The Spiritualist newspaper > No.107, September 11th 1874

132
THE SPIRITUALIST.
Sept. 11, 1874.
among the Unitarians some time ago, since which time he and
two laymen have in turn conducted a Sunday service for one
section of the Church. He is a man of great culture and
attainments, holds advanced views on theological and religious
questions, and has lately become interested in Spiritualism;
and I need only add that there was nothing wanting on the
part of Mrs. Stanley and himself to make my stay with them
as agreeable as possible.
On landing, I found that I was advertised to deliver my first
lecture that evening, and accordingly I opened the campaign
in the Odd Fellows’ Hall, Elizabeth-street. The Hon. J. Bowie
Wilson was announced to preside at the first meeting. He is
an old and tried Spiritualist, having become one through what
he witnessed in America in the early days of the movement.
As a matter of course he has incurred a good deal of ridicule
and opposition by his adhesion to such an unpopular thing as
Spiritualism; but he has stood true to his principles, and
now feels in some measure rewarded by the progress they are.
making among all classes of society. There was a numerous
and very intelligent and attentive audience present.
The other week-night meetings were held in the Temperance
Hall, Pitt-street. I need not enter into particulars respecting
each meeting. Suffice it to say, they were all well attended.
In addition to the week-night lectures in Sydney, I delivered
two in the School of Arts, Balmain—a pretty suburb—and
one in the Town-hall, Newtown—another suburb. Dr. Tucker
occupied the chair at the latter place. The meetings were
encouraging. I also lectured in the School of Arts, Paramatta,
fifteen miles from Sydney. Mr. H. Gilchrist presided. Para-
matta is a quiet little town, one of the oldest in the colony,
and reminds one very much of the old country. Messrs. Gil¬
christ and Pearce accompanied me thither. We had a delight¬
ful trip to it by the river, and returned by train. There are
several other inland towns in which I was anxious to break
the ice, but my stay in the colony was too short to admit of
my doing so. -
Our four Sunday night meetings were highly successful, as
regards the attendance and the interest manifested. The two
first were held in the Temperance Hall, which was kindly lent
to us by the committee of the Unitarian Church.
Two of the Sunday meetings were held in the Victoria
Theatre. Mr. J. Bennett, the lessee, very generously placed
the theatre at the service of the committee for Sunday even¬
ing and Saturday afternoon meetings. The experiment of a
Saturday afternoon lecture was not tried, but the Sunday
meetings were a glorious success. The first lecture was on
the “ Devil,” when about 2,500 were crammed into the build¬
ing, and hundreds went away unable to obtain admission.
Every foot of standing room was occupied, and a good many
stood behind the scenes on the stage. .
I need hardly say that the pious folks of Sydney, and espe¬
cially the clergy, were seriously exercised by the success that
attended my meetings. Several of the latter warned their
hearers against Spiritualism a “ latter day delusion,” and in
the spirit of true orthodox charity denounced me as an
“ infidel,” a “ blasphemer,” “ an emissary of the Devil,” and
I know not what. Of course such things were not new to me.
They only furnished another illustration of the pernicious
fruits of the popular religion. The man who dares to think
for himself, and to publicly enunciate principles opposed to
the orthodox creeds and dogmas, however conscientious his
views and honourable his conduct may be, must be denounced
and slandered in foul terms by those canting pharisees, who
claim to have the only commission, patented in heaven, to
show the people the way to heaven! The Eev. A. W. Webb
was the first to announce a lecture against the movement,
under the title of “ Spiritualism Weighed in the Balances,
&c.” As I could not attend the lecture, and no report of it
was published, I did not ascertain its character.
During my stay in Sydney I had an opportunity of testing
the powers of “ abnormal sight,” alleged to be possessed by
Master Alfred Bone. The case has been the subject of
considerable correspondence in the Sydney papers. He
certainly read words and described objects correctly, both
with a wool padding and bandage over his eyes, and when
his eyelids were tightly held down by the fingers. I intended
trying him again before I left Sydney, but my engagement
did not allow of my doing so. From what I saw, however,
I had reason to believe that the boy does possess the power
which is claimed for him. I have not space to detail what
he did when I was present. The case is an interesting one,
and deserves further investigation by competent and unpre¬
judiced men. His father, fully believing in his son’s genuine¬
ness, very naturally feels hurt at the imputations of imposture
which certain persons have not scrupled to throw out; but
time will vindicate the truth.
I must not omit to state that Mr. Foster stayed a night in
Sydney, on his way to California, and gave two very success¬
ful seances. Eleven gentlemen attended the first, and about
twenty the second sitting, all of whom, I learnt, were deeply
impressed by what they saw and heard. Some capital tests
were given, and those who received them naturally felt a
greater interest in my lectures than they would otherwise
have done. It is much to be regretted that Mr. Foster did
not make a longer stay. He would have done far more- for
Spiritualism by the proofs he could give than any number of
lectures could do.
I have said nothing of Sydney as a place. Its harbour is
one of the finest in the world, and is justly the pride of the
Sydney people. The city reminded me more of an English
town than any place I have visited in the colonies. Many of
the views around it are charming in the extreme. I spent a
pleasant night with Mr. Greville at Cook’s Biver, and almost
fancied myself in the old country in going along the road.
I cannot speak of my ride to the South Head, Botany Bay,
and other places, which I so much enjoyed. All the friends
treated me with great consideration and kindness, and strove
to make my visit pleasant to myself, as well as useful to the
cause of Spiritualism and Freethought. The social gathering
which the committee had arranged to meet me on the Tuesday
evening before I left was a most enjoyable affair. I learned
with pleasure that several circles were formed while I was in
Sydney to investigate Spiritualism, which, if conducted with
wisdom and perseverance, will no doubt obtain satisfactory
results.
I left Sydney in the Rangatira on the 18th. Several of the
committee and other friends came down to see me off.
After a fair passage we arrived in Hobson’s Bay on the 21st,
and I found myself announced to lecture the same evening in
my old place—the Polytechnic Hall.
Seyerax articles are standing over for want of room;
contributors are requested to kindly make them short and to
the point, as that plan may save weeks of delay in
publication.
Spirituaxism in' Newcastle. — In consequence of
pressure upon space this week, the description of the seances
we had with Newcastle materialisation mediums, is postponed
till next week. Much general information will be given as to
the nature of these phenomena, the result of our having
attended some one or two hundred materialisation seances
with the best mediums in this country.
A Goon Example.—Mr. F. Everitt, one of the most
active Spiritualists at Bishop Auckland, having recently
greatly enlarged his business premises in the main street of
that town, conjointly with Mrs. Everitt invited many friends
to meet him in his new premises one day last week, and there
were great festivities, with no wine or other ardent liquor,
against all of which Mr. Everitt resolutely sets his face. But
the chief incident of the meeting was that he invited about
thirty old people from the workhouse, to come and make
merry with the rest of his friends on the occasion, and in
returning thanks for a speech made in his honour, he in
effect expressed the hope that the precedent set would never
be allowed to die out, but that something would be done
annually to entertain the poor and helpless of Bishop Auck¬
land henceforth for ever.
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS.
Mr. Algernon Joy writes—“ The turn you have given in your
report, to what I said in seconding the vote of thanks for Mr.
Harper’s paper at the Crystal Palace, conveys an idea of
damning with faint praise, which was not in my mind. What I
meant to say was, that there seemed to me to be a great deal that
was very valuable in the paper, though its rather grandiloquent
style might make it difficult foT some people to catch the author’s
meaning sometimes.”
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