The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-17 00:00:00

THE FAREWELL CONFERENCE.

The farewell conference of Messrs. Moody and
Sankey with the clergy and ministers of England took
place in London, on Monday afternoon, in Mildmay-
park Conference Hall. Mr. Thomas Stone, chairman
of the central committee, presided. The body of the
large hall, which provides seats for about 3,000, was
reserved for the clergy and ministers; the side seats
and galleries were chiefly occupied by ladies, who
were principally the wives and daughters of the fore-
going.
The relative numbers of the ministers were-188
Church of England, 154 Congregationalists, 85 Bap-
tists, 81 Wesleyans, 39 Presbyterians, 20 not known,
8 foreign, 8 United Methodist Free Church, 4 Union
Churches, 3 Plymouth Brethren 2 Countess of Hunt-
ingdon, 2 Society of Friends, 3 Free Church of Eng-
land, 1 Bible Christian, making a total•of 700.
The proceedings having been opened by praise and
prayer, Mr. Moody said the meeting was a great
occasion for thanksgiving, for they had all met
together to glorify God rather than man, and the less,
therefore, they said about man the better. During
the whole of the crowded meetings they had on the
125 days they were preaching in London he was glad
to say not one single accident had occurred.
The Rev. Dr. Bonar, of Glasgow; the Rev. Mr.
Billing, of Holy Trinity, Islington; the Rev. Archi-
bald Brown, Baptist, of the East-end Tabernacle_„- the
Rev. Donald Fraser, the Rev. Canon Conway, West-
minster Abbey; the Rev. Robert Wilson, of Craven-
street Chapel; the Rev. Thomas Richardson; the
Rev. Mr. Taylor, Presbyterian. East Dulwich; Dr.
Jobson, the Rev. Mr. Chown, Mr. Henry Varley, and
the Rev. W. H. Aitken severally expressed their satis-
faction with the results of the work recently done by
the revivalists, and they looked forward to lasting
benefits arising therefrom.
The Earl of Shaftesbury said nothing but the
positive command of Mr. Moody would have induced
him to come forward on the present occasion and
say but a very few words in the presence of so
many ministers of the Gospel. But as Mr. Moody
had asked him to speak of what had occurred
during the past four months he did so with the
deepest sense of gratitude to Almighty God that
he had raised up a man with such a message
and to be delivered in such a manner. And
though Mr. Moody said they were not to praise
him or his friend Mr. Sankey, yet if they praised
God for sending them such men as these, they
did no more than express their admiration of the
instruments that He had raised up while they gave
Him all the glory, He had been conversant for many
years with the people of this metropolis, and he might
tell them that wherever he went he found the traces of
these men, of the impression they had made, of the
feeling they had produced, and of the stamp that he
hoped would be indelible on many of the people. He
could speak that as the truth as to many parts of
London, and the lowest parts of London, and
only a few days ago he received a letter from
a friend of his, a man whose whole life was given to
going among the most wretched and the most aban-
doned of the populous city of Manchester, and
who spoke of the good that had been effected there and
at Sheffield by the preaching of Moody and Sankey,
that he could not satisfy in any degree the wants of
the people, and that they were calling out for tracts
and something that should keep up the appetite that
had been created, and he said, For God's sake send
me tracts by thousands and millions." Even if Messrs.
Moody and Sankey bad done nothing more than to
teach the people to sing as they did with energy and
expression such hymns as "Hold the fort, for lam
coming," they would have conferred an inestimable
blessing.
- -

