ton Saturday night nee Hall, the attendance was an at the preceding ones. is perhaps to be attributed in large measure to the fact that there was again a performance at the Lyceum Theatre going on at the same time.
8.45 the Rev. Win. Muirhead took the Mr. took up his position, which he always so ably fills, at the harmonium. After prayer had been offered by the Rev. Chairman, the meeting sung the opening Hymn, No. 2.
Cuanoras then made a few remarks with reference to the departure of the President of the Temperance Society, Mr. C. P. Blethen, expressing a hearty wish that he might have a pleasant journey to San Francisco, and also that he would speedily return. (Applause.) He also hoped that the deficiencies of the gentlemen who would occupy the chair during his absene> would be more than compensated for by the superexcellence of the platform. of which gave room for a somewhat enthusiastic manner of delivery, which was not, however, overdone by the reciter.—Mr. Rogerson, who was introduced in very complimentary terms by the Chairman, gave an Irish reading, which moved the audience to laughter several times, and which was well rendered.—Mr. Butler followed with a song, Maid of Athens, ere we part," himself playing the accompaniment on the piano; being loudly encored he gave "Poor Little Binks," in a most effectively humorous manner, highly appreciated by the audience, the elocution," if the word may be so used, being in this connection perfect.
The Rev. Dr, Netsoy then introduced the Rey. Mr. Sultan, a Presbyter of the Nestorian Church, and proceeded to state that the Nestorian Church had a most remarkable history, going directly back to the times of the Apostles; that it was the Church which first sent Missionaries to China, and that there was still in existence a remarkable monument erected by Imperial authority that bore witness to their enterprising missionary spirit. The gentleman he introduced had credentials from his own metropolitan, and also letters from many gentlemen of high ecclesiastical tion in India and the East, besides others from residents in many places, which attested the interest he had awakened in his journeyir.gs on behalf of his Church.
The Rev. Mr, Svitax, in commencing, apologised for his somewhat imperfect acquaintance with the English language, aal then Tesi s abory sootent of the early history of the Nestorian Church from the time of its separation from the Western ecclesiastical bodies. It had sent mission aries to China at an early date, and a tablet (doubtless that referred to by' Dr, Nelson) had been erected at Si-an-foo, having reference to their labours in A.D. 1605. He then went on to say that in old times they had been an influential community and had sent abroad a considerable number of missionaries; but that many persecutions and great oppression suffered at the hands of the Mahomedans had reduced them now to great poverty and distress as a Church, There was one considerable community of them in Turkey in Europe, and the other lived in Kurdistan. He gave some particulars of the manner in which they were oppressed, and mentioned that he was travelling to obtain assistance for them, concluding with the words which he accompanied with a smile and a polite bow " and if some gentlemen can help them,"—which were received with applause, not altogether without smiles on the part of the audience.
Dr. Netsox then made some observations tending to shew that an appeal for help from these Christians was not without cause, and that their present unhappy condition was the result of long-continued persecution on the part of their neighbours, The Cuaueas said a few words in the same strain; and then, after a flute solo by Mr Manz, the usual hymn by the audience (No. 99) brought the proceedings to a close.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.