BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. ANNUAL MEETING. Auckland, June 4.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 375, 8 June 1889, Page 3

BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. ANNUAL MEETING. Auckland, June 4.

The annual meeting of the local branch of fcheßrilishanclFc rcignßibieSocioty washeld in the Auckland Tabernacle last evening. There was a large attendance of subscribers and friends. Sir -Win. Fox occupied the chair, while on the dais with him were the Re"vs. KobjohnSj Dr. Hooper, Taylor, T. Spurgeon, -Gibfcos, Macnicol and H. H. Lawry (Hon. Secretary), Mr F. L. Prime (Hon. Tieasurer,) Dr. Kenderdine and Mr BraUenrig (lion. Secretary). Tno proceedings opened with the singing of " Our Blest Redeemer," followed by the reading of a portion of Scriptuie by the llov. Mr Macnicol, and the offering up of prayer by theKev. Mr Taylor. The Chairman briefly introduced the business of the meeting, and then called on the Rev. H EL Lawry, the Secretary of the local branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society, to read the annual report. The rao?b important points in this were :—: — In presenting their report on this the Lrbythird anniversary of the Auckland Auxiliary Bible Society, the Committee call attention to the widely-extending circulation of God's Holy Word through the operations of the British and Foreign Bible Society and other kindied societies. The latest report of the British and Foreign Bible Society, that of 1888, shows a total income for the your of £250,300, and an expenditme a little under £225,000. The last year's deficit of £10,000 had been extinguished, and a balance of some £15,000 remained in hand towards another year's expenditure. Its grand total of issues had reached the immense number of 116,459,579 copies of Bibles, New Testaments and portions. Its issues for tho year had been 4,206,032, an increase beyond the issues of the previous year of more than 273,000 copies. The number of languages or dialects employed is 286. The American Bible Society's report shows that the pa&fc }car has been one of notable piogiess. Its cash receipts for general purposes wcie 557,340 dollars 18 cents, beside 4,971 dollars 28 cents received to be peimanently invested. Its disbuisements weie 506,453 dollars 46 cenib. Its issues were 1,504,647 copies, ot which 535,807 copies wero chculalcd in foreign lands by the agency ot 387 persons. The National Biblo Society of Scotland also records a year of advance. Its income reached the large sum of £33,432 7s Id, ol which more than the half were in frco receipts : the outlay was £30,988 11s Its issues were 632,073 copies. Its issues now amount to 10,110,975 copies. The income of the Hibernian Society dming tho last year was £4,067 8s 3d, and il& issues 77,145 copies of the Scripture?, making its total issues since the commencement of the Society 4,913,859. The issues from the Auckland depot, at the corner of Albert-street and Wellesley-street, have during the year ending 31st of March amounted to 2,209 copies of the Word ot God (a decrease of 300 copies). Ot these, 2,115 have been issued bj sale for £163 2s 9d, viz., 1,758 in the Eng'ish language, being 1,036 Bibles, 661 Testaments:, and l 61 portions ; in the Maori languago 304, being 131 Bibles and 173 Testaments ; and in 11 foreign languages 29 Bibles and Testaments, with 24 English Bibles sold at half-price. In addition bo the above, 94 Bibles and Testaments have been distributed as frco grants, chiefly to Sunday-schools. The stock on hand consists of 7,332 (last year 7,710, valued at £492 9s) in many didorenb languages, and is valued at £600. In addition bo the above issues irom our depot in Auckland, the very large numbers of Jubilee Testaments ordered in connection with Mr Robjohns' visit of last year have been put into circulation by our friends in their several localities. As a sign of the depression through ..which tho colony has been passing, we note a-con-siderable decrease in the receipts, from sales during the pasl year, and also in the free contributions from this city -and its neighbourhood. On the other hand, there is a gratifying increase: in the remittances made by onr noblehearted friends of the Waipu and Onehunga branches. In spite ot the earnest effort® of our colporteur, Mr Freoman, spread over extensive districts, the numbers of Scviptmes sold have not been at all proportionate to the expenditure of funds, timo, and labour. With reference to the revi ed edition of the Maori Bibio, your Committee have pleasure in reporting that the printing

