A public meeting was held on Saturday night in the new branch Temperance Hall, Hongkew, for the purpose of inaugurating the movement in that hitherto unavoidably neglected locality. There was not sv good an attendance as might have been expected, but this resulted from two can: the unsettled state of the weather; and, primarily, from the fact that sufficient publication of the intention to hold the meeting had not been made among those for whose benefit the branch hall is specially designed. However, small beginnings sometimes have great endings, and there can be no doubt that before long the "new departure" will receive both recognition and success, The particular objects contemplated by the promoters of this movement were so fully set forth by the various speakers, that further allusion to them on our part would be a work of supererogation.
The chair was taken by Mr. C. P. Blethen, President of the Temperance Society, and the audience included " good sprinkling of ladies. About a dozen seamen from the ships in harbour were also present.
The proceedings wore commenced with an appropriate prayer, offered by the Rev. Mr, Miller; after which a temperance melody was sung.
The Caarrwax then addressed the meoting. He said, the want of a temperance hall in Hongkew had long been felt by the members and associates of the Shanghai Temperance Society, although it had not been a great many months—some sixteen or eighteen—since they thought themselves able to establish a hollin Shanghai. They id then start a hall, but more as an expe-lent than anything else. That exp. ment had proved a sticcess, and now they felt they could go on, and do something more, if not better. They obtained the large hor the Hankow-road, upon wh they had expended a good deal of money but that they did not mind, for, when the money was wanting it was forthcoming, and their new hall had proved a sugcesa (cheers.) After achieving so much, thought they would try and do a more still, and give Hongkew a hall. they provided these premises for that purpose; and as those he was addressing saw, the were rooms both above and below already partially furnished, and it was hoped that within the next two weeks they would have them completely in order. The Society thought they would be short of funds after preparing their new hall in the Hankow-road, but it was satisfactory to find that such was not the case. Both money and goods had been coming in freely on behalf of the Hongkew branch, not only from foreigners, but also from Chinese. (Applause.) Ching Chang had sent a dozen chairs, and another Chinese storekeeper had presented a very fine reading table. Besides these, other things were forthcoming from similar sources. Then, Mr. Coryell had assisted the movement, and Mr. Knoop had presented two boxes of books as a nucleus for a library. Little by little, things were thus accumulating, and he might mention that on Friday a subscription list was started, which was taken round to several places by Mr. Davis, and although Saturday was a busy day (being mail day) with business mon, and hie was not able to see as many yentlemen as on other days, the sum subscribed already reached the respectable amount of $200. (Applause) So they felt their efforts to do good were appreciated by the community, and that it was believed thata temperance hall was much needed in Hongkew on behalf of the foreign seamen and other people frequenting the port, whose ships lay at the adjacent wharves, In the reading room they would find English, American, and other newspapers and books, and there they could sit and spend a plossant hour without interference of any kind, and away from the temptation to waste their money in intoxicating drinks—a place, indeed, witero they might feel at Home: It was further hoped that the promoters would be able in the course of a short time to provide good meals at little cost to the seamen and others whom they expected to see frequenting the hall, together with lemonade, ginger beer, and other harmless beverages, but nothing that was intoxicating. All this was intended to remove the sailors when they came ashore as far as possible from the sources of temptation which surrounded them on almost every side in Hongkew; and, in conclusion, he hoped to seo the new hall well filled at all times by those for whom it was intended, and who would be always gladly received and welcomed. (Applauso,)
"The Rev. Mr. Mituen next addressed the meeting, and said that when several respectable members of a community combined together for the purpose of doing all they could to injure the business prospects of some of their fellow citizens, it was time something should be done. Some among them had been doing that for the last sixteen or eighteen months, and as one result, he might mention that the Indy who provides for the interments at the Cemetery had told him, that since the Shanghai Temperance Society hud been started, she had had but comparatively fow sailors to bury whose deaths had been caused by drowning while in a state of intoxication, though previously the rev was the case, In carrying the temperance movement actively into Hongkew, he felt sure there was not one right-thinking person in the community who would not wish them "success and God-speed." They did not seek to ruin, or even to abuse, the calers in intoxicating liquors—they only sought to do good to others,—to save those who were being ruined by' indulgence in such drinks, But even for the dealers there was something to be said. Somotimes they got nothing but abuse, as being lost to humanity, and as_ being amongst the very lowest class of human creatures, tempting their fellow men. But the liquor sellers were tempted in their turn by the men who went into their saloons to drink their liquors—those who drank were equally tempters with those who offered the drink—for if there were no Arinkers there would bone drinks. The bar Keepers, again, were tempted to get money, who were the tempters? again, those who drunk, But he thought it was possible to show that the temptation was rather more on the side of the liquor seller than the drinker, and in proof of this theory, he graphically described the opening of some gold mines among the mountains in America, 500 miles from the nearest railway. Thousands of men were attracted to the place, and of course there was at first no grogshop among them. But very soon one made its appearance, and also a theatre, and these were fitted up with all the glittering accessories marking such places in the great cities of the world. Pianos
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.