VALEDICTORY TO THE YEN. ARCHDEACON BEAUMONT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 4748, 28 April 1900, Page 3

VALEDICTORY TO THE YEN. ARCHDEACON BEAUMONT.

Severe as the weather was last evening a very large assemblage of people, among whom were members of all the local churches, gathered in Trinity Church sohoolroom for the purpose of assisting in the presentation of a testimonial to the Yen. Archdeacon Beaumont and also bidding him a formal good-bye. After a programme of songs had been gone through, Mr E. M. Wakefild, who presided, expressed his regret that Mr E. Herbert had been prevented from being present through sickneßS. . He had also reoeived messages of Apology from Mr S. Henry, who regretted his inability to be present and sent all good wishes to the Archdeacon ; also from Mr and Mrs Caudwell, Waipori, who sent their kindest wishes to Archdeacon Beaumont. The Chairman said they had met that evening for a two-fold purpose. They had met to bid good-bye to the Archdeacon on the eve of his departure from Lawrence, and also to express by their presence, and in a more praotical form, their feelings of regard to the Arohdeacon as a clergyman and' a resident of Lawrence for the past thirty years.— (Applause.) Though he felt it a great honor to preside at the meeting he should yet have preferred that some one else had occupied the position. It might, perhaps, be expected by some that he intended to supply an epitome of the Archdeacon in Lawrence or portray all those graoes and airs with whioh they were all familiar. But he intended nothing of the kind. He would, however, aßk them to look back over the period that had elapsed during the 30 years since Archdeacon Beaumont had come among them, and endeavor to picture the changes that had occurred since then. Many families bad entirely passed away ; a new generation had sprung up and the old one had almost, if not quite, vanished. At that time.also, Lawrence itself was little better than a wilderness, but to-day it was from end to end a garden, and there was nothing more striking in that respect than the parsonage itself. It was a monument to the life of Arohdeacon Beaumont, and will, no doubt, be ft joy to his successor. Those were years of joy to some and to others they brought clouds of sorrow ; but one thing stood out as a well-known fact and that was that the Arohdeacon had held the affectionate regard of his people and the respect and goodwill of everybody. — (Applause.) They were now about to lose their dear friend. •—(Applause.) When he was gone Lawrence could not be quite the come as it had been. There was one point to which he might refer, that was the manner of his leaving Lawrence. He should like to say that the Archdeacon was giving up a great deal— giving up that beautiful parsonage and muoh else that most people prized. ,* — (Applause.) He could not take such a Bkep were he not influenced and guided by . * the highest ideals and by the very highest - sense of duty. — (Applause.) It was not for . them to question or criticise his aotion, but they .could only regard his motive with the highest respect. It was one of those things which, if anything could do so, would raise him higher, in their estimation than he had already stood.— (Applause.). Mr Wakefield then read the following address :—: — The Venerable Arcbdeacon George Price Beaumont, M.A . Bererend and Dear Sir,— We, the undersigned, on behalf of the parishioners of Tuapeka and Waitahnna, hereby place on record our acknowledg. .- ment and appreciation of j our devoted and faithful •errices as a minister of God and the incumbent of this parish throughout a period of 30 years. • During the whole term of your ministry, which began in May, 1870, your chief aim has been the spiritual good of the parish, and towards this end you have devoted your whole energy, and at the same time you have always been ready to comfort the afflicted, counsel the unready, encourage the 'weak, and relieve the necessities of the poor. Although denply regretting that you should have resigned the charge of the parish while still in the fall possession of health and vigor, and with many years of usefulness befo<*e you, we, at the same time, are convinced that