Ten years ago, as some of our readers will remember, the month of May was enlivened in Shanghai by a gathering of Protestant Missionaries from all parts of China. Nearly a hundred and thirty, out of about four hundred and fifty then on the field, assembled and carried on a series of deliberations on the more salient features of their work. Thi General Conference was held in the Temperance Hall, and it was an agreeable as well as interesting sight to watch the groups of missionaries in all stages of clerical and unclerical costume going to and coming from the place of meeting day after day. Every local missionary residence was full and overflowing with ailable lodging fully occupied. The ladies of course visited the various stores during the intervals of recess, and laid_in supplies of raiment of modern fashion and other necessaries of life to carry to their distant stati 1 social gatherings were many pleasantest character. The deliberations were characterised by deep earnestness and the interchange of views was most beneficial to all concerned. On the whole this Conference was such a great success that it was unanimously resolved to repeat it at regular intervals of ten years. But the month of May has come and gone and the proposed general conference has not been held. The number of missionaries is now almost double what it was ten yearsago. The facilities for travelling and for the communication of ideas are greatly increased. China has made wonderful progress during the interval. The country is already opened up as much as present circumstances will admit of. The Protestant Missionary is tolerated and even encouraged inman parts. Recent official proclamations call upon all classes of people to treat him with courtesy, if not with Kindness and respect. Opposition is still kept up in some places, yet on the whole it is a most encouraging and healthy sign; for opposition is far preferable to and more hopeful than apathy. We now know far more about the habits, manners and customs of the people than formerly. Missionaries have n working up the written and spoken languages with much zeal and earnest ness, Books have been written and published without number, suitable, more or less, to the present needs of the country. New Medical hospitals and schools have been established in different places. On the whole the results of the last ten years of missionary work and general progress seem to justify, and in fact to call loudly for the decent nial meeting previously resolved upon. Why then has it not been held If just occurs to us, by the way, how opportune this Jubilee year would have been for such a purpose. By arranging to hold their Conference during the present month the missionaries might not only have added greatly to their own enjoyment but have enlivened the Jubilee celebrations by participating in them. 'The steamer' companies would have found it to their advantage to lower their fares, say one-half, to all missionaries who' could spare time to come to the Conference. Those living away in the interior could then more easily have allowed themselves a well-earned holiday, and would have returned to their posts invigorated with the new ideas and improved health gained in our Model Settlement, so as to be ready to commence a new era in their self-denying life work. The evils naturally growing out of so much seclusion from their fellow countrymen and so much contact with the lower intellectual and moral life of the Chinese would have been ured for the time being. A hundred ways in which benefits of all kinds would have accrued to them crowd into our thoughts faster than we can attempt, to write them, and make ws wonder again and again why no arrangements were made to carry out such a mauifestly desirable undertaking.
We do not pretend to know any of the secrets of missionary affairs, We have read and heard of more than one very vague and flimsy reason that has been assigned for this omission. But we are inclined to believe that the actual reason is not generally known outside of missionary circles. Our theory is that one or two who considered themselves the leading spirits in China took it upon themselves to try and make the preliminary arrangements and published their scheme; going so far as nominating the officers—of course giving the most, prominent positions to their personal friends. 'This officiousness brought about, a general dissatisfaction, and' distrust so that rather than have the General Conference carried on under the auspices thus inaugurated the body of missionaries appear to have preferred none at
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.