The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-05-19 00:00:00

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

ANNUAL MEETING.

The anniversary meeting of the Church Missionary
Society was held in the Collegiate Institution, at half-past
sit o'clock last night. There was a very large attendance.
The chair was taken by the Lord Bishop of Chester; and
among the clergymen and gentlemen on the platform were
—the Bishop of Rupert's Laud, the Revds. Keane, W.
Rawson, C. Laurence, A. Knox, H. Jones, H. Marlon /.
Haase Dr. Taylor, V: Vt Sheldon, R. Dandy, IL J. Med-
ley, W. Leveson, J. Bannerman, H. Baugh, 11. Poetance,
G. Burton. J. Hassel, W. Maynard, F. P. Ball, T. Newen-
ham, S. Newton, J. Laurence, R. Moore, J. Crump, D.
Anderson, T. CoWan, d. Buraett, T. Matthias, R. A Gent,
and H. Denny ; and T. D. Anderson, Adam Hodgson, J.
K. Reunthwaite, H. J. Webster, T. Carson, R. Williams,
and J. Gtainger, Eters.
Tee proceedings Were opened with psayer, delivered by
the Rev. Dr. Taylor:
The Chairman said : My friends, I hope you will allow
me.to say to you what pleasure it is to me to meet you
again in the cause of *the Church Missionary Society--I
might have said in the cause of the Gospel, in the cause of
our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for this cause is hie,
and, like him, the same yesterday, to -day, and for ever,
and its claims will ever be the saute toil every corner of
the earth be visited by the light of his truth and gladdened
by the 'Passage of his salvation. (Applause.) But
although the cause is the same, yet year after
year, as our anniversary comes round, it brings
wjth it some little variety in the circum-
stances which gives a new interest to or meetings,
such as a change in the members of the deputation, a
change in the Het of the speakers. Not, my friends, but
that we are always glad, and always thankful, to hear our
old speakers, our old friends, the old and tried advocates
of this society. (Hew, hear.) It was the expectation
and the hope of our friends around me that you would
have had tee pleasure this evening of hearing one whom
you have often before heard eloquently plead the claims of
the society upon you—l mean Dr M`Neile—(hear, hear,
and applause) —who yesterday, although suffering, I be-
lieve, then from ailment and indisposition, preached on
behalf of the society both in the morning and in the even-
ing of the day. Bat he is so far disabled by illness to-day
as to be unable to appear here, and to realize the hope we
all had of hearing him this evening address you again. I
haie often heard Dr M'Neile speak with thankfulness to
God of the long ejoyment of health with which he
has been blessed, and how seldom, if ever, it had
' happened to him to have to drop any call of duty from not
being in health and strength to meet it at the thee. This
is. an exception to the contrary ; but I hope that his illness
is only a transient, and not a serious matter, and that,
through God's blessing, he will soon be himself again, and
spared for Many years to plead the cause of this society,
and to plead the cadre a every such society, and God's
cause, as he has done for so many years in the hearing of
you all. (Applause). I have said that we are glad to
hear our old friends, bat we get the little novelty I spoke
of to you from year to year by the change in the deputation.
The deputation this evening consists of two persons whom
we desire to welcome and to honour—the Bishop of
Rupert's:l-land, Dr. Henderson, and the Rev. gr. Keane,
who has kindly come all the way from Whitby. in York.
shire, where he has now an incumbency, to appear on
behalf of the parent society this evening. (Applause). Let
me say that Mr. Keane has been in former years—indeed,
up to the last year, and for ten years preceding—himself
a missionary in Calcutta, the seat of our government in
our Indian empire. We all know and feel what a spirit
and interest it gives to out meetings when a speaker who
addresses Iliniself 'to us, can tell us of scenes of distant mis-
sionary labour, in 'which he himself has taken an active
and, through God's blessing, a successful part. And if the
interest we feel in each descriptions of missionary labour
is, as it ought to be, in proportion to the field of labour—
why, what a field is India! How must our hearts be
touched by eceryshing which we hear relating to the
spiritual interests of the millions and hundreds of,millions
who are in India and have been brought under the empire
of Britain—l hope I may say under) the gentle empire of
Britain—but Who still have to be brought under the yet
gentler empire of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. On
that account ti's are glad to. welcome Mr. King, and
although he comes among us in souse respects a
ttranger, I hope we shall all endeavour t
make him feel that he is here among friends
who desire to welcotne him to us. (Hear, hear.) 'then
the fish ip of Rupert's-land—we hive lilt to welcome
him as .a stranger, but as an old friend, and after a long
absence. (Ap cause.) We claim him as belonging to
us in Liverpool. His family belongs to Liverpol. Hip
brother lives in Liverp.36l, add holds a plaice in the
fore no-t rank of thei merchuits of Liverpool for honour
and integrity, and—what is quite as much--4 foremost
place among tile plasntroptsts of „Liverpool, for his
readiness f.r every good and Christian work of Christianity
and benevolence. (Hear, hear, and applense.) The Bishop
himself has;lived in Liverpool many years, and not only
that, but he has been a minister of the gosp3l-in one of
the meet populous districts of Liverpool for many years.
