OTAGO BIBAL SOCIETY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5325, 14 March 1879, Page 7

OTAGO BIBAL SOCIETY.

The annual meeting in connection with this Society was held at the First Church on Feb. 27th. Mr E. B. Cargill presided, and amongst those present were the Revs. Dr Stuart, Russell, Moore, Niven, J. Ward, Blake, Boyd, Evans, Davis, and Mr M. W. preen. After prayer and praise, The Chairman delivered a short address, in which ha referred to the operations of the Society. The Secretary (Rev. A. Blake) then read the annual report, as follows : — REPORT FOR 1878. " Your Committee have the honour to report that the sales of Scriptures for last year amount to 4222 copies, value L 287 7a lid: of Bibles 2771 copies were sold, and of New Testaments 1451 copies. " The colporteur, Mr M'Donald, has, under instructions from your Committee, given »way, from May to December, 75 Bibles to hotels, at a cost of L 3 12j. The places where he has left Bibles are Balclutha, Kaitangata, Blueskin, Waikouaiti, Otepopo, Hampden, Naseby, Oamaru, and Alexandra—in all of which, he says, they were kindly received. Since December 12th he has visited Cromwell and Teviot, and left 24 Bibles in foar hotels, exclusive of 11 English and one Chinese in Oamaru and Cromwell Hospitals—making in all 111 Bibles given away. He has sold, it appears, 573 copies of Scriptures. " The colporteur states that he has made a complete circuit of Otago and Southland during the year, visiting the gold-fields and southern districts in the summer, and taking the northern route in the winter. His mode of work is to visit, where practicable, the houses and huts during the day, and with the van; and where tbis cannot be managed he goes rounl with his pack on his Bhoulders. In the evening he usually gathtw the people together andholds amejting. He endeavours to reach on the Saturday evening some place where no service is held on the Sabbath, and going round with tracts, iavites all who will to meet with him on the following day. He regards it as his first duty to provide everyone with the Word of Go:), and if in ariy house there is no copy he m*kes a print of leaving one. He feels much indebted to the kiadness of the people, and especially of the ministers. There has been associated with him di.r Dg the last four months a second olporteur, Mr William Oouper, with a separate van aid outfit. In this way, he be!ieves mora gocd is done by the more thorough visitation of the district. In teresting cases have come to his knowledge of happy r<su'ts flawing from the spread of the SciipturuH. "The subscriptions fiathered by collectors up to December 12th amounted to Ll6B 12s lOd. Of this! L 44 was obtained in the city, L4B iv the BUburbK, and L 69 12h 4d in the country. Donations at that date amounted to L 5 19f. Since then, however, Miss Lambton has sent in the handsome sum of

LSO Is, and others have sent in suma amounting to L 7 15i 6d, and donations of L 3 103. Further sums from the country, amounting to L 9, have come in from Winton, Clyde, and Blacks, and a collection in the suburbs of Lp. Since December 12th there has been received in all L 76 3s 9d, making an entire sum of L 244 163 7d. Of this LlO5 has been obtained in Dunedin. We still labour under the disadvantage of an imperfect canvass of the city, and, while observing that Dunedin has been more frequently appealed to than ever for philanthropic object*, it is also apparent that the progress made has not kept pace with that in suburban and country districts. We grieve to miss from the list of our collectors a lady who always took a warm interest in your Society, and has been removed by death—Mrs Every, of Anderson's Bay. We trust many will be raised up, animated by her spirit, to take her place. Fourteen new collectors kindly consented to act last year—two in Danedin, one in each of the following places .—Green Island, Milton, St. Bathans, Naseby, Alexander, Matakanui, Drybread, Tinkers, Cromwell, Wyndham, Winton, and Invercargill. We are sorry to miss from the returns this year—Merton, Palmerston, Oamaru, Mahsno, Naseby, Cambrians, Blackstone Hill, and Queens'.«swn, in all of which there are warm friends of the Society. " Your Committee had the pleasure of receiving an address from the Bey. Dr Somerville, who had expressed a desire t9 meet with them during his visit to this city. This eminent evangelist addressed your Committee on behalf of the National Bible Society of Scotland, and received their thanks and assurances of continued support. " On hearing of 40 families rendered destitute by the floods in October last, 40 Bibles were forwarded to the care of the ministers of the district—Rev. Messrs M'Ara and Allan, from whom thankful acknowledgments have been received. " A leaflet was printed in October last explaining the objects of the Society, and containing the latest items of news regarding the operations of the Home societies. A thousand of these were circulated in town and country. "The secretaries of the various hospitals were communicated with -to ascertain whether they had an adequate supply of Bibles. Replies were received from Queenatown, Naseby, Clyde, Lawrence, and Invercargill; and only one was found to be without copies of the Bible. These have been supplied. " Correspondence has been kept up v/ith Edinburgh, London, and Melbourne. "Remittmceswere sent to the Home societies as follows : —As free contributions, LSO to the British and Foreign Bible Society, and LSO to the National Bible Society of Scotland; on purchase account, LIOO to the former, and LB7 to the latter. An order for Bibles has been sanfc during the past year to the Edinburgh Society, amounting to Ll9O. The Scriptures receivedduring the past year were 2804 copies, valua L2OB ; and the stook in hand 275S copies, value L 342 153. "Mr Joyce, who has acted aa honorary treasurer since 1872, resigned office on his leaving for Christchurch. The Committee tendered him their hearty thanks for his services, and presented him with a handsome Bible. They have succeeded in obtaining in his place au old and tried friend of the Society, Mr Thorn*.? Dick. " Your Committee has the pleasure of welcoming among us the Rev. J. T. Evans, representative of the British and Foreign Bibte Sjciaty in the Australasian Colonies, and successor to Mr Backhouse. He is now, for the first time, visiting Otago, and will add much to the iuterest of the annuil meeting. We refrain in this report from any notice of the work of the great London Society, as its repre- [ sentative is present." The Tueasukek (Mr T. Dick) read the financial stitement. It showed that the subscriptions amounted to Ll6B 12s 10d; the sales at depot and by colporteurs, L 284 19d 6d; the colporteurs' salaries to L 75. The Rev. Lindsay Mackie then moved the following resolution:—"That the report now read be adopted, and printed for circulation." The Rev. J. U. Davis seconded the motion, which was carried without dissent, ■mvam On the motion of the Rev. Mr Evans, seconded by Mr Green, it waa resolved that the following suma be remitted to the Home Societies:—L2s to the British and Foreign Bible Society, L 25 to the National Bible Society of Scotland, a3 free contributions. The Rev. Dr Stuart moved, and the Ray. Lobenzo Moore seconded, the following , motion, which was carried ncm. con.: —"That the following be the office-l-.ejxers for the year: President, E. B. Cargill, Esq. ; vice-president, J. Fulton, Esq.; treasurer, T. Dick, Esq. ; secretary, Rev. A. Blake, committee—ministers of the Gospel, ex officio ; Messrs Bathgato, Renuis, Strode, Lawsou, H. F. Hardy, and Dr Borrows, with power to add to their number." Votes of thanks having been accorded to the collectors and to the auditor (Mr W. Brown), the meeting closed.