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THE CIVIL WAR IN PARIS. I

-THE BUDGET. I

--THE IRISH OUTRAGES.I

LIVERPOOL CORN MARKET.

LONDON CORN MARKET.I

TOE REV. NEWMAN HALL IN WREXHAM.

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TOE REV. NEWMAN HALL IN WREXHAM. SPEECH ON TEMPERANCE. Tiar Rev. Newman Hall visited this town on Friday hat6, and in the evening preached to a large assembly on lteiifcff of the chapel fund of Penybryn Congregational GtaisU:, in Zion Chapel, Hope-street, which had been fca&y lent for the occasion, the former edifice being too ttmj-ji to admit the ccngregation that was expected wurLi gather to hear that talented gentleman. The rev. getatiier, before commencing his sermon, made an arn.w for funds for the chapel, and asked everyone jpi <nt to look upon that service as a religious pleasure and. if everyone would give willingly what he would mnt- Ux a night's amusement or worldly entertainment, Sit- &Sends of the chapel would be satisfied, and som? =W ii a substantial nature would be given for the Milmii-itioii of the debt. He supposed there were many ttMtM of different denominations, and they deserved 8uDb. for their manifestation of Christian unity. They ww.- asAled different denominations, but they made a gpjat deal more fuss about their differences than they MMeCMti. They were really and substantially eRe. All milic; foved Christ, and proclaimed Him as the only Start mr, all whose effort was to liftman up from earth to BBHMI, to rescue the slaves of the devil, belonged to ttte-aune church. There were only two parties in the party of light and the party of darkness, tiw itaty of heaven and the party of hell, followers of JjMEfc- and the followers and votaries of the devil. The tine might soon come when Christian people would see flbat. their differences were not much more than the mEtU-ruis of different regiments, which all followed the :I8TI" standard, and all served under the Queen. Thev MAIShsir little differences, but they were little more for ALSjWAMt part than that there were three buttons on one s coat and half-a-dozen on another; and akatead of spending time and wasting energy in miser- iriMe disputes about these little differences, let them mm;h have their own preference while they held in Mfc ,-Tty and love to their neighbours; and while they VAv4 Fppbsition to other denominations, let all of 'Mi i be opposed to sectarianism, intolerance, and in- anbtiwenesi. So they asked to-night the concurrence of ait irhc loved the common cause to aid the object they in view, and no doubt the friends who were specially MfcttneKed iu this, when they were invited to a similar ■nice in connection with some other church, would be jilt -,t, willing to respond, and so bearing one another's dardeds they would fulfil and illustrate the law of -1kast. alfter engaging in prayer, the rev. preacher took for atatteit the 42nd and 43rd verses of the 23rd chapter of jUaie—"And he said unto Jesus, Lord remember me a&aothou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said him, Verily I say unto thee, to-day shalt thou be irtsn me in paradise." The sermon, which was listened iste»*ith rapt attention, was of an hour's duration, and >U the most eloquent description. A collection was ■dtkii-vvards made, and A:17 15s. 5d. was realised. .au.Le conclusion of the service, a PUBLIC MEETIXG. I .1._ the auspices of the Wrexham District Temperance &?ae, was held in the Town Hall, which WM well ■Bod- Among those on the platform were-Sir Robert a??t? (ehMTin?n), fli-? Rev. Newn?'t II?U. the Rev F. 3sp»"ii (New Chapel, Chester-street), the Rev. J. -toi.;titly, Mr W. H. Darby, Mr Minshall, Mr R. C. Btsiflins, Mr J. M. Jones, and Mr William Thomas (the Utt: t icarage). Bit* Chairman said I have great pleasure in coming itare v-night to take the chair, because, although I can- xt be ranked among those who are called teetotallers ;»1;£ I think every thoughtful man must hare a deep ■Bifcivst in anything that is connected with the temper- mLf-o cause, and must sympathise deeply with the objects afcicli that cause has in view-oicai-, hear)—and, there- -:t..rff; I am glad indeed that an important meeting is to fe held to-night in reference to this sti)jjc et. It is no agsfegeration to say that it is one of the most important -V that can come before the country. It is a very i.a'ak st,(iry to say that drunkenness is an evil: it has been add for years and years. I am sorry to think how many JJSW^ but still it is so, and comparatively little has imoem done to meet this dreadful evil. We know what &-upk-eiiness does everywhere we know specially what £ docs in the great centres of industry and commerce, aac it is something frightful to know the amount of evil atai is connected with intemperance. Therefore I for m £ r, and I am sure everyone who hears me, must aj^iwthise deeply with anything that tends to meet this iKteudful evil of drunkenness