The Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1861-01-15 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

(Front the Melbourne Argus of Aovember 24.)
Parliament assembled on Tuesday last for the des-
patch of public business, and already we are in the
midst of another ministerial crisis.
THE GOLD FIELDS.

This time last month we had the prospect of an
extensive gold field being opened at the extreme wes-
tern end of the known auriferous country, but a further
trial of the ground then discovered has not borne out
these anticipations. The Londonderry diggings have not
altogether proved a failure, but they do not promise to be
of much extent, or of extraordinary richness. The other
discovery made about the same time is turning out to be
of more importance, and this, it may be remembered
was in the other direction, in the Ovens district, and
within a few miles of the Murray. The number of
deep leads of gold found at Wahgunyah has been since
increased to twelve, and some of these are rich enough

to be amply remunerative to the miners thereon, while
others seem as yet to be only moderately rich, and of
no great length. As invariably happens now at every rush,
large or small, far more people have collected, and are col-
lecting on the spot than there is any room for, at least with
the probability of their getting any share in the good things
going. With the exception of the opening of some richer
spots than ordinary, there have been no important changes
of late on the established gold fields. Rather more
than the usual number of medium-sized nuggets have
been found lately in different places, on one of 16802.
was picked up by a Chinaman on the old Riad tit
Dunolly. A very rich lead or told lids been Opened at
kingdwer, neat the oid workings there, the yield frim
rthis from 2oz. to Boz. to the load; but this goes
udder land purchased by a squatter occupying-the station,
and as a satisfactory arrangement cannot be' entered
into with this gentleman, some 2,000 or 3,000 miners
are kept in idleness, pending a reference to Government,
which, however, is likely to be of little or no avail.

HORRIBLE INDIAN' MASSACRE 101 ORE-
GON EMIGRANTS-1\10TI;IERS EATING
THE DEAD BODIES OP 'HEIR HUS-
BANDS AND CHILDREN'.

FORT WALLA WALLA,
WASHINGTON TERRITORY, Nov. 8, 1860.
The command of Captain Dent, United States Army,
has just reached this point from the scene of the late
Indian massacre near Fort 'Boise, bringing with him
twelve men, women and children, who have been res-
cued from this massacre, which has been one of the
saddest that his ever occurred on the emigrant route.
These wretched creatures were found almost naked,
and eating, the dead bodies of those that had been mas-
sacred, and in one case eating the head of a man that
had been buried for ten days. the party numbered
forty-four souls, out of which twenty-nine were mas-
sacred arid fifteen saved: They had moved {tom Wisconsin
hp to Fort Hull, where they received art escort of dra-
goons, who gttaided thddi to iiear Salmon Falls, on
snake 14,1;4, *lien the dragoons turning back, they were
ft alcitte for 300 miles, when they expected to. reach
Valli Walla, W. T. Near Fort Boise they were at-
tacked by from 150 to 200 Snake Indians. They fought
for two days, when finding their men falling, they
abandoned everything and fled for their lives. The next
day they saw by the smoke that their train had been
destroyed. They moved on for several miles on foot,
the mothers, many of them carrying their infants at their
breasts, until they came to a small creek lined with
berries, where they had remained five weeks, until the
troops found them. Two men had made their escape,
and gave the information, upon which Colonel Wright
ordered out troops to their relief.
The troops moved rapidly, and when they came up
with the emigrants, it is said that the heart of every
soldier was moved at the saddest spectacle that humanity
ever witnessed. The poor people; men, women, and
children, bowed themselves on the sandy desert where
they were found, and offered up a solemn and fervent
prayer to God at their most miraculous escape, and with
one feeling the soldiers swore vengeance against the
savages who have reduced this band of emigrants to this
condition.
But the most horrible sight was yet to be witnessed.
They were without food or clothing, and had made shel-
ters for themselves out of willows and grass, and the in-
fants that had been left after their mothers had been
massacred were eaten most ravenously, anti one lady
ate two of her own children that had died of starvation,
and afterwards dug up her own husband, and the troops
found his head roasting upon the fire when they reached
them. They said it was not until starvation drove

