THE QUEEN'S BURIAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7013, 31 January 1901, Page 3

THE QUEEN'S BURIAL.

VOLUNTEERS -ALLOWED A FREE HAND. LIBERAL DISTRICT ORDERS. ["Star" SfeciJal.] • ."' The orders issued by Colonel Gordon for the volunteers of the North Canterbury district are of a kind 'highly to be commended, in so far as they deal with *he> -work on Sat-, urday. The first clause of the orders reads :— " Volunteers throughout the district are invited to attend Divine services on Saturday, Feb. 2. Bands are not permitted to play." . : ■ To the uninitiated tlias may seem very mixed, but the real meaning of it is that full permission is given to any and all corps to attend such Divine services as they choose in commemoration of her Majesty's funeral. Nor will it matter much, dn' face of the order, whether it be a corps or only a member of it — he can wear his uniform that day and to commemorate the burial of the revered of his choice, wherever it may be. It would be a rather pretty sight to see all the volunteers belonging to the different congregations, no matter what corps they belonged to, marching to their own church as soldiers of the late Queen and the new King, to commemorate the burial of tihe revered Queen Mother. And there is no reason why this should not be. \" Bands axe not permitted to play," so j that the parades -vf ould to be wMhout martial music, but ther^is hardly a congregation in the town that does not includ© in its members' or adherents' lisb a) dozen or two of our citizen soldiers, so that for once ait least in the history of oui 1 volunteers am opportunity is afforded for all the churches in town to accommodate a parade for divine service. In 'this matter there is room for Roman Catholic and Protestant — Anglican, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, etc.^-every soldier in fact in the city to appear an iiis own church, in his uniform to do bomiour "under his own vine and fig tree " before Almighty God, to the memory of the Good Queen for whose blissful reign only on Sunday laisfo every priestly lip. and every Christian heart was giving praise and thanksgivinig. Doubtless full . advantage will be taken of the liberty given in this order, because on the very face of it there is showm tha* no combined or formal service will be held. It will be then for the officers and! non-oom-missioned officers belonging to each church to make such arran'gemenits for parades as may be suitable. No service under the auspices of the municipality will be held 1 , and as yet there | appears to be no steps taken, to hold any combined service. Perhaps it is better so, that the the people's devotions be before their own altars, and under the pastoral . leadership of their own spiritual guides.