and intemperance. You «» all of course aware that a bill has been brought >«rv/a.rd by the Government. Now, I perhaps ought to "*1 that I do not know whether I can agree with all that v fall from the platform this evening I am not 3*e{>uxed to say that I can vote entirely in favour of what may be advocated by the speakers to-night; but I say that there is a good deal in the Government bill wiricli meets with my full approbation. (Hear, heir.) would specially express my pleasure at finding that the ;ernnlent have decided to deal with the question of -ad-alteratioii in connection with intoxicating liquors. ffal-ar, hear.) It seems to me that the question of adulteration is one which ought to be more widely con- jured than it is perhaps at present. At all events, if adulteration in liquors is considered and brought forward Sfenist it is one step towards attempting to put it down 2w, c-ounf-ction with everything, as I think adulteration is .ae d the evils of the day which most presaingly inquires reform and improvement. I will not detain you tanker than to say that I am not a teetotaller, but every- body who thinks for a moment must sympathise with aw,ything that tends to lessen the dreadful—it cannot be ,smaggerated -amount of evil that results from intemper- ance in this country. (Applause.) The Rev. F. B. Brown proposed That this meeting, mtine rejoicing in the fact that Government has intro- dboeat a bill to amend the laws for granting licenses for tfefa sale of intoxicating drinks, and recognises with pleasure the clauses which tend to improve those laws ttauld strongly urge, first, that public-houses should be dtosed the whole of Sunday, and secondly, that the aansber of houses licensed for the sale of intoxicating dhnks should be immediately reduced." The rev 3»i)tleman alluded to the progress of the temperance agitation, which had now reached an important stage, jed was a Government question, and he hoped the time v&s not far distant when there would be a great abate- .8.ent and an ultimate abolition, of one of the greatest "Wiis that c mId possibly afflict the country. (Applause.) fte publicans had entered on an agitation against Mr o^piice s bill, and complained that it would injure their Sade. He (Mr Brown) did not think any of the friends ;J*' temperance wished any wrong to be done to publicans --?hear, hear) but they must remember it was a trade different to all others; it was worked in a different way 1:IIÙ its effects upon the people generally speaking were Afferent from the effects of other trades. It seemed to Slim a right principle, and the duty of the Government t., interfere with the working of a trade that was in- jurious to the community, and it was not the duty of the ^vernment to protect the interests of a trade the working of which was injurious to the country w the .ilquur traffic of the country injurious, and when was the country injured A country was injured when its sanlmess was weakened when its moral tone was Severed, when its religious life was corrupted, when its inhabitants were pauperised, brutalised, and satiated. He might be asked, did he bring those charges against the Jlquor traffic. He did bring those charges as applicable ,ID the present working of the liquor trade. It could not lie denied that by far the largest proportion of the pauperism, lunacy, and immorality of the country was to tit traced unto drunkenness. Mr Bruce proposed to JBStrict and limit to some extent the liquor trade, which Meant less drunkenness, and that meant less immorality aereilgion, pauperism, criminality, and lunacy. And what else besides? Less taxation—(hear, liear)-and "'wer parochial rates, and greater trade, as the working passes would be able to spend more nion?v in a legitimate -y. And what else would it result in 2 A very great increase in the productive power of the country, the wealth of the nation, and a great increase in the number af thIMe citizens who were aide to bear the necessary Burdens of the land. He was content to accept the bill sa it was, as he believed they could not accomplish more ar present, though in due time they would get all they .àesired. The rev. speaker then referred to Mr Ryland's motion to have public-houses closed altoeet?er?.? ?rd's Day, which he considered most dSbl^ Jlbuse)-as the publican's trade was the worst ?t aDuld be carried on on a Sunday, and its evUs we« mc&lcubable He conceived it to be the dutv of ever? Christian and patriot, to work up this question to thl KtDMst, to changu the present state of things and L?t 8Ie downward carer of the nation (ATITJ1."IS.) Mr Rawlins sec mded the motion, and alludett to the drink, customs of the higher classes, the peculiaritisw af the liquor traffic, and the statements made by the ;&.tges that nine-tenths of the crime of the country was traceable to drink. He then gave an illustration of the amount of money spent in drink per annum in England and