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a competent Committee, which should assemble at some suitable time and place; and, having carefully examined the question of proposed change in all its bearings, should report the result of its inquiries to the Conference at its next annual Meeting. There was, indeed, a middle plan. Some said, "Do something now settle, for example, the question of the June Memorial-Meeting, and refer the rest to a Committee." Now, he considered that the question of the Memorial- Meeting was intimately connected with another; namely, that of the constitution of the Quarterly Meeting. There were many friends who were anxious that the Conference should define the Quarterly Meeting; and, this being the case, he should not like to do one thing without a careful consideration of the other. They could at once make an alteration in the plan of the Memorial-Meeting, which, looked at by itself, might seem plausible; but which might be found very inconvenient when viewed afterwards in its connexion with other matters of inquiry. He would avoid the risk of doing this. And where was the necessity for precipitately deciding on any one point? Why not leave all for mature consideration? Were they to treat their people as children, who required something to be given at once, just with the view of pacifying them? Why not tell them, in a frank and Christian manner, that they deemed it best to consider the whole at one and the same time? Only let the people see that they were applying themselves to the entire question seriously and deliberately, and he thought that they would wait patiently for the result. He, with Mr. Scott, admired the feeling of regard, approaching to veneration, for the Wesleyan system, evinced by so many of their friends, from various parts of the country, at the Manchester Meeting; and he was persuaded that they would lose nothing by taking time to look carefully at the whole subject, but would, in fact, gain much in the end, in the increased confidence and affection of the people. He therefore was of opinion, after carefully balancing, in his own mind, the advantages and disadvantages of such a course, that the appointment of a Committee to examine and report upon the entire subject of proposed change would be the wisest conclusion; and he therefore fully concurred in recommending this plan to the adoption of the Conference.

The Committee appointed by the Conference to consider the suggestions of the Memorials and of the Manchester Meeting, is one of the largest and most influential ever appointed in Methodism. Its difficulties and responsibilities are great; and it is vain to suppose that anything which it can recommend to the next Conference would be likely to correct extensively the evils now mourned over, which have arisen from a different and far deeper source than that of the time allowed for a Memorial-Meeting, or that of an immediate appeal from the verdict of assembled Leaders to a Meeting of the DistrictCommittee.

The number of members of Society had been reduced within the year some 56,000; and several of the funds of the Connexion had been somewhat lessened, though by no means in equal proportion to the loss of members sustained by the Connexion. The fact of the great loss of members in the year is deeply to be deplored; but is not surprising when the unprincipled and wicked conduct of the organised agitators is considered. A most cruel act, which entangled many, and which has eventually separated them from the church to which they

belonged, was performed before the last Conference; when, under various pretensions, written pledges were obtained for support to the leaders of the agitation; though they had not then, nor have they to the present time, provided another ecclesiastical refuge or dwellingplace for them. The consequence of this is, as might be expected, that many thousands who have been by such means separated from Methodism have been lost in the world.

It is somewhat relieving to the true friends of Methodism to find, that, notwithstanding the havoc made in several of the Societies by the wicked agitations, systematically pursued through the year, the number of Ministers has not been materially reduced, and that the number of Circuits has not been at all lessened. Several handsome donations were presented to the funds of the Connexion through the President, among which were £100 from John Hartley, Esq., of Wolverhampton; £100 from Thomas Bagnell, Esq., of WestBromwich; and £20 from James Fildes, Esq., of Manchester. The Conference has directed that, in accordance with the recommendation of several of the Preparatory Committees, a Meeting should be held, as soon as practicable, to consider the state of the Connexional Funds.

Among the OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS made by the Conference, were those of the Rev. William H. Rule, as Co-Editor, and the Rev. George Osborn, as Missionary Secretary. The latter appointment was opposed by a few, as might be expected, from the part Mr. Osborn had taken in the exposure and condemnation of anonymous falsehood and slanders; but, when put to the vote, the proposal was formally sustained by the entire Conference, with the exception of some eight votes in opposition. The Rev. William Arthur was also appointed one of the Missionary Secretaries; and the Rev. Joseph Hargreaves was appointed one of the Treasurers of the Chapel-Relief Fund, in the place of the Rev. Robert Wood, deceased.

The Ex-President's Sermon, addressed to the Conference, was founded on the text contained in Heb. xiii. 8. It was a masterly sermon, and contained many truly eloquent passages that were powerfully impressive. Its suitableness and power were formally acknowledged by the Conference, and its publication was earnestly requested.

A most interesting service of the public RECOGNITION OF RETURNED MISSIONARIES was held at Sunderland, at which some of the leading members of the Conference were present.

