OTAGO SEAMEN'S MISSION.

Otago Witness, Issue 714, 5 August 1865, Page 11

OTAGO SEAMEN'S MISSION.

A special meeting of the friends of this mission, otherwise known as the Bethel Union, was held on Wednesday evenintr, at the Harbor Office, Port Chalmers. There was a good attendance, including some of the local clergymen, several gentlemen from Dunedin, and seafaring men residing in the Port. Mr Andrew Thomson occupied the chair.

The Secretary (Mr Wm. Reid) having read the minutes of Committee,

Capt. Wm. Thomson, as treasurer, reported that there was an anxiety on the part of the Committee to be as fully prepared as possible for the cost of the mission during the current half-year, and for that reason the meeting had been called. In company with the Rev. Mr Johnstone, he had recently called upon a number of liberal gentlemen in Dunedin, whose subscriptions, along with collections from shipping, had enabled him to pay the missionary's salary for the past half-year, and some other charges, though the former was a month overdue. At present there was only a balance of L 4 in hand. On the initiation of the Union greater part of the funds was obtained from merchants in Dunedin ; for the second half year the necessary amount was chiefly made up by collections in the Presbyterian churches throughout the province, and at the Congregational church, Port Chalmers ; and, for the half-year just ended, they had again been indebted to Dunedin. The question now was whether they should go back to the congregations, and also canvass in Dunedin, for the necessary supplement to the small amount which they might expect from the shipping during the current half-year. Mr Gillies, senr. (Dunedin) thought that, from the liberality which had hitherto been

shown to the mission, there was little cause for despondency as to the future, but he urged activity and promptitude in obtaining the necessary subscriptions, and, with that object, he moved that the Secretary ahould beinstructf d to write to representatives of the different congregations in the Province, soliciting a renewal of th*>ir subscriptions before the Ist of December, and that committees should be formed, both in Dunedin and Port Chalmers, for the purpose of calling upon those who had not already subscribed.

The Rev. Mr Johnstone seconded the motion, which was carried; and, irtr Gillies and Mr Street having volunteered to act upon the committee, it was agreed to request Mr W. H. Reynolds, Mr E. B. Cargill, Captain Dickie, and other gentlemen to act in conjunction with them, and to add to their number, Mr Street undertaking to be convener.

The Rev. Mr Johnstone, seconded by Capt. Thomson, subsequently moved that the next annual meeting of the Union should be held in Dunedin, and this was agreed to; it being left to the Committee to decide whether there should be a tea-meeting on the occasion, or whether, for the furtherance of its object, ifc should be held during the sitting of the Presbyterian Synod in January nt-xt. Mr Gilbert, the missionary engaged in the work which it is the object of the Union to encourage, expressed himself highly gratified by the numerous meeting, and by the interest taken in his labors. He stated that almost invariably he was well received on board vessels which he visited in the course of hisduties, and that, by letters which he had received from sailors atter their departure from this port, he had the gratifying satisfaction of knowing that his duties were not always undertaken in vain. His increased experience enabled him to manage much more succet-sfully in his intercourse with masters and with men, and had found that, in many cases among the masters a bluff exterior concealed a thorough gentleman and Christian at the heart, while the men were more impressible and welldisposed towards the cause he urged than their outward demeanour mi<rht evince.

Mr Gillies marie some propositions aa to Mr Gilbert visiting the Heads, Purakanui, and other places. It was explained that this had been partially arranged previously, and, after some further conversation, the meeting terminated with a rote of thanks to the chair.