A Split in the Salvation Army.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 4660, 14 July 1886, Page 3

A Split in the Salvation Army.

What seems likely to become a serious split in the Salvation Army has takon placs within the last week or two, and a rival organisation is on foot. One of the bestknown " officers " in the Army, after the " General " himself, Mr William Corbridge, for a long time " Major," and afterwards " Commissioner," has been dismissed from the service, and another officer, Colonel Day, who was for some time in command of the Southern Division of the Army, has had his "commission withdrawn." This has been followed by the resignation of the whole of the Southern Division, who have publicly announced that they have taken this step because of the un-Christian-like manner of the dismissals, and have decided to organise a world-wide rescue and unsectarian evangelisation movement, which shall for the firet time be called the "Rescue and Evangelisation Mission." Meetings in connection with the new movement have been commenced in Sheffield, where exCommiesioner Corbridge has been resident for some time past in the service of the Army, as well as at Reading, where "Colonel" Day's head-quarters were fixed, and at Brighton and Birkenhead ; and it is stated that letters have bean received from many " officers in different parts of the kingdom, intimating an intention to desert General Ttooth for the new organisation. The " General" seems to have acted with his usual decision in the dismissal of officers who have taken an important share in his work, but it seems that some unpleasantness has existed for a considerable time. A dispute occurred, as to the copyright of certain publications of which Mr Corbridge was the writer, as to which Mr Corbridge states that he was unable to get a satisfactory settlement ; and he was also at issue with the General as to permitting the Sunday sale of the War Cry, hymn books, badges, and even jerseys, and. as to trading in general merchandise, of which things ho disapproved. The latter practice, Mr Corbridge stated, had a most injurious effect on the income of the Army, and since his dismissal it has been discontinued. Colonel Day, i'» seems, has been able to establish in Reading a rescue mission and home for girls. The General had declined to take up the movement at the beginning, but when it became a success ho called upon Colonel Day to hand it over to the Army, which he declined to do. He was thereupon ordered upon " foreign service," and on his objecting he was practically dismissed.—Daily News.