you have not taken this ste* until after long and prayerful consideration, and until you were satisfied that your resignation would be for the spiritnal welfare of th« parish. In your retirement you will take with you the hearts of your parishioners, to whom you have •ndetrod yourself, and whose constant prayers will 1m tor your peace and happiness. Lawrence Vestry— (Signed) £3. Herbert, E. M. Wakefield (churchwardens), C, Brooks, J. Brooks, A. Crooke, G. Jeffery, J. H. Jackson, P. A. Miller, Gh O. Taylor, J. -•• Thompson, P- X7ren, J. A.. Newell. Wtltanuna. Committee — (Signed) A. M. Bar»6tt, O. H. BJorngaaid, !?. Ellis, Joseph Ferris, P. Fuldseth, A. J. Hanson, John Scott, Joseph West, A, WigMman, John 1 Tork, T. H. Batenion, John Toner. The Chairman said that, as supplementary to the address, they had decided to present the Arohdeacon with a purse of sovereigns.' It had been subscribed by Church people largely but not ontirely. Several had come forward and had asked that they might be allowed to participate in the expression of regard to the Arohdeacon and they were, welcome to do so. -(Applause.) In the words of -Kipling " It was their pleasure this and their hearts inclined them to do honor, to an old friend " ; and they took that method of doing io. He had now to ask the Archdeaoon to accept the addteßs and the purse with their beat wishes.— (Applause, whioh continued for several minutes.) Mr John Thompson said he looked upon it as a hard task to say good-bye to an old friend. He Had known the Archdeacon for the post «hirty years. He remembered his first introduction to him. The Archdeacon was then a bachelor, living in the parsonage, and himself and Mr Jeffery and one or two more went to visit him, but the ground was ' then rough and broken, and the four of them fell head over heels into a hole. — (Laughter.) He stood there to-night to bid his old friend good-bye. He came to Lawrence himself the same month as the Arohdeacon, and their friendship Bince then had stood the test of time. He had known Hhe Arohdeaoon perfectly in the pulpit and in private life, and one feature of his character that raised him high in his estimation was that he had never known him to say a hard word of anyone. — (Applause.) He judged no man, but left it in God's hands. And that, he considered, was the highest form of charity that human man could bear towards man. He wished his old friend with all his heart God speed and every blessing.— (Applause.) Mr Ferris (Waitahuna) said it was thought well by the people of the Waitahuna Church Committee that they should come up, but he could say that he did not at all like the visit for he very much disliked parting with an old friend. During the whole time the Archdeacon had been visiting their district he had reoeived the respect and esteem, not only of his own people, but of all denominations. — (Applause.) It came upon them as a shock when they heard the Archdeacon had resigned. They thought he would remain as their teacher as long as God gave him health and strength. But he was, no doubt, after 30 years labor in the Church, entitled to a rest, and he hoped that God would give him every blessing in this life and that they might all meet together in that {heavenly home where they all hoped to atI tain to.— (Applause.) Mr Jeffery said his friendship with the Archdeaoon had maintained down to the last. Whenever he had gone to him for advice or counsel he was always most kindly and considerately received. Whenever he was in * trouble he came forward and gave him consolation that could be got nowhere else. He was well aware also that the Archdeacon not oialj gare advice, ' bat he also assisted those who needed it and went to him for assistance. The patients in the hospital would also miss him, because he was . one who never allowed the question of de- > nomination to stand in his way. He oould only add to what had already been said by hoping that after his long services in the Church he would be able to retire and live the remainder of his years in comfort with his family, and that they would all have the pleasure of seeing him at his home in Danedin.— (Applause.) Mr Burnett (Waitabuna) said it was eight jmri Pine* h« had met Archdeacon Beau..

