The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-10-11 00:00:00

MISSIONS TO SEAMEN.

The MAYO& Of. N. Howard, Zoo, rooted od over • .set
tag held at tee Nati mal Schoolroom. St. 11.6ry' oa Tum-
day evening, la soPPort Of the Missions to B.anten, whioh
are being carried on in Portland Had,, the Rey. J. Height
chaplain at Portland, egad the Rev. J. Birkitt, superinten-
dent. Advocating the Pieiety's claims.
The Itieria said It soffor&go hint vary mach pleasure to
preside, though he wished there had bee a large ',ember
present. As . nation we Owe. peat deal to the British
seaman, for in the Present days of luxury almost every-
thing n °mean tulle we roust thank the sailors for bigot-
log from derant climes. He eat much astonished to learn
that th.ir coiling is so dangerous that every year between
3.000 and 4.000 moo come to their death by drowning. We
read of some colorant, th
the North
h of England for
atance, where 20, 30, or 40, lives are lost, and it is very
oh ciao( TO e.; hot here to the sailor's calling betas in.
3 000 and 4.000 men toast their deaths yearly, and we look
oleo° the list of wreck, end casualties as a matter of form.
Hot 111, really startling teat no lees a number than as
fete,' as the whole PePulatiou of our town, men, women,
and children, corne to • violent death In four years, and
yet up to lately sot the 'Hottest attention hod been paid
to them. From the details they would hear about the
diety, he was satis fted they would consider it calls for
th-ir teeniest sympathies and best help. (Apelause.)
The Rev. J. name, senior curate of Portland Roads,
said he had had some tereviousexpetienee in Swansea, and
berm toe work here about three month, ago; his pariah
we not very Oman bete( eight or aloe tulle, round.
Clergymen can visit their porishioners when they like, it
beim almost always more c onvenient to visit in atm
were her ; but in his parish on fine days they do not get
inauy vessel. ;it t. when a braes, conies on that t• ey
Come, and it is necessary to visit toem at once, or the wind
drops, they go out, and be is. no more of them. Ai Pin'
land he has an exporienced boatmau, 3 boats, one • yacht.
On the Binds, morning the work commences by prayer
with the boatman, then the chapen takes his bag with
books in variom lan [sees', from Norwegian to Greek, and
it, in tther hag are English books, with two sorts of hymn
boots, for some sailors are very fond of Senher's
Ile goes to the ciptain, generally tint asking if be hos
prayers on board, and sometimes the captain doee not
understand him, when the missionary explains to him and
gives hurt a hook of prayers and lemons. Tee captain
generally consents to hays service on board, and then the
missionary reads the shortened morning service or the
Litany, and gives a short sermon. Perhaps these vessels
are vhited before dinner, sad the work goes on according
to the amber of ship; in harbour. The work is very
impotent, for the vegeta sometimes go away long
distance, nit returning for years, and sometime never,
the ship springs a leak, and is Dever heard of any more,
or it may be driven away on a foreign coast, as the coast
of Africa, and the men suffer great privation.. A barque
came in the other day from South Africa, the men very
mach emaciate I, for they had been down with fever, and
suffered much, and one expressed his great thankfulness
for the visit. Ilia society was in some sense an agent for
eve ;societies, including the Bible society, and the N
wegiana, fur ieltaooll, are very ready to buy the Bible
Trezta are distributed for the Tract S <ditty, and works for
the Pure Literature Society, many books being sent in
boxes t ; distribute; temperance work is also done, • medial
son crl being provided, in connection with the Co urch
of Euglaod Society, the sled convening a pledge of &been-
ento horu intoxicating drinks. Otis day he was speaking
to 10 men in a forecastle about toe perils of the lase, and
one man said he always felt safer at sea than on land,
for he always seemed to be getting into trouble on land,
his nature was so weak, and the temptations so (Teat; but
a coloured sailor replied—" You should pray for the Grace
Of Gat to help you ; that lathe secret. ' It is not always
given to chaplains to see the fruit of their Labour,: but
they often see each other's. He mentioned the reading-
ro tat at Castletown, which has been fresh coloured and
put in order lately for the seamen and coastguard, cod
papers put on the table: but the great want ie of the
Shipping Greets, which they would be glad to receive,
even secin.ortand. and is iavited friends to come and see
the room. &nil help the work.
Rev. J. Biaterre did not know what our feelings were
when we rem toe ships in the great roadatof Portland,
with regard to the souls of the men on board. Were they
to Itet allowed to come in and go out, without having the
Gospel peached to them f They are working for us, every
en, in, to cannot, in the very beat mason, grow
half enough food for the itthabitme. 82 sailing weasels
and 15 steamers were lost in the month of Au.ust, and
In the mintli ending last Saturday were lest 22 vessels,
half of them Hagfish, and the v slue of the ships and cargo
Let we ao four Li one by the English as against those of
other n ttunt 1.10,000,000 worth were let, and of this
£47.000,000 belongs to Husband, yet we are congratulating
ourselves we Lave to pay for a society that labour. among
seamen £16,000 a year. Bit new chaplainces have been
stabliehe i, including the one at Portland Road., and the
readerships are etablieted at neny ports, even as far as
Yokoh oto in Japan. whia that of the estu try of .he Exe
is Bil-4 hy a Mr. Dolling, from the °eight ourhoot of
Dorchester who is expected to be one of the roost Rocca's.
ful readers irt tee society. The chaplain at Pot tland . ill
visit the ve-sal, at Weymouth wheu he get; into Lis work.
In Portland the society provides the rent of the reading.
ci m, aod he invited treads to c tme over end rise. The
soci-ty also works on board barges, in lithtettouaest, aud
light 'hip', wore of the later being so far off ad diflioult
to ra-h that the men are as if moored in the Pelee
Ocean, so cut off from tne rest of the world. They are
also carrying on the work of the Shipwrecked Mariners'
Society and of Foreign Mission., for these missions are
often hindered by the conduct of sailors from English
vessels, who go rolling about the streets drunk, and he
male an appeal on behalt of the society, so that by means
of sailors Vie Word of God may sound oat at all p.ris
The MATOR had tail no idea that such a work was goihg
on is close at home as sell aa in other panic. We must be
an&ntinoue that Brit'sh seamen have great claims on us,
and besides we should ourselves look and see what is our
duty. Never Was there • time when our ditty was plainer;
the masses are educated and trained, and unless we do our
duty they will go wrong and the damage to oar country
will be great. How much more must that be the case
when the only specimens of civilised people in other lands
are thee who visit them iii our ship, for the natives will
form their opinion of civilised men by the apemen... that
go out from our country, so that if England's name is he
upheld for philanthrophy and general good we must do all
we can for the British seamen. We cauttot go out ourselves
to take part in the vt; rk ; but we can help by our means,
and he hoped the society will be hated forward, and
especially in that matter of the Shaming Gazette wetted
for the reading-room, to which he Worship promised to
°attribute.
. . . .

