Barrett, G., Brackley Bayley, Samuel, Crewe Beavan, F. J., Cardiff Beecroft, J. J., Reading Bennett, J. L., Downham Bennett, W. Jun., Downham Benson, Edwin, Tring Berry, B. G., Faversham Birtles, S. J., Bradford Blane, H., Manchester Blane, W. E., Manchester Boothroyd, Henry, Denby Dale Buckley, W. Oldham Burkitt, J., Louth Burt, F. J., Louth Braimbridge, E., Bradford Brocklesby, M., Hull Broad, W. H., York Brown, T., Crosshills Bush, Robert, Kings Lynn Campbell, T., Hull Candler, G., London Carr, Jno., Manchester Carter, Jno., London

Chamberlin, A. J. N., Norwich

Chapman, G. H., Derby
Clapham, M. L., London
Codd, G., Wath

Collier, W., Leicester

Collinge, E., Oldham

Cooper, Jno., Hull

Cossons, J. R., East Dereham
Cotterill, J. H, Louth

Cox, Robert, Ashton-under-Lyne
Cropper, J., London
Crouch, J. T., Oldham
Crossthwaite, D., Bradford
Cunliffe, J., Oldham
Daws, Robert, Norwich
Dixon, J. Doncaster
Dixon, Edward, Norwich
Donnington, J., Spalding
Dowsing, Alderman, Hull
Drakard, W. Grantham
Dunn, R. S., Faversham
Durley, R., Aylesbury
Eccles, J. H. M., Birmingham
Elton, William, York
Errington, M., Coventry
Eskholme, P., Pateley Bridge
Felstead, E., Grantham
Fletcher, W., Manchester
Garrett, W.,

Halifax

Gibbon, William, Northampton

Gibson, J. F., Melton Mowbray Glasscock, F., Downham Golightly, W. R., Durham

Goodare, A, Blackburn

Hadfield, Jno., Manchester

Haigh, J. C., Huddersfield
Harding, Jos, Catford

Harding, William, Shaftesbury
Hardy, B., Swaffham
Haw, R. W., Howden

Heckley, James, Pontefract
Hickling, H., Louth

Hinchliffe, John, Pontefract
Hindson, John, Barnsley
Hockey, J. E. Birmingham
Holmes, G., Grantham

Hollings, R. Crosshills

Hopewell, Henry, Nottingham Hopewell, Joshua, Ashton-under

Lyne

Howarth, A., Manchester Hume, J. J., Barnsley Johnson, A. R., London Jones, L. S., Manchester Kirkby, M., Hull Killengrey, J. Doncaster Lane, W., Wisbech Laycock, J. W., Keighley Leach, A., St. Helens, Lancashire Leach, W., Oldham

Leathley, W., Bradford

Learoyd, A., Leeds

Lenton, John, Northampton

Littlewood, F. J., Doncaster

Lowe, J. M., Liverpool
Madder, C. S., Aylesbury
Marsden, James, Wibsey
Mason, G., Preston
Mawby, A., Leicester

Mawby, John, Leicester

Mawer, W.,

Louth

Milsom, J., Reading

Minns, G., Swaffham Mitchell, J. M., Hull Myers, Jno., Durham Nash, M., Twyford Naylor, George, Retford Normington, J., Keighley Ostick, W., Retford Parker, J., Grantham Parsons, Isaac, Leicester Parsons, John, Tamworth Perkins, John, Northampton Pickering. J., Liverpool Pollard, J.. Wisbech Pratt, W., Oldham Raper, W. T., Cardiff Read, J. J., Norwich Redman, J. R., Keighley Roberts, G. R., Retford Robinson, J., jun., Blyth Rose, Henry, Oldham Rose, John, Aylesbury Ruddock, T., Bradford Salmon, Ald. S. F., Louth Salmon, J., Doncaster Salisbury, R. B., Woodford Sails, James, Howden Savage, J., Towcester Scoffield, W., Grantham Sellers J., Oldham Sharp, Wm., Wibsey Shirley, Wm., Coventry Sims, Geo., London

while it is called to-day, he hoped they might be the better fitted to do the Master's will.

Letters were read from Bros. Chamberlin of Wroxham, and W. B. Carter of Nottingham, expressing regret for inability to be present; the latter promising to come if he could later on, which promise was subsequently fulfilled.

The usual standing orders were then passed. The Press and Public to be admitted. No brother to speak more than ten minutes without the special permission of the Chairman.

