The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-09-17 00:00:00

NAVAL AND MILITARY BIBLE SOCIETY.

On Friday evening last a Public Meeting was held at the
Mpsic Hall, of the Liverpool Auxiliary to this interesting
Society. We were glad to perceive, that notwithstanding
the unfavourable state of the weather, the Hall was well
filled by a numerous and respectable company. The Rev.
J. H. Stewart was unanimously called to the Chair; and the
Rev. W. Maynard having offered up an appropriate prayer to
Almighty God for His blessing upon the evening's proceed-
ings, the Rev. Chairman solemnly impressed upon the meet-
ing the importance of the Society's operations, and stated
with much force his own personal knowledge of the practical
utility of the Society in question, announcing that he had re-
ceived a donation of £5 from a member of his congregation,
in aid of its funds. . .

The meeting having been opened with prayer,
The Rev. CHAIRMAN then briefly addressed the audience,
after which he called upon the secretary, the Rev. Mr. May-
nard, to read the report. That document commenced by
giving a brief outline of the society's history. In the year
1779, a considerable body of troops were assembled in Hyde-
park, London, to preserve the peace of the metropolis. A.
humble individual, who witnessed with pious concern the de-
praved habits of the soldiery, was led to hope that advantage
might be taken of that eventful period to attempt a reform
amongst the troops, by distributing to them the word of God.
This idea was communicated to that eminent philanthropist,
Mr. Thornton, who gave life and vigour to the plan by a do-
nation of £lOO, and continued to contribute the same
amount annually. In the year 1780 the society was regularly
organised, assuming at first the designation of " The Bible
Society," as at that time there existed no other institution for
the express and sole purpose of distributing the Holy Scrip-
tures. Among the clergy who were foremost to advocate
the cause of this infant society, stands the venerable name
of the Rev. Wm. Romaine, who also became an early con-
tributor to its support ; and who for several years made a
point of preaching in its behalf, collecting no less than £lOO
per annum from the churches in London. Two bishops and
many of the clergy, with persons of various denominations,
soon joined, and cordially aided in promoting its objects. In
1794, fourteen years after the formation of the society, the
result of its labours exhibited an issue of 22,000 copies of the
holy scriptures, chiefly to the army. In 1804 its designation
was changed to " The Naval and Military Bible Society," in
consequence of the formation, in that year, of " The British
and Foreign Bible Society." The number of copies of the
word of God distributed had increased to 43,000 ; the sub-
scriptions and donations received that year amounted to
£lB3 13s. 10d., and there were only two naval or military
officers on the list. In the succeeding ten years a much
brighter scene was exhibited. In 1814 the issue of Bibles
and Testaments had amounted to 81,000 ; collections made
in several charches and chapels yielded nearly £3,000 ; hub-
acriptions and donations almost £2,000, and the number of
subscribing naval and military officers had increased to one
hundred and nine. In the year ending May 1825, 175,400
copies of the holy scriptures had been distributed to sailors
and soldiers ; and the number of naval and military officers
contributing at subscribers had -.increased to 315. In this
year, 1825, in consequence of communications between • the
committee and their late patron, the Duke of York, it was
announced to the society and to the army, that his Majesty
had been pleased to approve of a code of regulations, the
purport of which is, that every soldier who can read shall be
furnished with a Bible and prayer book gratis ; and that the
Chaplain-general of the forces, shall procure from the Naval
and Military Bible Society, and other sources, such number
of Bibles and prayer books as may be required ; with a fur-
ther supply to be lodged as a depot in the orderly room of
each corps, that recruits and others may be provided from.
time to time as necessary. The society, in order to combine
the benevolent intentions of its illustrious patron with the
effectual supply of this branch of his Majesty's service with
the holy scriptures, after mature deliberation, consented to
supply the Bibles at 2s. per copy less than their prime cost,
the government to defray the remainder of the expense.
Thus on every thousand Bibles supplied to the army by the so•
ciety, it incurs an expense of £lOO ; and although, from the
eitent of issues, this has borne heavily on its limited in-
come, yet, in fact, the cost of each Bible distributed through
this channel is considerably less to the society than under the
former mode of distribution. By recommendation of the
committee, in a conference with the honourable board of di-
rectors, the same mode of supply has since been adopted for
the European force of the Hon. East India Company ; which
extended operation has led to the distribution of 65,030
Bibles to British soldiers engaged in their country's service,
since May, 1825 ; being a number nearly equal, in itself, to
the total issues of the society for the first thirty years of its
operations. The total number of copies of the holy scrip-
tures issued by the society, up to 1838, is 331,633. In ad-
dition to the supply of her Majesty's navy, the society's
bounty has been extended to mariners generally, whether
connected with inland or general navigation, comprehending
canal boatmen, fishermen, &c. The number of seamen re-
gistered in the merchant service is about 20,000 ; and by a
recent regulation of the committee, every merchant vessel
is to be supplied with a Bible and Testament gratuitously, or
otherwise, as circumstances may require, for the general use
of the crew ; which has already occasioned heavy demands
upon the society's depository. A grant of 500 Bibles has
also been made to the coast guard service, in order that each
station may be supplied with a copy of the holy scriptures.
This may serve to shew the necessity of the present general
appeal, even if sailors alone were to he considered. To these
may be added the fishermen on the several parts of our coast,
computed to amount to 50,000: and if to the above numbers
be added the families of these claimants upon the society's
bounty, it will be seen how pressing are the necessities of
the committee to answer the many calls upon them for the
word of God. The report stated that the number of Bibles
and Testaments distributed during the past year amounted
to 12,553. In referring to the proceedings of the Liverpool
Auxiliary, the committee did so with mingled feelings.—
Whilst they blessed God for what had been done, they could
not but be sensible that little had been effected in this great
town, ie comparison with what ought to have been done.
The amount subscribed by Liverpool was only £35 during the
last year, a sum little more than sufficient to pay the salary of
the agent. The report expressed a strong hope that increased
awes would be made in a town depending so much on sailors
for its wealth and prosperity. It stated that 693 Bibles and
Testaments had been issued by the Auxiliary to seamen of
this port, during the past year, principally by sale to indivi-
duals, at the reducod prices of the Society ; and that arrange-
ments were now in progress for the supply of every vessel
connected with this port with a proportionate number of
Bibles and Testaments, as the property of the vessel, for the
use of the crews generally.
The Rev. Dr. RALPH proposed the adoption of the re-
port. The motion was seconded by the Rev. I. R. CONNOR,
and carried unanimously.
The second resolution was moved by the Bev. B. MAR-
SHALL.

