A PASSIVE RESISTER.

Evening Star, Issue 12308, 24 September 1904, Page 2

A PASSIVE RESISTER.

At the Wesleyan Methodist Conference (Sheffield) on the 4th August fast Sir A. 11. Wainwright moved his motion expressing sympathy with Thomas Champness in regard id hie imprisonment as a passive jesister. This roused the Confercrios, and the Rev. F. W. Maedtfaald very gracefully proposed the previous question. No one questioned Mr Champness's right of conscience; btifc if they passed that resolution they did it against the judgment of many in that Conference- whose conscience was n£ keen ao Mr Campnesn's on paying tit© fate. Dr Allen roused the.ire of the represeatativea by asking if it was true that. Mr Champness had made over all has goods to hia wif,e. If that was so, they knew th& kind of man who resorted to that kind <£ thing. Naturally there were cries of " Shame" and " Withdraw," afid s'6ino dis*- ■ outer occurred, so that the. prisdtnt had to interfere very strongly. Mr Cooper y a lawyer, of Mariche&er, 'in Seconding the pr§--vkras question, ssid thiey were sorry for itib passive rcastere, but not prepared to' express sympathy with them. The. object of the resolution then* r©3e amid,cheers and explained his position. He tetfi maWe over his things to his wife' *s the best way t,i dealing with the matter as an Englishman, Mid he was ready to go to prison again in; October. No'. 8 in Gaol w'ai good enough far him, thorigit the wifder had asked .if be should find him better quarters next tinie. The fuss.in conference was very distressing to him. He oiily ntoad up for the right, and would let other folks crow; he would not. Rev. Nehemiah Curnock gained the day by suggesting that the best way how .was to drop the matter, and the inover withdrew his resolution, and peace once more brooded over tfce..ConferfßStk