Several other matters of ordinary business were transacted by the Conference; such as the stationing of the Ministers, the reception of the Reports of the Preparatory Committees, &c.: and on the morning of Saturday, August 16th, the Conference closed with the usual solemn and devotional services, when the three hundred Ministers who had assembled at Newcastle-upon-Tyne separated, not expecting that all of them would meet together again, until they should appear in that vast and august assembly which shall gather in the presence of Christ at His coming in the clouds of heaven.

THE REV. WALTER LAWRY, AND HIS SLANDERERS. ONE of the most abominably false and malignant articles that ever appeared in print has recently appeared in the columns of an antiWesleyan newspaper, against the Rev. Walter Lawry, the General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Missions of New-Zealand and of the Friendly and Feejee Islands. We are not greatly surprised at it, as it professedly comes from the pen of the editor, whose truthfulness was, certainly, no part of the judgment pronounced upon him by the Leaders'-Meeting before which he was cited for his unchristian conduct; and as it is published in a newspaper whose proprietor is now awaiting the punishment to be awarded him for a most cruel and scandalous libel upon a Christian Minister, whose only redress was to be found in legal proceedings, in the form of criminal information. There are, however, one or two features of this audacious act of editorial wickedness that we deem ourselves called to remark upon, before we notice the base falsehoods which it contains.

The first is, the time of its publication. The departure of Mr. Lawry had been announced as likely to take place some fortnight ago. About the very day of his expected departure, when it was supposed Mr. Lawry would not be able to defend himself, if he should, by chance, hear of the accusations published against him, the article appeared; and that, though he has been in England, and in London, principally, for some months past. Providentially, however, and as the responsible parties may yet find to their cost, the "John Wesley" did not sail as early as was expected; and Mr. Lawry has had the opportunity of employing such means for the defence and protection of his character as he judged necessary.

The second feature of this false and malignant article is, the nauseous pretensions which the writer puts forth, throughout, of pre-eminent zeal for the truth and purity of religion, and for the prosperity of Methodist Missions. We can think of no example of this species of hypocrisy so appropriate as that of the serpent tempting Eve in Paradise to destroy her own life and happiness, under professions of desire to promote her perfection in the knowledge of good and evil. There are, however, several portions of the article in question, in which the cloven foot of the saint-like pretender appears; as, for instance, where the wonder is expressed that any number of individuals are found to intrust their money to such a channel as that of the incompetent and corrupt Executive of the Missionary Society. The article is professedly grounded on a communication from some unnamed agent of the Society in New-Zealand, not intended for the writer's knowledge; but which, by some unexplained circumstance, has been accidentally seen by the editor, and which is said to be from one of the true friends of Methodist Missions ; for the writer states, that the facts he has knowledge of would put him to the blush, if once found in the pages of the "Wesleyan Times." Now, that some envious and dissatisfied agent of the Society may not be found among the Methodist Tract-Distributers of New-Zealand, or even among the Missionaries of that colony, we cannot say; though, if there is no more certainty concerning the source of the professed communication from NewZealand than there was for the one first said to be from Jamaica, and then, when inquired into, said to be from Antigua, we need not expend a single thought upon it. But human nature is the same on the other side of the globe as it is here; and, though we hold in the highest estimation possible the characters of Methodist Missionaries generally, yet we know and admit, that there may be "Fly-Sheet" writers abroad as well as at

home; and, therefore, while not a little suspicious of entire fabrication, in this case, from the marked introduction into the article of vague and indefinite terms, and from long dashes in the place of names, as well as from the most fortunate circumstance of the writer obtaining a letter not intended to reach him, yet we are not called upon to say, positively, it is so.

