Gospel Temperance Hall

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 84, 24 December 1885, Page 2

Gospel Temperance Hall

«. On Tuesday evening Sir William Fox opened the Feilding Gospel Temperance Hall with a lecture, the subject of which was the progress of temperance. As thera had been no public intimation given that the formal .opening of the hall was then to take place, the attendance was very small, not more than sixty persons being present. Clergymen and other representatives of religious denominations were conspicuous hy their absence. The Rev. J Clover occupied the chair, and after some hymns had been sung and prayer offered, he introduced the lecturer, Sir William Fox, who expressed regret that he had so few hearers. He at once took up his subject, and gave an interesting account 61 what had been done in. England for the cause during the past fifteen years. He showed tiiat a great impetus had been given by the assistance of the clergy who had been { almost forced to join in the movement in order to keep pace with the. times. He compared the Church of England, of twenty years ago; to a stationary engine which did its allotted work in a slow and cumbrous fashion, hut with very rusty joints. Now it was like a locomotive going ahead at the rate of sixty miles an hour. The Wesleyan body had also joined, and were giving valuable assistance. He gave an interesting account of his visit to Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, where he went with other delegates to a congress of tiie various temperance bodies ih the world. At the conclusion of his lecture Sir William made a noble" appeal to his hearers on behalf of the temperance cause. The chairman made a brief speech, in which he thanked the- lecturer for his address, jMr Mountfort proposed, and Mr J. | Caldwell seoonded, That a" vote of thanks be accorded to Sir William, which was carried by acclamation. The doxology was then sung, and the* meeting separated, . everyone , expressing great satisfaction with what they had heard.