--11-lologr and benediction clos,d L 44 meeting, a
collection also being made.

RELIGION AND PUBLIC LIFE.

In consequence 1 hie announcement at the Council
Chamber on Wedneeday last, the Mayor (R. N.
Howard, 'Esq.), attended Divine service at Gloucester-
street Chapel on bunday morning last, in company with
the Corporation.
The municipal procession was brm-d at the Guild-
hall, and went up St. Thouma-street in the following
order :

Superintendent Vickery,
Sergeants at Mac-, with the great M. 4011 borne by
Mr. British*. and Sergeant Apeey, otler Maces
being borne by constables.
Ten MATOR in chain and robes.
Aldermen Robertson and Thomas, In the ward alder-
men's scarlet cloaks.

Alderman Grover,
Councillors, two-and-two :—Niessrs. Wallis, Ale,
Graham, Webb, Lovell, Curti., Snook, Brown,
Dunn. Seaman, S. yanele, and Charles.
.. . .

Onastablea, bearing mill micei or stases.
The great maces were mounted outside the nests
()couple 1 by the Corporation.
The service commenced by singing hymn 1,002,
Congregati nal hymn-book—" Oh, worship the Lord
in the beauty of holiness," and after prayer, hymn 990
was sung, containing the verses—

" Blesainas from His liberal band
Flory around this happy land.
Kept by Him, no foes annoy,
Peace and freedom we enjoy.
Here, beneath a virtuous sway,
May we cheerfully obey.
Never feel oppression's rod,
Ever own and worship God.'

