The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-05-30
LOOKING BACKWARD.

l. ne ADJOURNED annual meeting Ol
the above named Society will be held
tonight in the Y. NJ. G. A. Hall,
when it is to be hoped that as many
members of the Society as can posi-
bly, attend will make point of being
present.
1t is now close on 30 years ago
since the British Benevolent Society
was established. The original name
was the st. Georges Benevolent So
ciety, but this was subsequently al
tered to the more comprehensive
title of the British Benevolent So
ciety. The association was organized
at public dinner, held in Honolulu,
on the 23d April, 1864, (St. Georges
Day., and attended by about seventy
of the leading British residents. Mr..
w. w. f. Synge, now deceased, and
who was then British Commissioner,
filed the chair, whilst the late Mr..
w. l.. Green acted in the capacity
of vice-chairman. Amongst those
present were the following gentle
men, still in the land of the living,
viz: Messrs. A. S. Cleghorn, DR.. r.
McKibbin, A. McKibbin, Capt. Nc
Intyre, T. H. Davies, r. Hind, S.
Savidge and j. Smithies. Others
who took part, but now passed away
to the "land o the leal," were r.
Love, Capt. Luce, M. G. Monsarrat,
G.. Mclean, H. Prendergast, w.
Rawlins, Judge Robertson, S. Dow
sett, S. Hardcastle, j. S. Walker and
r. G. Wyllie, etc.
Some capital post prandial
speeches were delivered during the
course of the evening. The chair
man in proposing the toast, "Our
Native Land" is reported to have
said: eve have all been compelled
to leave home. | don't mean at the
public expense, but from various
circumstances; some of us in quest
of health, some in search of fortune,
others to crafty an honorable ambi-
ton. But loyal as you may be to
your new country, happy as you may
be in your new home, fancy there
is not one of you whose heart does
not beat quicker, and whose cheek
does not flush with a brighter tinge
when he thinks of the grand old
country across the seas-the coun-
try we have left SO many thousand
miles behind. (Cheers.) Wherever
they have gone, Englishmen, by
which l mean Scotsmen and Irish.
men also-I am an Irishman myself
have bravely and successfully de.
Tended the honor of old England
and obtained in all countries respect
for the race from which we have
sprung. Who of us can forget our
native land? Who can forget the
town or village where he was born
the homestead where he was reared
the church where he first worship
ped, the schoolhouse of his boyhood
his fathers teaching and his mother:
love? (Cheers.) Travel-stained, weary
of the world, sick of life, perplexeC
with care, at all times and under al
circumstances, that dear wore
HOME can never be forgotten. Who
will not say with the great and gooC
Thackery-
"And if in days of early youth,
We learn at home to love and pray,
Pray Heaven that early love and truth
May never wholly fade away!'
Judge Robertson of the Supreme
Court replied to the foregoing in
speech too long to give in full. Thu
following closing words of his ora
ton may, however, be given here
81 am delighted to see so varied
representation gathered together OF
. this occasion, the anniversary of tn
patron saint, Saint George of Merr
England; and the anniversary also
let me remind you, of the birth 0
William Shakespeare, day to be re
membered by every man who speak
} the English language. Have we go
here Paddy from Cork with his Goa
: buttoned behind? Have we go
) black-mouthed Presbyterians fror
the banks of the Foyle or Loug
Earne? Have we Taffy with his leeks
Have we Sandy the canny Scot
Have we Donald from the hills, VIII
likes brochan and brose, and dis
, dams to wear any breeks? Or tn
Bluenose who bought wooden nut
megs from Sam Slick? If we have
they are equally welcome round thi
, hospitable board, with the York
/ shireman and the man of Kent, O
: even the Cockney, who may hav
been born within the sound of Boz
! Bells. Long may they stand tc
G gether, shoulder to shoulder,
y united people in the face of tn
world; yes, as long as the Rose, tn
Shamrock, and the Thistle shall con
tinue to grow, or water shall cor
3 tinue to rum,
4 During the thirty years of its exis
/ tence the British Benevolent Societ
has helped many a worn and wear
|. brother who has fallen by the way
:, side. Owing to the dull times pre-
t vailing here during the past year Q
S SO there has been greater drai
= than usual on the funds of the Sc
S ciety. Let all the members of tn
Society therefore roll up this even
ing and show by their presence an
support that they have not lost a
sympathy for their less fortunat
fallOw cOuntryman