concluded by urging that it was time for them t,) do something to curb and drive back the advancing tid» of temperance which was so much deteriorating the cha- racter of the country. (Applause.) The Rev. Newman Hall, who was greeted with cheers, said I have had, Mr Chairman, some little experience in connection with this great temperance movement for it has been my privilege to have been for upwards of thirty years a practical abstainer personally, as well as an advocate of personal abstinence. I have not taken much action in reference to the political side of this question; not that I have disapproved of the efforts that have been made by others in the protection of such a bill as this that is now brought before the country but that my particular line seemed to be rather urging upon individuals a personal abstinence from a desire for those t) be as useful as they could possibly be to their fellow creatures. I feel quite sure that every personal abstainer would be on the side of every measure of a political nature calculated to promote the interests of .temperance so in persuading persons to be voluntary abstainers, I would really aid the efforts of those whose genius was of some political tendency. I hardly knew when I came to this meeting what the nature of it was except that it was a temperance meeting, and I do not know whether I am quite prepared to speak with re- ference to this special measure, except that on the whole it seems a step in the right direction. I cin quite imagine that many total abstainers may think it does not go far enough. I can understand, too, that many can say in the spirit of certain persons of old Not only this our craft is in danger, but the image of the great god, Diana;" in other words, British liberty is in danger. But the question of this measure before the country is, is it deserving of a general support or not. and I myself am be disposed, while endeavouring to bring forward objections, or more strenuously to urge any supposed improvements, to give my support in general to the measure of the Government. If there are those who are agitating for its entire rejection, then It may be useful for some, on the other hand, to be advo. cating a much more stringent measure. I do not sup- pose a more stringent measure has the slightest chance of passing. I am only afraid this measure may have to be very much weakened in order for it to pass, but I trust the result of the discussion will be that it may be- come law. I am certain of this, that the more the British people look simply at the facts of the case, the more will they be concerned to repress the terrible evil with which our country is cursed. A land of such in- telligence a land of so much Christianity a land of bibles and a land of churches a land of such glorious liberty; and a land with such a constitution, for what- ever its defects, and there is nothing earthly which has not defects, whatever may be the evils that have come to it during the lapse of ages, yet I think we cannot look over the continent of Europe without being thank- ful to God for such a constitution as we possess—(hear, hear, and applause) ;-a country in which the working man has such prefect freedom, in which the working classes generally are so well treated, in which work has been so plentiful and wages high, when compared with many other nations of the world and yet a country so cursed as this is. Why, supposing foreign armies were to land on our shores, and make a requisition anything like this, or like the requisition that has been made by Germany upon France-and some think it enormou- and too much-and suppose a foreign nation were to ins Tade our country and levy such a tax upon us, charging us with a hundred millions year by year, or make us pay over ten years running a hundred million each year. We have a great deal of pauperism, a great deal of dis- ease, and a great deal of crime; but those who have studied the question have for years and years told us- only it has been as it were prophesied in the wilderness, and has been paid no attention-that the drinking cus- toms of our country are the root of the great prevalent evils of our country. Lord Shaftesbury, one of the committee on lunacy,—and he, like our chairman, is not a personal abstainer—told me that he considered seven cases out of ten of lunacy arose from the abuse of intoxi- cating drink. What is the chief cause of the pauperism of our country ? Do you think that if the people who have to be supported by poor rates, had put into the savings' bank all the money they spend in drink. that they would have had thus to be supported ? How com- mon it is for the working man to spend in strong drink nothing less than a shilling a day. How many a woman would consider herself well off if her husband only spent 6s or 7s a week in drink. There are many who spend 10s or 15s a week in drink earn 25s or 30s a week, and spend half of the money