MELBOURNE.

Freethought Review, Volume II, Issue 22, 1 July 1885, Page 8

MELBOURNE.

We have to thank our Melbourne correspondent, Mr. D. A. Andrade, for the following report:—

One of the most interesting events of the past month has been the Police Court proceedings arising out of the antics of the Rev. Mr. Dowie and his disciples. They paraded the streets of Fitzroy in resolute defiance of a local bye-law, which strictly forbids any such processions without special permission, and were accordingly fined or imprisoned. Public opinion is much divided over the merits of Mr. Dowie's action ; some condemning him for defying the laws of the land ; and others applauding him for so doing, as they consider this particular bye-law to be an infringement upon

the religious rights of the subject, and one which needs breaking t® cause its repeal. Dowio maintains that he should obey the laws o* “ God ” before those of men, but his Christian rulers (possibly influenced slightly by Atheism) think otherwise— hence his four weeks’ imprisonment, which has just ended, ho having been liberated on Thursday last. The Melbourne Presbyterian Assembly appear to be coming to their senses ; one of their number, the Rev. J. Weir, remarked at a recent sitting, that some people appeared to think that heresyhunting r as one of the main functions of the Church, tie apparently thinks so too, for he recommends them to refrain from this foolish practice in the future, and questions their wisdom in ousting out the Rev. Charles Strong (the best man of the lot by far.) The postal authorities have applied to the Government for permission to prevent ‘ The Liberator ’ going through the post as a newspaper. They have, however, been foiled in their contemptible effort, their application having been refused. They will, therefore, have the mortification of continuing to convey the paper, as they have done for the past 12 months, ‘The Liberator ’ having just entered upon the second year of its existence, the anniversary of its birth was celebrated on the Ist instant, at the Secular Hull, Melbourne, by a grand supper, at which about 100 persons were present. It was a decided success in every respect. Mr. Symes’ Sunday evening lectures at the Hall of Science for the past month have been as follows:“Men and Monkeys: a Comparison and a Contrast;” “Noah’s Flood, a Gigantic Absurdity “The Queen’s Birthday By What Right Does She Reign “The Gods, Creeds, and Morals of our Scandinavian Forefathers and “ Mind in the Lower Animals.” In his lecture on “The Queen’s Birthday. &c.’ (a summary of which appeared in the Liberator) Mr. Symes sketched the history of the British monarchy as far back as Henry VIII., and showed that from that time to the present the choice of England’s rulers has not been dictated by some peaceful and mutually accepted rule ; but that the right (or rather the wrong) to rule has always been an uncertainty, —force, in the forms of cunning, swindling, and bloodshed, settling the question in each instance. He questioned the right of a solitary individual assuming a ruling power over others, and advocated republicanism in its stead. Mr Symes is to shortly visit Sydney and Adelaide. The Wednesday evening debates have been held as usual, Messrs Symes and Donovan on one occasion discussing the merits of State Education, in which they went over much the same ground as in their recent newspaper controversy, to which I referred in my last letter. On another occasion the Dowio case was debated. This proved a very warm discussion, there being as much difference of opinion in the Secular body as amongst the general public, and Mr. Symes, who championed Dowie in his action, had plenty of opposition to contend with, but he had no difficulty in maintaining (so it appeared to me) his impregnable position. The Sunday afternoon lectures on the Yarra bank have been delivered as usual, the speakers being Messrs T. T. Phillips, Montague Millar, and F. P. Upham. The subjects were mostly theological ; one, by the latter gentleman, was of a political nature, and entitled “What Social Glasses Owe to Each Other.” It was a resume of Mr. Summers’ excellent little book of the same name, published x’ecently by Messrs Trubner, of London. The now rules of the A.S.A. have been drawn up and adopted. The report of the Secular Sunday School, which has just completed its second half-year, shows fair progress. The Eclectic Association of Victoria held their usual monthly meeting on the 4th instant, when Mr James Donovan delivered a very tolling speech upon Prison Ethics ” in which he combatted the views enunciated by Mr. Rusden at the previous meeting ; a spirited discussion followed. The Victorian Woman’s Suffrage Scnety, who have been exceedingly quiet for some time past, held a public meeting last month, the Rev. George Walters (Unitarian) presiding. The speakers were hopeful of ultimate success, and strongly advocated the formation of women’s parliamentary debating clubs to fit the ladies for legislative work. The Unitarians continue to keep Melbourne alive. The i excitement concerning Mr. Justice Williams' books has not yet subsided, and already they have planned the publication of a periodical. The new venture is to be entitled 1 Modern Thought,’ and it is to be published monthly at the modest price of 3d. The first number is to appear on July Ist. The list of contributors is a good one, and I see that they anticipate the addition of the name of the Hon. Robert Stout. The Unitarians are also diligently looking to their buildings. They have decided to construct a new church, at a cost of about £SOOO, and a collection has been started for the purpose, upwards of £7OO being contributed at the meeting at which the new building was proposed. The Sydney Unitarians arc shortly to lose the services of Mr. Canon, who has so ably represented them for some time past,—he returns to England in August next. A successor has been appointed ; and the expenses of his passage out, and improvements to the church have necessitated the raising of about £350, which they will have no difficulty in obtaining. Dr. Taylor, the well-known editor of 1 Science Gossip,’ has arrived from England on a leturing tour. He lectured at Adelaide with great success, and then proceeded to Melbourne, where he has started a series of six lectures, the first of which was delivered on Monday last to a crowded and appreciative audience. He has a good voice, good delivery, and a happy knack of expressing himself in popular language, and his visit promises to bo a success. His opening lecture was entitled “The World Before Man,” in which lie sketched the history of the world’s infancy, as revealed by geology. He docs not cling to antiquated ideas. “ Many people, ” said he “in their ignorance of the great study constantly before their eyes, but unseen by them, thought the world was turned out like a piece of new furniture, ready made and brought into use at

