The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-10-18 00:00:00

THE REV. THOMAS SPURGEON ON
NEW ZEALAND.

On Tuesday evening the Rev. Thomas Spurgeon,
of Auckland, son of the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, deli-
vered a lecture at the Metropolitan Tabernacle on
New Zealand, or, as he designated it, "Brighter
Britain." The Rev. C. H. Spurgeon presided, and
though a charge was made for admission—the pro-
ceeds going towaids building a tabernacle at Auck-
land, of which Mr. T. Spurgeon is to 46 pastor—there
was a numerous attendance. The Maurer said the
Britain of the south was about the size of Great
Britain, but was different in shape, it being about
1200 miles in length, and with an average breadth of
200. More than half of its inhabitants, of whom
there were about 500,000, were British. They were
not the outlandish people some imagined, for they had
got all the products of civilisation, including gaols,
policemen, sewing machines, steam tramways, and
Spurgeon's sermons. (Laughter.) The rivers abounded
with salmon, trout, bream, and other fish; pheasants
and hares fled and ran, especially when the dogs were
after them, and in certain parts rabbits multiplied
amazingly. There were no venomous reptiles, but
they had mosquitoes, which, however, were of a mild
disposition and genial temper. (Laughter.) The
country was in many respects like England. Anthony
Trollope said the great drawback of New Zealand
was that after crossing the ocean and travelling so
many thousand miles you had not succeeded in getting
away from England. The people were intensely loyal,
and the English and Scotch always spoke of England
and Scotland as "home." He called it "Brighter
Britain because of its superior climate, which, how-
ever, was by no means perfect, for on the Canterbury
plains there was a sort of sirocco blowing at
certain seasons. In Auckland the summer season
lasted nine months of the year, and they had
abundance of rain. New Zealand was "Brighter
Britain" also in the sense that she was favoured
with local option, but in spite of this there was much
drunkenness. He dare not volunteer the statement
that the scenery was better than that of Great
Britain, but on account of the greater clearness of the
atmosphere it was much brighter. He did not wish
to take upon himself the responsibility of advising
any one to emigrate, but to those who were disposed
to emigrate he would say that there was no better
country- than New Zealand, and no better city than
Auckland. But those who went there must knuckle
down to the first employment that was offered them,
and bide their time until work and worth were recog-
nised, as they were sure to be. The Maories, he said,
were the noblest of all the savage races. They were
formerly cannibals, but that was a thing of the past.
Their numbers were diminishing, partly on account
, of drunkenness and smoking and partly because of
their manner of life, but he was happy to say that
the Gospel was preached to them by missionaries
whose zeal had never been excelled. The lecture was
divided into two parts, and in the interval between
the first and second the Rev. C. H. Spurgeon gave
a short address, in the course of which he said
the church of which his son was pastor of Auckland
was wonderfully like this. It was not overburdened
with refinement, which was a kind of thing not culti-
vated here. He knew his own people on the Sunday
when they were going to the Tabernacle. There was
a different kind of walk about them from that of
other people. He saw the good people going along
so—(imitating their walk, amid much laughter).
They were going along to church or somewhere, and
they went slowly, as if they had plenty of time, and
there was plenty of room when they got there. But
his own people came trotting along quick. (Imitating
them also, amid roars of laughter.) They knew that
unless they got there in time they would not get there
at all. He was glad that the people of Auckland
were building a Tabernacle, for there was no better
education for a people than to have to build a
Tabernacle like this, although some of their friends
who had joined them since it was built had not
acquired the habit of giving as their predecessors
had.