Christ. Attempts had been made in his State to regulate the traffic, and they had failed, and no success was achieved until it was abolished altogether. Facts and figures were brought before the people which showed distinctly that there were in the United States from fifty to sixty thousand persons annually who went down to the drunkard's grave. After the prohibitory law was passed, it was several times upset by the opposite political party; but, after a trial of seven years, the people went to the legislature, asking them to leave it to the people to say whether they would have the law or not. The legislature complied; and when the day came for the people to vote as to whether the traffic should be abolished or not, out of a population of one hundred and twenty thousand voters, fewer than one hundred voted against the abolition (cheers). They now had a Maine law of the people, and not simply of the legislature. There was a class, as there always would be, down underneath everything like respectability and decency, and they still continued the traffic to some extent, but it was carried on in underground passages and bye-places, as was acknowledged even by the enemies of the law. Large quantities of liquor had been seized, and thrown into the sewer. Some men, who were thought Christians, put up their hands, and said, "Oh, what a waste of property! Why not sell it, and give it to the poor?" (laughter). It was felt, however, that they had been giving it to the poor long enough. He hoped the day was not very far distant when the people of England would be able to outlaw the accursed traffic. Is was almost past the power of man to portray the blessed results that would follow the entire destruction of the traffic in this country. It was the drinking customs of the country which supported the traffic, and the work of Bands of Hope was to undermine those customs (cheers).

The eighth hymn on the paper was then sung.

The Chairman (Joseph Payne, Esq.) said they had had their friend Mr. Gilpin in the chair, and they knew that it was said of John Gilpin, that he went farther than he intended-(laughter). He (Mr. Payne), who then occupied the chair in the place of Mr. Gilpin, had certainly gone farther than he intended, for he had intended to take no part in the meeting. He would say a few words as to what ought to be the result of the arguments that had been stated that evening. They ought to feel for the cause, and to kneel for the cause, and to steal for the cause, and to appeal for the cause. They ought to feel for the cause, for if they did not feel they would not act. Then they must kneel for the cause. It was said that teetotalism was put in the place of religion. That was a slander. Teetotalism merely put the people in a condition in which they would hear the gospel. If a man were to go half drunk into a church, would not Mr. Bumble, the beadle, very soon put him out?-(laughter). Teetotalism made men sober, and then the operations of religion were brought to bear upon them. An old divine said, " Prayer is a blessed messenger between heaven and earth, having communication with both worlds, and, by a happy intercourse and sure conveyance, sending up the necessities of the one, and bringing down the bounties of the other (applause). The teetotal cause and the Band of Hope cause stood in need of prayer.

Then, they should steal for the cause. It might seem rather odd that a judge should recommend stealing-(laughter). He meant, however, that they should steal time to serve the cause. An Irish poet said—

"The best of all ways

To lengthen our days,

Is to steal a few hours from the night.”

Then their duty was to appeal for the cause. They should join the cause themselves, and seek to induce others to do the same. They should begin at once, and endeavour in all sorts of ways to further the movement. They could not give themselves greater enjoyment than by tasting the luxury of doing good. The learned chairman concluded a humourous speech, interspersed with several laughable anecdotes, for which we have not space, by reciting his 1984th poetical tail piece :—

"The National Temperance League,

And the beautiful Bands of Hope,

Have gained great applause for the Temperance cause,
And have won it the widest scope.

Their friends are abstainers all,

Who fast by their plans have stood;

They do not sit, mum, but to others say, ' Come

With us, and we'll do you good.'

The singing of Temperance songs,

With strength and with sweetness too,

Has gladdened the hearts of the good in all parts,

And the hearts, I am sure, of you.

John Gilpin of old was famed ;

To children his name is known;

But he's dead and he's gone, but there's one who lives on,

And that Gilpin away has flown.

Now 'ere we depart we'll say,

With our Temperance flag unfurled,

'As onward they go, may the Bands of Hope grow,

Till they fill up the wide, wide world!'"

(loud cheers).

The Chairman then announced that their friend from "the other side of the water," the Rev. Newman Hall, was expected at nine o'clock.

