CHAPTER XVII.-ANNUAL MEETING AT MANCHESTER. 1863. BRO. JAMES ARUNDALE, Ashton-under-Lyne, President. THE General Committee met in the Morning Chapel, Oldham Street, on Saturday evening, June 6th. The brethren took appointments, as usual, in several chapels on the Sunday. From the Report this year we learn that the number of benefit members was 2,038, and the honorary 436, total, 2,474; being a decrease of 25benefit members, and an increase of 3 hon. members; total decrease of 22. Benefit members' subscriptions, £1,023 2s. 6d., being an increase of £22 11s. 6d. Income exceeded the expenditure, £118 83. 7d., raising the funded property to £3,959 0s. 9d. This was bringing things on the right side again. Bro. Arundale, of Hooley Hill, was elected President, Bros. Wild and J. Carter re-elected Treasurers, and Bro. Chamberlain Hon. Secretary. This being the year in which alterations could be made in the rules, there were several notices of motion for alteration, but only one of much importance; that was the extending the basis of the Association so as to embrace the Local Preachers of the New Connexion, at great length, and with considerable spirit; tived, there being 19 for and 30 against it. the same fate, and the brethren determined to three years. This was discussed but the motion was negaThe other motions shared go on as before for another On Monday evening, the ex-President, Bro. Hirst, preached the official sermon, after which the Lord's Supper was celebrated. On Tuesday evening a tea and public meeting was held in Lever Street Chapel. Eli Atkin, Esq., presided over the public meeting. He said: "Thousands of congregations were dependent upon Local Preachers for their spiritual instruction. All honour to the men who made such sacrifices in order to preach the Gospel. He hoped they would keep up the fervour of their piety, and then God would honour their labours and give them success." Bro. Chamberlain, in his introductory speech, recommended this Association in not only caring for the living, but in caring for the dead, so that a Local Preacher's bones should not be huddled into a pauper's grave, as Thomas Hood said— "Rattle his bones over the stones, He's only a pauper whom nobody owns." This Association owns him, and he must have a decent funeral. The meeting was further addressed by the President, and Bros. Towne, Summerside, Schofield, Lawton, Nelstrop, and Hirst. Biography. MEMOIR OF MR. HENRY SMITH. BROTHER HENRY SMITH was born at Aldbourn, in the Hungerford Circuit, Wiltshire, on February 19th, 1823. In early life he was deeply impressed with his need of salvation, and acting according to his convictions, he gave his heart and life to Him who "bought him with His precious blood," and by the Spirit of God he was enabled to realise the saving truths of the glorious Gospel of Christ. He was exceedingly joyous and happy, and manifested his faith by a life of consecration and zeal for God. He told others of his newly found joy, and testified of the Saviour as opportunity occurred. His parents did not train him in experimental religion, and they were somewhat surprised at his conduct when he joined the Methodist Society, and took an interest and active part in cottage services and prayer meetings. He found a sphere of labour in the Sunday-school, and while in the days of his youth showed an aptitude for public speaking by delivering his first address there. Soon after this he became a Local Preacher of considerable ability and power, and was on the plan before he was eighteen years old. He gave himself to the study of the Word of God and to prayer. His labours were crowned with abundant success; and one of the greatest joys he ever experienced was in being instrumental, in the hands of God, of leading his father to the Saviour. Family circumstances prevented his giving himself to the full work of the Christian ministry. After the death of his parents he removed to Winterton, in the Barton Circuit, where he spent twenty-seven years of his useful life. One of the ministers of that circuit (Rev. Wm. Parsonson) says of him, " He was a good man, and held in the highest esteem throughout the circuit as a consistent and devoted Christian." He was mighty in prayer, and the recollection of his powerful pleadings with God at the close of the Sabbath evenings and at the weekly prayer meetings, will ever remain with me. He was very genial, and his companionship was a joy. He was greatly and rightly beloved by his family, for he was a good father. His prayers, instructions, and example have been crowned by the conversion of several of his children. As a class leader he was much beloved; and for some time had two classes under his care. He was a very fluent speaker in public, had considerable mental ability, and was well read. His sermons were most acceptable, and were highly spoken of throughout the circuit. About eight years since he removed to Broom Lodge, Hatfield, in the Doncaster Circuit, where he has laboured with the same acceptance in town and country, almost to the time of his death. He took