The first °banter read wee Psalm 7, xxii., cammenc-
ing—" Give the Kieg thy judgments, 0 God,' and the
anthem was "Pral,eye the great Jehovah." Part of
Isaiah, xxxii., and 31a•thew v, were read as the
second lesson, and Zinzeniiorre hymn (662, Congrega-
t onal hymn-book) was sung.
The pastor, Rev. E. Bolton, gave special attention
to the Corporation's visit. The rev. gentleman said:
. My ii.ear friends, we have with us this ~orning, taking
part in our Nonconformist Chriatlan worship, those
who, by the will of the people, occupy an official posi-
tion in this town, and are responsible for matters of
local government and order. We regard their coming
amongst us not as a matter of display, not as by any
means intended to be • simple compliment ; we regard
• it rather as on their part a recognition of the substan•
mtielon faith
m eis
It is in
j.as
ChristianechbruisTb Aeshnod we holding
regard e.rcomit-
-1 as on their part an indication ot that larger and more
f liberal spirit which happily is prevailing in our land,
and wh•ch has been coespicuoualy manifested in this
particular parish. In that sense, looking upon their
r visit, we are glad to give them a hearty welcome, and
glad to attribute to them these generous Christian
I intentions. It id not always that we meet with such
• recognition as this their visit Implies, and I inteod
this morning, before I proceed with my address, to
give an illustration of • Esr different state of things. I
have before me the record of a sermon preachsd the
othsr day at Calstock,in Cornwall, f rom the words," The
t Jews have no dealings with the Samaritane." The
I preacher went on to say that the reason the Jews had
no dealings with the Samaritans was neither more nor
. less than because they were schismatic.. Tbe &meri-
t, tans were dissenters and schismatics% and dissenters as
such were splitting up the Church of Ebel .nd, which
was the Church of Christ, and he went on to impr,ss
I upon his hearers that it was not merely wrong, but •
positive sin to go inside a Dissenting chapel, and he
I further continued : We should neither buy, sell, nor
tra.le with them in any way; if we did so we sinned
with them in the sight of God. Happily men who
would say so are but few and far between now, and
such an address would meet with the condemnation of
all Chrisiians and right-hearted wouls.—The rev.
gentleman then delivered an addre•a on "Religion and
rublic Life." giving his text at the close from "Ye
. are the salt of the earth, ye are the light of the
world," &c.—Matthew v., 13 to 16.
The times in which we live are characterised he
Intense activity of thoncht and conflict of opinion. The
mind or the people is being everywhere aroused on matters
ti which formerly they were utterly indifferent, or about
which they were told they had neither part nor lot in the
matter. Humanity 11 smarting itielf, and the popular
voice is making itself heard,. Public opinion claims
supreme authority in the affairs of men. The Press and
the Platform are mighty agencies in the service of the
people. Greet changes have been wrought and treat
changes are Mill demanded. Men are not yet content, nor
can they be. The world has witnessed many revolutions I
and still there are mere to follow. Let us hope that they
will be effected in peace, not by the force of passion
expressed in deeds of blOod. but by the force of manly
purpose expressed in words of reasoo. and acts of brother-
oed.
In no direction ars shine of change and activity more
conspicuous than in the sphere of government. I cannot
Indicate what I mean better than by making •
quotation from an eminent teacher. who, some twenty
years or more ato.used the. words :-•'To whet," he asks,
" Is the civilized world tending I To popular institutions,
or what is the same thing, to the influence of the people,
of the mass of men, over public affairs. A little while ago,
and the people were unknown as • power in the State.
Now they are getting all power into their hands. Even in
despotisms, where tkve cannot act throueh institution;
they act through public opinion. Intelligence is strength,
and in proportion as the many grow intelligent, they
must guide the world. Kings and nobles fill lass and lees
pl•ce in history, and the names of men who once were lost
amidst the glare of courts and titles are now written there
imperi.bably. Once history did nit know the multitude
existed, except when they were gathered together on the
field of battle, to he mbred and shot down for
the glory of their mastery. Now they are Coining forward
Into the forefront of history's picture. It is now under-
stood that Government exists for one end, and for one
alone; and that is, not the glory of the govenior and the
poop and pinion of a few, but the good, the safety. the