Capt.BAz ALG ETTE,R.N., the secretary of the parent society,
seconded the motion, in doing which he adyerted to that part
Of the report which stated the amount of the 'subscription of
the Liverpool Auxiliary. Since the formation of that aux-
iliary, in 1829, there had been placed in the hands of its
agent 5222 Bibles, and 3599 Testaments, making altogether
8821 copies of the scriptures at a cost to the parent society
of £1486 18s. sd. Thus, on an average of the ten years,
nearly 900 copies of the holy scriptures had hem annually
distributed to the seamen visiting the port, the greatest part
of which, he was happy to say, as it showed the interest which
sailors took in the Bible, had been purchased at the socie-
ty's reduced prices. The remittances from Liverpool, du-
ring the ten years, amounted to £172 10s. Bd., leaving a ba-
lance due to the society of £724 Os. Od. He would put it to
the meeting whether.he had not made out a case for their li-
berality—he would put it to every honest conscience whe-
ther, in equity, Liverpool was not bound to make a response?
The resolution was put and carried. The audience then
sung a hymn, during which a collection, which amounted to
£2O 12s. 54d., was made in aid of the funds of the society.
The Rev. Mr. MAYNARD moved the third resolution. He
said that the command of Christ, "ge ye forth and preach
the gospel to all nations," made it incumbent on them to
preach the gospel, not only to the distant heathen and to the
Jew, but to every perion, whether landsman or seaman.
But how was the gospel to be preached to seamen ? They
were in port but a short portion of their time, and when
away on the great deep they could not be followed to be in-
structed by the mouth of the missionary. How, then* were
they to be reached? They were to be reached only by pla-
cing in their hands, . previous to their departure, a copy of
the holy scriptures ; and he hoped that the town of Liver-
pool would aid the society in the accomplishment of its li-
beral wish, that every merchant-ship which leaves the port,
every barque, every canal boat, should be provided with at
least one copy of the Bible (or more in proportion to the
number of men), having on them this inscription--" Pre-
sented by the Naval and Military Bible Society, for:the ge-
neral use of the crew."

