... ... Liskeard 2nd ... 3 9 9 Ipswich-C.S.S., hm. £1 ... St. Columb-Mr. W. M. Cardell, hc. 10s 6d; Mr. J. P. Dun- 1 0 0 Brackley-Bro. Barrett, Penny Preaching, £1 1s 9d; Mr. Penzance-Mr. G. Barclay, hc. 10s; Mr. J. C. Clarke, hm. Launceston-Mr. J. Dingley, hm. qly.786d; Mr. E. Pethybridge, hm. qly. 78 6d ... ... Frome-Mr. R. Mitchell, 2s 6d; Mrs. M. Padfield, hm. Leeds-Mrs. C. Carr, hm. £1 1s; Mr. C. Atkinson, hm. £1 18; Mr. W. Edwards, hm. £1 1s; Mr. T. Fentiman, 58; Miss Greaves, 5s... Manchester-Mr. E. Atkin, hm. £1 1s; Mr. R. B. Brierley, hm. £1 18; Mr. T. Briggs, hm. £1 1s; Mrs. Dawes, hc. 1 0 0 28 0 ... 6 ... 1 1 3 12 9 10s; Mrs. Gamble, 5s; Mr. W. Gibson, hc. 10s; Bro. T. Hallam, hm. qly. 5s 3d; Mr. R. Johnson, hm. (Chislehurst), £1 1s; Mr. J. Napier, hm. £1 1s; Mr. Pugh, 28 6d; Messrs. Robinson and Sons, 58; Mr. A. Ross, hm. £1 1s; Mr. C. Slater, hm. £1 1s... Office: President's List-Less expenses at Great Marlow, 4s. See President's Letter Dover ... ... ... Cross Hills-Mr. G. Curtis, hm. £1 1s; Mr. Marchbank, ... 050 6 0 1 10 0 140 1 15 00 15 0 1 10 0 5 0 1 6 050 1 0 Newport Pagnell ... ... Melksham-Mr. Thos. Dyke, 58 Deptford and Woolwich—Mr. A. Coldwell, 2s; Mrs. Rose- ... ... ... ... ... ... Bradwell Mr. J. R. Cocker, hm. £1 1 0 0 5 15 0 470 1 16 0 Canston THE WESLEYAN METHODIST LOCAL PREACHERS' CHAPTER III.-THE LONDON GENERAL MEETING. 1849. (Continued.) WE now enter upon another part of the proceedings, which we may designate the guarding of the rights of members. It will be in the recollection of some of the brethren that the foundation of our Association was laid, and the walls erected, in troublous times. By the tenth resolution, therefore, it was determined: "That in case any member of this Association shall cease to be a Local Preacher of the Wesleyan Methodist Society, from any cause whatever, but shall desire to continue a member of this Association, it shall be lawful for the local brethren who are members of this Association, in the circuit in which he resides, to inquire into the circumstances of the case, and in their discretion to declare that such person, although no longer a Local Preacher, shall still continue a member of this Association, and be entitled to all the benefits of such membership, subject to the annual meeting of the Association." The moving of this resolution led to a very spirited discussion, in which a number of the brethren took part. As originally proposed, it differed a little from the form in which it ultimately appeared. The discussion touched very frequently on the agitation in the Connexion. But the brethren, on the whole, conducted themselves in a most dignified and Christian manner, so that even if any of England's legislators had been there, they might have learnt Christian courtesy from the conduct of these plain men. 11. That if any member of this Association shall be duly expelled from the Methodist Society for immorality, or shall, in the judgment of the Committee, be guilty of immorality, he shall also be expelled from this Association, and shall not, from thenceforth, be entitled to receive any benefit from the funds of the Association. Provided, nevertheless, that it shall be lawful for the General Committee, if they shall see fit, in case of poverty or distress, to return the amount of money which shall have been paid by such member, without interest, deducting therefrom any payments which shall have been made to such member before such exclusion or retirement. The next resolu This resolution was carried with little discussion. tion on the paper was struck out as having been rendered unnecessary through a little alteration in a previous resolution. The 12th and the five following resolutions declared that any persons not Local Preachers subscribing 21s. annually, should be hon. members. They gave the Committee power to elect a paid Secretary, regulating the money he should hold in his hands, directed the Treasurer when to invest MARCH, 1881. F the money he might hold, empowered the Committee to draw up a code of rules to be submitted to the next annual meeting, gave the annual meeting from time to time power to alter or abrogate existing rules. These regulations passed without much discussion. The Officers of the Association were to be a President, Treasurer, and Hon. Secretary. Now the question came up, Who should be the President? The brother who had been the first mover in calling the Association into existence was proposed as the first President; but he, with becoming modesty, firmly and decidedly declined to occupy that important post. The brother who had occupied the chair over the meeting was then proposed. There was only one brother who openly demurred to this appointment; and although there was not one in that meeting with a more honest purpose and a truer heart than this brother, yet, somehow or other, he was generally a planet in opposition, and certainly on this occasion his reasons were very poor. However, the