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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent 6tre filmds d des taux de r6duction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Stre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est film6 d partir de I'angle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche i droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants lllustrent la mdthode. rata 3 elure. a 1 2 3 3 32.x I fjf]^|i ^i-^i^^8 *-^y^<»^'^i*'^*i'Kig»'*^-''^ '" "*' - / ST A TEMEN T OF TBS OFFICE-BEARERS OF TBK m\M %xmt\ §il)Ie Societg, 4- •ami •5 S^t^^ W " m Hamilton, 9th December, 1863* There is no Christian enterprise which enjoys a larger share of the public sympathy and confidence than the circulation of the Bible throughout the world. It is the more to be deplored, on this account, that attempts have been made, for some time back, to influence the public mind in reference tc the management of the Bible Society in this city, and to stir up strife in relation to ft cause which especially calls for peace. Two of the officers of the Society have been accused as men who are unworthy of confidence, unfit to associate with Christian men, and who deserve to be cast out of society. The majority of the Committee are accused of sheltering anddefending these unworthy men, and of faetiously dis- turbing the harmony of the Committee by refusing to accede to the proposed changes in the officers. The very existence of the Society has been imperilled ; and in addition to its more immediate results, still more extensive consequences have been entailed upon religion itself, by the indiscretions, to use the gentlest term, of the parties who are now identified as the minority. It is not fair to speak of both parties as equally to blame-to represent it as a mere clerical quarrel, reflecting equal disgrace upon all the Clergymen who are members of the Committee, as well as upon the other members who take an active part in the management of its afi"airs. What- ever differences may have existed in the Committee, it must be 1 'i m $ oonceded ihuL the niaiority have iicv. r obtruded themselves upon the public in controversial dispute, either as individuals or as a 'body. The letters, in reference to these difterenees, and the so- called reports of the proceedings of the Committee, which have appeared in the papers of the city, have been unauthorized publi- cations. At the Anniversary Meeting, when the subject wtts forced upon the notice of the public, the majority again proved their desire to avoid public scandal by referring its difterences to those, who by the constitutioo, are recognised as members of the Society. * The whole matter in dispute has been so much misrepresented, and is now so much misunderstood, that we, as office-bearers of the Society, in the absence of the President owing to severe iUness, deem it our duty to present to the public a statement tracing both the true spirit and the real facts of the case. In doing so we do not dissemble our fear that what we say will be received in some quarters with a strong prejudice against it. In as far as regards the determined followers of a party we cannot expect to wr'te acceptably ; but for those who are not tied to party and who are willing to think for themselves, we should greatly grieve if they were prevented by prejudice from reading fi\\r\y what they will find in this statement. We bespeak a candid examination of our views as necessary to the removal of the evils which have arisen from the painful and vexatious agitation of the public mind ; and however severely our assertions may be scanned, let this only be done fairly, and we believe that, through the dust and din and smoke of this conflict, the public will judge righteously in reference to the matters which have been brought to the bar of public opinion by the action of the minority. To form a true judgment of the difficulties in the Bible Society, it is necessary to take a retrospective glance at thoir origin and history. The disputes in the Committee have existed for some years, and have always arisen from the same parties, while the iiing so we do iived in some if as regards :pect to wr'te and who are brieve if they fhat they will nation of our i\ have arisen c mind ; and i this only be it and din and [y in reference bar of public 3ible Society, eir origin and ted for some ties, while the majority have iuvaruihly lule-l ^naply on ihr a.t.nsiv..