Captain BURGOYNE, R. N. seconded the resolution, and
mentioned a remarkable instance which occurred in 1802, in
a ship which he commanded, of the avidity with which the
sailors read the Bible when presented to them, and of the
gratifying change in their manners which was the conse-
quence. He mentioned the evils and temptations which
beset sailors on landing, and congratulated the town on the
prospect of the establishment of a " Sailor's Home." If
that Sailor's Home were established, he should be willing to
devote the whole of his time to carrying it on.
The Rev. Thos. CARTER proposed the next resolution,
which was seconded by
Lieut. SinisioNs, R. N., who impressed upon the meet-
ing the necessity, if they wished to circulate the scriptures
among mariners, of taking it to them. On one occasion a
number of Bibles which had been sent to an agent at a sea-
port, lay there for twelve months, without a single one being
disposed of, " Oh," said the agent, " I have not had a sin •
gle application made to me." Ile (the speaker) told the
agent that if he expected to dispose of any, he must take the
Bibles to the sailors, and not wait for the sailors to come to
him. He (the speaker) once went on board a vessel, to try
to sell Bibles, but he could not succeed in disposing of one.
He was about to retire, disappointed at his want of success,
when a man came up to him and said, " You have not your
Bibles with you, I think ." He replied that he had not any
on his person, but that he could fetch them from the boat
immediately. He did so, placed them on the capstan-head,
and in less than live minutes he sold to the crew two Bibles
and four Testaments. That little incident strongly impres-
sed upon him the necessity of going amongst sailors with the
holy scripture.; in his Lands. In putting Bibles on board of
ships, the society acted with due caution. They did not
merely throw the books on deck, and leave them to be used
or abused, as the case might be ' • but they were given into
the custody of the captain, and he had never yet met with
more than one instance in which the captain of a vesssel re-
fused to take charge of them.
Captain MAXWELL proposed a vote of thanks to the chair-
man, which was seconded by Captain BAZALGETTE, and
carried with applause.
The CHAIRMAN, in closing the proceedings, dwelt upon
the necessity of giving increased support to this valuable in-
stitution, and suggested the formation of a Ladies' Associa-
tion, which appeared to meet the cordial approbation of the
meeting. . .

A. doxology was then sung, and the meeting broke up at
half-past nine.

ANNUAL LICENSING SESSIONS.

The magistrates have been holding their court of Annual
Licensing Sessions during last week, at the Sessions-house,
Chapel-street. The applications for new licenses were heard
on Wednesday. The total number of applicants, in the
borough and outskirts, amounted to no fewer than 297.
The whole of the cases having been gone through, the result
was that new licenses were granted to 34. There were also
five removals. The following is a list of the successful ap-
plicants :
William Ashcroft, Athol-street ; Thomas Sheridan Reed,
Belle-street; Win. Seddon, Bolton-street; Wm. Harvey,
Brownlow-hill ; John Hood, Emma Anne-street ; John
Eaton, Faulkner-street ; Chas. Hardiman, Great Charlotte-
street ; Samuel Bolton, Great Nelson-street ; Rachel Wor-
sey, Houghton-street ; Thomas Spencer, Juvenal-street ;
John. Holland, Lawrence-street; Peter Davies, Lime-street;
Edward Harper, Manchester-street ; John Clarke, Mary-
bone ; Thomas Maynard, Moorfields ; Edwd. M`Keverigan,
Mulberry-street ; Thomas Thomas, Old Ropery ; David
Beckwith, Park-lane ; Thomas Gibson, Pembroke-place ;
William Gower, St. John's-lane ; John Wainviright, New
Scotland-road ; Edwd. Moore, Summer-seat ; Sarah Wright,
Temple-court; Mary Matthews, Trowbridge-street; John
Hayden; Union-street; Robert Tucker, Water-street; Jos.
Blease, Wilton-street; John Bond, Northumberland-street,
Toxteth-park ; John Patrick Bunbury, Park-place, do. ;
Edmund Righton Powell, Windsor-street, do. ; John Lever,
Windsor-view, do. ; Thomas Lawton, High-street, Edge-
hill ; Richard Owens, Great Homer-street, Everton ; James
Morley, Castle-street, Kirkdale.
Removals.—Patrick William Byrnes, New Quay ; Michael
Miller, Regent-street ; 'Phonies Reeves, Tithelign-street ;
John Harrison, Watvrioß,r944 ; 444 ,mother.