a deep P interest in the work, and had great delight in serving the Lord in many ways. He was greatly beloved by all the local preachers, and frequently entertained them at his home. The Sabbath day was spent in Christian conversation, praise, and prayer. His death is regretted by a large circle of friends, but his memory will be fragrant for many years. "He rests from his labour," but his "works do follow him." His last public service was at Thorne, December 5, 1880, when he expounded a portion of the Word of God. Shortly after this he was laid aside from active service, but continued to hold forth the Word of Life in his own home; and a fortnight before his death, when surrounded by his loving family, he discoursed sweetly, fervently, and beautifully on "Jesus the Light of the world." He said to His affliction was borne with resignation and faith in God. those who were with him, it would soon "end in joyous day." He heard the voice of the Master saying, "Come up higher," and with his latest conscious breath, "He praised the Lord." He fell asleep in Jesus on Sunday evening, January 23, 1881, aged fifty-seven. He was for many years a member of the Local Preachers' Mutual-Aid Association at Barton; and when a branch was formed in Doncaster, he was unanimously chosen to be its first chairman, and last year he was appointed to attend the annual meeting at York, which he greatly enjoyed. He had a strong attachment to his brethren of this institution, and did what he could to promote its welfare and the benefit of those associated with him in this glorious work. May it be ours to follow his example, to emulate his zeal, to grasp the same promises, and rely on the same loving Saviour; so that when our work is done, and night comes with us, the night may end in joyous day. J. 8. LOCAL OPTION. Temperance. An Address by W. S. ALLEN, Esq., M.P., one of our Hon. Members, delivered in the Town Hall, Longton. MR. ALLEN said: when he wrote to the secretary to ask what he should talk about, he replied that he was to to talk to them about temperance in reference to the House of Commons. He had now been sixteen years in the House of Commons, and was happy to tell them that he had seen a great change of thought there on the temperance question. (Applause.) He remembered that, some sixteen years ago, Sunday closing was looked upon as a very great nuisance and a very great bore when it was brought before the House, but last Session he saw a resolution in favour of Sunday closing passed by a large majority. (Hear, hear.) Then he remembered that when Sir Wilfrid Lawson-that man whom they all so much admired (applause)-used to bring forward his Permissive Bill, they used to go into the lobbies with a very small minority, but what did he see last session? He saw Sir Wilfrid Lawson bring forward a resolution in favour of Local Option, and saw a majority of the House of Commons vote in favour of it. (Applause.) And what did he see some two or three years ago? He saw a bill carried which closed public-houses in Ireland during the whole of the Lord's Day, with the exception of some few towns there. He thought these facts showed that public opinion out of doors was influencing the House of Commons, and that before long they would have Sunday closing for England as well as Wales, and that they would have the principle of Local Option, in some way or other, become the law of the land. Poor Mr. Wheelhouse, whom they had all heard about, used to make long speeches against Sir Wilfrid Lawson in the House of Commons. He always had the same two arguments-that you cannot make a man sober by Act of Parliament, and that these questions were always brought forward by low, wretched people, called Dissenters. (Laughter.) But he (Mr. Allen) thought you could make a man sober by Act of Parliament. (Hear, hear.) He believed that if you removed temptation from the people they would not fall into it. Now he didn't care about talking about himself, but he should like to tell them a little about his own growth on the temperance question. (Hear, hear.) Some years ago he did not know much about it. He used to think that public-houses, and beerhouses, and gin-palaces were a necessity; but by the publications of the United Kingdom Alliance he was led to look into the question himself; and he thought he must see the interior of a few dozens of gin palaces in order to see what went on there. Well, the result was, that he was so shocked and horrified that he was determined, for the rest of his life, to support the principle of Local Option -(applause)-so as to give to the people of the three kingdoms the power of closing the public-houses if they thought they were a nuisance and an evil. Well, then another thing led him to think on the question. He used to have wine and beer at his table, but God gave him a family, and when he saw his little children growing up with their bright, sunny, and merry faces, and then thought that he was placing temptation in their way, and thought what they might become, he determined not only to become an abstainer