LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7777, 3 February 1891, Page 6

LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Canterbury Auxiliary of tne London ' Missionary Society was held last night Iα the Trinity Congregational Church. There was * large attendance. The Rev. F. Kn'owles occupied the chair, and on the platform were the Revs. J. Chalmers, from New Guinea, A. E. Claxton, from Samoa, missionaries ; the Revs. J. Hoatson and Bradbury, and Mr Morton, of Hobart. The proceedings having been opened with devotional exercises,

The Chairman briefly introduced the visitors aud said a few words on the objections which are occasionally heard against missionary work. The Rev. Mr Hoatson read the report, which covered a period of four years work, and explained that no annual meetings had bsen held because of the absence of deputations. However, arrangements had been made, in consequence of which missionaries were to visit here about each November, and on those occasions the annual meetings would take place. The report stated the various services held and visits made, and expressed the pleasure of the Committee at the appointment of the Rev. J. King as agent for Australasia. The routine work of the Committee and its changes In its personnel were mentioned, and an appeal made for greater assistance from tne different religious bodies, from the fact that the Society was undenominational in character. The financial statement showed that during five years the remittances to the pareut Society had been—lßß7 £54, 1883 £38, 1839 £28 12s lOd, 1890 £15 10s 4d, and 1891 £47 lUs 9£d. The falling off during the years mentioned was attributed to various causes, among them the lack of missionary enthusiasm and depression. The accounts for the past year showed the. receipts to have been £35 11s 10£ d, and the expenditure £12 43 lid, leaving, the balance of £47 16* 9&d for remission to London.

The Rev. Mr Claxton moved—" That the report and balance-sheet be adopted; (hat the Rev. F. Knowles be President, the Rev. J. Hoatson Secretary, Mr H. Y. Widdowson Treasurer of the Auxiliary for the ensuing year, and that these form the Committee, with the pastors and missionary secretaries of contributing churches, the superintendents of contributing Sunday schools, aud Messrs G. L. BeatbvA. W. Beaveu and F. S. Malcolm, with power to add to their number." The rev. goutlemau then proceeded to give a short account of the missionary work in Samoa, stating what the Gospel had done there, what the Gospel had not yet done, and how it was intended to pursue the work. He gave statistics of the work done since sixty years ago, when the Gospel was first taught by native missionaries. Six years later English missionaries began, and there had wince bee a erected churches aud chapels. Teachers had been placed in '200 stations and schools for children were conducted three days a week. In the institution tor training students there,were 107, of whom 46 were married. In 1864- the Gospel was carried to adjoining islands, the scriptures had been translated, and altogether 30 books I were now in the Samoan lunguage. There j was a membership of 61)00, the attendance at public worship was from 25,000 to. 27,000, and there were from 200 to 250 pastors, and 30 Samoan natives in foreign fields. A normal school had also been established for training scholmasters and teaching English. The work to be .done wa,s. to push on education on missionary Hues, to influence the home and to form an auxiliary of the Society, coincident he hoped with the appointment of a civil government. The Rev. Mr Chalmers seconded the motion, and gave an interesting and rather long speech, full of anecdotes and narratives. He told of the dreadful -massacre of teachers and families on board the Christchurch, the boat named after the donors, of cupidity, misunderstanding, and illtreacmeut of uatives, of their filial affection equal to that of auy civilised being, of the stations opened, having strange and peculiar names, of the work to be done, and of the existing arrangements as regarded territory between the Anglicans and the Wesleyaus., He concluded with, a mild suggestion for assistance co procure a steam launch to prosecute missionary enterprise on the Fly River. The motion was carried unanimously. Mr Morton, an old New Guinea traveller, proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman aud speakers, which was carried, after which the proceedings closed with the singiug of the aoxology.