This expression of our views of what might be, leads us to remark upon another evil purpose manifest in this piece of false and calumnious editorial composition; and that is, of producing jealousy among the Missionaries, towards those to whom the general superintendence of the principal Districts are committed for responsible oversight. That the office of General Superintendent should not be viewed favourably, even by all the Missionaries, is what might naturally be expected, when it is considered that one duty of that office is to make the most economical arrangements possible in carrying on the work of God throughout the several Districts in which they are placed. The appointment of General Superintendents has already saved to the Society a considerable portion of its funds; and this seems to be known to the malicious writer of the false and calumnious article in question; and, therefore, he seeks to excite opposition to them among the Missionaries, by representing them as cutting down the incomes of the subordinate brethren, while increasing their own. But we cannot think that any of the truly devoted and high-minded Methodist Missionaries will be caught by such birdlime-like representations as this. They will remember the efforts made to produce envy and jealousy among Wesleyan Ministers at home; and that, when those efforts failed, then the most unscrupulous means were employed to fill the minds of the people with suspicion towards their Ministers. They will ponder the character of the attacks made upon the General Treasurers, Secretaries, and Committee of the Missionary Society; and how, already, the most shameful slanders have been published against the Missionaries in the West Indies, and in Africa. And, with these things in their remembrance, they will not be misled by the writings of men who have been publicly convicted of libellous slanders upon holy and devoted Ministers of Christ's Gospel. We perceive, clearly, that materials are now being made up for a systematic attack, by professedly Christian agitators, upon the office of General Superintendency of Wesleyan Missions; and that the calumnious article on the Rev. Walter Lawry, put forth at a time when it was supposed he would be incapable of protecting himself against its effects, is but the prelude of further attacks to be made upon him and others in their office of General Superintendents. It may be, that one or two censured and suspended Missionaries shall be found to unite in these attacks; but should that be the case, the greatest evils will fall upon those who shall unite to make them.

In reference to the accusations made and insinuated in the article against the Rev. Walter Lawry, we may observe, generally, that they are quite in character with accusations previously made in the same newspaper, against other eminent and devoted men in Methodism. They are connected with fragments and pieces of truth, which, if fully known in their true connexion, would gratify, rather than displease, all pure and upright minds. The principal charges made against Mr. Lawry, as far as we can disentangle them from insinuations against the honesty of the Executive at the Mission-House, (who are supposed to have made covert terms with him, on his former departure, for the use and accommodation of a pleasure-yacht,) and from low gossip concerning boxes of pincushions and thimbles, &c., are,

-that he has enriched himself at the expense of the Society, by receiving a large and unknown salary, by profitable and extensive speculations in the purchase and sale of lands, and by receiving, as a great money-lender, exorbitant interest, which is said to have made the name of the man a stench in the land; that he has smuggled his son—who is said by the writer to be " a very lame brother”—into the ministry at a sectional DistrictMeeting, without his having passed a Quarterly Meeting, and in spite of the remonstrances of his ministerial brethren; that he does not preach more than once a fortnight, attends no week-night services, and opposes himself to general usefulness, and sneers at the more zealous of his brethren.

We have had the opportunity of being present at a Meeting in which Mr. Lawry brought forth these accusations, and showed how they were false and libellous; and the few words we shall write concerning them will be written deliberately, and with positive knowledge of what we state. 1. Mr. Lawry is, by inheritance from his own father, and from his wife's father, in possession of property; and out of that, and not out of his great gains, he presented to the Missionary Society, at its Anniversary Meeting in May last, £500. 2. Mr. Lawry, who is said to be one of the largest landowners in New-Zealand, has some ninety-five acres, which he purchased there many years ago for some £100, or less; and which have not, to this time, produced him any profit. 3. Mr. Lawry is the General Superintendent of three Districts; and, therefore, cannot receive his salary from the allowance to one District only: and his allowance is on the same scale as the allowances to his brethren the Missionaries. He, surely, must be permitted to do something with his money; he does not receive more than the ordinary rate of interest for it; and that he may be fully free for his work in the Missions, he has transferred his temporal affairs into the hands of a person in the colony, to transact them for him. 4. His son could not pass through a Quarterly Meeting where he was, for there has not yet been a Quarterly Meeting held in that infant part of the work; but, that his brethren might be unbiassed in the consideration of his son's case, he left the chair to be occupied by another when he was proposed, and, himself, took no part in the proceedings. His son was recommended to the ministry by the unanimous vote of the Meeting. 5. Mr. Lawry is diligent and active abroad,-preaching frequently, attending week-night services, and by example, as well as by counsel, seeks to stimulate his brethren to zeal and to usefulness.

With these denials, we leave the anonymous accusations against Mr. Lawry, knowing well that his character for truth and honesty will bear a favourable comparison with that of either the editor or the proprietor of the mis-named "Wesleyan Times ;" and that their malignant efforts will not succeed in weakening the interest felt by tens of thousands of Methodists in the devoted Superintendent of the successful Missions in the islands of the South Seas. We have seen the highest testimonials to his character and usefulness from the very best authorities, which, if it had not been for this wanton attack upon him, would, probably, never have been produced. There are, also, other modes of defending injured character, than that of observations in the pages of the "Vindicator," as some parties already know to their own degradation. But we now cease from further remarks upon this matter.

LONDON: PRINTED BY JAMES NICHOLS, HOXTON-SQUARE.

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