proposition was put, and according to the report now before me, "The meeting was called upon to signify their approval by standing up; the whole audience rose simultaneously, and the brother was elected President amid loud and longcontinued cheering." There was one brother, at any rate, besides the brother above, who did not stand up, or join in the "loud and long-continued cheering." The office of Treasurer was conferred on Brother Wild, who, from the first, brought honour to the office; and who proved to the day of his death one of the most bountiful if not the greatest of the benefactors the Association has had. The post of Hon. Secretary was assigned to a brother well qualified to fill it. A Committee of thirty was elected. President, Treasurer, and Secretary are now gone, but two of this original thirty have still their names on the Committee, and one is as zealous and devoted as ever. Three other resolutions were passed, but it is not necessary to notice them. The first aggregate meeting was brought to a close by singing the doxology. Most of the brethren went after tea to City Road Chapel, where they celebrated the Lord's Supper together. This service was a very fitting close to the business meeting just held. And it speaks much for the religious life of the brethren, that this solemn service has been observed from year to year to the present time. The conductors of this Magazine might do much worse than reprint Dr. Melson's sermon, preached before the brethren at Great Queen Street Chapel, on Wednesday, October 3rd, 1849. It appeared with the report of the proceedings; and it is indeed a masterly exposition of the text, John xvi. 8-11, on the promise and work of the Holy Spirit. CHAPTER IV.-THE BIRMINGHAM MEETING. 1850. The Association having been started, various were the opinions as to its probable success. Some prophets of evil predicted its speedy overthrow, and said "it could not stand." However, it did stand, and is standing at the present day, a monument of what can be done if men in a right spirit and on right principles help one another. The columns of the paper which had countenanced the Association from the first, were still open; and letters in its favour appeared from time to time. One on October 22nd, from Hull, suggested that the Association should be open to all the sections of Methodism; and the writer calculates that 10,000 might be got to join its membership. Some writers doubted the right of Local Preachers to meet together and constitute a society which had not received the formal sanction of Conference. This brought from Bury a vindication of the right to meet under the sanction and protection of the laws of our country; and that no authority, political or ecclesiastical, could override that right. To give it up would be to surrender our privileges as Englishmen. While there were doubters in Methodism as to whereunto this thing would grow, a communication appeared on October 29th, from one of the oldest travelling preachers in the Connexion, highly approving of the Association. Letters of approval continued to appear. Public meetings on its behalf were held in different parts of the country. At one which was held in London, a gentleman was present who qualified as a life member by subscribing £10. At another, held also in London, the venerable Rev. R. Reece sent 10s. as an expression of his goodwill to the Association. On September 23rd, 1850, it was announced in the paper that the Second Aggregate Meeting would be held at Birmingham. The friends there were all alive to the honour, as well as the labour, of entertaining the delegates. And right royally were they entertained by the Midland metropolis! About 130 brethren assembled on October 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, 1850. Isaac English, of Deptford, was elected President. The First Year's Report was given in at this meeting. Among other things it states: "To save expense the Committee from month to month had met at each other's houses." This practice has continued to the present day; and although the Association has now offices in which the Committee could meet, and several attempts have been made to restrict the Committee to them, they have all failed. The brethren declare that going to take tea at each other's houses keeps up the social character of the gathering, which would be entirely lost if the Committee Meeting was confined to the office. The Report states that the Committee's attention had been taken up in preparing rules on the basis laid down at the London meeting; that these rules had been prepared, and proofs sent to the various branches; and that it would be the business of this meeting to confirm, or otherwise, the rules which had been prepared. The rules were gone through seriatim, but as they had been well considered in Committee, the alterations were not of much importance. The Committee was to be extended to fifty members. It was also resolved |