them to it that they could allow themselves to be thus

reduced to live upon human flesh, and that too in a putrid
state. The women had been ravished by the hellish
savages, and their naked bodies bac all the marks of
horrible brutality. When will our government take some
action to guard and protect our emigrant roads to the
Pacific coast ? This last act calls for tengeante loud
and deep. A rumour has also reaclrea.lere that the
Flathead Indians in the Rata IlObt Valley had'risen,
and were giving great trAble at Fort Owen. Every-
thing has been done by olonel Wright, the commander
of this departmmt, hat a humane and noble commander
could do, and. much credit is due the officers and troops
Under Captatli Dent, for their efficient aid and kindness
to these emigrants. Lieutenants Anderson and 'Reno,
and n'e. Taylor, United States Army, the officers with
t" Command, did everything that could relieve these
pool people in their distress.
A body of troops had been sent out from this post, as
it was supposed, to bring in and protect any emigrants
that might be left on the road, but the troops returned
here in Aumust, without bringing in any emigrants. We
can only trust that the Government may take warning
from this, and initiate such steps as to prevent its
recurrence.

Tan MARKETS COMMITTEE.—The weekly meeting
of this committee was held yesterday at the Town Hall.
Alderman Woodruff presided ; and the other members
'present were Messrs. Houghton Haydoek, Barton,
Shimmin Nickson, Kitchen, Aspinall, Crellin,
Holden, 'Rogers, and Johnson. The receipts from the
markets, &c. last week were £249 odd. Returns were
submitted, showing that there had been seized and
destroyed this week 2,143 lbs. of meat, a bag of cockles,
and 18,000 oysters. There was no business of the least
pablic interest.
CORONER'S COURT.--On Saturday the Coroner held
the following inquests :—On the body of a child named
Michael M'Donald, three years' old, that was scalded, on
Thursday, in a court off Saltney-street, and died on
'Friday from the effects of the injuries. Verdict, acci-
dental death.—On the body of Thomas Heywood, thirty-
fice years' old, who was a porter in the Lancashire
Railway Company. The deceased fell through a trap-
door, purely by accident, and received such injuries as
caused death. Verdict accordingly.—On the body of
John Lindsay, forty-four years of age, who was
engaged as a foreman baker, at Mr. Gibbons's, London-
road. The deceased was drinking freely for some days
previous to Saturday last, when he fell in a fit, and
subsequently died from apoplexy. Verdict accordingly.
—The coroner also held the following inquests yes-
terday :—On the body of Emma Fletcher, 39, who
lived in a court off Atherton-street. The deceased
took ill about a week since, and it was alleged
that she had been kicked by a man ; but on a post
'se orten examination of the body it appeared that death
was the result of pneumonia from natural causes. Ver-
dict accordingly.—On the body of Jeremiah Delany, 19
tears of age, an apprentice in Mr. Ilorsfall's cooperage,
IJpper William-street. On the 12th ult, e dec
was dressing a stave when it broke, and the knife ckiedut
him severely in the knee, and he died in the Royal
Infirmary in consequence of the injuries. -verdict
accordingly.—On the body of Joseph Jackson, 24 years
of age, a stone mason. The deceased was working on
Saturday at the face of the Clarence pier-head, when the
scaffold on which he was jerked, and he fell into the
river. The tide was running fast at the time, and he
was swept away and drowned. There was no blame to
any one, and the jury returned a verdict of accidental
death.—On the body of John Johnson, a child four
years old, that was burnt on Saturday night by his
clothes catching fire. The child died on Sunday from
the effects of the injuries. Verdict accidental death.—
On the body of Edward Smith, a carter, who was in the

