The Express.
London, England, 1866-05-24 00:00:00

ABORIGINES PROTECTION SOCIETY.

The twenty-ninth annual meeting of this society
was held last evening at Radley's Hotel, Bridge-street,
111ackfriars, under the presidency of Lord A. S.CHURCHILL.
An abstract of the annual report was read by Mr.
Chesham, the secretary, giving an account of the ruthleu
attacks made during the past year upon native rights in
New Zealand and South Africa, condemning the operations
of the British government in the first instance, and of the
Dutch in the second ; and contending that to whatever
race men may belong, they enjoy a natural equality of civil
rights, and that Christianity, instead of modifying this
principle, throws around it the solemn sanctions of the
only true religion. The noble chairman, in proposing
the adoption of the report, dwelt somewhat
ee upon the unnecessary bloodshed which had taken
particularly in New Zealand, that might
dace
Ixeen avoided had the principles of the society ani-
mated the colonial policy of the British government.
There should be no acquisition of territory except by treaty
or fair purchase ; but here the natives had been deprived
of 1,750,000 acres of land under a system of confiscation
as unwise as it was tyrannical and subversive of the
Christian principle that animated the English people. He
rejoiced to know the action of the society had been suc-
cessful in modifying the views of the government in some
of these cases of unjustifiable aggression. The motion was
seconded by the Rev. John Foreman (British Guiana),
and supported by Mr. W. T. M'Cullagh Torrens, M.P.,
who in a brief but earnest address pointed out how in this
matter, as a nation, "we had left undone those things
which we ought to have done, and done those things
which we ought not to have done." He quoted the opinion
of his friend the late Lord Glenelg, that there was no excuse
for any policy of colonisation which set at defiance the
just and admitted rights of the aborigines. He was
pleased to see that the efforts of the society were exhibit-
ing their fruits, and awakening the nation to a sense of its
duties for the wrongs committed in its past schemes of
colonisation. The report having been unanimously passed,
two resolutions were voted, the first expressing the deep
sense of the irreparable Ices which the society has sus-
tained by the untimely death of Dr. Hodgkin, and cor-
dially approving of the committee's proposal to perpetuate
his memory in connection with the fund for purchasing
Lennox Island as a place of refuge for the Mic Mac
Indians ; and the second umpathisingand approving of the
principle of the society, and expressing the conviction of
the meeting that if colonial rulers and statesmen would
make the just treatment of their aboriginal fellow-sub-
jects a cardinal feature of their policy, they would find
that the path of justice is also the path of safety.

SUNDAY SCHOOL DEMONSTRATION AT HALIFAX.
The seventh commemoration of the General Sunday
School Jubilee of 1831 took place in the Piece-hall, Hah-
fax, on Tuesday. Teachers and scholars from about 100
schools attended, and in the orchestra were stationed 24
brass, reed, and string bands. Including spectators there
were nearly 50,000 persons present within the building.
Several hymns were sung by the vast assemblage, and also
the chorus. " Around the Bright and Starry Throne,"
from Handel's Samson. The last pieoe on the programme,
the renowned " Hallelujah Chorus," from the A f euiah,
was, however, the chef d'ouvre of the day, and obtained
an enthusiastic encore. The day was fine, and the pro-
ceedings satisfactory in every respect —Leeds Mtwara.
ADMIRALTY, MAY 23. —APPOIISTMENTS.—dOM-
mander J. Hutchison, to the Curavoa, for surveying ser-
vice ; and Master J. B. Doyle (additional), to the Indus,
t for the Vestal.
i Commander H. WNeile Dyer, KN., has been
appointed naval mail agent on the Southampton station.