SPIRITUALISTS' CONFERENCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 479, 12 April 1909, Page 5

SPIRITUALISTS' CONFERENCE.

' PROTEST AGAINST WAR. The Hired" annual conference of tho New Zealand} National Association of Spiritualists was continued at the New Century Hall, Kent- Terrace, on Saturday morning. The following resolution , was passed "ThatfHhe New Zealand National Association of Spiritualists feel :that the time has come when;? the people, of all natiohs should protest 'against the settlement of p disputes by war, and urge upon' spiritualists in fill parts of ..the world to support any movement for tho settlement of" disputes: by- a National Council of Arbitration, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the National Associations of the United Kingdom, tho United States, and other countries.". ; Sorrfe timb was taken up in discussing matters connected' with .the regulations, and it was resolved to register the society. A sum of money was voted for the purchase of. books for the establishment of a hook depot, so that inquirers obtain all that they required to cnablo them to an understand the teachings and'the phenomena, connected with spiritualism. The question of mediumship and its practice by-persons who;, took the name of spiritualist; as a cloak for nefarious practices was doalt with, and the association resolved to assist iii"bringing to light any cases of imposition, and aid the police in stamping out fraud. . ' ; PUBLIC MEETING. Yesterday morning a public meeting was held, and notwithstanding the rain there was a £ood attendance. Tho speakers wero Mr. F. M. Moody (president of the Christchurch Association), Mr. W. C. Nation (president of-the. National Association), and Mr. Rough (of the Wellington Association). ANNIVERSARY GATHERING. * The, Opera House was crowded last evening '\vhen the sixty-first' anniversary' of modern spiritualism was celebrated. Mr. William M'Lean, president of the Wellington 'Association Of Spiritualists, was chairman, and a score of members occupied seats on tho platform, among whom were Mrs. Georgia Gladys Cooley, of Chicago, and Mrs. M. E. Morrison, representing the Victorian Association of Spiritualists. • . In:the course of a brief address, the chairman, i spoke <of the history of spiritualism. Sixty.-one 'years ago, in Amorica, he said, through the, instrumentality of three Methodist ' children, the first intelligent message came from the world of spirit to earthly dwellers, at a time in the history of the world . when theology was threatened by a wave' of materialism. Now, forty or fifty millions of-European subjects Delieved that man,-,:when he died, would livo again, and their .phenomena proved that men survived the chance of death, and, in thousands of cases, came back and proved their identity. A few weeks ado, in Auckland, a gentleman had made the statement that spiritualists were filling the mental hospitals of the The same statement had been made in Wellington some years ago,: and he had taken the opportunity of writing to Dr. M'Grogor, who was then in charge of mental hospitals. Tho reply : had been that not a single spiritualist had ever occupied a bed in an asvlum of tho Dominion. Since then, from tho Parliamentary reports, he found that this was still true. Spiritualism u;as sanctioned in tho Bible, and, if the laws of naturo enabled those who had been passed over to the othev side to come back'& nd deliver messages, they should work in accord with .those laws. In Victoria, Mr.„ Stamford was a prominent medltim, and ho brougot round nim a collection • of valuable ; articles from all parts of tho world. lho latest "apport," of which Mr. JU Lean produced a photograph;'was n native loin cloth from Malay Peninsula "brought" at a circle ,in Launcostoii. 'It had been . brought, he said, without'notice,'at the request of one of the sitters,' who, knowing that such a -hing oould not bo procured at a moment s notice, suggested it as a good test. . °

Mrs. Cooley spoke of "our anniversary," referring to ,Sir William Crookes, Victor Hugo, Camllle llammarion, Gladstone, and Abraham Lincoln as Spiritualists. ' Tho late she said, had held communion with her husband after his- decease. Mrs. Morris gave a tranco address, and stated that tho teaching of modern spiritualism was that men should no longer depend on>the rides of tho Church, but should know r. , ha Q given them souls and reasoning powers, and should demand to understand themselves.

then given to members of tho audionpe Gooloy, and, in n numbor or cases, the 'spirit ; communications" were declared to bo clear and intelligible. lnen roilovecl psychometric mossaces bv Mrs.; Morrison, after which Mrs. iSarris Kotier.ts pronounccd the benediction. A number of hymns woro sung, tho accompaniment for which w'as played by the J .#l°", P™ fc ssional Orchestra, who also contributed 'Sn;ord and. Lanco" (Starke) and "Loin.du Bal" (Gillet).

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