,eraploymeni of Messrs. M'Fie, sugar refiners, who was
killed on Thursday in Bachelor-street, by the falling of
a cask of whiskey on him from the store of Messrs.
Moore, Vicars and Co. Mr. Bluck appeared for
William Halliwell, the warehouseman, and Mr. Parker
appeared for the widow of deceased. It was alleged
that Halliwell was to blame in the matter, as he was
the only man at the warehouse door to pull in the cask
when it was hoisted up. A witness said he saw the
cask land on the sill of the warehouse door, and saw it
shake on the balance, when one end of the sling came
off and down it went and fell on deceased, who was
rolling an empty cask underneath. The witness said
if there was any blame to any one it was to Halliwell,
who did not get assistance to take it in—one stout, able
man would do it—but Halliwell is a light man. The
witness said he would have more than one man to attend
the puncheon if he had been there. Halliwell hooked
on the cask. Thinks he was guilty of negligence—a
little—but he was doing his best. It was not gross
negligence on his part. To Mr, Bluck he said Halliwell
was a steady man—one of the best men they had in the
establishment. The negligence was that Halliwell
relied too much on his own-strength. The witness was
examined by Mr. Parker; and' some other witnesses
having been examined the jury found it was accidental
death.

INSOLVENTS.—InsoIvent debtors heard at Lancaster,
on Friday, the 11th day of January, 1861, before
Robert Seger, Esquire, Judge of the said court :
Bartholomew Seed, provision dealer and warehouseman,
Preston; Thomas Hurd, keeper of a restaurant and
cigar dealer, Manchester ; Thomas Holding, beerseller,
grocer, and draper, Blackburn ; John Boyden, general
dealer' Manchester; Thomas Townshend, refreshment
house keeper, Manchester ; George Frederick Robinson
(sued as George F. Robinson), publican, Manchester;
Thomas Hall, beerseller, Heywood, near Bury; Philip
Haughton, beerseller, .Ashton-under-Lyne ; James
Bradford, journeyman maker-up and packer, Man-
chester; John Marsden, grocer and provision dealer,
St. Helens; Thomas Coope' rope and twine manufac-
turer, Rawtenstall ; John Dickenson, beerseller and
butcher, Preston ; John Edmund Sedgwick, iron-
monger, Blackburn ; John Dobb, manufacturing
chemist, Wigan ; John Thompson, grocer and pro-
vision dealer, Manchester ; Joseph Hartley, licensed
victualler, Blackburn; James Woods, refreshment
house keeper, Warrington; Thomas Jackson,
112[1 journey-
manobrtc
sawyer, Bolton-le-Moors;
Montgomery, beerseller and railway clerk,l'Manchester
William Johnson Chadwick, confectioner, baker, and
four dealer, Longsight, near Manchester ; William
Martin, perfumer and hair dresser, Liverpool ; Henry
Wood, grocer, draper, and provision deal er,Rochdale ;
Edmund Farrand, beer retailer and blacksmith, Tyldes-
ley, near Bolton-le-moors ; Robert Roberts, licensed
victualler, Liverpool; George Little, licensed,victuan er,
Liverpool; William Leach, heerseller, Manchester ;
Sarah Bates, grocer and provision dealer, Ashton-
under-Lyne ' • 'William Greenall, blacksmith, wheel-
wright, and provision dealer, St. Helens; Samuel
Thornton Beck, proprietor of an anatomica museum,
Manchester ; Thomas Clarke, commission agent, War-
rington; John Graham, linen and woollen draper,
Manchester;—discharged. Edwin Alexander Noyes,
(Sued as Edwin. Noyes,) licensed victualler, Liverpool;
four months. William Harrison, joiner and builder,
Runcorn; six months. Joseph Wainwright (sued with
Joseph Chappell and Thomas Heves), joiners and
builders, Manchester; Thom as Heyes (sued with
Joseph Chappell and Joseph Wainwright, Manchester ;
James Morris, tailor and draptr, Blackburn ;—ad-
journed a month. John Barlow, farmer and school-
master, Upholland, near Wigan ; four months. James
Fagan, poulterer, Liverpool; three months; John
Chadwick, licensed victualler, Nantwich ; adjourned.
Thomas Dixon, licensed, victualler, Lancaster ; final
order granted.

