FACTS FOR SPEAKERS.

DRUNKARDS.In the year ending Michaelmas last, 94,908 persons260 a day-were proceeded against before justices in England for drunkenness, or for being drunk and disorderly, and 63,255 of them were convicted. The great majority were only fined, but above 7,000 were committed to prison. The returns show a great increase over the previous year, for only 82,196 were then charged with drunkenness, and only 54,123 convicted. Of the persons thus charged in the last year, 22,560 were females, and more than 10,000 women were convicted for being drunk. Coroner's inquests in the year 1862 found 211 verdicts of deaths from excessive drinking, 145 men and 66 women thus ending their days.

AN ARGUMENT NOT TO BE WITHSTOOD.-The most irresistible of all arguments are not those of the argumentative kind. They lie in another domain, and they will triumphantly assert their sway when all others have failed. The Rev. William Reid, of Edinburgh, in a temperance sermon introduces the following incident-all the more interesting as relating to a high and honoured name in the advocacy of our cause:— "An eminent minister of the Gospel was some years ago spending a day with a brother in the ministry. The lady of the house at which he was sojourning, being a devoted friend of our cause, had advanced every argument she could think of to convince him of the propriety of his becoming an abstainer, but apparently without effect. On coming down to breakfast on the following morning, his host said to him, 'My wife has been praying much for you since we parted last evening.' 'Praying for me!' said he with surprise. 'Yes, praying that the Lord might remove the blindness which prevents you seeing the truth upon the subject of abstinence!' 'Well, well,' said he, I can withstand her arguments, but I cannot withstand her prayers!' That lady, who patiently took her cause and laid it before God, was the late Mrs. Sherman, of London, and the convert whom God gave her, in answer to her prayers, was the Rev. Newman Hall, who, from that hour has been one of our ablest and most influential advocates. Prayer and patience are more than a match for all the objections which Christian men and women are able to advance."

STRONG DRINK versus THE GOSPEL.-" During the twenty years after the establishment of the Church Missionary Society, only £250,000 were collected in aid of its funds; whilst in the same period were spent in this country for ardent spirits alone, the enormous sum of £375,000,000. It is calculated, on the authority of the British and Foreign Bible Society, that, at the present annual revenue, it will require six hundred years before every family in the known world can have a copy of the inestimable Word of God; whereas if the inhabitants of Britain were to abstain from intoxicating drinks for one year, sufficient money could be saved for that great work to be effected in that short period."

Annals of the United Kingdom Band of Hope

Union.

LABOURS OF THE AGENTS.

Mr. W. B. AFFLECK and the Rev. J. KEELEY have during the past month been fully engaged in the Northern Counties, in attending meetings, fetes, and galas.

Mr. WILLIAM BELL has been lecturing in Northampton and neighbouring counties. Notwithstanding the warm weather, and the fact that our country friends are now very busily engaged, Mr. Bell has had unusually large audiences. The following places have been visited, some, several times:- King's Cliffe: It is more than 10 years since there was a meeting held at this place. We had a good meeting-at the close 44 signed the pledge. Warrington. Elton: A large meeting for a village— the first held for many years. The publicans sent some men with buckets of water to throw over us, but their hearts failed them when they got to the spot; at the close 30 signed the pledge. Polebrook: This is fresh ground. Three weeks ago I gave the first lecture; at the close 30 signed the pledge. The publican sent a lot of men with cans full of beer to annoy us, but the sympathy of the people was with us, and we had a glorious meeting. Thrapstone; Raunds; Ringstead; Finedon; Woolerston; Banbury; Cirencester; Rushden; Kettering, &c.

During the month Mr. G. BLABY attended and addressed the following Bands of Hope:-Bloomsbury Refuge, twice; Denmark Street, twice; Vauxhall Walk; Eaton Buildings, Chelsea; Ogle Mews, Tottenham Court Road; Waterloo Street, Camberwell; King Street, Long Acre; Kentish Town; St. Patrick's School, Soho; Working Men's Club, Duck Lane, Westminster; Little Wild Street; Little Denmark Street; Whitfield Chapel, Long Acre; Providence Hall, Shoreditch; Hind Mews, Marylebone; Haverstock Hill; Mill Pond Bridge, Rotherhithe; Shadwell; and Tottenham. He has also taken part in three adult meetings, preached eight sermons, and addressed three Sunday schools.

