THE OTAGO BIBLE SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2200, 23 February 1869, Page 3

THE OTAGO BIBLE SOCIETY.

Tho annual meeting of this Society was held at the Masonic HaU, Moray Place, last evening. Mr John Bathgate presided.

The proceedings wero opened with prayer by tho Roy. Mr Scrimgeour.

Tlie Chairman said ho regretted that ; several of tho friends of the Society— among whom were Mr Strode and Mr R. B Martin—woro unavoidably absent ; indeed, it seemed impossible to lye upon any night on which aU could conveniently sttond. He bad hoped to sco their yicePresident, Mr Strode, in the chair. However, ho might say that*- he was alwaya pleased to presido at anymooting whereat all denominations of Christianswero united on ono common platform. ,It was true that the Society might have liad, on tbat occasion, a moro able advocate, but ho did not think they could havo found ono more willing to urge its -claims than he now declared himself to bo. It had been well said that a Society having for ita object tho dissemination of the Holy Scriptures had for its object a Divine object, and with regard to the Otago Bible Society, ho might aay that its supporters did not wish it to be recognised as being under tho care or patronage or belonging to an^ particular section of tho Christian Church. Thoy desired to see members of every church represented on the committee ; to have tho objects of the Socioty moro generally known, and its operations Btill more extended. He was pleased to 1 be ablo to say that since tho last meeting—somo Bixteen months ago—and, speaking from a financial point of view, the Society was in a sound stato. At that timo they wero L 32 in debt to the Treasurer, the sum being an advance to pay the first acceptance duo to the British and Foreign Bible Society for supplies. Now, however, owing to tho zeal of tho collectors, who consisted chiefly of young ladies, tho Society had been ablo to defray that liability, and had in addition a balance in hand of L33.—(Applause.) As they would perceive by the report, tho coUections and donations had amounted to LB7 10s 6d, and the amount received for biblea sold was lA7: 7s lOd— making a total of L13418s 4d as tho revenue of tho Socioty since the last meeting. There hod been paid the following

Bums .-—Balance due to the treasurer, L 32 If)s 3d; for Chinese Testaments, LlO 13s 8d ; to British and Foreign Bible Society, L 27 13a 3d ; National Bible Society of Scotland, L 23 14s 8d ; advertising, L 2 IGs; rent, L 3 8a; carriage, 4s Gd; sundries, LO Ga; and balance due by treasurer, L 33 3s, making a total of L 134 18s 4d. They were due a small account to the British and Foreign Biblo Society; but as against that they had a large stock of bibles and testaments, including a number of copies of Chinese testaments. In reading, some time ago, a report of the annual meeting of tbe British and Foreign Bible Society in London, bo was struck with somo of iho observations made on that occasion, for it seemed that there prevailed a feeling of intense alarm, for the safety of the parent Society in the old country. Tho Chairman of the meeting, the Right Hon. the Earl of Shaftesbury, said on that occasion—"ln these days of disruption and distrust—in these days, when all seems to be breaking up m one 'common wreck— this Society^ amidst the breaking down of other Societies, I hope and pray may continue to be what it is now, the grand means of co-operation for all thoso who hold the Christian truth, of whatever denomination they may be." Again, tho Biahop of London, during his speech, remarked, " Tho times are anxious ; " and subsequently the Key. Donald Fraser, of Inverness, observed, "It may bo that socioty is standing on tho edge of a precipice, on the verge of a convulsion." Those appeared to bo the words of the leading men in the old country, yet thoy at tho BAme timo declared that their trust won in God and hia word. Might they not with great propriety say that if tho labours of such a Society were necessary in London, they were as much, if not moro, required here. After alluding to the large number of Bibles that had been distributed throughout the wrrld by tho aid of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the Scotch and American Societies, he concluded by inviting the increased support of the public in aid of the Otago Bible Society. The report was then read by Mr Thos. Dick, tho Hon. Sec, and unanimously adopted, on the motion of Mr M'Pheb, seconded by Mr Rennie. The Rev. Mr Ar,VKB moved—" That thiß meeting, hearing with satisfaction the ever increasing useful ncsa of the British and Foreign Bible Society in the dissemination of tho Holy Scriptures in many languages, authorise a donation to its funds of L 20." He also remarked that there -\ere 170 languages into which tho Scriptures had been translated by tho British and Foreign Biblo Socioty.