THE LIVERPOOL CHURCH OF ENGLAND
SCRIPTURE•READERS' SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The annual meeting of this excellent society was held
last night, at the Collegiate Institution, and was pretty
numerously attended. M. W. Collet, Esq., occupied
the chair ; and amongst the clergymen on the platform
we observed the Rev. Dr. M‘Neile, the Rev. Dr. Taylor,
the Rev. ioseph Bardsley, and others: The meeting
having been opened with prayer,
The CiiiimArr said that the audience were probably
aware that the chair should have been filled, that evening,
by their respected president, Mr. Adam Hodgson, who
had written to say that he was unavoidably prevented
from being present, on account of temporary indisposi-
tion—an absence which would, no doubt, be a great
disappointment. He was glad, however, to think that
the interest in the society was not likely to suffer by
the want, of his sanction and approval, as the report
which would be presented to them, gave a
Cheering stateni6iit Of the ciiefitioris or the society
clueing die Past year: They would find in the
report which would be read to them, accounts of
steady progress, great encouragement, and of constant
and successful labour. He said the report
would bring before them statements of encourage-
ment, because they all wished to be on the winning side,
and they would all see that the work of the Scripture-
readers showed that they were successful and winning.
(Hear, hear.) He then alluded to the great weapon
which had been placed in the hands of their agents for
effecting the conversion of precious souls—the Word of
God, the sword of the spirit. The Divine promise that
the word should not retain void was one which they could
truly and faithfully trust to, and shoilld be sufficient to
encourage them to go on in their labours. There was
the highest warrant for knoViledge that salvation was of
faith, arid faith dant° by hearing, hearing by the Word of
God. That was the dhaiii which the apostle laid before,
then, and it was their high priVilege, by means of the
instrumentality of the Scripture-readers, to bring down
that chain by supplying the last link. He rejoiced to
think of the great good effected amongst the large
numbers of their vast population, who., without these
Scripture-readers, must never have heard the Word
of God, of the Saviour, of salvation, of heaven, or of
hell. These men lied done their work faithfully and
well during the past year. He concluded by expressing
a hope that all classes of the community would contri-
bute liberally to the funds of the society.
The SECRETARY (the Rev. T. C. Cowan) read the
report, from which we learn that the society had met
with a great deal of support and enCouragenient during
the past year. The nrimbet of scripture readers had
been considetablr Increased, to meet the growing wants
of the town. The agents of the society had met with
signal success in their visits amongst the Welsh, and
the boarding-houses of the sailors on shore; 15,564
Roman Catholics had been visited by the readers ; and
the total number visited altogether was 147,386 : 8,779
visits had been paid to the sick, and on the average
25,894 visits had been made, and 46,304 persons had
been VonVereed with: The report concluded with a
glowing account of the operations of the society, which
had been specially blessed by eliVint providence.
The TREASURER Pk Hilton Halhead) laid an ab-
stract nf the accounts for the past year before the meet-
ing, frosts which it appeared that a sum of £1,485 19s. ld.
had been contributed by subscribers, a stun of 23200 by
one gentleman for the maintenance of three readers,
nine gentlemen devoted 0. sum to maintain one reader,
and ten gentlemen for the support of six readers. A
balance of £531 7s. 4d. remained in favour of the society
eller defraying all expenses.
The Rev. Aunt nit GORE, M.A.; moved that the report
and statement of accounts be adopted, the resolution also
nominating the lay thenibers of the committee. Some
time ago it had been asserted that it would be impossible
to 14..6 the revenue of their society even £lOO ; but,
through the exertions of one gentleman, very nearly
£6OO had been added to their funds. (Applause.) At
the beginning of the year they had 41 readers full time,
and one reader, half of whose time was given to the
society. Now they had 43 full time readers, and seven
readers employed some half time, some a third, and
visiting in the evening, so that their staff now consisted
of the large number of 50 agents, labouring for the
spiritual welfare of the people. In the day time they
brought their influence to bear upon the wives and
children, and in the evening they met the men at their
own homes, where their influence was direct and pro-
portionately efficacious. There was now scarcely a spot
in this large town in which one or other of the agents
was not at work, nor was there, he believed, any district
which need be without a Scripture-reader, if an appli-
cation were properly sent in. The speaker then adverted
to the numerous other agencies noW at Work for the
social and spiritual improVement of the working classes,
showing how these were acting and re-acting upon
each other in the most beneficial manner. Liverpool is
now cultivated largely, cultivated like a garden. Alas,
then, that there should be so much wickedness amongst
us, so much vice ; but that vice, he ventured to think,
was decreasing. Of one thing, he was convinced, that
good influences were making themselves manifest every
year we lived. He had peculiar opportunities of
knowing this, for his work brought' him from district
to district, and from church to church,. Sabbath after
Sabbath, and he could tell them of increased congrega-
tions. Many of the readers had received most gratifying
testimonies of the way in which their services were
appreciated by those amongst whom they visited. In
some instances handsome watches or time-pieces had
been given to them. The reader in Dr. M'Neile's
district had had £5 worth of goods given to him anony-
mously as a Christmas present ; another had had £lO
worth. Then had not they all read of what had also
occurred. Mr, Radley had gathered them at his hos-
pitable board, and placed before them a Christmas
dinner the like of which had never been before or since.
(Laughter and applause.) Their society was largely
useful in helping forward others ; the clergy bore the
highest testimony to the readers ; and the public appre-
ciated the labours of their' agents more and more con-
tinuously. Mr. Gore concluded I y a beautiful exhorta-
tion to the Scripture-readers.to persevere in the work in
which they were engaged.