a moment’s notice.” And later on he told his hearers that “ notwithstanding the great truths revealed in the awe-inspiring pages of geology they were still in the swaddling clothes of superstition, which, in the course of time, would be swept away before the imperishable truths which surrounded them on all sides.” Unfortunately he panders slightly to popular prejudices, as for instance when he says that “throughout his career he had kept in view the one fact that the first command on record was ‘ Let there be light, and now the light which had been darkened by the lapse of many ages was being gradually and surely evolved by the teachings of geology.” And after putting such a foreign construction on this biblical quotation he proceeds to narrate the scientific explanation of the world’s growth so opposed to the story narrated in the absurd old volume from which he makes it appear he is guided. Apart from this fault (the necessary accompaniment of popularity) the lecture was a first-class one. A future lecture announced is entitled “The Sagacity and Morality of Plants;” this, as you arc doubtless aware, is also the title of his recent and most popular book. I daresay I have exhausted your patience and your • space or I might tell you particulars of the Temperance Hospital, the Gordon Memorial, the Salvation Army meeting at the Town Hall (for non-attendance at which our leading M.P.’s sent apologies), the case of the little girl lost for a month in the bush, and whose knowledge of herbs helped her to sustain life when the indifference of the God. in whom she believed, would have left her to starve in the cold—these, and similar items, I can merely allude to. The Ballarat branch of the A.S.A. continue their regular course of lectures, and with such success that the local Press are striving to induce the police to stop their meetings. At Sandhurst, Mr. Symes has delivered two lectures, nothing further, I understand, having been done at present. In Sydney, Mr. Thomas Walker continues his course of lectures, and Mr, Gerald Massey has delivered a few lectures under the auspices of the Sunday Platform Association. In reference to the recent Malthusian prosecution, Mr. Walker applied to have a case stated for argument in the Supreme Court ; the application as granted ; the case is to come off about the beginning of August. A Defence Fund has been started to assist Mr. Walker in his struggle, upwards of £3O having been collected. The Association of Newcastle is getting on very well; the Sunday morning debates, Sunday evening lectures, and Thursday evening socials, all meeting with the success they deserve. David A. Andrade. South Yarra, Melbourne, June 10. 1885.