The Rev. G. W. M'CREE said that it was an unsettled problem which was "the other side of the water." Sir Roderick Murchison, the President of the Royal Geographical Society, might be able to solve the diffiulty. Sir Roderick, however, did settle another matter of greater consequence the other night. Being at an evening party, some young men, who had drunk copiously of wine, were following Sir Roderick into the drawing-room. One of them said to him, "Sir Roderick, you know a great deal about geology as well as geography; can you tell us the rock upon which young men are likely to split?" "Well," said Sir Roderick, "judging from your deportment, I should say quartz” (quarts)—(laughter). Mr. Carleton had argued in favour of the abolition of the traffic. He

(Mr. M'Cree) was in favour of prohibition, and he contended that the legislature had no right to license men to hurt their fellow-men. That was Maine-law philosophy, and they could not do without that. And then, on the other hand, the promoters of Bands of Hope said, "We will take care, by God's help, that these children shall be so instructed in Band of Hope principles that they will not be tempted to enter the public house." That was the United Kingdom Band of Hope Union philosophy, and they could not do without either philosophy. He would tell the National Temperance League on the one hand, and the advocates of a Maine-law on the other hand, that they could not do without the Bands of Hope. Whilst they in their measure were doing a noble work, and cutting off a bough here and a bough there, the Band of Hope movement came and laid the axe at the root of the tree (cheers). If they got hold of the children they would, by God's help, be a Maine-law to themselves. Mr. M'Cree concluded by giving some instances of the necessity and efficiency of Band of Hope operations.

The children sang the ninth piece on the paper.

The Chairman said that the Rev. Newman Hall had arrived precisely at nine o'clock as he had anticipated. He would introduce him with four lines :

Newman Hall has a deal to do,

Yet Newman Hall to his word is true;

And Newman Hall is with us to-night,

For the Bands of Hope are his heart's delight. (laughter and cheers).

The Rev. NEWMAN HALL, who was warmly received, said that he was that morning before break fast out amongst the beautiful lanes and meadows of Hendon, listening to the rapturous singing of the birds, and razing upon the wondrous beauty of the flowers; and he thought that those birds that were singing so beautifully, and those lambs that were frisking so joyously, and those bright leaves that were clothing the trees with beauty, and those lovely flowers, were all young, and they were all teetotallers-every one of them. He hoped the young friends would learn a lesson from nature. They could be strong as the trees, and beautiful as the flowers, and happy as the birds and lambs, upon cold water. (cheers). He saw some lilac bushes, and oh, how beautiful they were ! The branches were covered with a beautiful profusion of flowers, and as he looked at them he thought that if some rude destructive person were to come with a great cudgel and knock away at the beautiful branches, spoiling those flowers of the lilac, he should feel disposed to be very angry with him, and he believed he should have a right to be so. But supposing some person were to go into one of the beantiful orchards where the apple trees were in such glory, and knock down the branches of the apple trees that were full of blossom, he would be doing more than destroying the flowers; he would be destroying the fruit, for the blossoms would be fruit very soon. Those children were blossoms,-blossoms more beautilul and more valuable than the blosson of the lilac or the apple tree. They might flower, and shed

their fragrance, and the blossom might ripen into fruit to benefit society and glorify God; and if he saw any one come with rudeness and cruelty and beat down those blossoms, he could not help being angry. He did right to be angry. Drink in this country had broken down many and many a fair blossom, and was threatening to break down many more. He prayed God that he might be more and more angry with drink, which did such damage (cheers). They tried to keep the children teetotallers, in order to keep them from the damage which might be done to them through drink; and many through life had had reason to bless God that they had been members of the Band of Hope. The question was sometimes asked, "Will the children keep the pledge?" He maintained that as large a proportion of children as of adults kept the pledge when they had once taken it, and, perhaps, the proportion was larger. Some time ago the venerable Premier, Lord Palmerston, was at Leeds, speaking for some public institution, and he used this illustration :- "If you want to drain a morass, what will you do, if you are wise? You will divert the little streams that flow into the bog, and make the morass. Divert those streams, and you cure the morass. That was a very good illustration of what the Band of Hope movement was doing (applause). Nobody who partook of intoxicating drinks could claim to be safe from their influence. The Temperance movement was one which concerned all classes of society, and those who helped it forward might one day find that they had been helping themselves or their own relations (cheers). There was a beautiful Pagan fable of Circe, a princess who dwelt upon the coast of Italy. It was said that by her enchanted cup which she gave to her guests to drink, she turned them into swine. The companions of Ulysses drank, and shared that fate. Ulysses, aided by Mercury, went with his sword in his hand, and rescued the victims of her enchantment, and they became men and women once more. Ancient fable was modern fact. Under the Circean influence of drink men and women became swine, and not only were they injured in their bodies, but the intellect, and heart, and conscience, and soul were all destroyed (cheers). Should men and women remain swine in the hands of the sorceress? Those who engaged in the teetotal cause had the help of a better than Mercury. They had the help of Christ, the friend of sinners; and he had given them a simple antidote, and that antidote was cold water (cheers). Should they say to their fellow-creatures, "Listen to the enchantress, but don't listen too long; drink of her cup, but don't drink too deep?" No, let them rather say,

in the language of the poet,

(loud cheers).