The Rev. Dr. M‘NEILE, who was received with
applause, seconded the motion. He said he rose with
unfeigned pleasure to second the resolution proposed by
the Rev. Mr. Gore. Their object was to commend the
Scripture-readers' Society, more and more, to the good
feeling and liberal support of the public. This object
might be aimed at in various ways—it might be aimed
at by fixing attention upon the facts of the case, as the
rev superintendent had just been doing, or it might be
aimed at by calling attention to the nature and impor-
tance of the work. The work in which these fifty men,
the Scripture-readers, of whom they had heard mention
made that evening, was engaged, was going from house
to house,
and reading the Scriptures to every family
andto listen. to every individual whom they could prevail upon
Now, who could appreciate the value of such
a wortkenas this ? He did not at all intend to call in
question Mr. Radlev's appreciation of it—(laughter)—
which he had manifested in a very characteristic way.
(A laugh.) He
some of the had n
o doubtadvantages that pron
withfof
this wasconnected a
this society—that there was softening and civilising
influence as well as actually
hristian inflences connected
.collateral
with the Scripture-reader (Hear, hear.) But who,
he asked again, was
oa ;lal competent really to
estimate the true value of e ovalork like the present ?
They had practical men
amongst r
tem—architects and
surveyors, who were very competentb to estimate the
work of men engaged in ship-building,
lhouse-building,
railway constructing, and railway tunnelling.
acquired the knowledge necessary to rendenrgi their
eTi
rh ee)'a lhe and-
lations correct, and to spread confidence in their results.
e place
a
It was probable that' such men, such judges,
theaceustomed
t o
as they were to estimate the men's work b
of actual visible material, transformed from one on
another, and transformed from one shape into
another
by men's hands, might fancy the work of the Scripture-
reader to be no work at all, but a mere labour of idle-
ness. There is nothing more natural than such
reasoning as this, because these gentlemen don't
take the trouble to inquire really as to the
value of the work, and no man could do so but he who
had some conviction of the value of the human soul, and
of the effect to be produced upon the soul of man by
hearing the word of God. (Cheers.) It was this con-
sideration that should animate the readers themselves,
in order that they might carry on their work with heart
and with hope, and in order that they might respond,
practically and joyfully, to the tender and affectionate
appeal which had just been addressed to them by the
rev. superintendent. They should all bear in mind that
the word of God was sharper than any two-edged sword
—that it could cut in and separate between a man and
his sins—it could cut in and separate between a man and
his pride—between a man and his covetousness—between
a man and his sensuality, and that is more than any
steel sword could do. (Hear.) The weapon alluded to
by the chairman, which was put into the hands of their
Scripture-readers, could not be improved upon—it was
anw old weapon, but no new ene could supersede it. The
up eoanp obnys of
the carnal
discoveries
and
warfare
inventionshave been
o rmen of
greatly ims
science.
.There was a great advance from the old musket to the
Minie rifle, and a great advance from the old cannon to
h
and lie there -w
supposed was some cor-
responding rifled
gd cannon
improvement ;
in the formation
of
of swords.
the
But in the weapon put into the handsthe
Scripture-readers there could be no improvement
made ; it was absolutely perfect. (Hear, hear).
No discovery of science, no invention of man, could
add point or power to that sword of the spirit,
which was the word of God. He felt very much the im-
portance of what Mr. Gore said, in reference to encourag-
ing the readers, for whatever some people might think
of such work, it was really a work, and hard work. (Cheers).
It also required self-subjection and self-command, and
sense, high sense and conscious sense of duty, to carry
them through it. With perseverance and steadiness,
punctuality and regularity, the Scripture-readers, he
hoped, would go on discharging their onerous duties.
He then reminded the audience of the title which was

