DUNEDIN FEMALE REFUGE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3863, 4 July 1874, Page 3

DUNEDIN FEMALE REFUGE.

The "first/annual meeting of tho promoters and subscribers to this Institution was held in the Wesleyan Church, Stuart street, on the Bth nit., at which there was a fairly numerous attendance, an apology for absence being read from Mr A. C. Strode. Mr J. Bathgate, R.M., occupied the chair, being supported on his right by the Rev. Dr Roseby, Rev. Mr Stanford, and MrTomnce; and on his left, by the Rev. Dr Stuart, Rev. Mr Eigg, Mr T. Dick, and Mr E. is. Cargill. The proceedings having been opened with prayer, , The Chairman said: I find the first item on the programme is the Chairman's Address. Xhat is a part in the proceeding I did not expect to take when invited to preside on this occasion. I imagined that when 1 agreed to take the chair, 1 was taking the easiest and best mode for expressing my warm sympathy and my earnest desire for the success of this Institution. I will not detain you by saying much, but I am sure that the moremenk which lias been initiated and has now been in existence for twelve months, has been attended by very salutary and beneficial results. I know, from circumstances which came within my knowledge, that it was not started a moment too soon ; so much so that immediately preceding the meeting of ladies who organised this insfotution, I had written from Wellington to two or three ladies urging the same steps to ns taken to deal with this most important subject. You all know that the dwellers in large cities—and we look upon Dunedin as a large city—have very great advantasres and privileges. .7,,™ m the centre of active industry and intelligence, and we live also (let us be thaiikml to say so) iv the centre of re V; piety and good. It is known in morals as well as in fine arts, that wherever you have the .greatest lights there you also have the deepest and strongest shadows. While the city is the centre of so much that is good, also for our sinful nature it is there that the sins and sorrows of our race are m^st 11 anifest in their operation It is m tho city that we find the deepest shades of misery, wretchedness, and crime, to a degree that the rural districts happily foi themselves— are totally ignorant of. Then, if this be true, and I am sure no one will dispute it I call I upon you to make your advantages and privi-j leges a measure of your responsibilities. I say that these privileges which we possess ought to induce us the more to hold out a helping hand to the poor victims that are engulphed in the stream of sin that rolls through our midst, and to give a helping haud to pull them all through to place of shelter. — (Hesr, hear.) Tho class •*of -unfortunates for whom we have met to-night is^one that demands strongly and l neculiarly our sympathy. Those who are acquainted with the "working of the Criminal Law know, unfortunately," there is little or no hope for the habitual thief—reform may almost be given up as a bad job. I don't say, of course, that :iny living being is past reclamation, but I am talking generally that those who are habitual thieves are seldom reclaimed. I was pained to read in the newspapers this morning of the committal of a young man, highly educated, on Satuiday for a series of crimes committed by him. The moment he gets out of Gaol ho begins anew career of crime. "What makes me feel more in this particular cose is that I know his father, a man of high position and good standing at home; and this unfortunate young man lcceived the very best education, and he seems almost as if he revelled in the committal of crime. It amounts to a kind of disease in such a case ; a man like that ought to be taken out of society altogether. In the same way I fear much generally, that the irreclaimable drunkards, those that come up for the tenth, twentieth, arid even fortieth time, ought to be put in a separate institution, a sort of asylum for incurable drunkards, where they may be tnken out and cared for as lunatics, or the next thing to it. Many of the unfortunates to whom we desire to offer shelter, are placed id the category more from excess of love and lust, and they are to be pitied sincerely rather than blamed, and every effort should be made on our part to rescue such from vice. It is a blot upon our social institutions, that while tho_ betrayer almost escapes scot free, and is received into society, the unfortunate victim of betrayed affection is left to a miserable life, and for a relief induced— for there is no happiness in it —to drown their misery and -sorrow by flying to intoxicating drink ; and seeing slich is the case, wo might do 11 in our power to save these unfortunates, and

provide a shelter for them. In a young country like this, where female labour is so much required, it is a los 3to society to allow them to lead such a life of misery, and find a premature grave. Every one we save is a positive gain to us, and for this reason we are bound to do what we can to support the institution, whose claims have beeu brought before us this evening. It is not necessary that I should go into details; I commend the claims of this Institution to your joint support, and do not let it be confined altogether to getting up contributions, but let those who have time assis the excellent ladies who are taking such an active interest in it. I will now call on Mr Torrance to read tho report. The report showed that £600 had been expended upon the purchase of land, and a further sum on impi ovements to buildings. The Provincial Government had giyen a grant of £350. £624 8s had been contributed by the public. LlO9 4s lOd had been received for washing and work done by the inmates, for 18 of whom there was accommodation. The total revenue for tho 12 months was £1083 5s Gd, the expenditure being £917 4s 7d. During ihe years 20 females had been admitted, two of whom had been sent to their parents, and one married. The best results were anticipated from those remaining. Mr Torrnnce dwelt upon the beneficial effect of the Refuge. Speeches were delivered by the Rev. Drs Stuart and Eoseby, Revs. Davis, Stanford, and Rigg, and Messrs Cargill and Dick. Resolutions to the following effect were proposed, and carried unanimously :— " That the Report be adopted as road. That this meeting expresses its satisfaction at the success which has attended this Institution since its foundation. That, while grateful for the success which has already attended tho efforts to reclaim those for whom the Refuge is intended, this meeting pledges itself to endeavour to extend its sphere of usefulness during the ensuing year. That tho following ladies be the Committee for the ensuing year : - Alesdames Nevill, Burrows, Stanford, Cook, Gow, Glasgow, Calvert. Coventry, J. Little, T. Little, Simmonds, Dick, Jack, Coombes, Davis, Mercer, Johnston, i Lambton, and M'Dougall, with power to add to their number. Eliza Cargill, Hon. Sec." The meeting closed with the benediction. I