GLEANINGS.

Freethought Review, Volume II, Issue 15, 1 December 1884, Page 15

GLEANINGS.

f National Reformer.’ There are seven Freethought Associations in Canada. Mrs. Besant’s “ Atheistic Platform ” seems to have taken with the public, the sales being very large. Mr. Bradlaugh is glad to learn that Mr. Stout has been re-elected President of the Dunedin Freethought Association, Newdigate Newdegate is begging for money to pay his law costs, and all the Tory leaders have signed his begging petition. Fifty new members joined the National Secular Society in one week, and four new branches were being formed at the same time. In the first division of the advanced stages at South Kensington, four of the five candidates from the Hall of Science Schools who qualified were women. In consequence of the death of M. Coffin, the illness of M. Rothmaler, and the state of things in Brussels, the next International Freethought Conference will be held in Antwerp in 1885. The Diderot Centenary Committee, after obtaining the authorisation of the French Government to inaugurate the Diderot statue, invited Mr. Bradlaugh and Mrs. Besant to attend. Work, however, prevented their acceptance. The Hall of Science Schools are maintaining their high reputation. Of twenty-six sent to the South Kensington examinations all passed. They won’t need any more of Sir Henry Tyler’s advertisements in the House of Commons. The £ Church Reformer ’ has discovered that “ the present oath (of allegiance) is non-Christian , if not anti-Christian," and uses Malcolm McColl’s argument to show that the oath was altered from “ on the truth faith of a Christian, so help me God ” to admit men who deny the Christian faith. In a late number of the ‘Reformer’ is an acknowledgment of subscriptions received from Nelson, N.Z. The subscribers, in a note, said—“ On behalf of ourselves and the other subscribers, we tender you the hand of fellowship and sympathy, and trust that the day is not far distant when your indomitable courage and splendid skill will prevail for the complete discomfiture of your enemies.” Such messages from this far-off land show that even here the tight for constitutional right is eagerly watched. A Mr. J. St. Clair challenged Mr. Bradlaugh to a debate on the moral or constitutional right of the House of Lords to delay passing one half of a Reform Bill until “its concealed half was before the nation and the House.” He also named forfeits which were to be paid for deviations from facts, immoral arguments, fallacies, or ambiguities during the debate. Mr. Bradlaugh replied that he was of opinion that the Lords had repeatedly acted mischievously since 17G0, and also in the Franchise matter. He accepted the challenge, but asked for a banker’s reference, and two sureties for the amount of fines The forfeits to be divided between the London Hospital and the Masonic Boys’ School. Mr. St. Clair could not meet the conditions. c Secular Review.’ There is a Freethought journal in Spain. It is called 4 La Tronada.’ Saladin (Stewart Ross) has challenged the Rev. Canon Richmond, of Carlisle, to a debate in the columns of that paper. The above-mentioned cleric, speaking of Mr. C. Watts, said “he ought to be met somehow or other,” and that “ perhaps it was not wise to meet him on the platform; but he must be met, and his followers must be met.” As the Rev. Canon objects to the platform, Saladin offers the 4 Review ’ columns. Cardinal Manning told the last Temperance Congress that Christians “ are the only men on earth who are stained and shamed by the manufacture and consumption of strong drink. Indian, Oriental, and Chinese were bound by their religion not to take it, and they only broke through the rule where the Christian name had spread.”