The annual meeting of the members of this Society was held on Thursday afternoon (30th) in the Municipal Council Board Room, Mr. George Jamieson, H.B.M.'s Consul presided, and there was a numerous attendance, including several ladies.
The Chairman, having remarked that he presumed the meting would take the minutes of the last meeting, and the annual report as read, said—As you know the object of our Society is to bring to the Chinese, and more especially the ruling classes, some knowledge of Western civi-Tisation, science and learning. We are endeavouring to reach them, as far as possible, either at the public examinations for the most part, or at the large centres of the anterior, the idea being to reach as far as possible the better of Chinese and stimulate a mental appetite amongst them and create a desire for further information. Sv far as our limited funds permit, we have been doing some work of that sort during the year, which is detailed in the report drawn up by Mr. Richard. One of the principal organs the Society uses is the magazine known as the Review of the Times, which Mr. Richard has been
since Dr. Allen's return, will fall back into editing during the year, aul. which now, his (Dr. Allen's) hands. ' There the Editor endeavours to gather together whatever there may be of interest happening in the world at large and put it in as attractive a form as possible among the Chinese. That is I believe entirely for sale, but in other respects the Society prepares small manuals on matters of varied interest, and these, as as far as we can, are distributed gratis among the students and other reading ple in the interior. The funds that we [have at our disposal are not so far very extensive. They are for the most part contributed from Scotland which has sent us, as you will see, during the year rather more than £300, and we added to that a very modest contribution made up in Shanghai, which, I am sorry to say, is} not so lure as it might be, but, T hope, as interest in the Society inerenses, and it becomes better known, these subscriptions in time will amount to very wuch more. With these few words I shall move the adoption of the report. (Applause.)
Rev. Dr. Allen—I have very great pleasure in secoudi motion," Uhave just returned from the United States after an absence of some twelve months or more, und T am very glad to find that the work has been yoing on so well and so much has been done. It strikes me there is perhaps a crisis coming in the history of our work here. Myself and others have been identified with it for many years and we see very great progress. One of the chief and most encouraging facts that I notice is the naturalization, so to speak, of ideas. We have been here a long time' in various capacities, us merchants and missionaries. The Chinese have been very slow, apparently, to necept our teaching, whether from' the commercial or the missionary standpoint. We see them now, however, beginning to naturalise our ideas, and from buying our articles, or purchasing things made abroad, they are beginning to earn to do these things themselves, and as they are beginning to study these things and produce them themselves we find there is a Gisposition to naturalise these foreign ideas. So with regard to our religious work, I think there is a spontaneous and natural movement to take these ideas and adopt them. The Chinese are beginning now to accept our teaching, adopt our ideas and adapt them to their use, and T think it can be very easily proved from the line of progress already developed that as their conceptions and their convictions reach the point they will accept and do accept nearly everything they can handle. We are contributing largely in this Society to that very object and purpose, reaching their convictions and then laying before them the morus operandi and en couraging them to adopt it, and there i avery large practical benefit to accrue to them and to us, and the world in general. The healthful development of this country would add greatly to the blessings and! benefits of the world, and, therefore, while we are apparently doing very little, yet we are working, so to speak, at the foundations of the great movement and enterprise which is to bless not only China but all the world. (Hear, hear.) I have, therefore, great pleasure in seconding the adoption of the report. (Applause.)
The Rev. Timothy Richard—Tn addition to what you find in the report I should like to make one or two explanations. You all know during last year we have been able to distribute on a wider scale than before. We have distributed at ten provincial capitals, and that means something like distributing ten European capitals. We are not satisfied with merely distributing books gratuitously; we want to establish depots for the sale, in order by-and-by to make the Society self-supporting. To show that our work is being appreciated I would mention two facts. A writer—one of the Secretaries in the Arsenal here—got hold of one of our pamphlets and was so pleased that he wrote tu one of the daily papers speaking in high terms of the work that was being done, and then sent for more of our publications. Another very interesting item I have got since the publication of the report. It is in connection with the last depot we have opened, far away in the north-west—Sinanfu, the' capital of the province of Shensi. ' There the opposition was so great only a short time ago that the missionary who has charge of our depot and who is very anxious to earry.ont the plans of our Society, was obliged to fly for his life. That was only two months ago. But he went back to the capital, and the mandarin now offers a house to lum free of charge if he will stay there and continue his work, saying: If you will remain here it will be a got-send tour place." (Applause.)
The resolution for the adoption of the report was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously.
The Rev. W. Muirhend—The second resolution has just been put into my hands. It That a8 this Society isthe only general before the influential e ull the leading institution in China foraystematically puting factors in Wester riy and as the ilisat connection between enlightenment. and development in all branches of life obvious, we artily recommend thi Society to all who are li lopment of the vast reso In speaking to this resolution I should be viad to lay before those who are now present n few considerations. One is that this Society is literary in its charnel ter and in its objects and so adapted to the millions of Chinese, We arein the midst of a country by no means ignorant or altogether uncivilized, but the contrary, The report which we have in our hands speaks of millions in connection with this country who have attained a certain amount: of enlightenment that has been handed down to them from very remote ages. They are to be found everywhere; amidst all classes of Society and particularly in connection with the various examinations that take place from time to time, Literature is the one great boast of China and as this is the special aspect of this Society it is happily adapted to the conditions in which China is plied, and it is a great ing indeed to have such a means of tending knowledge and enlightenment, of. wi it' may be, we are possessed, Where ihere " country, apart from those which bear the name of Christendom, to be compared with China in this point of view? It is not only that. the Chinese think so highly of their own literary attainments, but they have reason for doing so. And n this point of view we consider the charioter and objects, the aims and the ends of this Society, most suited to the actual circumstances' in which China is Another consideration is this, that ledge which it is the purpose of Society to communicate is just the knowledge which the Chinese stand in need of. The name on the report is that the ty has it in view to communicate Chri and general knowledge. No better words could be used to express the actual necessity of the millions of this country, and we consider that the Society on whose account we have met this afternoon is admirably suited for this all-important purpose. Wedesire to raise the Chinese to a much higher sphere of development than they have hitherto reached. It is not possible for the Chinese themselves to do it. They have had ages, I might almost say untold ages, for self-development and for attaining a far higher sort of knowledge and civilisation than they have hitherto
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.