Mr. Moody said, as the time had now arrived for
them to say "Farewell," he, in compliance with
numerous requests, would ask Mr. Sankey to sing the
hymn, "There were Ninety and Nine."
Mr. Sankey, who was visibly affected, said that
before he sang this hymn in England for the last time
he sincerely wished to thank all the many friends they
had met here. He hoped, too, that they would all
meet again to sing these beautiful hymns where there
would be no more parting. He would now pray for a
blessing on this hymn, as it would be the last time
he should ever sing it in this country. When he
returned to his own land, and again sing it there,
he hoped it would be the means of bringing many
lambs to the fold. He trusted, too, that the news
would often be flashed across the Atlantic of the pro-
gress of the work in England. He would frequently
pray for the friends in old England, and he hoped the
friends here would pray for them. He then sang with
great feeling the solo, but was so much affected that
his voice nearly failed him at every verse.
Mr. Moody, on taking his farewell, was greatly
moved. The tears streamed down his face, and he
was obliged to support himself by leaning on the
rostrum. As soon as he could articulate a few sentences
he said he had been particularly requested to address
them but he had felt from the first that he could
not trust his feelings. All .he could do was to
say he sincerely thanked the ministers and friends
for receiving them so kindly. The kindness of
the committee had been completely overpowering,
He wished to thank the stewards, the reporters, and
the press generally for their gracious behaviour. He
had made many mistakes and committed faults,
but none had been harsh to him. He also wished to
thank all the workers. The policemen, too, he must
thank for th e assistance they had rendered, and the kind
manner in which they had done it, He had now to
take his leave, but felt he could hardly do it. He .never
did like leaving home; and to leave England, after
having made so many friends, seemed like tearing him-
self away from the bosom of his family. In conclu-
sion, he said all he could do was to ask them to pray
for him as he would for them, and that God would
bless them. He then asked them to sing "Praise
God, from whom all blessings flow," and suddenly
quitted the platform, evidently determined to avoid
an ovation. There was a rush to the ante-room to
shake hands with him, but he seemed to have left with
the utmost rapidity, for it was immediately announced
that he was gone.
The proceedings closed with the Benediction.

Garibaldi has been enthusiastically received at
Civita Vecchia. The crowd unharnessed the horses at the
station, and drew the General to the Villa Pallongini. Gari-
baldi, deeply moved, said—" I thank you in the name of
Rome and Italy, as I know your demonstration is in honour
not only of me, but of liberty."

The ROYAL SOCIETY for the PREVEN.
TION of CRUELTY to ANIMALS.

The fifty-first annual meeting of this Society was
held in London, on Tuesday, at St. Jamesie Hall, the
Earl of Harrowby, the president, in the chair. As
usual, the children formed a large majority of the as-
semblage, occupying the whole of the galleries, a large
portion of the rear of the orchestra, and several rows
of seats on each side of the hall. The centre of the
hall was numbered, and reserved for ticket holders,
and the front of the orchestra was occupied by a num-
ber of ladies and gentlemen, among whom were Sir
Walter Stirling, Bart., Mgr. Capel, Mr. John Morley,
Mr: Arthur Arnold, Mr. T. B. Smithies, Mr. F. D.
Mocatta, the Baroness Burdett Coutts, Bishop Pii-rs
Claughton, the Rev. Prebendary Jackson, Miss
Francis Power Coble, Sir Charles Trevelyan, the Rev.
H. R. Haweis, &c.
Letters of apology were read by Mr. Colam, the
secretary, from the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol,
Lady Lousia Percy, Cardinal Manning, &c.
In the report, which was read by the secretary, the
committee offered the supporters of the institutien
their sincerest congratulations on the anniversary,
and espediallyy ()it...their having e-tei-ed upon the
second half-century of their history with the promise
of unabated success. The report then went into parti-
culars of the society's work, among the subjects
that had received its attention being included cock-
fighting, Mrs. Chantrell's case, vivisection, over-
stocking cows at markets and fairs, polo, pigeon.
shooting, ill-treatment of horses in mines, asphalte
pavements, and the gag bearing rein. The number of
convictions during the year in London and other places
amounted to 1,997. The balance sheet showed an
income for the year of £9,524 14s. 51., the expenses
leaving a balance at the banker's of i!349, and in hand
£l9 16s. 9d. The donations included one of 100
guineas from her Majesty the Queen, and an addition
to the list of patrons was made in the names of Prince
Leopold and the Duke of Cambridge.
The Chairman, in addressing the meeting, said that
although they could not present such a spectacle
this year as last, yet there could be no great dis-
appointment at witnessing such an assembly as was
then collected. They saw still around them those
whom he would call the hopes of the future in the
children from various parts of the metropolis who
had distinguishsd themselves in their little way by
their exertions in interesting their own feelings and
those of others on behalf of humanity to animals.
He thought they wvend have heard with interest
from the report that the action of last year had not
been without its good effects. They would have per-
ceived that those who came to them from other
• .