-Lhe aifiuks upon personal character were from the first ot ;i vexatious kind, and they have been renewed from time to lime with increasing vehemence and intensity. The interruption in the harmony of the Committee originated in a question in reference to the election of Mr. W. Kennedy as a meiuher of Committee. At a meeting held on the 4th of Nov., 1801 the names of persons who were to be nominated as members of Commitlee were agreed upon ; but at another meeting, held about two months afterwards, on the 6th of January, 1862, it was moved by the Rev. T. Pullar, and seconded by the Rev. Dr. Irvine that Mr. Ivenneday's name be submitted to the public meetitU as an additional member. On the objection being raised that Mr. Ivennedy was not a member of the Society, and therefore not eligible for election, Dr. Irvine promised to pay the subscnp. tion necessary to his membership, and the proposal was agreed to.- The collector was then solici aig subscriptions, and there was ample opportunity of paying the money either to the collector or to the Treasurer before the tin.e fixed for the anniversary. The public meeting was held in Knox's Church on the i5th of January, 1862. On that evening, before the meeting was constituted, a difficulty occurred in the vestry of the church. A number of gentlemen who were to address the meeting had assembled in the vestry, and after some of them had gone into the church, Dr. Irvine asked to look at the list of names which had been proposed for officers- After looking it over, he made a strong assertion that some names had been .omitted from the list, and in reply to the Secretary's question as to who they were, he gave the name of Mr, Kennedy. The Secretary stated that it was necessarily dropped, as he had not subscribed and -vas ineligible. Dr. Irvine replied that he would pay Mr. Kennedy's subscription. Whereupon Dr. Ormis- ton proposed to add his name, and did write it on the list. It was proposed and carried, and appears in the minutes of that meeting IM 1 in Mr. Walker's hand-writing. There is, in the minutee of the Society, no list of the officers forthatyearon whichMr. Keim-^ly's Mmd does not appear. At 8 meeting of Committee held about a month afterwards, on the nth of Febrnary, Mr. W. Kennedy read and laid on the table a paper, in which he protested "against Mr. Walker** being again permitted to act under the sanction of the Committee," on the ground that Mr. Walker " had made from the minutes of the Committee a false extract, in which his (Mr, Kennedy's) name was omitted, after the Committee had passed a resolution in which his name is recorded." It was then moved by the jlev. R. Burnet, seconded by the Hev. T. Pullar, — " That this Board having had laid on their table a protest reflecting on the conduct of the Secre- tary having tampered with the minutes, agree to record their want of confidence in Mr. Walker for the future." On this motion being put to the Committee, four members voted for and eleven against it. The next trouble arose from the complaint of a respected gen- tleman of this city, which was laid on the table of the Committee at a Special Meeting,; held on the 5th of March, 1862, At the next meeting of the Committee, which was held on the 1 8th of November, 1862, a motion growing out of this complaint was made by the Rev. E. Burnet, seconded by the Rev, T. PuUar, in which it was declared that the Committee " feel called upon to record their entire disapprobation of Mr. Walker's conduct, and hereby do so in order to free the Society from beirg considered as in any way connected with such illegal, unconstitutional and improper proceedings." It was agreed, on motion of the Rev. Dr. Ormiston, seconded by Mr. W. Powis, that the complaint and motion thereon be referred to a Special Committee. That Committee reported at a meeting held on the 26th December, that an ample apology was due to that gentleman for certain irregularities in the matter complained of ; and, while disclaiming itefi uf the Kennedy's rwards, on Qi the table >emg again e," on the ites of the f name wa^ I which his R. Burnet, aving had ' the Secre- their want lis motion and eleven •ected gen- Committee 3. At the be 18th of plaint was Pul}ar,in ed upon to nduct, and considered itional and f the Rev. complaint Ltee. That December, for certain disclaiming all intentional discourtesy to that gentleman, they found that th« blame of these irregularities rested upon the Committee and Ml upon the Minute Secretary. They also embodied iu their report a statement made by Mr. Walker in reference to certain wordi used by him in Committee, in which he disclaimed having used an objectionable word with reference to the complainant. This report was adopted by the Committee, Mr. Burnet, Mr. PuMar