"Taste not at all the sweet Circean cup;
He who drinks often at last drinks it up;
Called to the temple of impure delight,
He who abstains, and he alone, does right."

On the motion of Mr. EBENEZER CLARKE, jun., seconded by Mr. WARREN HALL, a vote of thanks was unanimously passed to Charles Gilpin, Esq., and Joseph Payne, Esq., for their services in the chair.

JOSEPH PAYNE, Esq., responded on behalf of himself and his predecessor in the chair.

The Rev. NEWMAN HALL pronounced the benediction.

The Children sang the last piece on the programme as the audience were retiring.

THE CONFERENCE.

The annual Conference, was held in the Lower Room, Exeter Hall, on Wednesday, May 18th, 1864, when a larger number of delegates, both from London and the provinces attended, than on any preceding occasion. We have only space to give a partial list of the ladies and gentlemen present :Rev. Clarmont Skrine, Barnet; the Misses Rogers, Mr. Barrington, Mr. Thomas Bowick, Mr. Deane, Mr. Rowland Hill, jun., and Lieut.-Colonel Young, of Bedford; Mr. W. Bray, Mr. A. Firth, Mr. I. Phillips, and Mr. H. Sewell, from Bradford, Yorkshire; Rev. John Cort, and Rev. Wm. Rose, from Bristol; Mr. G. Beamish, Coventry; Mr. D. Clarke, High Wycombe; Mr. Wm. L. Matthews, Isleworth; Mr. James Raistrick and Mr. Joseph White, Kirkstall, near Leeds; Mr. John Bincks, Leeds; Mr. A. Walton, Liverpool; Mr. Robert Boyle, Manchester; Mr. John Phillips, Newport, Monmouthshire; Rev. John Phillips, and Mr. John Rutherford, Northampton; Mr. Robert Mellors and Mr. Joseph Sturge Gilpin, Nottingham; Mr. J. Lloyd, Richmond, Yorkshire; Rev. Samuel Couling, Scarborough; Mr. James S. Bartlett, and Mr. S. Hoyland, Sheffield; Miss J. Rudlan, Mr. W. Small, and Miss S. Stammer, Sudbury; Mr. John Rowan, and Miss Worthington, Wandsworth; Mr. Ebenezer Clarke, jun., Walthamstow; Mr. Richard Cooper, Wednesfield; Mr. W. Seaton, Wells, Somerset; Mr. W. B. Affleek, and Mr. D. Whalley, Yeadon, near Leeds.

The following is a list of some of the friends who attended from various parts of London :—

Rev. G. W. M'Cree, Rev. Dawson Burns, Rev. W. W. Robinson, M.A.; Rev. Joseph Boyle, Rev. Isaac Doxsey, Rev. J. Guthrie, Rev. W. R. Rowe, Rev. E. W. Thomas; Mrs. Brice, Mrs. Nichol, Mrs. Tuffrey, Mrs. F. Smith; the Misses Wood, Eldridge, Smith, Twitchin, Matthews, Butler, Barrett, Denison, Evans, Webber; Messrs. G. M. Murphy, Edmund Fry, William West, Thomas Dodd, W. Ludbrook, T. A. Smith, R. Rae, Venning, Fairey, R. Nichol, R. A. Gowan, John Warner; T. O. Chapman, Sunday-school agent of the Union; Green, E. F. Storr, George Joblin, J. Fosberry; Mr. W. Bell, agent of the Union; Mr. Thomas Cash, Mr. Andrew Dunn, Mr. John Matthews, Mr. James Eaton, James F. Watson, W. Charratt, Sydney Loveson, T. Hudson, J. P. Draper, A. J. Arnold, Thomas I. White, John Mantle, Alexander Bryce, W. J. Barlow, G. Baker, W. Tweedie, B. Harvey, C. Searl, M. Searl, Thomas Jones, W. Matthews, Henry Benjafi eld, W. Brown; G. Blaby, agent of the Union; W. J. Lay, agent of the Union; James Wood, W. Orange, John Ambler, W. Crosher, H. H. Tipper, J. Brice, S. Dorr, J. Stead, W. Richardson, T. E. Cocking, J. Moule, E. Hermitage, G. J. Hunt, World, Friend, J. Hardwidge; 7. Smith, agent of the Union; G. N. Bowman, C, J. Peowrie, E. Steele,