The Sun.
London, England, 1868-08-10 00:00:00

THE WESLEYAN CONFERENCE AT

LIVERPOOL.

The sittings of the 'Wesleyan Conference at Liverpool
were resumed on Saturday. After the devotional services,
the vote of thanks to the Rev. W. Arthur, postponed on
Friday, was very heartily accorded. It was moved by the
Rev. John Farrar, seconded by the Rev. Dr. Middy, and
supported by the Rev. James Loutitt, that the cordial
thanks of the Conference be given to the Rev. W.
Arthur, M.A., for his able, practical, and affectionate
charge delivered to the newly-ordained ministers at Pitt-
street Chapel. It was resolved that the Isle of Man
cease to be a distinct district, and that it be added to the
Liverpool district, The Rev. John Clulow, who for the
past two years has, under the direction of the educational
committee, acted in the capacity of Sunday school visitor,
read a report of the investigations and labours in connec-
tion with his department. The following is an abstract
of the report : Schools, 5,240 ; teachers, 102,718 ; scholars.
582,020 ; being an increase of 103 schools, 2,717 teachers,
and 25,518 scholars during the year. Tho increase of
scholars in the Edinburgh and Aberdeen district had been
nearly 10 per cent. The report called for Connectional
efforts to counteract the oppressive influence of clergymen
in rural districts in opposition to the Wesleyan Sabbath
Schools. In the neighbourhood of Goole a Church clergy.
man had refused the advantages of the Church day school
to 'Wesleyan Sunday scholars. In other cases, although they
were admitted to the day schools, they were obliged to pay
extra fees. The ages and proportions of the scholars are
classified thus :—Under 7 years of age, 132,475 ; between
the ages of 7 and 15, 351,729 ; above 15 years of age,
97,816. Light, airy, and comfortable rooms for schools
or classes are among the prime necessities of Sunday
Schools at the present time. Separate class-rooms for
class teaching are much required for elder scholars,
who cannot be so well instructed or so long retained as
they ought to be if they are indiscriminately mixed with
children and infants. There are 2,016 libraries connected
with the Sabbath Schools, containing 500,892 volumes,
having 85,134 readers. The total expenditure for the year
had been £35,525. The cordial thanks of the Conference
were tendered to the Rev. Mr. Clulow for his very valuable

services. The address of the Canadian Conference was
read and adopted.

LORD NAPIER IN IVALES.

Lord Napier of Magdala arrived at Welshpool on
Saturday, on his way to Powis Castle and Trelydan,
where General Scott, his father-in-law, lives. At half.
past one o'clock the mayor and corporation assembled at
the Town Hall, whence they formed in procession, in
which they were joined by a considerable number of the
inhabitants, and proceeded soon after two o'clock to the
railway station to meet the train bringing the gallant
general from London. The train ran into the station
soon afterwards, and as Lord Napier stepped from the
carriage the assembled spectators greeted him with eheers,
while the mayor and corporation bade him welcome to the
town in an address, to which he briefly replied. Salutes
were simultaneously fired by a detachment of the Shrop-
shire Volunteer Artillery Corps. A guard of honour con-
sisting of members of the 2nd Montgomeryshire Volunteers
presented arms, and afterwards escorted his lordship to
the carriage of the Earl of Fowls, whose guest the gallant
general is to remain for some days to come.
Having with his wife taken a seat in a carriage, a proses•
sion was formed, and accompanied his lordship as far as the
entrance to Powis Castle Park. .
Lord Napier was entertained at a grand banquet in the
evening by the mayor, corporation, and inhabitants, at
the Royal Oak Hotel. About 120 guests sat down, pre-
sided over by Mr. E. T. D. Harrison, the mayor, the
vice-chairs being filled by Mr. W. Withy, ex-mayor, and
Alderman Bowen. Upon the removal of the cloth the
usual loyal and patriotic toasts were duly honoured.
" The health of. Lord Napier and the gallant army who
accompanied him in the Abyssinian campaign," was after-
wards drunk with great enthusiasm.
Lord NAPIER, in reply, thanked the party for the cordiat
way in which the toast had been received, and went on
to assure them that no army ever went forth more earnest
and desirous to fulfil the commands of their country, and
by the army he meant not only soldiers but sailors, the
mercantile marine, and the gallant remnant of India, the
whole force being animated with one spirit. The duty
which they were required to perform was to release their
countrymen from captivity, and to vindicate the honour
of England at the least possible expense and suffering. The
task was not an easy one. The boundary which separated
the country they travelled through from that which adjoined
it was a disturbed one—such a disturbed boundary as that
which once divided England and Wales. His object was
to effect no negotiation with Theodore, to meet all
advances from Theodore with a simple demand of the
prisoners. He should have received them, and then
simply advanced and taken Theodore himself. He con.
sidered that the honour of England required that that
man should come from his place, and no act had ever
been authorised by him that could lead him to depart
from that resolve. They had read the history of how the
British army had advanced, how it had been attacked and
the enemy defeated. The result of that defeat was the
complete cowing of Theodore's army. His courage fell.
He (Lord Napier) believed his nerves had been
shaken by debauchery, that he had paroxysms of
alternate fury and depression. It was while labour.
ing under this depression that he sent back the whole
Of the prisoners except three or four. It had been
said that Theodore had been deceived ; and he was glad to
take that public opportunity of saying that nothing had
been authorised by him which could have led him to the
belief that he would accept one jot less than the terms of
his just demand. (Cheers.) The first person who was
sent to him by Theodore was Lieutenant Prideaux. Theo.
dore said: "Yesterday I thought myself the strongest
man in the world : to-day I know that there are* stronger
than I, and I want peace." He (Lord Napier) wrote to
him that if he gave up all the prisoners he and his family
would be honourably treated. He wished to say
nothing that would exasperate him or make him desperate;
but, on the other hand, he did notwishtolead him to believe
that he would take less than he had demanded. Onhis return
Lieutenant Prideaux met the greater part of the prisoners
released, and he returned with them, and the same night
all the prisoners for whom they were officially responsible
were in the English camp. Lieutenant Prideaux had
acted most gallantly in the affair. Whatever Theodore
might have conceived, or his servants might have per-
suaded him, it was perfectly clear that the British
general could not authorise anything but the original
terms which he had put forth. Theodore could not
believe that we should show mercy, as he had never
ahewn it himself. The Abyssinian prisoners, when they
were taken wounded to the hospital, finding we were
not going to slaughter them, looked upon our acts as the
generosity of angels. They could not believe it, and
such was the feeling in Theodore's mind, that
mercy was impossible. He attempted to escape, but the
surrounding bills were filled with his enemies, and he
returned and died by his own hand. His lordship
explained why he destroyed Magdala—to make it harm-
less, as the only chief who was likely to hold it declined to
have it ; and said he protected with his army the inhabi-
tants until they bad arrived at a safer territory. lie
mentioned several instances of gallantry and kindness on
the part of the soldiers towards the natives, and concluded
with some general remarks.

BILLS OF EXCHANGE. —The gross receipts from
bill stamps in the year ending with March 1868 was only
£704,060, a sum which is less by £41,249 than the product
of this duty in the preceding year. The receipt in Great
pritain, £659,600, showed a decrease of £38,705 ; in Ire•
Lid the receipt WM £44,451. a 40V049 of £2.544 •