By his fidelity, his truthfulness, his earnestness el' pur-
pose his singleness of beta% his purity of life, he endeared
himself to all, b ato young and old; ridh and poor, and he
will ever be remembered gratefully by them all. (Hear,
hear.) Why has he left the scene of his labour, where
he Was loved and honoured ? He left it to
go out to the distant land where he is now labouring—a
lead not Only far distant bat little frequented—little known.
It is on the Very outward verge of civilisation, where still
a great number of the diffareat tribes, of what we call *the
red men, the aboriginal races of North America, remain
in their savage state, have their stations and their hunting
grounds, and their shing places, preserving all their wild
liberty, and, along with it, alas ! all their wild habits and
the manners of their savage life. It was to them that the
Bishop of Rupert's-land went out from his happy English
home. He went out there to lab atr with a little staff of
assistants whom he had around hint, to labour with the
double object of carrying the comforts of religion to the
English and Americans Who resort thither for the purposes
of trade and commerce, and also With the great object,
under God's blessing, of converting the savage tribes of
whom I spoke, to the knowledge and faith of our Lerd and
Saviour, Jesus Christ—a blessed work, but still let
me say to you, my friends, an undertaking on his part
implying no little self-sacrifice, no little self denial, to go
away from his friends and kindred, and our happy Bogs
lish life and homes, there to that wild savage spot.
(Hear, hear.) He did it. How little is it you are asked
to do when at these anniversaries we call respectfully upon
you to contribute what you can well spare, that none of
you will ever miss, what will come back to yon in ten-fold,
and hundred-fold blessings Some little pecuniali help
towards carrying out the great object for which our friend
the Bishop is giving not sordid silver and gold, but,giving
nothing lees than his own self to preach the gospel of
Christ to the savages of North kmerica. (Hear, hear,
and applause.) Now, I think I may say that this anni-
versary of ours brings along with it net only some little
novelty of interest, but with as great an interest
as I ever recollect any of its predecessors to have
done, when we have the Bishop of Rupert's-land
among us, with the dcuble claim which he has, the claim"
on account of the cause for which he is labouring in a
distant land, and the claim which, I am sure, every one
here. will own and acknowledge—the claim .he has on
every heart in Liverpool for a kind welcome to the place
where he passed so many of his years. (Hear, hear) The
secretary will now read to you the report, and will tell you
what is important and interesting to know about the pro-
ceedings of the society. I shall not forestall anything he
is going to say, except that you will hear him announce a
most noble instance of the manner in which some hearts
in England came forward with pecuniary help. He will
tell you of one noble-minded individual, who has enhanced
the nobleness of his gift by concealing his name,
who has this year given £lO,OOO to the Church
Missionary Society, 'with a subscription for three years
to come of £l,OOO for each of the three years.
(Loud applause.) He has begged, I believe, that that
money may not be hoarded, but, may be spent in the hope
that God Almighty may open up other people's hearts,
and that from year to year men may be found to come
forward to co good by the same means. (Hear, hear.)
His Lordship then called on the Secretary to read the
report, and resumed his seat amidst loud applause.
The Rev. Dr. Taylor then read the report.
Mr. T. D. Anderson moved the first resolution, which
was to the effect, that the report be adopted and prin.ed,
and that a committee be appointed for the ensuing year.
He thought there was much that was encouraging taking
place in regard to missionary enterprise. They could not
but have been struck with the gradual increase of the
Church Missionary Society, and at the same time- the
large increase contributed to it now by other societies.
There was a time when it was necessary to enter into a
defence of such a society, but what a change now? Now
missionary enterprise was supported by the highest and
noblest of the land, and the time was not far distant when
any man in the country would be ashamed of himself if he
did not contribute to some society for the purpose: (Hear,
hear.) But though it might not be so necessary in those
days to advocate the importance of missions, it .was yet
not unnecessary to urge on the public the prop: iety of
affording missionary societies adequate support; for it
was needless to point out, that without sufficient fauds
they could not prosecute their Christian abours to the
extent either required or desired. The society, last year,
would have been in a deficiency, if it had not been
for the munificent legacy mentioned in the report, but he
hoped that the munificent examples of which they had
heard would be imitated by many others. (Applause.)