in drink. Consider the chief cause of the accidents that take place. Have you investigated them ? Yea, in the very face of the facts you will find the chief cause of the awful acci- dents that occur is drink; the chief cause of assaults and crimes of violence is strong drink the chief cause of suicides, strong drink; strong drink is the aider and abettor and promptor of public vice that is the dis- grace of our great cities, and it would not keep up un- less with this stimulant of strong drink. What is the cause of inconsistent conduct in churches, where there is nothing like discipline ? What is the cause of excision from the church of inconsistent persons? I am prepared to say from my own experience that the chief cause is drink. We have ragged schools what is the chief cause of ragged schools? Why should we have this particular provision ? Why in a land so wealthy, where such vast works are carried on, where labour is performing such prodigies-why is it that there should be so much destitution and ragged children about our streets ? In almost every case you will find the ragged children going about untaught, except being taught to rob or steal, are the children of drunken parents. (Applause.) Some children are un- taught because there have been no schools, but a far greater number of children have been untaught not be- cause of any want of school provision, but because of the parents not caring to see after their education. You may multiply schools for them, but unless you com- pel them to go to school you will have a multitude un- tanglit as long as you have drunken parents. (Hear, hear.) I have illustrations of what is going on con- tinually presented to my view. Sometime ago I was passing along a thoroughfare, close to a church called the New Cut, and I saw a man led out from a public house by another, who propped him up on the pave- ment. When the man propped him up, he disappeared and left him standing. I wondered what it was, and on going closer I found the man was drunk. He had been spending his money in the public house, until he had perhaps no more to spend, and then the tapster brought him out, balanced him on the pavement, disap- peared, and left him to himself. What was likely to happen ? The very first turning that man came to, a cab driven rapidly, would probablv knock him down. What would the verdict be ? Accidental death. No, it should be murder by alcohol (Applause.) Going along an unfrequented road in the outskirts of London, I saw in the dark an object lying in the gutter. I went towards it, and saw it was a man. On going a little further I was deterred, and I thought that discretion was the better part of valour, for there was a bull terrier on the shoulders of the man, and in this case it was certainly illustrated that the man was below the brute in two senses—(laughter)—for whereas the man was utterly helpless and unconscious, this faithful at- tendant was full of life and fidelity up to his knowledge, and would not let anybody approach his master. So I kept a respectable distance, for I could not leave the poor drunkard, for the tirst vehicle coming along wou.d crush that man's head, as it was just lying in the rut of the wheels. I found a policeman, and told him to take care of this tipsy fellow, and he obtained the help of some persons, and they carried him away. But if he had been killed that night, and no one had happened to see him, there would have been a verdict of accidental death. No, murder by alcohol. (Applause.) The other day, I was passing along that same New Cut, between eleven and twelve o'clock, and one of these public houses was open, hours after decent trades have closed. Open till nine o'clock, ten o'clock, till eleven o'clock, till twelve o'clock, till midnight, till one o'clock in the morning, as I know to my cost, when I have been trying to study, perhaps, or sleep. Shouting, swear- ing, screaming, wild singing till one o'clock, and then the places are closed, and the customers turned out, yelling and rioting through the streets and that is forsooth British liberty Where is the liberty of decent people ? the liberty of patients who are ill, and the sober workman who is weary and wants to sleep ? They are now awakened and startled in their slumber till one or two o'clock in the morning, in order that some may have the liberty of keeping on a business of wicked connections, and that others may be allowed to become pests and curses to the neighbourhood. (Hear, hear). I saw, between eleven and twelve o'clock, a woman sitting on the threshold of a gin palace. She was tipsy, and she was bending backwards and forwards in her tipsyness. She had something on her knees that something kept going down on the wet pavement and bumping upon it. I went closer, and found it was an infant not a month old. Now, mothers, what do you think was likely to happen to that infant ? Was it likely that infant would live, when