STRONG PROTESTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1070, 8 March 1911, Page 6

STRONG PROTESTS.

THE OPIUM EVIL, SPEECJIES 13V LEADING .MEN. Prominent and influential speakers lock part in the annual mucfinsr of (ho New Zealand Anti-Opium Association, which was held at (he Y.M.C.A. last night. The president, Mr. J. G. W. Aitken, was in tho chair, anil the meetin;,', which was fairly well attended, and

warmly in sympathy with (he cause, \v;is opened with prayer by the ]?ev. B. Ilutsou.

Captain Blackburne's Report,

Captain H. S. Blackburne, secretary

and treasurer, read his annual report, in which ho expressed regret that the laudation had not yet been able to disband, and that it should still bo necessary tu continue to send in resolutions ■■[ ]>>otest to the rulers of tho Mother Country against tho iniquity of binding China by a cruel treaty, to allow us to continue I poisoning her people, for the sake of swelling our Indian revenue, jausiiiii notonly physical destruction to many millions of people, but the far greater wrong of tho moral destruction of character of countless numbers of our fellow creatines. Tho most important event in connection with the anti-opium movement during last year was a memorial to the churches from the delegates , to tho World's Missionary Conference, held in Edinburgh on June 24, 1910. Ho had sent 1000 copies of the memorial and report, with a circular letter to members of the association, editors of papers, bishops and leaders ot tho various denominations, asking tho editors to print tho memorial, and urging tho ministers to respond to tho appeal. Later nearly all (he ministers of evangelical churches throughout the Empire received a circular letter appealing for a concerted effort before the close'of 1910, and. if possible, on or about October 24th, that dato being Ul3 fiftieth anniversary of tho legalisation of tho traffic by the Treaty of Tientsin. Ho could not say how many of the churches '.responded in New Zealand, as very properly many of the churches forwarded resolutions direct to London. A few of (ho resolutions wero sent to him for transmission, and others wrote that (hey had been sent. Among thess were resolutions from tho Baptist Conference, Church of England Synod in Auckland and Waiapu, the Geue'ral Assembly of Presbyterians, Ministers' Associations in Auckland and Wellington, and a few of tho individual churches from most of the denominations. The Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union wei-o stirred to action even before the appeal was mado by tho World's Missionary Conference. This was principally UiroiHi (ho sympathy and energy of the "local secretary of tho union in Masterton, Miss Wmgate.

The association's funds showed a balance in hand of £1 ss. 10d. Donations and subscriptions during the year amounted to ,CJ4 15s. Gd.

Remarks by Mr. Aitkcn, In moving the adoption of tho report and balance-sheet, tho president said tho Unneso were doing magnificent work in trying to rid themselves of tho curse of opium, while Britain was doiii" almost nothing; of tho same kind. They might talk ot treaty rights, but there were such things as treaty wrongs. Ho believed the reiterated protests from all parts of the Empiro would ultimately cause tho British Government to discontinue the wrong. He strongly appealed to all to join the society and to pray for the success of its efforts.

"Shameful, Deadly Wickedness." The Rev. Dr. Gibb, in seconding the motion, paid he did not know how any man could open his daily .paper without realising tho existence and actuality of sin. The opium traffic was an instance of undiluted, shameful, and deadly wickedness. British people had heapeil scorn and obloquy on tho late King Leopold, of Belgium, for the Congo iniquities, but what of our own wrongdoing? We- had definitely promised that if China would make an effective effort to reduce the consumption of opium, tho amount sent from India to China would bo decreased, but (notwithstanding a statement in Cnntniu Blackburne's renort) he had read that the'amount showed an increase in tho second year after that promise was made. Some day, and in some way, Britain would havo to pay for her participation in this great sin. It was however cheering to know, that the iniquity had come home to the conscience of tho Churches, and if they would work and pray, victory must come.

The renort ami balance-sheet were adopted. Tiio following officers were fleeted for tho ensuing year:—President, Mr. J. G. \V. Aitken; vicc-nresidents, Revs. Harry G. Blackbnrne, James Gibb, D.D., and J. J. North, Hon. Gco. Fowlds, M.P., Messrs. A. Hoby, and 11. N. Holmes; lion, secretary mid treasurer, Mr H. S. Blackburne; committee, Messrs. Badden, G. Paradise S Pearson, D. Purdie, John Eigg, Jas Runigay, and J. Patterson. AueklandHon. secretary, Jlrs. A. Chadwick Brown, View ]?oad, Mount Eden. Clirislchurch— Miss Hannah Packer. Dunedin—Mr. H K. Driver, 7 George Street, Dunedin! Napier-Mr J. C. Pallet, P.O. Box 130, Napier. Nelson-Mr. Martin Blick, Brook Street. Gisbornc-Mrs. N. F. Walker (lion, sec. AV.C.T.U.), Fox Street, Whataupoko. \\ ancanm-Mr. J. H. Harner. Ashburton—ltev. Fred. W. Greenwood. Masterton—Miss Margaret Wingate. Tho Hon. G. Fowlds moved: "That (his meeting of the loyal and loving members of tho great British nation des-'res to express our feeling of wofoiind grief for the disgrace, shame, and humiliation attaching to our beloved nation, through our long-continued sin in acting the despicable part of a seducer to the great Chinese nation, thereby causing not only the physical destruction of millions of our fellow-creatures, but Hie far greater evil of the moral destruction of character (leading to the most horrible crimes) of countless numbers of our fellow-crea-tures in India, China, and many other parts of the world. We reioica'at the news on all sides of the marvellous way in which China has grapplrd with the evil in her own country," but wo are saddened to think that, "notwithstanding the strenuous effort she is making to free her people troni the curse, we still hold to our treaty rights and compel her to admit the subtle, soul-and-body-destroyinrr poison into her country. We imploro the rulers of our dear Mother Country to free China from this strange and iniquitous treaty, which compels her to allow us to continue this poisoning and demoralisation of her neonle, and to take heed to tho warning n"i' our Lord to iho man who causes his brother to stumble. We are constrained to add that a repentance much longer delayed must bring unon our nation some terrible retribution, our only hopo of restoration to God's favour anil blessing being that we seek His forgiveness, and tho forgiveness of the nation we havo so wronged, and that wo make confession and restitution, as far as it is in our power (o do so."

In moving the above, Mr. Fowlds said that no language could be adequate to express his feelings in connection with this matter. In the face of China's nui"nificent effort he could not understand why British statesmen should hesitate ;i moment to meet them by di»coiifinuin" the traffic. Nevertheless', the Indian nniiim revenue had been increasing. The Empire was implicated in the shame ;l! id humiliation and we had a right (o speak strongly. The moral sense of the Empire was ouiraged. For such a violation of natural and divine law retribution was certain to follow.

Judge Cooper's Support,

Mr. Justice Cooper, who seconded tho motion, said it was iiearlv 70 years a"o that the opium traffic was forced' on China, lie believed that, tho British fla." and Umpire were generally associated with justice and enlightenment, but the opium traffic was a blot upon (heir fame. For two or three generations thp financial interests of a portion of tho British communilv had been so paramount (.lint Iho national" ec.;>science had been deadened. ]t was a remarkable piece of inconsistency I hat (here were drastic laws against opium in Kn.r. land, Xi'w Zealand, and oilier parts of tho Empire, and yet Britain forced it upon China and sent: 700(1 lo 8000 cases of opium from India to China every year Ho believed Iho national conscience o f Britain would ultimately be awakened and would be irresistible.

A short lantern loclure on the cultivation of opium and its effects wns then Biven by the Kov. .1. J. Xorth, and (he meeting concluded with the Doxology,