The President then addressed the brethren, stating that he had been looking forward to this time, when he Iwould have to render an account of his stewardship. He had felt that it was the greatest honour that he could possess to be the President of such an Association. It had, too, been the most remarkable year of his life. But amidst discouragement, and uncharitableness in some quarters, he had ever been sustained by the comfort which the best of Books afforded, and he had ever strived faithfully to discharge his duty. When he took office twelve months previously, the first thing he tried to do was to master the Report; and from that he learnt that 75 Branches were taking out £1,019 8s. 6d. more than they were contributing. He at once wrote to the Secretaries of those Branches and to the Superintendents of the Circuits, sending a copy of the Report, and asking for a public meeting or a service of some kind; and he secured the promise of Bro. Benson to go with him and endeavour to revive the fire in the old Branches, or to establish new ones. From all the Superintendents he had received kind and courteous letters, but some forty of the local Secretaries had never answered his letters. Some had excused themselves on the ground of being working men and could not attend to the matter, though he (the President) had offered to pay their wages and their railway fare, so that the cause of the Association might be pleaded before those who at present knew nothing of it, and that the work might be done without cost to the Association. He had met, too, with

a great deal of ignorance respecting our operations. In 340 Circuits he found there were no Branches; consequently he sent a letter of appeal, a copy of the Report, a copy of the Magazine, a collecting card, and a stamped envelope; each of which had cost 4 d., to 900 ministers and gentlemen connected with the Circuits, 140 of whom had not taken the trouble to send them back. It had been his custom, if his letter was not answered in three weeks, to follow the appeal up with a post-card; and he had received more in response to the postcards than to the letters. The total result from this effort had brought £234 8s. 1d. to the Funds. He hoped his successor would be able to fill the President's Box with gold. It had never been empty while in his possession; and the amounts contributed varied from 3d. to £5. When the contribution was 5s., or above, it was entered in the Magazine; particulars of which had been furnished every month. He had been in correspondence with persons all over the country, and some 2,000 letters had been received; hundreds of them being the thanks of ministers and gentlemen for the information he had given. With Bro. Benson he had covered 5,636 miles; but in many places the local Secretaries had taken no trouble to find them a home, and they sometimes had had to stay in the largest hotels in the kingdom, and, of course, to pay the largest bills. In some cases they had had to send home for money in order to reach there (laughter). He was quite convinced that the proper way to do the work was to go to the place, to see the people, and to tell the ministers what was being done. The work could only be sustained by their holding meetings and letting the people know their operations. Two old men he had met with in one of their Branches wanted to join; and, when he asked them why they had not joined years ago, they replied, 'They did not think they would ever need to." He hoped the brethren would take upon themselves the responsibility of working their own district on the lines of a plan which had been carefully prepared, and

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which would be submitted to their approval during the present meeting. He could not conclude without expressing the conviction that he had been sustained during the year by the power and influence of the prayers of his brethren. He had never received the slightest rebuff from any of their ministers. He was thankful for past blessings; and, while pleading for poor old Local Preachers, he had ever felt that he had been sheltered

by Omnipotence. His attachment to the Association would last as long as reason and life.

On the motion of Bro. Amphlett, seconded by Bro. Cole, it was unanimously resolved that the following message be telegraphed to Bro. T. Chamberlain :

"The President, by desire of the Meeting assembled in Norfolk Street Schoolroom, Sheffield, sends expressions of deepest sympathy with Bro. Chamberlain in his affliction, and prays our Heavenly Father that his health may be speedily restored."

On the motion of Bro. Sims, seconded by Bro. Dr. Aldom., Bro. A. R. Johnson was unanimously elected Secretary of the meeting.

Bros. Amphlett, Beavan, and Learoyd were unanimously appointed Scrutineers.

Bro. A. R. Johnson then read the following Report.

Thirty-third Report of the General Committee of the Wesleyan Methodist Local Preachers' Mutual-Aid Association, presented at the Annual Meeting of the Members, held in the Schoolroom of Norfolk Street Wesleyan Chapel, Sheffield, on Monday, June 20th, 1881. WE meet to-day under the shadow of a great disappointment, which all sincerely regret. For thirty years, without an interruption, our Honorary Secretary has attended the Annual Meeting, and for more than twenty years has discharged the duties of the Secretariat in that efficient manner that can never be surpassed. But it has pleased our Heavenly Father to lay him aside, and we must, with great sorrow, but

profound humility, submit ourselves to the All-wise but mysterious dispensation of His Providence. But in the enforced retirement of our esteemed brother, the Committee would tender to him their cordial sympathy in his affliction, accompanied with the earnest hope that he may be speedily restored to his family and his church, and that he may for many years be spared to be a means of blessing to his fellows.

