GENERAL' BOOTH, IN IRELAND.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 152, 21 March 1908, Page 11

GENERAL' BOOTH, IN IRELAND.

In a brief 'campaign the head of the Salvationists . has 'stormed and captured tho hearts of the 'Irish.; In Belfast, his first stopping place, a hoatre was turned to unwonted, ends, 1 and tho queue, in the words of Dominio Sampson, was "prodigious." Thence ho entrained to" Dublin, and filled the great 'Metropolitan Hall, and' again, as in Belfast, the street outside. For an hour and a half lie" held the fixed attention of an audienco. (many of whom - wero content to get standing room), consisting of all crecds and nationalities, from the-orientals walking tho wards of the . Dublin hospitals to the unquestionable Paddios. . Hero lie spoke with humour and pathos of his advancing years. Somo people had gloomy forobodings of tho futuro of the Army if tlie General were to die; but he always said to them, "Calm yourselves, my friends, the General is not dead just yet." And he was so possessed with tho belief of his usefulness to' the Salvation Army that lie was going to live-jnst as long as ever ho could. Yot tho end could not be for over staved off, and arrangements had been ; made, ho once more announced, that the Army should go on as before, .as aggressivo arid as useful—and the same electric flash that travelled round tho' world, telling; of the. General's death, would have tacked on to it the additional message " Long live, the General," ~

PAN-ANGLICAN J CX}NGRESS; . , The programme, of tho Pan-Anglican Conference, to be held at the Albert Hall in July next, is now practically complete. Tho latest subject entered in the list is that of "The Church's care for the material wellbeing of tho young." In tho report of the Congress, the proceedings of cach of tho seven sections will occupy a separate volume, and it is expected that .tho. edition will not only bo unique in character, but of special value to all churchmen at the present juncture. Tho Bishop of New York (Bishop Potter) has sont a personal contribution of 2000 dollars towards tho expenses of'the Congress. A committco has just been formed, with Lord Salisbury' as'chairman, to carry out'the hospitality arrangements in connection with tho conference. Their duties will bo somewhat oxacting, as six delegates from' every diocese outsido the British Isles have to bo entertained. Tho committee have again as to tho remarkable amount of interest wlitch is being evinccd daily in the approaching; Congress! The whole idea has been splendidly taken up, arid immense numbers of "applications for'seats at; the Albert Hall meetings hava been received.

EUCHAMSTIC CONGRESS.' : ; A provisional programme of the great' l ' International Eucharistic Congress .. to -• bo s hold at Westminster, which will last from < September 9 -to September 13, has now been issued. The proceedings will begin on Wednesday evoning, September 9, with a' solemn opening of the Congress in Westminster, Cathedral. If, ias is hoped, the; Holy Father appoints a Papal Legate to preside, this will include tho'formal reception of the representative of the Sovereign Pontiff, i Fop.; tho sectional meetings it is expected ;that at least four halls will bo required. Every day - ! there will bo High Mass and Vespers in: Westminster Cathedral, which , will be reserved ontirely for the members, of the Congress. Tho Royal Albert Hall has been 'so-; cured,for tho evenings of September lO .and; September 11, for a great meeting and a reception. On tho Saturday • afternoon there' will bo a special service in Westminster. Cathedral for all tho Catholic , children of', London, whilst tho solemn closing of the, Congress on tho following afternoon, whenthere will be a procession of the Blessed \ Sacrament, will probably attract an im-: menso gathering of; Catholics, which sh v oul3'' bo a record as far as London is concerned..-'

The organisation of the. Congress has al-? ready begun. Soveral sub-committees have.' been, appointed, and in these the do-opera-tion.of some of the leading Catholic socie-<' ties , has been secured. A largo'number-of • Catholic organisations have 00-oporate by bringing the Congress immediately under tho notice'of their members. ' , An invitation to'the Congress is issued.toT all the Catholic bishops of tho world. N AI-'' ready a large number have signified their; intention of tailing part' therein. New , Zea-j land will be represented by: the Bishops of Auckland and Duiiedin, who have " already;' loft to 'attend the, great assembly. Con-'' siderable interest lias' been aroused _ni France, Belgium, and Germany, from which:countries largo; numbers of visitors- are • ex-', pected. : '. ■ ' ■■,

