CHURCH NEWS AND NOTES.

One-third of the income of the World's Union of Christian Endeavour for the past year was derievd from the Clarence E. Eberman Memorial Fund, and grants were made early in this year for the extension of the movement in thirteen, different countries.

The Council of the Anglican "Church Association" (England) has adopted a resolution "deprecating the adoption of the usages supposed to be prevalent in the various Christian churches of the first six centuries, as a basis for church discipline, believing such principle unreasonable and impracticable in itself, and mischievous in its inevitable tendency."

The memorial tablet placed by the congregation in St. Enoch's Presbyterian Church, NewtowH. to the memory of 'inflate Rev. T. W. Dunn (minister of the charge for many years, and formerly in charge of St. David's Prcsyterian Church, Auckland) was. unveiled recently in the presence of a large congregation, the Rev. Dr. Clouston preaching an impressive sermou.

Anxiety in Victoria, caused by the ■want of rain, has continued to increase, and last week all the churches were arranging to offer special prayers for rain.

The Lenten Pastoral of Archbishop Carr of Melbourne, deals with the subject of fasting in Lent, and also with that of the Scripture-reading in schools' referendum of Victoria.

News of revivals, accompanied by many striking cases of conversion, was received by the Wesleyan Methodist and other authorities from various parts of Britain early in February, and special meetings for prayer for the extension of the revival were being held in most of the great centres. ■ •

Sixty-five years ago the Presbyterian Church of Ireland had no mission in India or China. Now it has 58 foreign missionaries, churches, schools, a college, a native agency of nearly 500 men and women, and over 11,000 Christian members.

King Edward, in answer to an invitation fvom the German Kniperor to "send a dignitary of the English Church as its representative to the consecration of the new cathedral in Berlin on February 27," suggested the name of the Right Rev. Dr. Boyd Carpenter, Bishop of Ripon. Thus an Anglican Bishop took an official part in a- Lutheran consecration.

An important event took place in London on 6, -which-was the opening of the London Missionary Society's new house nearJLudgate Circus. Over a' thousand delegates , attended from Congregational chtirehes in England and •Scotland, and the City Temple was filled ■ for three days with enthusiastic kudiJnces. More tlian a hundred years afio

this great society began its operations in a single room in a warehouse in Upper Thaines-street, r London. Seventy years ago it entered *on its Blomfield-street house, but these premises have long been inadequate to the rapid development of the work-. , The new- house occupies one of the most conspicuous positions in the city, and it is close to the Bible House and the Church Missionary Society. The sermon in connection with the opening ceremonies was preached by the Rev. Dr. Horton.

One of the oldest clergymen in Australia, Canon Fulford, of the Anglican Church, died at Melbourne on March 24, at the age of S3 years. In the year 1848 he was appointed a deacon, and three years later was elevated to the priesthood by the Bishop of Adelaide. During recent years Canon Fulford was not attached to any charge. He was a man of remarkably robust constitution, retaining until within a few months of his decease physical vigour surprising in one of his advanced years. He was a widower, and of his children one son holds the post of British consul in China, and another is a prominent oilicial of the Bank of Australasia, Collins-street.

The Bishop of Manchester, in his February monthly letter to his clergy, commented on revivals of religion, and said: "No doubt excitement has always attended them. The preaching of John the Baptist, and even of our Lord Himself, hart manifestly a passiug and exciting effect on the multitudes, who eventually returned to their former ways, or even were hardened in sin; but the result was the foundation of the Church, and the beginnig of a new life for the world.' .

The annual meeting of the Melbourne Council of the Churches, held on March 23, adopted the general report. In reviewing the proceedings of the Council during the year, special reference was made in the report to the question of Tatersall's sweeps, as follows: "This gigantic evil seems to defy all attempts of the State to suppress it, and, so far, the agitation of the Christian Church to create public opinion sufficiently strong to stem the evil does not seem to have borne much fruit." The question of Sabbath observance, and a scheme for the regulation of the liquor traflic were also included in the report.

The Right llev. Cecil Wilson, Bishop of Melanesia, is mentioned as a possible successor to Dr. llarmer, who has been transferred from the Bishopric of Adelaide to the See of Rochester, in England.

Archdeacon Gunther, of Parramatta, last week, speaking on the lay agencies of the Church, said "that the Church needed to recognise more generously the value of lay agencies. Lay-preach-ing, under proper safeguards, was recognised by the Church, and many capable men were exercising their various gifts and powers as evangelists and teachers. Classes for special instruction might easily be organised for them, and it ought to be possible, at St. Paul's College. Moore College, and elsewhere, to offer such help as has been given at Keble College, Oxford, and Selwyn College, Cambridge/

The Dundee "Advertiser" (Scotland) took a thorough and most careful census on the last Sunday in January of "the Free Church" congregations (the suetigants in the now celebrated appeal ease to the House of Lords), with the result that it was found that the total number of persons in the congregations was between 17,000 and 18,000. This included "the totalwor- ,- shippers, including young persons, at the principal service." "No fact," says a Londou contemporary, "has been more cheering for the leaders of 'the United Free Church, , than the loyal devotion to the union shown in the northern counties."' More than two-thirds of the services included in the census were conducted by laymen and students, ministers not being available.

Some idea of the magnitude of the Torrey-Alexander mission in London may be gained from a summary of the preliminary work, which has been published, as follows: 40.000 applications for tickets received, 20,000 invitations written, 1,500,000 tickets of invitation issued, 4000 applications for the choir, 20,000 hymn books provided, 000 chairs provided, 200 stewards appointed, 20 workers appointed, 75 unemployed given work as sandwich men, £12,000 collected. All this before the opening of the mission! Over a thousand delegates from Congregational churches in England and Scotland attended the opening of the London Missionary Society's new house in London last month. The spirit of the meetings (says the "British Weekly") proved that missionary interest is growing steadily amongst the churches and that victories yet undreamed of may await us in the new century. The London Missionary Society occupies at present eight fields of labour. Its total membership stands at 74,786, besides 225,000 native adherents. The largest numbers are in Madagascar, where, notwithstanding the political difficulties of the past ten years, there are nearly 30,000 members and 57,000 adherents. Next to Madagascar comes Polynesia, with more than 16,000 . members and 35,000 adherents. In China the figures are 12.720 members and 10,435 adherents'. The number of ordained uative ministers is 11 in China,. 43 in India, 505 in Madagascar, and 306 in Polynesia. The native churches contribute nearly ;C 22,000 annually to the society's income.