you remember your motherly care, tenderness, and watchfulness to defend your little children from the se- verity of the weather, to cherish their young and precious lives? Without all these necessaries, what would become of the little child ? You know perfectly well that child could not live. If you investigate the statistics of infant life among the working classes, among those who are chiefly the victims of these public houses, you find the rate of mortality among infant children is fearfully great; ■end we need not go to China to find that there is such a thing as infanticide. This is only an illustration out of hundreds and thousands of infant murders taking place, and I say not accidental death, but most unnatural, most wicked, most murderous death, and death by the public house. (Applause). Is it not enough to look at that ? Is it right for individuals to tax us to support paupers, I and not right in Government to guard against making paupers? (Hear,hear). Is it right for Government to tax us for maintaining a large body of police, and not right for Government to avoid those things that give employment to the police? (Hear, hear). Right for Government to tax us for building great gaols, and not right for Government to do that which will certainly render half the gaols that are existing unnecessary? Right for Government to watch over the sale of fireworks, the deposition of gunpowder as dangerous to the com- munity, and not right for Government to watch over such a trade as this ? (Applause). Let this trade be like other trades; let these places be closed when other trades are closed, and stopped when other trades are stopped. Certainly do not make an exception of the trade which on the combined testimony of magistrates and judges and clergymen of every country is the chief cause of the pauperism, misery and immorality that prevail amongst us. I said I was not prepared to speak with special reference to any particular measure, and that my line of labour has been to promote voluntary abstinence. I do not know whether I should be out of order in saying a few words before 1 close, upon this particular point. (Applause). We are sometimes misunderstood. It is sometimes thought that we who have the privilege of acting upon this principle, denounce as poison such liquors. We say without any fear of contradiction, that these liquors act as poisons to multitudes, and are the cause, the chief cause, as by poison, of the death of mul- titudes amongst us, some say 60,000 a year but we do not say these drinks, under all circumstances, and in all quantities, are necessarily and in the popular sense absolute poisons. We do not say it is-some say so- necessary for the advocacy of voluntary abstinence to hold so extreme a view. We do not say it is wicked to make them under all circumstances, and to taste them under all circumstances. I do not say you can prove from Scripture that all alcoholic and intoxicating drinks were forbidden at all times. I do not hold that view, but I respect those who do but it is not necessary to hold that opinion. We do not say it is the absolute duty of everybody to say as we say and because we feel it a pleasure to abstain, that therefore it is the necessary duty of everybody else to abstain. We should be very sorry to enforce what is felt by us to be a privilege, upon the consciences of those who might not say what we say. But we do say this, that these beverages are not essential tor the maintenance of life, not essential for the main- tena',lce of good health, and that they are injurious to Multitudes; though we at any rate mean to say they can 1W out them, and that we feel it a very great privi lede and a great de?ght to give away what little nleasnrTth,nl! ma,in the "? of these intoxicating bb! evveerr ajgrees, not only to preserve ourselves from anv no.v 81 Ie temptation to take to excess, but to rend^t easier for those to abstain to whom abstinence is absolutely essential if they would be kept from intemper- a ice. And now, sir, as to health. Certainly there are cases in which these drinks-I am taking very low ground -are not necessary for health. I may plead my own case, thirty years an abstainer. I have been preaching the gospel for upwards of thirty years, and for the last fifteen preached three times every Sunday, and I generally walk twelve or, fifteen miles every Sunday, and I am as happy on Monday morning as any other morning, without feeling at all Mondayish. (Laughter). And though I am fifty years of age, I can shoulder a knapsack and walk twenty-five miles with any of you. (Laughter). If they are not teetotallers, poor fellows, they have not a chance, and it is not fair to compare teetotallers with those who are not, as we cannot expect them to have so much strength. One very satisfactory result of total abstinence is that my life is worth ten years more than anyone else s of the same age, who has been addicted