INTERNATIONAL TEMPERANCE CONVENTION.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1955, 27 September 1888, Page 4

INTERNATIONAL TEMPERANCE CONVENTION.

Afc International, or as it might more fitly have been termed an Australasian Temperance Convention is to be held m Melbourne, during the week commencing on the 19th November. A similar gathering was held m 1880 during the currency of the Melbourne Exhibition of that year, was very successful, and is stated to have been followed with most beneficial results. The Convention of 1 888 is under the auspices of a large number of members of the Legislatures of tbe various colonies, and the Executive Committee consists of frur members of each of the following societies, viz. The Melbourne Total Abstinence Society, the Independent *- Order of Rechabites, Sons of Temper ance, Independent Order of Good Templars, Victorian Alliance, Victorian Band of Hope Union, and the Women's Christian, Temperance Union. The Treasurer is Mr J. W. Hunt, of Collins street, "West, and the Secretaries Messrs J. W. Meaden, John Vale, and Thomas Ferguson. The proceedings will commence with a pnblic demonstration to j welcome the delegates and visitors, and I tbe Conference will be inaugurated ! by a breakfast and address m tbe saloon of tbe grand coffee palace, During the sittings papers will be read on tbe following subjects, viz. "The history of the Temperance movement m Australasia," "Australasian Temperance Legislation," " Religion and Temperance," " Women's Work," " The Physiological effects and Medical Uses of Alcohol," " Temperance Work amoDg the Young." " The Social and Moral aspect of the Temperance question," "lemperance Economics," and " The Attitude of the Australian Natives with regard to tbe

Temperance movement." Halfan-hour's discussion will be allowed upon each paper, ten minutes being the time allotted to each speaker. There will be also a series of public meetings at which addresses will be delivered on "Woman's

Work m the Temperance Reformation," " Juvenile Temperance Work" and other kindred subjects. Special services will also be held throughout the colony of Victoria on the 26th November, when Temperance sermons will be preached m Churches of all denominaions, thus bringing the gathering to a Bt^ig close. The (i-cular issued by the promoters, from which we gather the foregoing pavticulara goes on to cay that m Jorder that a permanent record 01 this great Australian celebration may" be preserved, it is proposed to issue a Convention Memorial Volume, and the Committee have determined to spare neither time, labor, nor expense to render this the most valuable contribution to the temperance literature of the world that has ever issued from the Australian press. This memorial

volume will contain the papers read m the various "sections, the letters of the most distinguished correspondents, and fall reports of the discussions. The views and opinions of the leading writers, thinkers, and workers throughout the trorld on all points of the great Temperance question will thus be gathered up and presented to the Australian public m a most succinct and interesting form. 3he volume will contain vast stores of historical, political, statistical, and physiological information, carefully compiled, and verified. Many interesting facts connected with the early history of the movement m Australia will be published for the first time. The social, moral, and religious aspects of the Temperance question will be fully discussed from every available standpoint, As a text-book of thinkers, writers and workers, the memorial volume will, therefore, possess a Bpecial and upiqpa value, and will indeed constitute a complete Temperance Library m itself A carefully-selected collection ofj Australian Temperance hymns and lyrics will be m eluded. To thig*departra«Bt some wellknown writers have promised to contribute, including the authors of the pnze Exhibition Cantatas of 1880 and 1888. In order to increase the historical value oi the volume, it is proposed that it shall be fully illustrated with artisticallyexecuted portraits of the leading Temperance reformers of Australia, view* of the principal Temperance Hallst and other buildings connected \fcith, the movement m the varipsa. eolonieo, statistical charts, etc.^ qtq. As it is desired to make ths, volume m every respect a worthy memorial of the progress of the Temperance movement i;n these southern lands, great care will therefore be taken that m regard 'to the I artistic character of the illustration the type, the quality of the paper* and the h }W™B> *s well as m th& literary character, of the work, it shall be worthy alike of the cause and the country. It is intended to present every contributor' of 21s and upwards to the funds of the International Temperance Convention with a handsomely-bound presentation copy of the memorial volume, which it; \ B expected will have a large circulation i' n Europe and America as well as m Australasia.