Oh day of days! far off its coming shone, If we have watched, and wept, and toiled, and prayed, To speed the advent of that morn of joy Whose sun, once risen, shall never more go down, While the Lord God Omnipotent doth reign, Come then, Thou King of kings, and Lord of lords! Haste to put on; and in Thy right hand grasp Which Thine Almighty Father hath bestowed ;- SONNET, WRITTEN IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCES OF INDIA IN 1846. O loving Christ! what time Thou didst behold The multitudes of wildered men of old, In error sunk with none the truth to teach,- SONNET, WRITTEN IN 1882. So did I speak, because my heart was sore, And their fresh songs the birds of morning pour. Soon shall Heaven's joy that ancient sorrow chase, The doxology was sung, and the benediction was pronounced by the Rev. C. Bennett of Rangoon. The last nine lines are an imitation of a passage in Milton's Treatise on the Reformation in England. Meeting on PROCEEDINGS OF THURSDAY, January 4th. In accordance with the wishes of a good many members of the Conference a meeting was held on Thursday, at 10 o'clock A. M., especially to consider what should be done to obtain relief for Native Christians who suffer from the present Marriage and Divorce Laws. The Rev. W. R. Blackett of Calcutta was elected Chairman, and the Rev. R. A. Hume of Ahmednagar was appointed Secretary. After much consideration it was unanimously agreed: "That a Committee (representing different parts of India) be appointed to take such measures as may be necessary in order to obtain modifications of the present Marriage Laws for the relief of the Native Christian community. "That an Executive Committee be appointed who shall be ex-officio members of the General Committee. "That the Executive Committee shall be authorized to appoint substitutes for such members of the Executive or General Committees as may at any time be unable to act." In accordance with this resolution the following Committees were appointed. Executive Committee: Rev. K. S. Macdonald, Convener; Rev. J. M. Thoburn, D. D., Rev. W. R. Blackett, Rev. J. E. Payne, Rev. G. Kerry, Rev. G. D. Maitra, and Rev. P. M. Mukerji, all of Calcutta. General Committee: for Bengal, Rev. J. L. Phillips, M. D., Midnapore; for the N. W. P., Rev. T. J. Scott D. D., Bareilly, and Rev. W. D. Etherington, Benares; for the Punjab, Rev. E. M. Wherry, Lodiana, and Rev. T. R. Wade, Amritsar; for Bombay, Rev. Buchanan Blake, Bombay, and Rev. R. A. Hume, Ahmednagar; for Madras, Rev. E. Sell, Madras, Rev. J. Couling, Madras, and Rev. E. Chester, M. D., Dindigul. Some members of the meeting thought that as Missionaries have in the past, with advantage to the people of India, been prominent in agitation for various reforms even for non-Christians, it was desirable that they should now exert themselves to create a public sentiment against child-marriage even among Hindus and Musalmans. In view of this feeling, it was agreed; "That a Committee be appointed to consider whether it is desirable to form a Society containing representatives of all creeds to agitate against child-marriage." PUBLIC TEMPERANCE MEETING. In accordance with this resolution the following Committee was appointed :-Rev. H. P. Parker, J. E. Payne and G. H. Rouse, Calcutta; Rev. T. Evans, Monghyr; Rev. W. D. Etherington and J. Hewlett, Benares; Rev. Dr. T. J. Scott, Bareilly; with power to add to their number. 431 REPORT OF THE PUBLIC TEMPERANCE MEETING HELD IN THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, DHURRUMTOLLAH, On Friday Evening, December 29th, 1882. The Chair was taken by SURGEON-MAJOR J. O. CONDON, of Cawnpore. After the audience had sung the hymn, "Hold the Fort," prayer was offered by the Rev. G. Kerry of Calcutta. Then followed the CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS. There are present to-night many experienced workers in the Lord's vineyard, who know much more and have studied much more thoroughly than I, this all-important question. Yet I have had such a practical acquaintance with it, and have come in contact with it so much, that I cannot help but speak. This is the age of progress. There has been, alas! progress in intemperance. Much effort is being put forth by some to increase the use of strong drink. There is far more drinking and there are many more drunkards now than when I first came to India. I spent nine years in the country before I saw a drunken native; but now they may be seen daily in every city in India. Any of you present who know what a Saturday night in Dublin down in the neighbourhood of the quays is, know what terrible scenes may be witnessed there-men, women, and even children in a state of beastly intoxication. Coming from such scenes to India many years ago, I was wonderfully re Chairman's Spread of drinking habits. Advance in public sentiment. Individual