given to the Old Testament, or parts thereof, in several
places in the New Testarneut,—he meant the "Oracles
of God." Dr. McNene dwelt upon the phrase, which
he regarded as'most significant. The Scriptures were a
weapon which they might use with confidence. He had
indulged, be said, in the 'remarks which he had made,
because we lived in a time when the most sacred things
were assailed by en appearance and a great assumption
of criticism, and many nnstable minds were led away by
these attacks; tilt persons to whOrit he had afflicted had
not scrupled to attack the Word of God; but, after all,
their objectioni wets bit Petty quibbles; arid the strength
their advocates laid Upon therri slio'ed that their cause
was weak. Then it was said that, though inspired, the
Bible was not infallible. Don't believe them, he said.
(Applause.) Dr. M'Neile then dwelt upon the fact
named in the report, that 15,560 visits bad been paid to
Roman Catholics by the agents of the society during the
past year. It was, he said, a good thing to bring the
Word of God before Roman Catholics, because it was
the very thing their own people did not give them. It
was their highest fear. The Pope had said it. Alas,
alas, for the poor Pope! (Laughter and loud applause.)
To tell them the truth, he (Dr.M'Neile) wirer eipected
to live to see the Pope in such a fix. (Laughter.)
He always thought that the system deserved any evil
which could come upon it ; but he never expected to see
the Pope himself put out such an allocution as he had
addressed to his venerable brethren, the Cardinals, "in
the anguish of his heart." (Laughter and applause.)
And the grounds of his sorrow were these : the disas-
trous principles of the Reformation have become, he
says, as strong as law, and the Bible is circulated in
spite of him. (Laughter.) Thase were the great hard-
ships of which he complained. lie exhorted the
Scripture-readersi therefore, to be hind and affectionate
in their visits to Roman Catholics. They mist see their
system Was tottering: Fit had endeaVottfed to pit himself
in the position of an intelligent Boman Catholic *heri
he now reads the ne*s=:reading about the probability
of the King of Naples being driven front Gaeta,
and of the Pope being driven from Rome; which
he would be but for French bayonets. Altogether,
it was a very sorry case. When they compared
the state of things now with the palmy days of Mlde-
brand ; when they compared the talk now in Roman
Catholic journals, even about the temporal power—they
were now proceeding with great sagacity to separate
the temporal and spiritual—when they compared that
with the grandiloquent claims, about both swords, sent
forth from the Vatican—oh, how times were changed !
(Loud applause.) It was a great advantage, then, that
they bad fifty Competent men to pay 15,000 visits to
Roman Catholics. He trusted they would pay as many
in 1861, and read God's saving Word, concerning the
all-sufficiency of Christ, which left no room for saints,
penance, or purgatory; and sonic of those poor creatures,
feeling their system shaking beneath their feet, *mild
be led to 'step upon the rock--not the false rock, but
the true rock—Peter's master, his Lord, and our Lord
(Applause.)
The motion was then pat and carried, and a collection
made:

Mr. CstARLES GRAYSON proposed the next resolution
—"That this meeting desires to express its gratitude to
Almighty God for the continued and increased success
which has attended the efforts of the society ; and to
record its settled conviction that such agency is of the
greatest importance for the purpose of supplying the spi-
ritual wants of the popalation of this town." As a lay
member of the society, he rejoicad in the success which
had attended the labours of the society ; bUt all things
were comparative ; and althmigh their subscription list
was of goodly aniothit, *heii they rerhenlbered that
there wee teh thotiSaiid rented pews in Liverpool, and
that each of these might be taken to represent the head
of a family, they saw what a field presented itself,
if they could bring the machinery into operation. Mr.
Grayson urged the importance of small subscriptions,
of a few shillings a year. The employment of laymen
as Scripture-readers was now not only an accomplished,
but a generally approved fact. The opposition which
assailed the system at the commencement had now disap-
peared, and the difficulties which the committee had now
to contend with was the inertness of so many professing
Christians. If people would but read the thrilling.
" annals of the poor" which the diaries of the Scripttire-
readers contained,-,,--4 they would spend in that but a
tithe of the time bestowed upon the passing topics of
the day in the newspapers, he was sure the result would
be such an outburst of support as would set at :naught
all they had yet witnessed. (Applause.) Having been
many years an employer of labour, he was enabled to
bear decided testimony to the marked improvement
which had taken place in the moral and religions cha-
racter of the Working classes. it Was impossible to
trade the Separate sources of this change. Much, no
doubt, was owing to the spread of general education ;
but in some cases he had reason to believe this gratify-
ing result was directly due to the agency of the Liver-
pool Church of England Scripture-readers' Society.
(Loud applause.)

The Rev. Dr. TAYLOR seconded the resolution in an
able, lengthened, and eloquent speech, in the course of
which he paid a glowing testimony to the efficient aid
afforded by the Scripture-readers to the ministers of the
gospel. He had been connected with the society, as
one of the comtnittec, for a considerable number of
years, and had been permitted to observe its operations
for a lengthened period. He testified, from his per-
sonal observation, to the great excellence of the society.
In his own district (St. John's) the Scripture-reader
attached to the church of that locality had formed a
Scriptural school, which had been attended by a hundred
children and a large number of old women and men.
The agency employed by the society was eminently
calculated to accomplish the end and object which they

had in view, and that was to disseminate biblical know-
ledge amongst the inhabitants of the borough of Liver-
pool. He spoke of the many objections which had been
urged against the authenticity of the nook of God by
infidels and others; but he hoped the working classes of
Liverpool (to whose patience and good conduct during
the present severe weather, when the bread riots
threatened, he paid a high tribute, would not be deluded
by such persons.
WILLIAM GREOSON, Esq., said the proceedings of the
meeting had been most satisfactory throughout, and
concluded a practical speech by proposing a vote of
thanks to the Chairman, which was seconded by Major-
General Laurence, President of the Army Scripture-
readers' Society.

The CHAIRMAN returned thanks, and the meeting
closed with the benediction.