The Rev. Mr. Kean seconded the motion. He urged

that it became the dignity of Liverpool to support the
Church Missionary Society, which from its extent and im-
portance might fairly be termed a national society, in a.
manner commensurate with its wealth as the first sea-port
in the kingdom. (Hear hear) It war a lit le mere than
fifty years ago when. the first meeting of the society in
Liverpo 1 was held in Dr. Bjckersteth's house. It wee
held in his study, and the attendande was so email that
there were eeercely sufficient pysens p-went to fill the
room And yet he (Rev. Me Kean) was fully convinced
that the society in these forty years had not made a greatter
spring than it would ins if th • merchents of Loverpeoi
were enlisted in the work of the society and the sources
of their wealth touched The Rev. gentleman then.
proceedecite describe the character of missionary libour in
India, illustrating his observations by narrating ce his own
experiences as a missionary in. that c untry. He dwelt
on the g-eat difficulty of missionary' enterprise making
head in India, in consequence of the degraied state of
the women in the east. In illustration of ere:: degradation,
he mentioned that there were three farms of ealereseioe
wed in conversation in India—the honoroffe expression,
the ordinary expression, and the eentemptuo is expression.
The first was used by the inferior to the tueerior, or when
a fav was to be asked ; the second was used when the
natives spoke as between man and man ; bat the third, the
contemptuous form, was only used to beasts, and in-
variably to women. It vats in e ich language that the
husband Addressed the wife, the faller the daughter, the
brother theeliater, and so, the devilish device making i self
manifest in every respect --ware w.tmen in India degraded
almost beyond the hope of redemption. Unril the w,lnei
there were educatei, the progress of Christianity would
meet with almost insutmenntable obs facies; but t 3 secure
that education for the female, prejudices and supersti-
tions, the most rooted, had first to be overcomi. As an
instance of this, and of the positive absurdity which the
natives considered the proj, et of educating the women,
the rev. gentleman mende:lel the case of a native noble-
man, who was urged by the missionary to educate his
wife. The missionary pointed out to him that his. wife
had two as br ght eyes as he had—ears to hear ands
tongue to spar, and, as he thought, persuaded
ken by adducing his own me as an illaetratiot,
f the pleasure which the conversation of an educated
woman afforded. The nobleman promised. to educate his
wife, and a few days afrerwsrds invited the missionary to
see a beautiful horse which belonged to his stud. While-
admiring the noble animal, the missionary noticed a sere
vant standing motionless in front of the horse, and holding
aloft a palm leaf. On enquiring what -the object, of
this was, the nobletymn pointed out that 'the alphabet was
scrawled on the leaf, and said that he wanted to teach the
horse to read. For observed he. " you have said that I
should educate my wife because she has eyes'
to see, ears to heae, and a tongue to
to speak. Noe:, my horse, toe, has bright eyes, and he
has ears and a month, and why should I not educate him
too." That showed the degradation of the native women,
the contemptuous manner id which they were spoken of
and treated, and as it was the rt:tault of the snperstitiors
and prejudices of Rees, it was the point in which the
missionary found the greatest difficulty, but yet it was the
paint which when once conquered, all e se ivould
(Applause )
The motion was unanimously elopted.
A hymn was here sung, during w`lich the Pull c'ellec.
lien in aid of the society was Made.
The Right Rtv. Dr. Anderson, Bishop of fi!nee
.Rupert'k-land, then addressed' the meeting. He described
'the vast extent of the territory over which he has the
spiritual jerisdiction, and the ferocious character of the
Indian tribes with which it is peopled. In ilustration of
this crueley, he mentioned that since his arrival in this
country he hid received to letter ineze ming him of the
mirchr of a wife by her husband in cool blind. The
smsll-pox was raging among a neighbouring tribe, and
a chief oil n, fearing that it would extend to eis encampment,
ordered his wife to be slain as a victim to appease the hideous
heathen deity whose wrath he feared would other Wise be
visited upon his people. Turning from this painful nar-
rative, his Lordship drew an interesting picture of a con-
verted Indian family—their docile character and ch-ld-
like faith, and observed with fervour, toat after witnessing
such •
scenes; he coul I not regret casting his lot among such
a peoPle, and doming his life to leading them out of the
darkness of heathenism to the light of a pure and glorious
Christianity. His Lordship explained the minter in which
the native red men are taught by the missionaries to read,
and gave much other interesting information respecting the
character of the population of his diocese.
On the conclusion of his Lordship's address, the pro-
ceedings were brought to a close with the blessing.

t

ALLEGED STARVATION' AT RAT,CLIPP.—Me. Baker- halt,
concluded the adjourned inquest on the body of Patrick
Driscoll, who was said to have died from starvation at. No.
12. George-court, Brook-street, Rat el.ff. Tree jury found
—" That death was paused by bronchitis, and that it Watt
accelerated by the exertion he (,he deceased) used in pro-
ceeding to the workhouse while in a gate of great
exhaustion, caused by the order of Mr. Stephenson one of
the medical offi :era of the Stepney Union ; and the ;jury
are of opinion that Mr. Stephenson was guilty of great
neglect in not visiting the deceased at .his own home,
instead of sending him to the workhouse while he was in
a state of prostration ; an i the jury are also of opinion that
the circumstances of the case should be laid before the
Board of Guardians of tie Stepney Union, eed that the
summoning officer is deserving of great credit."