! JOTTINGS. v Dr. Rendel Harris, who is. to retire fronr, the Presidency of the National Free Church. Council at Southport this month, will be. succeeded by'tho Rev. Dr. Brooke.. In his 1 turn he will be followed 'by the Rev.; Evan , Jones, of Carnarvon.. It has been felt for,, some time that Welsh Nonconformity should ' be'specially recognised in the! succession of Presidents, and at the General Committee ■ tho choice fell on Mr. Jones. He is describcd as. almost, tho last of a remarkable group of Nonconformist leaders, who in - tho lattor half of the last century left an m- . dolible impress on' the literature, , the religious, the democratic movements , of the nation. .He wields 'a. virile pen, and: has used it to some purpose for nearly half a century. He has been prominently associated with the Disestablishment movement in'the,Principality. ■> - nJ . ' ,

By " the death of Cardinal - ; the oldest " member of tho Sacred' College, _ the. number of living - Cardinals . becomes sixtyone—that is,, nine leas tl&n the full number. Of the sixty-ono Cardinals thirty-eight are Italians ' and i twenty-fivo only three of whom, Cardinals Moran, Gibbons,and Logue,-;belong to the English-speaking world. . < . './ :• : • Congregational institutions in England are expected to benefit handsomely by the, will of Mrs. John Rylands, of Manchester, who administered the fortune ,of two millions left her .- by her husband twenty years ago with a constant recognition of tho claims of institutional church efforts. She gave £4000 to clear Whiteficld's from debt, was the inspirer of tho Forward Movement or tho Manchester. Congregational Board, and by' challengo offers "on an extraordinarily sonorous scale led Manchester-* Congregationalists into raising £75,000 for jnstitutional and church extension work in the city and its environs. .The Rylands Library, by which sho perpetuated the, memory of her husband, was nine years in building, and .is ono of the noblest of the public buildings in: the city of Manchester. . t -

A large porcentago of the, convorts who ' poured, into tho, Welsh churches during the rccent revival have since been lost to them: One great reason of this is said'to be that tho churches, with rare: exceptions, failed to take steps to keep their hold on the con- ; vorts during the week by tn© development of institutional work that would provide for tho. social, the intellectual and the recreational sides of life.. Now they , have learntthe lesson, and-there is a rapidly-growing feeling that if tho Free Churches ; are to ; maintain and strengthen their hold on- the..;' manhood 'and tho young life of Wales, they v-ill havo to develop the institutional ■ side of church life. The South AVales'and Monmouthshire * Federation of Free Church' Councils is rising :to the occasion. Council. and - conferences have been held to. promoto nowphascs of church work, and: lb is now stated-that enthusiasm for institutional and social service developments of the " activity of the' Freo, Churches-is. becoming ; almost rcvivalistic. :

The i Glasgow' Presbytery.' Church, Exten- ; sion Committee has hit on an original, idea. , It proposes'to"raise £500. for the purchaso of an iron church which can be moved from , placo to place as church extension is found necessary. Ten new churches are "immediately. required for Glasgow, chiefly in the suburban ■ districts. 1 , . i . . :

Many naval arid military officers, as well' as ministers and laymen, wero present at a i.dinner held recently to inaugurate a. Mettnx dist scheme for a Sailors: and Soldiers' Home at Portsmouth. Lord IVccdmouth, First Lord of the Admiralty, sent a letter testifying to the good and powerful, influence .of tho Wesleyan homes. Sir Georgo Chubb, who presided) said that out of the 45,000 men stationed at Portsmouth- from timo to time, 2000 wero enrolled Wesleyans, and for the' sake of these men a homo must ba built. Tho new , building, which, would ,bo erected on a commanding site, would cost £18,000. Towards this the Coronation Fund had made . a grant of £8000, and. the Admiralty had given them £500 .in view pf tho accommodation provided for parade services. Ho hoped the balance would be secured by nest July, when tho Duchess, of Albany had promised to lay the foundation-stone. Admiral Sir Day Bosanquet, G1C.V.0., 1C.C.8., the Commandor-in-Chicf at Portsmouth, welcomed most heartily the promised advent of a Wesleyan Home at, Portsmouth, and expressed the gratitude of the naval authorities for the admirable services rendered to the Navy" by the Wcsloyan Church. Tlio, proceeds in gifts and promises were \£26TJJl J of which Sir. George and Lady Chubb gave £1000. "It is proposed to inaugurate a sovereign fund for the homo, and , tho Duchess of Albany and Sir William Collins tiavo started it with a soverign each.

Tho Bisliop of London, mentioning recently some , hopeful signs for. tho Church; said that lately moro men had conic forward for ordination, and ho had no doubt that - tho tido had turned in that direction; ho had been delighted with , the splendid work which was dono in thoso districts where tho mom in charge were properly, supported ; ho 'had, also been greatly cheered: by the enormous! congregations to be found m many of tho poorest parts of London; and, lastly, in 40 years 225 churches had been built in tho diocese, which to his mind was ono of tho grandest things in tho history of' tho iJhnroh.