The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-03-24 00:00:00

WEYMOUTH SAILOR'S SOCIETY.

The nineteenth enema meeting of this society was
bald on Tuesday evening, at the Bethel. Mr. Councillor
G. Z. Eliot resided, and thee* ,was • tsar attendance.
The were commended by singing the well.
kriewn hymn conneenaing "God moves in a mysterious
way," after which the Rev. W. Lewis offered peseta.
The report for the par year was Men read by Mr.
Roberts, the Suretsry. The committee express their
thankfulness to God for permitting the society to carry
on its labours thrombi another year. The
preaching sorrier continue to attract large number,,
especially on Sunday afternoon. Tbe Tuesday evening
serviced are greatly prima by the old sailors, who
muster in considerable numbers. Several of these have
been called away by death during the year, but wben no
loeger able to 000111 to the Bethel, Christian friends
couseeted with the society elelted them. The prayer
meetinp on Sunday morninp aed Friday evenings,
under the mperintendeues of Mr. B. Reale untlane to
be the resort of many godly sallors, and at them
meetings the captains and rum of vessel. about toles»
the harbour are ocimmended to the care and protection
of God, nor are they forgotten during their runes
from ths port, and when they »tarn in misty special
thankagivings are offered at the sailors' preyet meetings.
Tb• weekly noon-day prayer meetings have been sus-
pended for the present for want of a responsible person
be modest them with regularity. During the week of
universal prayer in January prayer meeting were daily
held. The reading room has been kept open daily,
Sundays excepted. and has been much frequented, and
the committee are satisfied that this branch is most
useful and that the advantages thus afforded are highly
valued by those whose benefit is thus sought to be pro-
moted. The several vessels belonging to the port bare
been visited during the past year, and each of them
furnished with one of the society's boxes of books and
tracts for use whilst at is.. The new hooka purchased
during the previous year are in use, and appear to be
highly appreciated, together with a large number of
tracts given by the Religious Treat Society. The eom-
:nista. appeal to captains to take these boxes, and renew
them as may be required, and to afford such cpportuni.
ties as they may be able to their crews to read the books
they contain. Through the efforts of a body of collectors
the whole of the liabilities are met, and the committee
coofidently expect that a sufficient annual income will
be obtained to enable them to carry on and if n
to extend the society's efforts, for the moral andaiperi iulin
enlightenment, and the social elevation of the seamen
connected with this port.
The financial statement was also read by Mr. Roberts.
It showed the expenditure drains the year has been
£37 es. bid. The society commenced the lest year
with • balance of Ils. '214., and the subscriptions and
collections, including £5 5.. given by H. Edwards,
Req. ALP., and £l5 by It. Brooks, Esq., M.P., made the
tea receipts £3B his. 81d. so that at the present time
Mt.". ow hi Mod Ll log.
The Chairrall BYO Vs. we,. rcallitiOd
to meet together to Oelebrate the anniversary of
the Weymouth Sailors' Society. This was the
second similar celebration held in that room, and
be thought it was their duty on these annual
occasions to look her through the put year,
taking stook," as it were, of the moors they had
achieved, and looking boldly in tbe face the failures
which the society might have experienced. Perhaps,
as an rid friend of this emaciation, and one who had its
Interest very much at heart, he might be permitted to
criticise its operations somewhat more freely than •
stranger, and tliat evening be intended to do so, yet not
In any captious spirit, but with a view that by reeignir
big the surty's shortcomings, they might be incited
to put forth effort, for placing it on a firmer and
broader basis, and thus increase its power and useful-
new amongst the clue for whose beset& it was
setablisbed. lie thought that one of the chief Dees of
their annual meeting, was this—to afford them the
opportunity of lookirg back on the past in order to
profit by it, and it was only by so doing that the work
of • society of this character could be serried on
prosperously. lii the first place he might perhaps just
remind them of the general swops and work of the
society, though he had no &alit meat of those present
were familiar with what the society did. Its objects
were to provide religious warrior on shore for sailors, to
supply booke to the sea-going ships of the port, to
furnish a readiorproom for the sailors, where they
could see the current newspapers, and have in it a place
to go to when errors where they could enjoy the
society of their fellow seamen. Now then let them
consider what • sailors' society ought to tic. Let them
look abroad Fend smug their neighbours to ascertain
what sailors' societies were in other pliers. He
thought the general intention of a sailors' society was
