The annal meeting of the Society for the Diffusion of Christian and General Knowledge among the Chinese, took place at the Royal Asiatic Society's Rooms on Thursday night. Inv. Byron Brenan, H.B.M.'s Consul-General, was in the chair, and was immediately supported by Mr, Thorne and the Rev. Timothy Richard. A large number of members and friends of the Society attended, and the meeting was a distinct: success, Dr. Mateer opened the mveling with prayer, after which an said—I have now to more the first resolution, which is that the report and accounts be adopted. This is the second time that I have had the honour of presiding ut the annual meet ing of this Society, @ meeting where we are given the opportunity of review. ing the work of the Society during the previous twelve months. Iam sorry that on this occasion, as on the last, when the well-wishers of the Suciety have assembled here to cast a backward glance at. the progress that has been made, and to take a comprehensive view of the good work accomplished, the main feature of the picture that presents itself to our mind is 4 black cloud that almost obliterates from the view every particle of bright colouring. The contemplation of such a picture can but cause a feeling of pain, and I might almost say*of remorse! to all who have given the Society " helping hand. The idea of a feeling of remorse is born of the reflection that it is indirectly due to the efforts of this Society, and of Kindred societies, that within the last year hundreds of innocent Chinese have been brutally done to death by their own countrymen. hope I am not misunderstood, Whut I wish to suggest is that the majority of the innocent natives who have been cruelly murdered are men, women and. children whose offence was that they accepted the teaching andimbibed the knowledge offered them by the philanthropic societies of Christian nations. Many of those whom Tam now addressing I am sure feel with me that something like a self-consciousness of guilt must trouble the mind of every person who has even indirectly had a share in the work of this and similar societies in China, Probably the last dying thought of many of the victims of this recent outburst "of Chinese official savagery. was that through the well-meant efforts of benevolent forei ers they had been brought the cruel death staring them in the face and that these sime benevolent who sent them forth, could not move a finger to save them from their fate. It is this reflection that many men have been tortured for their willingness to listen to our teaching, and that their ut fading thought x" death merciful-ly came to replace life, was that they were being deserted—it is this sad reflection that must cause an uncomfortable feeling in many of us. This Society, its full name implies, works in two different—or I should say, tivo distinot_—directions. There is the spiritual side which is chiefly concerned in trying to convert men to Christianity; and there is the material side which seeks to impart such knowledge to Chinese as will improve their condition in this troubled world. Of the former division I do not with to speak now; the balance of profit and loss, if I may use the expression, in spiritual matters, is not, I conceive, what we have chiefly met to-day to discuss. I take it that at this annual meeting we come to take a business-like survey of the society's work, and to consider whether its efforts are being exercised to the best advantage. Recent events suggest that such Societies as
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.