Mr Robert Gilweb seconded the motion. It proposed, he remarked, that a donation should bo given in aid of the British and Foreign Biblo Society, and as many of those present might not be awaro of a good deal that had been dono by that Society, he would supplement the information already given by a few extracts from tho sixty-fourth report He would first, howover, correct a slight error made by tho mover of the motion by saying that the number of languages into which tho . Scriptures had been translated was ' 182, and not 170. The total number of copies issued since tho inauguration of tho British and Foreign Bible Society was C5,0G9,8G5. There was not a country tliat their ugeuta fttd not viaitcd. Ho next proceeded to quote from tho report to Bhow tho vast amount of good work which had been accomplished by tho last mentioned Socioty in France (especially in connection with tbe recent Exhibition in Paris), in Germany, Austria, and other countries. Ho thought that the donation now propoaed to be given was small as compared with ihose voted to tho Society at home by the other provinces. It was" true tbat thoy had mode an improvement on last year, for they then gave nothing. Auckland} howover, was reported as having given to the British and Foreign Bit<le Society LlO5 2s 3d aa a free contribution, and LOG Gs 7d to tho purchase account; Wellington, L 25 17s 9d, and Nelson, L 33 3s Gd to the purchase account ; Canterbury, LIOO as a free donation, and LIOO to the purchase account ; and Otago L 25 to tho purchase account. Even tho New Hebrides gave L4B Is as • a free donation. Ho trusted that hereafter Otago would bliow as well in the list of contributions as any of the other Provinces. —(Applause.)

The Roy. Mr Stuart, after referring to the educational and religious services rendered by the British and Foreign Biblo Society during the last half century, said ho intended to ask the meeting to pass a vote on behalf of their sister Society in Scotland. Her sphere was perhaps limited, but no doubt her duties had been performed as faithfully and as well as thoso of tbe elder Society. £gain the National Biblo Society of Scotland had a claim upon them, for that Society sent, somo years ago, a largo number of Bibles and Testaments as a free gift to Otago. He was glad, therefore, that the Committee had not forgotten lhat young Society. He moved— " That this meeting, in testimony of .their appro* ation of tbe efforts of the National Bible Society of Scotland in tho dissemination of tho holy Scriptures authorise a donation to its funds of L 5."

Mr Gardiner seconded

Carried.

It was next moved by Mr Bi.ake and seconded by Mr T. Dick—"That the thanks of tho meeting bo accorded to the ladies end other collectors for thoir dUigence and zeal during tio past year, and that the claims of the Society be again recommended for their support." Carried. OFFICE UEAUEttH. Tho office bearers for tho ensuing year wore appointed as follows :—President, Mr A. Chotham-Strode ; Hon. Treasurer, Mr John Bathgate ; Hon. Secretary, Mr John Reith ; and members of Committeo —Messrs.- E. B. Cargill, Soaness, JX. A ■ Lawson, IX. B. Martin, John Gillies, A. : Barr, R. Gillies, J. M. Massey, E. Herbert, M'Fee, T. Dick, James YMorris, J. Watt, H. P. Morso, and James WUkio. . A vote of thanks to the Chairman closed the proceedings.

Tho Lord Mayor, in returning thanks to hia Lambeth supporters for bringing him in at the head of the poll v charged the Tories with having " permitted their agents to terrify the wives of workmen through tho machinery of the District* Visiting Society, stating that it could bo proved that in some cases thoy had been threatened that, if their husbands did not vote according to the ins'ructions thoy had redsived, they would not receive relief during tho ensuing winter." Some Conservative gentlemen on the pla+form vehemently denied the truth of this assertion; but his lordship repeated it with a confidence which seems to imply that he had actual knowledge of the fact. Such a statement would te incredible if we had -not seen, at Blackburn and elsewhere, that there is no cruelty or baseness, howover extreme, which, somo at least among, the Conservative partywill not commit in the desperate .hope of snatching a triumph which otherwise they fearia beyond their grasp. r A . *""