Mr. F. Smith has attended meetings as follows:-Southville, Wandsworth Road; Earl Street, London Road; Weir's Passage, Euston Road; St. Pancras Vestry Hall; Commercial Road; Collier's Rents, White Street, Borough; Whitfield Chapel, Long Acre; Britannia Fields; Stepney Meeting; Pell Street, St. George's in the East; Salem Chapel, Bow Road; and Lansdowne Place, Kent Street.

ANCHOR BAND OF HOPE, CAMBERWELL.-A meeting of the above society was held on Tuesday, July 14th, with an attendance of nearly 200. Towards the close of the proceedings, Master William Climpson delivered a short address prepared for the occasion, and presented Mr. James Eaton, the active superintendent, with a pretty pair of letterbalances, as a small token of affection and gratitude from some of the members of the Band of Hope. When the loud applause which followed

had subsided, Mr. Eaton made a suitable reply, and the meeting soon after terminated.

THE NORTHAMPTONSHIRE TEMPERANCE UNION having secured the services of Mr. Bell, of the Band of Hope Union, that gentleman has recently commenced his labours in the districts belonging to the association, and during the last few days has visited Kettering, Geddington, and Rushden, where he has delivered a series of lectures with great success. Mr. Bell is likely to become extremely popular in the neighbourhoods visited by him, thereby rendering considerable service to the Temperance cause. At Kettering he conducted the Band of Hope meeting more successfully than it had ever previously been, and has done much by showing the proper way of managing such gatherings.- Weekly Record.

NORTHAMPTONSHIKE.— -Mr. Bell has been lecturing in various parts of the country with great success, and is proving one of the most useful auxiliaries ever possessed by the Northampton Temperance Union.~ Weekly Record.

EAST COWTON.-The East Cowton annual festival was held on Tuesday, the 23rd inst., in the Hurworth spacious Temperance marquee, in a field liberally placed at the service of the society by Mr. Sampson Horsley. This is the second occasion on which Mr. Horsley has kindly assisted the society in a similar way. The day was splendid, and agreeably disappointed the apprehensions of the managers, which had been excited by the previous succession of wet weather. The company assembled from Darlington, Northallerton, and the surrounding neighbourhood was very large. The number who partook of the cup which cheers but not inebriates was upwards of four hundred. The tent was crowded during the delivery of two admirable speeches by the Rev. G. W. McCree, hon. sec. of the United Kingdom Band of Hope Union, and Mr. J. Sergeant, agent of the United Kingdom Alliance.

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WASHTON.-On Thursday, the 18th, the fourth anniversary of this society was held in this village. The weather being fine a goodly number of people drew up to enjoy the festivities. The Reeth Teetotal Brass Band arrived at noon, and marched into the village, to the tune of “ Auld Lang Syne," the flag of the band being borne by Messrs. M. Brown and Thomas Wood, two of the latest converts of the place to the Temperance cause. During the afternoon the band played some of its lively airs, and the visitors enjoyed themselves immensely. Tea was provided in the Temperance-hall; nearly three hundred partook of the same. During tea Mr. T. Clarkson presided at the harmonium, accompanied by the Reeth choir, performing some pleasing pieces which greatly delighted the audience. After tea the public meeting was held; G. A. Robinson, Esq., of Reeth, presiding, the crowd being so great that numbers were unable to obtain admittance. Addresses were delivered by Mr. J. Sergeant, agent of the United Kingdom Alliance, the Rev. H. Oakley and Rev. Mr. Wood. Richmond. On Sunday, the 21st, two sermons were preached in the hall by the Rev. Mr. Keeley, agent of the United Kingdom Band of Hope Union.

KETTERING. The Temperance committee here engaged Mr. Bell, of

the Band of Hope Union, to deliver two sermons in the open air on Sunday last, that being the feast Sunday, when the town was crowded with visitors. On each occasion the attendance was large, and Mr. Bell, who is becoming highly popular, was well received. He was assisted by Mr. Parker, of Finedon, and other Temperance advocates.