to drinking. We know this from the life insurance companies. We get a larger bonus, and that does not require any arguing about it. One mode of living long, in order to do good, is to be a teetotaUer. I am happy to be a teetotaller, and as to health and strength, I have the pleasure of knowing a number of working men, who are employed in different occupations—carpenters, printers, brick- layers, sewer flushers, and even blacksmiths, who might be regarded as requiring strong drink-who tell me they are stronger and better, can do their work better, on the total abstinence principle than any other and we teetotallers feel we are warranted in saying we are likely to live longer, and to have better health and strength. We know if the surgeon was called in he would tell us directly without hesitation, that he could cure us better, and in half the time it would take him to cure those who take wine and spirits, even in modera- tion. A teetotal soldier is sooner well, if wounded in battle, than if he is not a total abstainer. I know a friend of mine who legs were saved from being a teetotaller. (Laughter). A house was on fire he jumped out of the window compound fracture taken to the hospital; surgeon called in. "Temperate?" "Yes." "One of the absolute teetotallers?" "Yes." "Then I can save your legs." (Laughter). That is a fact. If he 4iad not told the doctor that he was an absolute teetotaller, in order to save his life, his legs must have gone; but being a total abstainer, the doctor, though not a total abstainer, felt there was that in my friend's constitution which would enable him to save his legs. (Applause). Now look at the question of finance just see what working men even spend in drink; then see what ladies and gentlemen spend; see what three or four glasses of wine cost every day see if you can persuade yourself and your friends, that you are absolutely better than if you saved those sources of expenditure. People speak of our being martyrs and say It is very good of you, and very self- denying of you, and we honour you very much for what sacrifices you have made, but we do not feel bound to make those sacrifices ourselves." That is all stuff. Ap- plause.) We are not making any sacrifice at all we are gainers. Do not think of us as martyrs; we gain in every wav—we gain in life, health, in pocket, in spirits. To those who drink it is very pleasant to go up and down the mountain, and then come to a level, but we are always on a fine table land, and do not need to go up. (Laugh- ter.) And then we have the instimable delight of doing a little extra for the purpose of benefitting our fellow creatures. There are some tojwhom sobriety with a little drinking is a moral impossibility. It may be from their constitution, inherited, it may be the result of an old habit. 1 know not, but you know perfectly well that there are some persons who must be total abstainers if they are to be sober. There are persons who really wish to be sober, but who feel when they once begin to drink they are lured on, and it is morally impossible for them to stop. I have had such cases again and again not simply amongst the poor, but amongst the wealthy. I know a case of young men of good education, of good position, and good prospects as well as cases of ladies, accomplished, elegant, and in good society, about whom I am frequently consulted. I know these cases occur, and the only possibility, humanly speaking, of being preserved from drunkenness, is total abstinence. (A voice, right," and loud applause.) No doubt about (iAt. (Laughter.) There is no one here, or anywhere else who has any regard to his own common sense and re- putation, who would venture to deny such a proposition as that. I start from that, and then comes this ques- tion. If there are such persons, those persons ought to abstain. But why should I abstain? How do you know I am not one of those persons ? Did not those persons once think they were not in danger? Was not there a time when they took moderately ? Did not they take moderately step by step, month after month, year after year, and nevertheless fall ? Men of rank, men of education, women of accomplishment, clergymen of eminence have lived to middle life and then have fallen. Then how am I to be certain that the habits and thirst, such jts they are will not result in my fall? I may be assured that I am in no danger myself, and why should I abstain! To make it easier to those to whom it is essential. Suppose none were abstainers but those who had been drunkards. Then the obvious result is, when you see the decanter passed and a person abstain- ing from the wine in a party you will at once infer- That poor fellow has been a drunkard he is one who cannot keep himself sober." Is it fair to think that a man can keep right at such a time as that ? What would be said by many men would be, Well I don't like to make an example of myself before every company; I