countries to do homage to their principles, had
not only carried back with them the recollection
of friendly and hospitable intercourse, but feelings en-
lightened, minds enlightened, and hearts stimulated
by what they had heard. They had heard of foreign
societies that had assumed new life, and where such
societies did not exist before they had already made
their appearance. They would have heard that in two
countries not especially distinguished for humanity
societies had been established—in Rome and Spain.
The original object of the society, viz., the punitive
work, had gone on with undiminished vigour, and the
• committee, while not overlooking the ruder classes of
society, had not passed unnoticed the more educated
classes who indulged not through deliberate
cruelty, but through recklessness and thought-
lessness in amusements which entailed ill-usage
to animals. They would hail the activity of
the society with gratification, but they would also,
hail with satisfaction the other branch of the society,
viz., that of not relying so much upon punishment as
upon training the character of children, to prevent the
necessity for punishment. They had heard what had
been done in the way of communicating with those
who had influence over the minds of youth, and they
would see the most living instance of their care in the
prizes that would be distributed to the children of the
different schools of the metropolis for written essays
upon the subject of humanity.
Monsignor Capel, in moving that the report be
adopted, printed, and circulated, said that his duty
was one of a most agreeable character, for all who
were there had assembled with one mind and with one
heart to sustain a cause that they felt to be not only
sacred in itself but humanising in its influences. They
had heard the careful way in which the committee had
laboured during the past year to watch over those that
were helpless and defenceless, a-ad he thought there
were three distinct facts which musl strike each one of
them in the meeting. The first was that, contrary to
the popular opinion that prevailed, the society did not
wish to interfere with the amusements of men nor with
that which they all ought necessarily to expect from
animal life as subservient to their own interests.
The cases of prosecution that had been cited had
been instituted not to interfere with pleasure, but to
prevent unnecessary pain.
.The second thing was that
while there was every desire on the part of the com-
mittee and the society to uphold everything that was
true in animal life and to protect it, there was not the
least desire to put animal life over the life of man.
The third thing was that while there was an immensity
of work to be done, the committee had directed their
attention not to the whole of the work at once, but
had gone to work systematically, step by step. He
concluded by hoping that the resolution would mean
also an increase to the funds of the society.
Bishop Claughton seconded the resorution, which
was supported by the Rev. H. R. Haweis, and carried
unanimously.
Lord Sherborne, without making any observations,
moved that the thanks of the meeting be presented to
the committee.
Mr. John Morley, fa seconding the resolution, said
he had heard it said that amongst the members of that
society were an immense number of sentimentalists,
and that some of its aims were rather aims of senti•
mentalism than of sound reason. He for one was pre-
pared to say that there was not an object which the
society pursued which was not capable of being de-
fended by the same principles as those which vindi-
cated any other part of morality. In the first place,
humanity to animals was an essential condition of
modern life, because cruelty reacted upon man, and
made him inhuman in his relations with his
fellows. He was quite sure that the time would come
when people would read of the cruelties that we now
inflicted upon oar animals with the same abhorrence
and the same wonder with which we now read of the
bloody orgies of the savage tribes or the cruel scenes
of the Roman amphitheatre.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
Archdeacon Fearon moved that the thanks of the
meeting be presented to the Ladies' Committee.
Mr. E. F. Flower seconded the resolution. Remark-
ing that his name had become notorious in connection
with the subject of gag-bearing reins, he proceeded to
give, for the benefit of the children, some amusing
reminiscences of his life sixty-five years before, having
reference to the relations that existed between himself
and his pony at that period. Coming to the subject of
bearing reins, he entered an energetic protest against
their use.
The resolution was supported by Mr. Arthur Arnold,
and carried unanimously.
Mr. Colam then announced that he had just received
a communication from the Sultan of Zanzibar, who, it
was hoped, would have visited the meeting. His
Highness regretted that his other engagements pre-
vented him from attending the society's meeting, but
he expressed his entire sympathy with its objects.
The remaining part of the programme consisted of
the distribution of the rewards for the essays. This
somewhat laborious task—for the prizes numbered over
500—was undertaken by the Baroness Burdett Coutts,
who, in the course of the presentation, received a good
many floral contributions from the juvenile prize-
takers.
Votes of thanks to the Baroness and to the noble
Chairman concluded the proceedings.