Widnes Examiner. — 1895-12-07 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

RUNCORN WESLEYAN CIRCUIT TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.  ANNUAL MEETING..  In St. Paul's Wesleyan Chapel on Monday eveninss,the annual temperance. meeting in connection with the Runcorn Wesleyan circuit was held. Mr. John Simpson occupied the chair, and he was supported on the platform by the Rev. T, Brackenbury, Rev. C. De Patron Gliddon, Rev. Sampson Weaver. temperance secretary to the Liverpool district ; Messrs. T. Simister. D. Bisbrown, A. R. Norman, John Robinson and Mr. J. D. Jones (local secretary). There was a fair attendance. After devotional exercises Mr. J. D. Jones in presenting the annual report for the Runcorn circuit stated that there were 456 members in the adult section, and in the Bands of Hope societies 1,322 members, being an increase of 62 in the adult section, and 15 in the bands of hope. The membership in each band of hope in the circuit was as follows : Brunswick 450, Mill Brow 261, Camden 180, Halton 155, Preston Brook 65, Weston 90, Weston Point 75, and Nelson-street mission 45. Steps had been taken to establish an adult section at each preaching place on the plan, and by next year they hoped to report that a flourishing temperance society was in active operation in all these places. Great things in this respect were anticipated from the formation of the Wesley Guild in connection with St. Paul's. The treasurer reported that the society was indebted to him to the amount of El 15s. 11d. The question of intemperance pressed as urgently as ever for settlement. Its appalling extent and dire results, which the Conference annually called upon them to contemplate, were as terrific as ever ; so that they date not relax their efforts in relation thereto. Could they do better in their .work than to act up to teaching of the old formula "total abstinence for the individual and prohibition for the State." How delighted every loyal and temperate subject of the Queen must have been when he read in the papers what she said to Khama and the Bechuana Chiefs at Windsor Castle little more than a week ago. The Queen said, "I approve of the provision excluding strong drink from COUT country. I feel strongly in this matter, and am glad to see that the Chiefs have determined to keep so great a curse from the people." (Applause.) The Chairman said in the course of his address that he thought it was quite true that everyone would admit that drink was a most expensive indulgence. During the last year taking every man, woman and chili, in this country, the amount Ppent on drink had been no less than £3 10s. 6d. a head. Of course there were comparatively few children that took drink, and there as a great number of parents who didn't take drink, so that the amount spent by those who did take intoxicants must be enormous. It was rather a striking fart that in 1894 the amount spent on wine was £14,000.000, and the amount spent on beer and spirits £125,000,000, so that those figures showed where the great bulk of the drinking took place. They believed that the drink curse was not only the great cause of poverty, but of disease, and crime. The churches were unanimous in their opinion that the great cause of crime in this country was drink. He was pleased to say that out of 158 students in the Wesleyan theological colleges 149 were total abstainers. (Applause.) Thus there were only nine out of 158 that were not total abstainers. He hoped before long all the students would he teetotalers. In conclusion, he urged all to use their influence to win , others to total abtinence. (Applause.) I The Rev. C. De Patron Gliddon alluded to the criticism passed upon total abstainers at the Brewers' Exhibition, and proceeded to refer to the effects of drink on the children of the country. Out of 50.000 children medically examined, It was found that thirty per cent, were suffering from mental or physical defects largely attributed directly or indirectly, to the drinking habits of their parents. That might be taken as an average of the whole. If it were only on account of the children he would le on the side of temperance. (Applause.) Let them take courage. Be was afraid some of them were disheartened because they thought they were rebuffed during the last election. He believed great good would come out of the rebuff. They have no cause to be disheartened. He never believed the cause of temperance would ever fail so long as God lived. (Applause.) The Rev. Sampson Weaver said he did not feel the least discouraged with the outlook for temperance. It did not depend on any political party triumph, it was not allied to any one political party. It did not follow that if one party had been beaten at the polls, the temperance movement was going back. The fact was, the temperance movement had reached the point where it now stood in spite of political parties, and until they heard of hundreds of thousands of teetotalers giving up, and their bands of hope being suspended, and their temperance societies broken up, he did not see any reason to be discouraged. (Applause.) A vote of thanks to the speakers and the deputation, was passed on the motion of Mr. D. I3isbrown, seconded by Mr. Robinson.  About twenty minutes to eleven on Thursday night a working man named George Bastard, living in apartments in Welden-street, Walton-read, committed suicide on the Woodside Ferry boat Mersey, while crossing from Birkenhead, by jumping overboard.