don't like every one to think that I have been once a drunk- ard. I want to live in a better position I want to re- deem my character. If I continually remind my friend what I have been, I must look for some other method of cure than that." Bnt if a number of persons who were never tipsy, and never suspected of intemperance, for the sake of their neighbours become abstainers, so that ab- stinence becomes fashionable, see how much easier it is for them to whom it is essential. Take the case of a young man going into society. Abstinence is essential to him. He meets with a number of persons superior to himself in position, and character, and education perhaps. They are all drinking. It is a great effort for him to say no and everyone is saying yes and many would not like to face society because of that. You may say it is foolish, but it is a fact. Suppose one or more were to say "No, thank you," and were to ask for water. He says at once, "Ah, I have someone to back me; I prefer water too.' How easy for that man. (Applause.) But how almost impossible if there is no one who abstains. Why do persons come to me, a teetotaller clergyman, for advice —persons of rank sometimes, who do not give me their names, and ladies wearing deep veils? They come because I am a teetotal clergyman. What is the use of going to a clergyman who takes a quantity of wine that does not influence him, and goes away perfectly sober, while that same quantity of wine taken by the person in trouble would make that person tipsy and they, therefore, go to those who abstain.. Not only clergymen but other persons have influence. If you are parents, and have a child addicted to temperance, would not you be practic- ally an abstainer ? Would you, however muh you may like the wine, if you call yourself father or mother, put on the table a decanter of wine, however good it may be, and your son is there, and you know that son now and then becomes tipsy, and you know the very taste of the wine is like a spark applied to gunpowder ? Would you put the wine on the table and ask him to taste a glass that may tend to three or four afterwards? No. Of course you would say, I will be a practical abstainer for my son's sake I will not touch the wine for my son's sake my son shall never say, I have been drunk to-day, and the first glass was given to me by my father or mother. You may say, "I have not a son." No, but your neighbour has, and we are all of us brothers one to another we cannot separate ourselves from those around us. So I say it is a glorious and blessed privilege to be able to do something to help ou fellow- creatures. Here is a man climbing up from a deep abyss. He has been climbing up the rock. Oh how slippery, and how often has he slipped back, and how often fallen bruised and battered. He tries again, Oh he will climb up those rocks. He hates that abyss of drunkenness into which he has fallen so often, and he is trying to climb those slippery, steep, sharp crags; and he has just got to the top. There you are at the top. What will you do ? Will you lay hold- of him with your hand and draw him up, or will you loosen his hand and let him fall back again ? He struggling, and you by your example recommending him to take a glass of wine sometimes. It is like loosening his hand from the grasp he has got on the rock. On the contrary you say, None at all; I will be an abstainer for the benefit of my fellow-creatures no, give me your hand and join us." (Applause.) That is the way I look at it; but I do not presume to dictate duties to others. We do not say it is your duty, but we say it is your privilege to share with us the great enjoyment and privilege. We invite you to join us. Life is short; let us make the most of every pleasure. I recommend you to enjoy the luxury of pleasure. Get as much pleasure as ever you can of the best sort, and compare the pleasure of tasting wine with the pleasure of saving a soul from death, and rescuing a brother or a sister from intemperance, and choose the best. We do not want to keep it ourselves we do not want the monopoly of it. Enjoy the pleasures if you will; it is a voluntary movement, and by personally and practically endeavour- ing to spread total abstinence, you will be on the side of all good legislation bearing on the subject. Therefore, help all you can. Do not suppose for a moment we put this in the place of the gospel. We do not. We tell people to wash their hands before sitting down to eat; but it is not putting cleanliness in the place of the gospel. It is a good thing to tell people to go to church. )(on learn children to read, and you might say you are putting education in the place of the gospel. But you are not; education is a good thing, and leads to salva- tion that when they read they may read the truth, by which they may be saved. Total abstinence is not gospel. Total abstinence is only the lowermost round of a ladder, to which there