■ and literary work is now all completed ; . the proofs, revises, and final corrections i having been long since sent to England. During the year, your depOb in. Welle?ley -.street has, received a supply of Maori New Testaments (newlyrevised edition), and of the portion thereof containing the Four Gospels and Acfcs of the Apostles. Respecting this revised edition, it has been said that the language is, lor the most part, in that dialect of Maori spoken by the great central Waikato tribe which recently formed &o large a part of the supporteis of the so-called Maori King. The version reads smoothly, is terse, idiomatic, and forceful, and preserves words, phrases, and constructions that should be of value to linguists and critics. Dr. Maunsell has expiossecl his " great gratification with the very careful work of the printers," and says that the lady in London (Mrs Carle ton) "merit? our grateful thanks for the great ca'eshe has bestowed upon tho proot sheets and revises which have passed through her hands." Intimation having been received of a legacy, payable to this auxiliary from the estate of a deceased promoter of the above movement, the late Mr C. 0. Davis, the Treasurer of this auxiliary, Mr F. L. Prime, has been appointed to take all necessary action on its behalf. Your Committee ha\e further to report the generosity of the parent Committee in forwarding two boxes of books, in response to applications from destitute neighbourhoods in the northern parts of this island, for use in those neighbourhoods. In conclusion, we avail ourselves of the words wherewith the parent society closes the review ot its world-wide operations :—": — " There is a world of difficult work, but there is also a word of hope ; and it is ours to work and to be steadfast, leaving the times and seasons with the Father, and with the Son, wlju has nob loved the woi'ld in vain." May God add His bles-sing for His Holy Name's sake ! Amen. Financial Statement. — The Treasurer, Mr F. L. Prime, read the financial statement, of which tho following is a summary :— Receipts— Balance, ,-€l5 6s 8d ; collections, etc., £143 2s lid ; sale of Bibles, £166 3s 9d ; balance cf late J. Shepherd's bequest, £68 4s. Total, £392 17s '-Id. Expenditme— £3Bo 9s 9d. Balance— £12 7s 7d, The report and balance - sheet were adopted. The Rev. Dr. Hooper, who for many years had been a missionary in India, then addressed the meeting. He referred to a twelve months' stay he had made at Cambridge, and said that nothing had given him greater pleasure than the distribution of the Jubilee Testaments to the school children bhere. It, was very encouraging, especially when there was much in the moral and religious state of the colony at the present time to dishearten one. It was about India where he had worked as a missionary for a little upwards of a quarter of a , century. • Missionary-, societies and workers there had' no more efficient and ufeeful ally, than r ,fclie. Bible .Society. Bub for it, Re dou&tedif the missionary societies would be able tb live, if they were able to go on at all. .They^would go on one foot only, and that very- .slowly -'indeed. Dr. Hooper referred at. considerable length to the work' of , the " , Society, in, . India. He was pleased to say that there was a large number of their 1 countrymen holding high and official positions who^as much as one covild approve, had devoted their time and energies to the work of the Bible Society. The work of translating tlie Bible into the mai,y languages and dialects was "interestingly told. . Then Dr. Hooper showed how the Bibles were distributed over the country 'by colporteurs, many of whom were women. Speaking of the work oi preaching in India, Dr. Hooper stated that they were not hampered by any laws ; each religion had an equal chance of reaching the ear of the people. The educated classes were often, however, better reached through the piinted Word. Dr. Hooper further narrated some particulars of the extension of the knowledge of the Bible in Persia and the Ottoman Empire. Reference was also made to tho study of the Bible among the Jews. The hymn, "Father of Mercies, in Thy Word," was next sung. Officers. --The foliowingaentlemen were elected the office- bearers for the ensuing year: — President, Bishop Cowie; VicePresidenb, Archdeacon Maunsell ; Hon. Secretaries: Rev. H. H. Lawry, general and correspondingsecretary ; MrW. Brakenrig, local secretary ; Treasurer, Mr F. L. Prime ; Committee : Archdeacons Maunsell, Clarke, and Dudley ; Revs. Dr. Kidd, T. Bray, E. Best, R. Burrows, A. Carrick, J. Chew, J: Dukes, F. B. Dutton, J. S. Hill, J. Macky, R. F. Macnicol, G. B. Monro, C. M. Nelson, A. Reid, W. L. Suiter, J. H. Simmonds, A. J. Smith, T. Spurgeon, J. A. Taylor, W. Tebbs, J. Wallis, C. Ward, and C. Worboys ; Hons. Sir Win. Fox and Colonel Haultain ; Dr. Kenderdine, Messrs F. Battley, T. Buddie, J. Coupland, \V. C. Daldy, J/ Edson, J. C. Firth, W. F. Lawry, W. H. Lyon, T. Macky, S. 11. Matthews, T. MoMa&ter, S. Parker, T. Peacock, M.H.R.. G. P. Pierce, R. B. Shalder.% J. L. Wilson, and E. Withy, M.H.R. ; Executive Committee: Archdeacon Maunsell, Revs. J. A. Taylor, J. S. irl ill ; Hons. Sir Win. Fox and Colonel Haultain ; Messis 11. B. Shalderb and J. L. Wilson The Rev. Thos. Spurgeon spoke about the progicss of the Word of God. The work of the Bible Society had spread and spread until now the world was girdled. He spoke of the spreadingoftheßibleamongtheblind. Nob only in English, Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, but also in Arabic, French, Russian, Spanish and Chinese were the blind able to trace out the Word of God. He referred to the work of the Society at the Suez Canal and Palestine, and concluded with an earnest appeal for support from those pieeent. Tho Rev. Mr Robjohns, the accredited agent of the Society, here next addressed the meeting. He spoke in hopeful terms of the progress of the Society in the colony, and trusted that they would share in the glow of prosperity that was coming over the colony. Mr Robjohns went on to give a history oi Ihe extension of the Bible since 1,000 a.d., when there were only 15 translations in existence, down to the present day, when there aie now 360 tongues into which the Bible had been translated, while the circulation was no less than 250 millions. He spoke of the great work this translating meant, and then dealt with the Bible and the work among the Japanese. Speaking of the Jubilee Testament, Mr Robjohns stated that 200,000 of Iheso Testaments witli' the Queen's autograph had been distributed among the school children ot Melbourne and 14.000 in New Zealand. The speaker referred to the finances of the Society, and said it was a most mistaken idea that they did nob want money, that they had plenty. The balance tliey had had only been' attained by r dropping £16,Q00, worth of work for the 'year, but they were going to pick that up again; Continuing on again, Mr Robjohns gave some very interesting information as to the work of tho Society and of prhate individuals in France, Italy and Russia. A collection in aid of the funds .of the Society was taken up. A vote of thanks was passed to the Chairman, to the speakers, to the officers and contributors, and tho meeting closed with the Benediction.