CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5486, 11 February 1896, Page 3

CONGREGATIONAL UNION.

» [Per Press Association.'! WELLINGTON, Feb. 10. At tbe afternoon sitting an address on the social outlook was delivered by the Eev C. H. Bradbury, in which he said that there waß no question as to the social temper of our times. It was a life of literature and of all political agitation. As they truly knew their faith they could only hail the advent of socialism and regret its tardiness. Socialism was the direct outcome of the Christian faith, which accomplished two great things. It gradually removed the oppressions and dtprivationa of man, and those not by violent agitation, but by quiet solvents of truth. Socialism, he thought, was in danger of being one-sided. Along political lines it was moving rapidly, especially by agitation, as distinct from legislation ; but, he asked, was it equally fast and strong along the line of personal equipment in Christ's name. The Church must seize the great social constructive forces, viz., marriage, parenthood and education. The social outlook, he thought, was bright. , In the evening a social reform meeting was held, at which addresses on gambling and impurity were delivered by the Eevs W. Evans and W. Saunders respectively. . WELLINGTON, Feb. 11. The Congregational Union to-day reaffirmed the resolution passed at the previous year's meeting, viz., that it is neither the duty nor the right of the State to teach or control religion, and that in view of the open designs and covert attempts to establish denominational education, it is not desirable to alterthepresenteducationalsystem. The Jubilee Fund report showed the totalpromisesto be .£4455, and the payments .£3321. Correspondence in regard to the proposal to have a missioner for the whole of the Congregational churches in the Australasian colonies showed thatftnly the Union of New South Wales was favourable to the idea. The question of sending a delegate from the New Zealand Union to England in the interests of the Jubilee Fund, was left for the incoming committee to deal with. _ The Union passed a resolution expressing the opinion that the Contagious Diseases Act ought to be abolished, and a copy of the resolution was ordered to be forwarded to the Premier. The session closed with the usual votes of thanks.

The operatives in Japan mills are not to be < envied. They work every day, there being no Sunday, and the hours range from twelve to seventeen. The rate of work, however, is slow, and (there are frequent holiday^