ATCEiIPT r 0 NIURDER.—At the W etshio-street Police
office, London, on Sature,y, Themes Andrews wa., brought
up on remand, charged wile attempting to murder Letti,a
D dton, a youne woman, ninecen years of aee, and living
with her parents in Dive-row, B:tional-Breen. Charles
Hodtees said : I ain a eotman in the Acorn public house,
in Great Cambridge-street. About five minutes past
el yen o'clock, on Wedne,:day night lest. I was rear.
\largiret-street bridge, aml saw the prisoner and Louisa
Dolton, whom I slightly knew. She was standing a few
feet from him, and face to face, Kr hack towards C am.
brdge-STreEt I stopped a 'ew seconds, and then I saw a
flash and heard a report, but could not see which hand
pteener ex ended at he fired, or how he fired it. He
appeared to hold it towards Cambridge-street. The young
woman fell instantly, and prisener ran off a few p ices,
then re urned, picked her up, and said, " was all your
own fault that has brought me to this." He kissed her,
and I said, " lily God, you have killed the woman." Pri-
soner then put his hand on her be d, and exclaimed,
"My God, it is wet," then he dropped her, and ran off
hastily. I followed, but he turned round, end with some-
thing I to .k to be a knife, called not, " I will give you,
something if you come near me " The accused now
denied that any bullet had been used, and insisted that he
only meant to frighten her. Fully committed for trial,
and hail refused.
FRIO HTEtL ACCIDENT ON TRH SHREWSBURY AND
HEREFORD RaILWAY.—OI Thursday, about noon. an
accident of a
:tearful nature occurred upon the above line,
at thelele'shbrook station, eboet fifteen miles from Shrews-
bury, whereby a man and woman lost their lives. At
this station is a level crossing on to the turnpike road
leading to Church Stretton, at which place a pleasure fair
was being held. Among the perons who were waiting to
cross was an old woman, natne.d Bright. who was very deaf.
Just before the express train (tame up, and which train
does not stop at Mershbrook, she attempted to cross.
While on the line the train came dashing along ; the
driver sounded the alarm signet, but she appeared not to
hear it, es she pr. emded hisurelv. Seeing her imminent
danger, a labourer on the line, a fine youtig fellow, named
Williams, rushed forward and attempted to drag her out
of the way of the speeding train. His gallant and humane
effort was without avail, for the train dashed upon them,
killing both upon the spot. Their remains. were conveyed
to the Station Inn, to await the coroner's inquest,
On
Saturday an inqnest was held at the Railway Million Inn,
at Marshboro', near Church Station, on the bodies of Ann
Bright, a widow lady, far advanced in years, and Richard
Williams, a pla'e layer, who were ltillei' on the Shrews-
bury and Hereford Railway, und o. the above circumstances.
The engine driver was exonerated from any neglect. The
verdict was " accidental death."
TuaLUNDIIILL WIDOWS AND TIIE POOR-LAW GUARDIANS-
the
eT
explosionsome
past thedlii committee of the fund now raising
on behalf of he tvel,,ws and orphans of the men killed by'
11 have been endeavouring to im-
press upon the board of guardians the necessity of paro-
chial relief being given to the sufferers. Several members of
the board, however, believing that the fund ought to relieve
ratepayers from their otherwise legal liability, have op-
posed the granting of any allowance. This was the case
on Tuesday last, at the usual meeting of the guardians. A.
motion, allowing of a very trifling relief, was only carried
by a very small majority. The committee feel incum-
bent upon them to obtain all the subscriptions in their
power, as nearly the elate° burden 01 maintaining 89
widows and 189 children will fall upon them. The fol-
lowing statement of the committee will show clearly the
position they are placed in :—" The committee deeply re-
gret that, notwithstanding all their efforts to the contrary,
the board of guardians ave withdrawn almost all the pa-
rochial relief. They have determined to treat one-half of
the sum allowed by the committee as given in aid of the
poor-rates ; thus, a widow and six children would be en-
titled, at the usual rate of the poto%rtehaeirleefworeen,cteh. teoblolasrd6do,f
Ttlh7haset. is, 3s, stth.nia6ttdt
e.issf,or2hait.tlll(l;:dr.Sti,o-eiadhothawr: andhave
allowed6d
a. fsoirmeilaacrh
family
guardians consider they are doing their duty by allowing
such a family 2s. 9d , being the ,ifference between half the
sum of 17s. 6d, alloOd from the board, and I ls. 6d. to
which they would be entitled if receiving full pay as pau-
pers. So the guardians,. with great reluctance, only pay
about one-fourth of what they ought to do."