WENSLEYDALE: AYSGARTH FORCE ANNUAL TEMPERANCE GALA.This popular gathering was held with more than usual eclat on the 24th ult., in a field near the York Mills. The tea was served in two tents, there being about a thousand who partook of the cup that cheers. After tea, George A. Robinson, Esq., of Reeth, ascended the platform, formed by wagons, some distance from the tents. The Reeth Band played several pieces, and after a temperance melody was sung the chairman delivered a speech of considerable power. Mr. Sergeant followed in a humorous and practical address, which was much cheered; after which the Rev. G. W. M'Cree, of London, delivered an interesting and eloquent speech-Mr. Councillor Blakey, of Halifax, as a native of Wensleydale, also addressed the assembly, expressing his unshaken devotion to abstinence principles. After the meeting a fine balloon was sent up, and other amusements extemporised. The fête passed off in a manner most gratifying to all parties.

NORTHERN AUXILIARY TO THE UNITED KINGDOM BAND OF HOPE UNION.

CONFERENCE OF DELEGATES AT BISHOP AUCKLAND.

The conference of the delegates in connection with the above Union, for the interchange of thought and the expression of opinion for the good of their undertaking, was held in the Town Hall, on Tuesday, the 16th of June, under the presidency of G. A. Robinson, Esq.

Mr. Robinson delivered an emphatic address, in the course of which he regretted his inability, on account of declining health, to bestow as much attention to the Band of Hope movement as he was desirous of doing; but what he could perform in a quiet way they might expect him to do with all his heart. He was quite sure that all people engaged in the movement would endeavour to draw the children, into the paths of Temperance and religion, because by so doing they were benefiting themselves-perhaps in a greater degree than they were the children, and the result would afford them all happiness here and hereafter. He contended that it was easier and better to teach the younger branches than the adults, because the latter had become possessed of opinions and views, the error of which it was not easy to disabuse their minds. Mr. Robinson concluded by advising all people to set a good example to their children, and train them up in a proper manner, which would eventually lead to higher and better things.

The Rev. T. Holme, the Vicar of East Cowton, then read a very impressive and earnest paper on the Band of Hope movement, since its formation in London, in 1855, which fully bore testimony to the general soundness of the principles they were advocating and adopting. There

was one thing, however, he did not at all like, and that was the fact of the agents of the Union setting themselves up as exponents of the Gospel, and, consequently, leading many people to suppose that the movement was only instituted to further the ends of a few dissenting parties. He would much rather, therefore, that they would attend to their proper employment.

The Rev. G. W. M'Cree of London, was the next speaker, and in the course of his remarks urged upon the delegates the necessity of not merely sending agents into districts where a Union had been formed, but also into localities where no Temperance societies existed, so that they could further the great end proposed by the Permissive Bill, and place it in an unobjectionable form before the legislature of the country. He did not entirely agree with the rev. gentleman who had preceeded him, with reference to the agents of the society preaching the Gospel, because he considered an agent who could attend to his duties and take his place in the pulpit as well, was the individual the society required. He sympathised with his friend on account of the objections raised by the ministers of the Church, but he considered the best and only way to make them pass away was for their agents to go on preaching as usual, and endeavour to the best of their ability to complete the good work in which they were engaged.

The Rev. T. Holme said he did not wish it to be understood that the ministers of the Established Church really objected to it; but it was merely his own opinion that if the agents kept to their proper purpose, it would be much better and more satisfactory to all parties.

The Rev. G. W. M'Cree stated that fifty-six thousand pledge cards had been sold during the year, and twenty-three thousand hymn books, which looked as though they were steadily progressing. There had also been one thousand seven hundred and twenty meetings held in connection with the Union during the past year.

Ms. W. B. Affleck then read a paper written by Mr. Lewis, of Witton Park, on "How to preserve members of Bands of Hope," which was generally acknowledged to be of a high intellectual order.

The following delegates then gave in an account of the progress of the movement in their respective localities:-Messrs. Chas. Gascoigne and Henry Appleby, Hurworth; John Hodgson, Otterington; Isaac Thomson, Witton Park; Henry Wardle, Gainford; Joseph Lingford, John Pallister, and Thomas Snaith, Bishop Auckland. Miss Morton and Miss Taylor also attended from Hurworth, and were present during the whole of the business. The reports on the whole were very satisfactory, and at the conclusion the meeting took a conversational form, and shortly afterwards adjourned.

A similar meeting was held in the afternoon, and a public meeting was held in the evening, when addresses were delivered by the Rev. T. Holme (in the chair), Rev. J. P. Keeley, Rev. G. W. M'Cree, J. Sargeant, Esq., Mr. W. B. Affleck, and Mr Thompson, all of whom spoke of the great benefits derived from the society. On Wednesday evening the annual tea party and soiree was celebrated in the same place. The