are many rounds, but how many has iu ueiped U;J I should think that during ten or fifteen years of ministry in London, on an average one a month has been converted to God and brought to the holy communion, by faith in Christ Jesus, and since lived a reformed, holy, and useful life, who was a drunkard, and whose first step to conversion was the taking of the total abstinence pledge. Why ? Because when he was a drunkard, he spent his time in the public house, and had no relish and no mental "capacity to appreciate worship. When he became a teetotaller he became a sober man, got up at the usual time on Sunday mornings, and found himself able to attend to something. He had done his usual labour, and he would go to church; and he would go to hear the parson who made him a total abstainer; and so you see how there is an opening for the gospel. I could keep you for hours in telling you exact and distinct cases, not merely from persons who had been rescued from the lowest depths of poverty and degradation, but from the inmates of comfortable houses. When we speak of improving the condition of the work- ing classes, there is no better way than by taking an oath to be total abstainers. It will make a man more respect- able, and he will give attention to the education of his children, and in every way you promote the eartldy happiness and prosperity of men by causing them to become total abstainers. But not simply that; you introduce them and give them an opportunity of being introduced, which they had not while frequenters of the public house, into the glorious philosophy of that won- drous confraternity which Jesus, the great redeemer, the brother of men, has introduced for poor and for rich, for all without distiuctioii, of which these prevailing habits of drinking deprive so many of our brothers and our sisters. If you would have a nation strong and Christian, if you would have a people loving law and loving liberty, at the same time time if you would have an educated people if you would have a loyal and noble nation, try to improve their habits in reference to intoxicating drinks. If you will extend education and the blessings of the church and religion, then let us endeavour to promote this glorious temperance reformation. And how little .your influence may be, use it. It is better to use a little influence of good than evil. We must use it for one thing. The least things are powerful. How mighty the ocean, made up of little drops I have watched the snow falling on the Alps, and I have thought how little a thing is a flake of snow—so light, it can hardly find a settlement; fleecy, airy waving backward and forwards; and yet in the aggregate Look at those fast fields of snow on the slopes of the Alps depositing there month after month, but all in little tiakes of snow. And then when spring comes, there is a little increase in the heat, a little more warmth of the under surface, of the earth, and some little action in the atmosphere. Then the little moan of the slumbering avalanche then it begins to glide downwards, and see it in its awful career It overleaps the chasm, swifter than the chamois it rushes past the cataracts it thunders through the village, and over- whelms the village-all made of little flakes of snow. So this murderous avalanche of drunkenness, made up of single cases, how mighty and injurious. How it over- whelms towns and villages, and carries down to a drunkard's grave and a drunkard's eternity tens of thou- sands of our population-the strong man, the delicate woman, the daring youth, and the tender maiden, the eloquent man, the orator, and the cunning artificer. Into what an awful grave this fearful avalanche is hurrying multitudes, and yet it is made up of little in- fluences—champagne as well as gin, beer as well as brandy; the single glass of the moderate drinker, as well as the twenty glasses of the drunkard; the ap- proving smile of the virtuous lady, as well as the shriek of the penitent outcast. And I would call upon my friends, respectfully, to use your influence, however small it be, by exerting, not to extend and augment the murderous avalanche of drunkenness, but to come down as the small rain and the tender dew of temperance and godliness. (Loud and continued applause—in the course of which the rev. gentleman resumed his seat.) The resolution was carried, and the Rev. J. Priestly then proposed that it should be sent to the local mem- bers of Parliament, which was seconded by Mr J. M. Jones, and passed. Mr Charles Hughes moved, and Mr Minshall seconded, a vote of thanks to the Rev. Newman Hall. The rev. gentleman acknowledged the compliment, and proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman, which was seconded by Mr Darby, after which the meeting was concluded.

I CORttEcifONDiiiNL; t.

CHESTER MEETING.

WEDNESDAY.—THE CUP DAY.

I --THURSDAY. I

FRIDAY. I

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