To the Editor of the Nelson Examiner.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume I, Issue 11, 21 May 1842, Page 44

To the Editor of the Nelson Examiner.

Sir — As the question is now repeatedly asked, what are mearit by "Rechabites ?) and " Rechabite Tents,"-, you will, perhaps, allow me, through .the medijun of your columns, to give the public a brief' reply to that inquiry. " The name has been taken from a body of people mentioned in the 35th chapter of Jeremiah, who drank no wine. It is only in this particular that we profesß to resemble them; consequently much difference of opinion exists even amongst ourselves as to the propriety of having adopted this name: but, as the. mere name can be a matter of no great importance, I need not enter into a discussion upon that subject. The society was established in Salford, Manchester, in 183S, and is in fact a provident society, composed only of such members as have signed and act up to what is termed the long pledge of the Total Abstinence Society. In order that every member may have the benefit of his membership^in whatever district he may have occasion to reside, it is of course necessary that it should be what is termed a secret order, or that every tent should have the means of at once recognising any existing member of the society. • ''Every tent has to elect a past chief ruler, a chief ruler, a deputy ruler, a secretary, two stewards, a fcevite, and two guardians. The chief and deputy rulers have each to choose two supporters : eight elders are also chosen, whose office it is to audit the books every six months, and to decide upon all matters of dispute between the members of the tent. Any member breaking his pledge, thereby ceases to be a member; but it is in the power of a majority of his tent to readmit him, upon his re-signing the pledge and paying a fine. This power extends only to the third offence, and the fine is doubled for each repetition. The number of tents open in Great Britain previous to publishing the sixth annual report in July last, was 512; and, from the rapidity with which they continued to extend, there is every reason to believe that a report of the present year will show that at least double that number are at present in existence. These tents had then been arranged in fifty-six districts. AH. matters affecting the society generally are taken into consideration by the executive council, who meet weekly in Manchester; and all affairs of importance are brought before the annual moveable committee, composed of representatives from, every district. All tent officers are elected by the members of their tents, and hold their office for six months only. All district officers are elected by a district meeting, and hold their office for twelve months. The members of the executive council are annually elected by the moveable committee. The rules of the society are necessarily so numerous, that it would be trespassing too much upon your space were I to attempt to give anything like an outline of them : but, should any of your readers wish to see them, we shall always be happy for them to do so, although the number of copies in our possession is not so great as we could wish. It would be wandering from the expressed object of this letter were I to say much as to the considerations which have induced us to think such a society, necessary ; and, indeed, we cannot but think that these must be sufficiently evident to all. If a provident society were desirable at home, where the working man was surrounded by friends and relatives, always willing to render him any assistance in time of need, surely it must be considered necessary when he becomes "a stranger in a strange land," surrounded only by those who know or care but little about him.

It is far from our intention to call in question the stability of the other benefit society which has just been established in this colony, and in which so many highly respectable individuals have taken such an active part; but it will be admitted that a national society; numbering upwards of 40,000 members, and which holds itself responsible for the legitimate demands of every tent, offers' a security not to be found or expected in the infancy of any disconnected association. The highest medical authorities admit that the use of alcoholic drinks is the cause of a very large proportion of human maladies; and therefore teetotallers would not be doing justice to themselves were they to unite in a society of this kind with those whose liability to disease is so much greater than their own.

But, above all, we look upon such a society as an interesting public demonstration that, in addition to the mighty moral reformation which the adoption of total abstinence must ever effect, its universal extension would be the most powerful means of curtailing the present enormous catalogue of human maladies, and thus of lessening all the ills to which our flesh is heir. I am, sir, t & ■ Very respectfully youra; • - : Alfred Saunders. Nelson, May 10, 1841.

Emigration. — Notice has been issued by the Colonial Office that no more emigrant ships will leave England under contract of Government until March next. — Sydney Herald. The London terminus, at the end of Tooleyetreet, London Bridge, of the telegraphic communication between London and Dover, has just been finished, and the whole line will be opened in a few days. A ship's arrival off the coast can be telegraphed to the owners in five minutes. An experiment was made a few days ago, on the line between Hull and Liverpool; when eighteen seconds only elapsed before a message was conveyed a distance of upwards of seventy miles. — Emammer. . Another portion of the embankment beyond New. Cross, on the Croydon Railway, has Mien in.— Bid.