himself, but to banish the temptation from his home. (Applause.) Now, a great many people were abstainers for the sake of their fellow men. He admired them for it. (Hear, hear.) There was something grand and noble in self-denial. If poor drunkards-men and women-could be saved from destruction by their example and precept, let them do all they could to show it. Depend upon it, that temperance and teetotalism had brought happiness to many a wretched home. He should never forget, some time ago, when times were good, and colliers were making large sums of money, going into one of their houses. It was the picture of misery and wretchedness and want. He did not think the whole of the furniture of the house was worth five shillings, and the poor woman-the wife-told him, with tears in her eyes, that her husband and sons were earning 19s. a day, and they spent it all in drink. Nothing grieved him so much as, in the large towns of this land, to see the poor little children in our back streets, all ragged and famishing, growing up to a heritage of vice and sin and shame. But there was plenty of work for those interested in. this great cause to do. If ever the curse of intemperance were banished from the land we should then be a truly great, a truly noble, and a truly happy people; so that wherever an Englishman might go-whether he travelled north or south, east or west -he might look back with pride and love to his native land and say "Where'er I go; whatever climes I see, My heart still travels and returns to thee; Still to my country turns with ceaseless pain, And drags at every step a lengthening chain." A TEMPERANCE ISLAND AND ITS INHABITANTS. OUT in the Atlantic, between the. Outer Hebrides and lone St. Kilda, there is a little island named Heiskar. The native population consists of some fifteen families. Separated from the North Uist church by a dangerous sound, they seldom can venture to go to church there, as there is no clear prospect of their being able to return within the day, and no certainty of their being able to return within the week or the fortnight. But no Sabbath passes without public worship, conducted by themselves, and attended by every soul of an age to attend. The Queen's Government is carried on by a head man, chosen by themselves, who never has anything to do; there is really no such thing as crime in the island. And if any of our readers chance to be storm-stayed in the island for a night or two, he will be pressed to accept hospitality in their cottages, and find the cottage patriarch whom he visits to be one of the best men of the age of Abraham and his contemporaries, robed in a simplicity which is greatness. Our tourist may have frequent opportunity of such observations as this: One day last month the Hutchinson steamer was sailing round Cape Wrath, carrying some five hundred Lewis men from Stornoway to the herring fishing at Wick. In the evening the captain was "chaffed" by a tourist about the Scottish strictness of view in relation to the Sabbath-it was Saturday eveningas a really impracticable strictness. The captain said, that of the five hundred Lewis men aft," not one, landing at Thurso late on Saturday night, would take a step towards Wick till Monday morning; that if the weather proved fine they would spend the night in the open air; if it proved bad, they would seek shelter in outhouses; and that on the Sabbath-day they would worship in groups, led by their headmen. About ten o'clock at night the captain's statement was strikingly illustrated by a solemn act of joint worshipsinging, Bible-reading, and prayeron the part of the whole five hundred; their grand, shaggy heads, surmounting broad shoulders, being laid bare to the pelting wind and rain. Any one seeing those heads and shoulders of men worshipping God would have felt that, so long as men of their class people our country districts, we are not in sight of the poet's "Woe to that land, to hastening ills & prey, Where wealth accumulates and men decay." "But then these people, so very religious, consume an immense amount of whisky." Those who repeat this current accusation have, probably, made no inquiry into its truth. They, probably, have not so much as thought of the fact that during the tourist and shooting season the highlands are full of tourists, sportsmen, and gillies, who consume great quantities of intoxicating liquor, which is popularly laid to the account of the natives. We shall only in the line of special observations already referred to, say, in the first place, that the Shetlanders notoriously drink to excess nothing but tea; and in the second place, that the steamboat captain referred to stated that, when last year he carried home twelve thousand Lewis men from the herring harvest, with their pockets full of money, the whole twelve thousand did not during the voyage spend, perhaps, one shilling in drink. Poetry. THE DEWDROP AND THE STREAM. THE brakes with golden flowers were crown'd, And melody was heard around— "Sure, little drop, rejoice we may, "Ay, you may well rejoice, 'tis true," |