anis that should seek to promote the intellectual u well
as the moral and religions welfare of seamen.
This three-fold purpose he considered should be
ever kept in mind, and they should take care
that no one of them predominated. If they observed
the societies in other ports—and he was sure that he
should be borne milky many present, who had ex-
perience in the matter—it would be found they bad •
broader bars than the Weymouth society—that in many
ports of this use, and especially in larger ones, there
were smilers' bosses, furnished with every attraction,
including libraries supplied with interesting books sad
...dies rooms where salons/odd find the chief papers
of the day. In many Aare—though perhaps not in
say so scull as Weymouth, yet that wee no reason why
they shookl not try to hater them in what they were
admirable—there were bedrooms in unneetion with
the galore society for the use of seamen,also peony beal
and other undertakinp calculated to attract them and
further their interests. Now if they compared the Wey.
mouth sorry with snob an one as be bad sketched, be
thought they woad observe theirs bad some short-
comings. He oonsidered they should especially attend
to this matter, for he candidly cantered as a friend of
the society, that he was somewhat dismantled with its
work se the present time. He felt that they ought to
try if they mad not do something to make the society
more attractive to strangers coming to the port,
especially now that Weymouth was obtaining an
imporues It had not fonnerle, mid, as the Channel
fleet was here for three or four mouths in every year,
It wee important that them should be a plus so
fumbled as to prove attractive to those sailors—Neu,
hurt For although they saw much of rollicking and
lenity amongst mu of the fleet when allure, there
were in thou ships many steady, sober, serious-minded
mu, who would greatly appreciate mob a place as he
had indicated, and when they had sub a very good
spot as that room oesupled--the very place of ell others
In Weymouth for such an institution—he thought they
should be most earnest Is their endeavours to make it
as wrestles, and comfortable, and fitting as possible,
for the *lett the warts had in view—(applause).
There wee snorter point. A uilor's sorry he thought
should be eacalated to promote interment, with our
raiders. He was • greet advocate for easing sailors
and soldiers &rambled together, as he thought in
*mud to promote that cordiality which wee
Do fitting between those who anespes the
4115,004fera Of Our country—tapplausel. nes he o4n tell
by those who bad had such experience sat. qualify th..
to
spook
on the subject, that where there was a room
where earlier' and sailors could ea meet togreher. they
were very glad to do so, and the moults were meet,ge. . Widd lead, anderstead that it woad
arresabla to sailors when they came ashore to meet
with men ef the other service, and hear from them, as a
Tale( to the moootony of sea stories, Mrs of soldiering-
and
be thought it would be so equal pleasure to the red
jacket to sit down with a company of sailors and hear
BOUM ef Jack Tar's storks. of the ees—(bear bur). These
smitten be thought Auld be kept in mind. That was
arttlie time or Ore for bringing forward any scheme
for roomplishing the Zszlebie.he had /Wad, end
whist' he believed to be but be hoped that
before mother miain.ry masa sea plea would be
found, end that by it the moiety's operations would be
extended. Illey had taken • good step forward within
UN last few years. The society did a good deal in clellisete
big fends to build the commodious room in 'ld=
were imeseibled ; bet do not let thins be
Although that resod to be • great step forward, be
did not think it Increased very mush the opentioes of
the society. width was vim* they should especially sok
to arromplieb. After the effort to ewer QM
Bethel it was only natural they Amu meg their
operations a little, but he thought stegastion was a were
hi,d thing Weed, and Is a work Ithe this it wile
dnagorn;'
;;. theesto he rm, lensed they woad put forth
smokes to Improve and armed the worked theoriser.
There Wits sealiaaell7 gimes aka mg mime wales

to the loribille whew we ~soldered hew =say limb
mama meelwiseed, how mash thErnimere away from
their homes, and hew row diatom linved fag °at"
takes. he tit/tight tt would be only a deb? we
=
.6u 64.% Asa. it we used every mesas in oar power to
tee lbdr esiatort, happlielle, sad welfare when
16711-rl/11110 Illioce—Noplaame). The. were some of the
NM" why he essapied the plasm he did on that
40114011. Bet es he mid before, the remarks he hrid
eared wore oat mode to say eaPtiollo WlTit, but 4°114
S. promote the tard interests of the moiety, end heasem
he felt most deeply Met it the society was as hold its
owe and elitein that footing which it matt to bus,'
some each memares most be adopted es he had
isitisslscl—(ntiooo).
The Sispos, Wesleyan Walsh; in. paid
epee* moved the aist reeoiatloo, that tise report be
adopted, sad that this meeting espresso its grants&
to Limkity God, for the menus ot messes whiels It
mord..