Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-17 00:00:00

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nothing

is sure it was

breasts that st

lated them to the movement. That meeting 'was a living
:clemonstratiOh that the cabmen were not so bad as they
were made out to be. (Hear, hear.) He concluded by
moving that the car-drivers of Liverpool feel grateful to
the town mission committeemen, for sending amongst
them such a man as Mr. Sumners, who had proved him-
self an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile. He
added,

Long may he live,
sappy may he be,—

• And from sin be free. • •
The resolution was seconded by Mr. Fishii-le:

adopted amid cheers

. _
resolution That the car-driver S-of Liverpool thank-
fully acknowledge the valuable services rendered by
Mr. Sumners, the practical results of which they already

tlperienced in
.their greatly improved cendition, corn.:
pared with a former period." He said the.resolutiOn
carried him back to a period of twenty feats ago, when
cabmen were in a state of darkness gaud-degradation.
In 1840 he was a cabman, driving next door to that
hall; and as a little boy he never dreamed that. he
should be placed there to tell the tale of a cabman's
life. The world was progressing, and why should
poor cabby stand still? He took up true Conservatism,
went a-head, and what did he become ? He was
standing before them. (Applause.) He was a
(better man than those who slurred aim. There was
many a man who walked the streets in better apparel,
who fills a more honourable position—many a

man who, by his externals, thought himself superior to
the cabmen; but he could tell them that those parties
who cast a slur upon the cabmen, and said he was a
.:degraded character, had only externals—not half as
good a character as the cabmen had. (Applause.)
Before eleven o'clock on Sunday morning he was
fully employed. At half-past eleven they had a
discussion upon their stand whether those parties they
:bad been conveying to church were religious or not,
To glow the state of the cabmen at that time, he men-
tioned the instance of an old man whom he had once
spoken to. Where you ever in church ?" " Yes, I
was there when I was christened, that I could not help ;
and I was there when I was married, and then I went
voluntarily." The Rev. C. W. Lawrence, of St. Luke's,
little knew that he was the great impulse to all that had
since taken place. He had--been afflicted with illness,
and taking a cab on a Sunday to visit country friends,
those with him got out, but he remainel, and entered
into an affectionate and familiar conversation with him
(the speaker), the result of which was, that the rev. gen-
tleman ever afterwards , ceased employing cabs on the
Sabbath, although he had previously been in the habit
of employing three. He thanked God that he enjoyed
the rest of each alternate Sabbath, and then proceeded
to show the evils--which might otherwise have resulted.
Mr. JosErn BnowN, who was received with applause,
seconded the resolution. He suggested that clergymen
should announce from their pulpits that the cabmen de-
sired at leait the second Sunday to keep the holy Sab-
bath. We were enjoying progressive liberty now, and
were not the infidels we were 200 or 300 rani back.
Moreover, the cabmen's children were not rightly con-
sidered, for they saw nothing of them unlesss they wore
asleep.
Mr. AD-AM HODGSON sung " Our ain fireside." -

The CHAIRMAN then presented the testimonial—a
valuable gold watch, with hair guard and gold clasps.
The Chairman read an address which had been pre-
sented to Mr. Sumner's as accompanying the presentation.
It was somewhat to the following effect :—" Dear sir,—
We, the Liverpool cabmen, having enjoyed the benefit
of your persevering Christian labours during the last
seven years, being thankful to God, from whom all
blessings proceed, for the success of your mission
amongst us, desire humbly to record the same ; and as
we cannot fully express our gratitude in words, we have
taken the liberty to beg your acceptance of this gold
watch and °mud, hoping that the kind feeling which
has existed while our acquaintance has lasted, may
continue."—Signed ou behalf of the secretary and others.
He might:say that this was an address written by one
of themselves ; and it gave him great pleasure to hand
it to Mr. Sumners at their request. He was sure it
was a moat gratifying thing to them all that they had
had his services, and that they, had been so cordially
responded to. He hoped while Mr. Sumners wore the
watch, it 'would be an incentive to faithfulness and
diligence, 'humility and great faith. (Applause.) lie
might sal that the address bad been written by one of
themselves, and it gave him great pleasure to hand the
watch to Mr. Sumners at their request.
he(Applause )
e
Mr. SUMMERS said seven years had roll d over since
God had put it into his heart to send him asnionegdsitinim.
When he first went amongst them, he had o
ty
to contend with. They looked strange at and e
looked strange at them; for he found he had a, class of
men who must be met as quaintly and as subtly as could
be ; for if he had went amongst them in a sancti-
moneous way, they would not have stood.. When
he went among them first, some one thought that
he only retarded the glory of God. When
he went up he collared- th'em,.
caught them by the ear,
pulled their whiskers, and said, Jack, you have been
on the go ;' you are hard up, you have not got a
penny for a glass of fours." They looked strange at
him. He dared say they thought he had a drop too
much. Now, he was well received. The men said,
"Here is our minister ;" or, " Here is our bishop."
(Laughter and applause.) He could now get them to
listen to God's word, which he could not then. There
were long-headed men among the cab-drivers, but, like
everybody else who were unconverted, they were wrong in
heart. Get the heart right, and .everything else followed.
Now, by the influence of the Spirit of God, it would be
shown that by a little perseverance the cabmen of Liver-
pool would be as decent a lot of men as any in the commu-
nity. From tb.elowest depths of denadation he was placed
upon the Pinnacle of honour.wh Vas not that kind recep-
tion a proof of it
the since they had first met in
Teutonic-hall, the Divine had never looked upon
them. At present there were nearly 250 cabmen who
could enjoy the Sabbath. He. then spoke of the
hindrances to the work, prominent amongst whom he