , being divided as follows: — Sickness, £29,988; funerals, £5,570; medical fees, &c, £27,159. These figures would show that the Societies had done a great deal of good in the, colony, and he was pleased to meet on a common platform a brother in the person of Bishop Wallis (applause), wno had expressed his intention to use his influence in furthering the work of the Societies in the colony (applause). He could assure the Bishop that his good work would be intently watched by people in this p.irt of the colony. With regard to this district, ho would infor.ii them that the total membership of tho Societies waa 1500, with accumulated funds of £18,000, not a bad record he considered (applause). The speaker then went on to refer to the benefits to be (derived by joining a benefit Society, and urged on all young people of both sexes to make provision for Rtckness when they were in their youth and strength (applause.) In conclusion Mr Bellringer referred to the great pleasure that Bishop Wallis' visit had given them."* During tho evening tha following excellent programme was gone through :—: — Overture, '• Criterion," Mr Garry's orchestra ; piano solo, march by Kowalski Mi3S Halse ; solo, "Plymouth Sound," Mr W. Perry ; violin solo, "Scene de Ballet Mr A. Cook ; dolo, " Good Company,' Mr Blyth, and for an encore a recitation entitled, " Sockery sets a hen " ; Caprice, " Evenisg Slumbers," Mr G. Garry's orchestra ; solo, " Say au revoir, but not good-bye," Miss Elder ; solo, '• The Holy City," Mr Andrews ; duet, " When the wind blows in from the sea," Mr and Mra Milne ; National Anthem. Miss Halse played tho accompaniments during the evening.

The s.s. Mahinapua, with the 'Frisco mail, is due early to-morrow morning, and sails for Wellington during the forenoon. The annual and ordinary meetings of the Hospital aud Charitable Aid Board were held to- day (Wednesday ). Mr Jamea Bellringer was re-sleeted chairman, The s.s. Omapere, from South, berthed at tho wharf shortly before 8 o'clook this (Wednesday) morning, and having landod 147 tons of cargo sailed, for Westport at noon. Sir Robert Stout says there is a flaw in the Bank Bill, and there has been much laying of wise legal heads together by Crown law officers and legal luminaries acting on behalf of the banks to find its whereabouts. Sir Robert declines to disclose it and all the satisfaction he gives them is that the flaw is a serious one. The vital statistics compiled by tho Registrar-General show that tho number of deaths from cancer has steadily increased during the last fourteen years. In 1881 the number was 2-G9 deaths m every 10,000 persons living ; in 1886 it was 3.68 ; in 1890, 4-75 ; and last year 6 01. : Professor Pearfc, of Fitzgeralda' Circus, made a sensational dive in Auckland Harbour on Saturday last from the end of tho topgallant yard of the foremast of the Alameda. The height was estimated at 120 feet. The circus opened its season the same night to a vast audience, which thronged the marquee in every part. Tho dairy produce taken from tho colony by the R uapohu -on Friday consisted of 2G4 tons butter and 14G£ tona of cheese, collocted as follows : — Lyttolton, 'i-ttons butter and six tons cheese ; Dunedin, 05 J tons choose ; Auckland, 40 tons butter ; Wellington, 190 tons buttor and 75 tons choeHO. The shipment from tho latter port is mostly of Taranaki manufacture. We aro indebted to Mr Bedford, Collector of Customs, for the following return for tho month of November, 1895: — Spirits (16s), £129 10* 9d ; cigars, i 9 2s ; cigarettes, £35; tobacco, £497 17s Gd; toa, £48 la 8d ; sugar, £28 ; goods by weight, £185 48 9d ; ad valorem, £500 8a 8d ; other duties, £30 15s Gd ; Australian wines, £25 ; other kinds, £3 IDs 3d. Total, £1493 0d Id. Beer duty, £G3 3s. Total duties for Novomber, 1894, £1111 10s 3d ; beer duty, £56 3s 3d,