lieved, thinking that I had come to a country in which the debasing habit of intemperance did not prevail. But that happy time is, I fear, rapidly passing away under our rule, influence, and example. My strong conviction is, that intemperance is spreading rapidly among the natives of this land. Missionaries must look out that it does not increase so fast that the Gospel shall not overtake it. There has been a marked and most encouraging advance in public sentiment regarding total abstinence within a few years. At the last Decennial Conference held in Allahabad in 1872, at which Mr. Gelson Gregson was present, there was no reference even made to the subject we are now so deeply interested in. To-day it is a glorious fact that there are in round numbers fourteen thorsand abstainers in the Army, a result owing mainly, it not altogether, to Mr. Gregson's efforts. I know of a case which occurred in Cawnpore, where a native preacher had his congregation broken up by two drunken soldiers, so that he could never again in that quarter of the city regain his hold upon the people. Every one of us has a heavy responsibility in this responsibility matter. We cannot afford to ignore it. For two years after my conversion, I did not believe much in total abstinence; but having moved into a place where European soldiers were quartered, and being desirous of doing something for the Master amongst them, I found I could not do any good in the temperance cause unless I became a teetotaller myself. To Missionaries and Christian workers who do not believe in, or see the necessity for, total abstinence, I would say in all earnestness and sincerity, that it is an absolute necessity that they should be total abstainers. The gravity of the situation, the magnitude and importance of the interests involved, imperatively demand it. The natives watch us closely, and we may be quite sure that they think more about the matter than we give them credit for. We do not, and indeed cannot, know how far our influence reaches amongst them; nor how much harm we can do by maintaining a negative position or neutral attitude. I have seen the power of strong drink over College graduates; I have seen mighty intellects enslaved by this insidious and soul-destroying vice; I have seen the peace and happiness of individuals and families broken up for ever by this relentless monster; so that I have learnt to fear its terrible power, and am not ashamed to say that I for one would be afraid to be anything else than a teetotaller. We medical men have opportunities of seeing the terrible effects of intemperance that even ministers do not always have. We have a chance to get behind the scenes occasionally, and to witness things that harrow our souls. I have seen the disastrous power of this demon in family circles, and I can assure you from personal observation and knowledge, that intemperance is spreading alarmingly among women. In conclusion, I earnestly beg my Missionary brethren to weigh the subject carefully with unprejudiced minds, to hear attentively all that is to be said by the speakers who follow, and having to meet the Saviour in the solemn Day of Judgment, ask yourselves whether you can any longer, as Christ's ambassadors, make use yourselves, or countenance the use by others, of strong drink. ADDRESS BY THE REV. T. EVANS, B. M. S., Monghyr. Subject:-THE OUT-STILL SYSTEM OF EXCISE IN BENGAL. our rulers. In speaking on the question of Excise in Bengal at a public Difficulties of meeting of this character, there is one difficulty which comes in our way, and that difficulty is this, the action we take has an appearance of opposition to the Government. Blest as we are in these days with men who fear God at the head of affairs, it pains one exceedingly to say a word that would appear in any way to reflect upon Governors, who take a real interest in the moral as well as in the social well-being of the people of India. Nor are we to forget that our Governors are not always at liberty to act in their official capacity, as they would often wish to act in their private character. It is easy for those who have no official responsibility for the revenue of the land to condemn doubtful measures which swell the income of the State; but it is not so easy for the responsible parties to order the reform which personally they feel is required. And one word more here. Many of the measures introduced are simple legacies left by others, and such legacies as our rulers would gladly get rid of, if they only knew how well to do it. While, therefore, we cannot but be true to our convictions, while we cannot but express these convictions frankly and faithfully, and we hope with the best of motives, with regard to the question of Excise in India, we do so not from any captious spirit to condemn our Rulers; but we do it in the hope that a fair and |