mont. He (the speaker) was a man who had seen a little suffering in his time, and he could assure them that he had gone to ohuroh and after hearing the simple and beautiful words of the Archdeacon he had received comfort from them. That had happened many and many a time to him. He was pleased to be able to say that he had been able to go home and struggle on after hearing his comforting words. The Arohdeaoon was not one of those loud men who carried the crowd with him for a time, but he was a man who carried and held the hearts of the people. — (Applause.) He was pleased to be able to state that he had left them a monument of his labors in the Churoh of St. Matthew, whioh would remain as a proof of his loving kindness to bis people. — (Applause.) Mr Stenhouse said he quite conourred with all that had been said by those gentlemen who had spoken during the evening. He was himself a very particular friend of the Archdeaoon's and he regretted very much he was leaving the parish. He esteemed him very highly, and in the past they often had long confidential talks on the work carried on in the Sabbath schools, and they exchanged ideas on the subject.and he should say that he felt all the better of these talks with the Arohdeaoon and be would miss him very much. But he hoped they would not altogether lose sight of him after he had nettled in his new home. God may ba with him in his homo in his retirement in Dunedin. All their feelings went with him. When he Raw such an array of workers on the platform with him he quite understood how it was that Arohdeacon Beaumont was able to do such good work. He wished to bear his testimony of the warm friendship he bore him. —(Applause.) Arohdeaoon Beaumont, who was demonstratively reoeived, said his first duty was to thank them all for the flattering addresses they had just read to him. That did not come to him entirely unexpected, but so far as the gift they had, in their, love and generosity, presented him with, he would say before God that whoever took a leading part in gathering the money together had managed to keep the seoret perfectly. The very faot of offering that gift gave him rather an impression that he was out of his reokoning with regard to things that were occurring in the parish. He had not the slightest inkling of it and he wondered it did not leak out.— (Laughter.) They knew he had never, been a gossipping man, but notwithstanding that there were very few things occurring that he did •not know of. — (Laughter.) In faot he knew a good many more things than they were aware of. — ( Renewed laughter. ) But he had the gift of not seeing things that he did not want to see and of not hearing things that he did not want to hear, and if he had not aoted so he would not have had the meeting he had in the building that night. But that gift had taken the conceit out of him.— (Laughter.) He expeoted an address, but certainly not the other. He was quite sure that very few people in the room quite realised his position in resigning the parish. He was aware that many wondered at his action and were very muoh astounded at it. He was saying nothing about the saorifioe he was making. If he had not had a high ideal and felt that God had blessed him as a minister of Christ and enabled him to decide wisely and for the best he would never have resigned. If be had allowed any single personal consideration as to comfort or his daily bread to enter into the question of his resignation it would never have been carried out, but he would have remained with them. —(Applause.) The secret was that God had blessed him, as he had his brother clergymen, with high ideals of his work. No living man could adequately realise the imperfect way he did his duty. But he tried to do it. There were no side issues or self in the least degree. He had the ideal before him and he had tried to live the life. The most eloquent preacher may succeed in filling his churoh, but his experienoe was that he might not advance his people one inch in the spiritual life. He had brought up the best preacher in Dunedin and the churoh was filled to the door; but next Sunday the churoh was almost empty. Where, then, was the good ? He #could assure them that the only way to do the work of Christ was to live the life of Christ. With regard to his position, he oould say, with a certain conviction, that no living man of any other oongregation had 5 heard him say one word against their religion. Neither as a minister, nor a gentleman or a Christian man would he do so. — (Loud applause.) He saw members of other denominations and he would say that any man of any other denomination who had ever met him had been treated by him as one of his own. — (Applause.) He wanted to thank all his people, and he was certain that he possessed the confidence of the people of the distriot.— (Applause.) He wanted to thank his fellow workers, both those who bad been oonneoted in the early days and those of today—both Sunday school teachers, members of the Guild, and everyone who had done any work for him. He wished especially to thank his very dear friend, Mr John Thompson. He had opened his first Sunday school in the parish 30 years ago, and he could not have done what he had done in establishing his Sunday schools were it a not for his very dear friend, Mr Thompson. ' Miss Fowler was also a valued helper and others. He took that opportunity of returning thanks, particularly to those who were with him at the initiation of the work. He also thanked them in Waitahuna, and he thanked his lay readers there for tneir invaluable services, and tie boped. that God would bless tiiem all. The very thought of parting from them all was a very Berious trial. He had a great deal of sorrow and a great deal of joy throughout his life, but he never put in suoh a month as the month of September when looking for the light of the holy Spirit of God when he was trying to come to a deoision as to the course he should pursue with regard to his resignation. He was deciding whether he should leave a distrat in whioh he had spent the past 30 years of his life, and in endeavoring to arrive at that decision he was acting entirely, from the dictates of his own oonsoienoe. He was doing it for Christ's sake. He was doing it for the greater glory of God. If he had left anyone out in speaking of those whom he should thank, it was not Intentional. He thanked for their address and for the unexpected gift.— (Loud applause.) After the singing of a hymn the Arohdeaoon pronounoed the Benediction and the prooeedings terminated. Before the prooeedings had opened in the evening songs were delivered by the following ladies and gentlemen : — Misses Leech and Jeffery, duet ; Mr Campbell, song ; Mrs Crooke, song; Mr W. Smyth, junr., recitation; Miss Jeffery, song; Mr Hutton, song; Miss Smythe, recitation ; Mr Campbell, song.