For the fourth time in the history of the Association, it is, by the good providence of God, permitted to hold its Annual Assembly in this "metropolis of steel," and the occasion almost necessarily provokes comparison with its position to-day and that when last its members assembled together here in Sheffield fifteen years ago. Then it numbered 2,055 members; only 381 of whom were honorary members. Its total income from all sources amounted to £2,434 8s. and its total expenditure to £2,031 8s. 2d. It possessed in Consols, £4,700, which had cost £4,453 16s. 3d. 96 annuitants were on the funds, and 53 sick members were receiving assistance.

There are now 2867 benefit members, an increase of 208 on the year; and 792 honorary members, a decrease of 4 on the year. The total income for the year has amounted to £4,189 6s. 8d.; and there is £11,653 48. 5d. invested in Consols, and new 3 per cents. The total expenditure, excluding the purchase of £500 Consols, costing £493 2s. 6d., has been £3,542 3s. 2d. There are now 168 annuitants, and 112 on the sick list.

This advance in every item must provoke gratitude for the past and hope for the future. Our loved Association stands on a broader basis and is doing a greater work than ever; and is winning its way amongst our people as its merits deserve. At the same time the Committee would call attention to the fact of the decrease in the number of the honorary members, which, though slight, should not be passed over in silence; and they would affectionately urge upon the Local Secretaries throughout the country not to miss an opportunity of

commending our work, and of retaining as subscribers those who have been obtained.

At the last Annual Meeting at York, Bros. Milsom and Jameson were appointed as Representatives of our Association to attend the Annual Meeting of the Local Preachers at Baltimore, United States, held last October. Circumstances prevented Bro. Milsom fulfilling the appointment, but our Bro. Jameson duly attended; and the readers of our Magazine will have learned how nobly our brother has been entertained by our brethren on the other side of the Atlantic. Unfortunately our brother's stay has been unexpectedly prolonged, and this Annual Meeting will not have the benefit of listening to his account of the work of Local Preachers as it is carried on in the United States.

The directions of the last Annual Meeting to the Committee as to the proposed Trust Deed, have all been carried out. A copy was inserted in the August number of the Magazine, and a copy has also been printed separately for the members to peruse before its final adoption.

During the year, Bro. Henry Reed, one of our Trustees, has passed to his reward, and it will be necessary that his place be filled by the appointment of another brother at the present assembly.

Since our last anniversary we have lost the services, by removal to the other side of the globe, of our dear Brother Bowron. His valued services of all kinds can never be forgotten by those privileged with the knowledge of them; and the Committee were very grieved to bid him farewell in the month of October last. He took with him a slight memento of the esteem in which he was held by his brethren, in the form of an album containing photographs of the officers and committee, and an address engrossed on the first page, written by our Honorary Secretary. An unanimous resolution was also passed as follows: That Brother William Bowron be appointed an honorary corresponding member of Committee for New Zealand, as an expression of our love and confidence, and as a

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precedent for the appointment of other such honorary corresponding members in other colonies and dependencies of this Empire. And that this resolution be specially reported to the next Annual Meeting, according to Rules 13 and 14."

At one of the meetings of the Committee during the year, the question of investing part of our capital in mortgage on freehold property, was discussed; but it was resolved to leave the matter to the judgment of this meeting, and on that question the Committee invite the opinion of the members.

Under the usual heads, the ordinary statistics of the Association are presented. They are as follows:

Members.-The numbers have been already given; but, while thankful for the increase, the Committee cannot but regret that, comparatively, so few of those who are eligible for membership join our ranks, and they would, therefore, urge persistent effort on the part of our members generally to enlist the sympathies of Local Preachers throughout our churches and urge them to unite themselves with us.

Deaths.-44 members and 16 wives of members have joined "the great majority "during the year; and the sum of £304 has been paid by the Association towards their funeral expenses. The number of deaths is 18 less than last year, and the funeral expenses £91 less likewise.

of

Sickness.-340 sick brethren have declared themselves on the Fund, and £1,116 3s. 8d. has been disbursed on this account. This amount is lower than last year by £48 18s. 6d., though the number of the sick has been exactly the same; but many the cases were of shorter duration, and the amount paid last year was exceptionally high. The average amount paid to these sick brethren is £3 8s. 1 d., and it would take 9s. 11d. from each of our benefit members to pay the amount for sickness and deaths.

Annuitants.-The sums paid to the superannuated amount to £1,723 14s. 6d., being £290 16s. in excess of the then unprecedented sum reported last year, and an average of £10