and Mr. , W. Kennedy dissenting. At the Annual Meeting of the Society, held in SU Andrew's Church, on the I5th of January, 1863, Messrs. Burnet and Pullar addressed a joint letter to the President. This letter was not read at the Public Meeting, but these gentlemen afterwards published it in the daily papers of the city, and It is as follows : ** Hamilton, 15tb Jan., 1863. " TftlSTBAU BiCKLB, EsQ,, " Prtsideat of ihe BibU Sociity, "Dear Sib, — We feel ourselves reluctantly compelled through you to apologize to the annual meeting of the Hamilton Branch Bible Society for our absence to-night. We abstain from being present because in Committee, we have, for reasons assigned, pro- tested against the proposal of Mr. James Walker as Minute Sec- retary ; and we are therefore unwilling— even by our presence— to seem ♦o assent to his election. And secondly, because we do not desire to countenance a report which we have never seen—and which, if presented as the Committee's report, is sanctioning a falsehood. Two different courses were open to us in this matter. We have chosen the present, which has been commended to U8 by love to Christ — to truth and righteousness. No other cause could have prevented us taking our position at ihe meeting. With respect for you and your opinion, " We are, dear sir, " Yours truly, « ROBT. BURNET, •tTHOS. PULLAa" Mr. K« nndy ftlto published a totter of ilinUar import. The 3ifficuitjf ia the Ck>nimittee was thus tlinist upon the public notice by the act of these gentlemen. On the 10th of November last the Committee met to complete their arrangements for the Anniversary. The nomination of officers was taken up, and when that of the Minute Secretary was brought under the con3ideration of the meeting, it was moved by the Rev. T. Pullar, seconded by the Rev. J. Cheethain, that Mr. P. W. Dayfoot be Minute Secretary for the ensuing year. Mr. Dayfoot» being present, declined to be put in nomination. It was then moved by the Rev. Dr. Irvine, seconded by the Rev. J. Cheetham, that the Rev. R. Burnet be Dominated as Minute Secretary. In amendment, it was moved by Mr. James Watson, seconded by the Rev. S, D. Rice, that Mr. Walker be n*.minated as Minute Secretary. In the course of the discussion on these nominations, fresh attacks were made upon Mr. Walker^s character, reiterating charges of fradulent conduct in reference to the minutes, which had already been disposed of by the Committee. On the vote being taken, the amendment nomi- nating Mr, Walker was carried ; whereupon the Rev, Dr. Irvine, the Rev. T. Pullar, the Rev. J. Cheetham, the Rev. C. Shaw, and Messrs. W, Lawson, W. Kenndy and N, D. Fisiter, desired to record their dissent. Such is a brief statement of the historical facts in reference to the attacks upon Mr. Walker's honor and intej; ity, up to the 18th ult,, when the public meeting was held. The vituperative charac- ter of these attacks will be understood by those who have heard the speeeches of those gentlemen at the public meeting, or who have read their communications through the press. It must be admitted that some of the acta of the Committee have been irre- gular, as in the case of the gentleman already rcft.i'ed to, to whom the Committee tendered an apology, and also in the case of Mr. W. Kennedy, in allowing his name to be put in nomination at all, I I import. The public notioe to complete I that of the ration of the tided by the ite Secretary iolined to be > Dr. Irvine, I. Burnet be as moved by ice, that Mr. ourse of the made upon it conduct in posed of by iment nomi- ". Dr. Irvine, 7. Shaw, and t desired to reference to p to the 18th itivc charac- have heard ing, or who It must be B been irre- to, to whom case of Mr. lation at all, "5 \ when he wae not a member of the Society, and the proposal that he should be made a member for the take of being eligible for office, was one which should not have been entertained for a inoiiient. There is, no doubt, room for ditTerences of opinicti as U> the regularity of Mr. Walker^s official acts as Sock it? y, and there is no reason why they should not be fairly criiicised; but neither his ofticial acts nor his general .lunuir 'istify the conduct of the minority towards him in their lu'i-sistent uccusatiuns of falsifying the Minutes. The Society ov/cs much of its past success to his unwearied efforts on its behalf; yet the effort hu^ been repeatedly and violently made to dismiss him from oflice, with a stigma upon his moral character. The question which so long agitated the Committee has notbeon merely the change of the Minute Secretary. Had this been all, it would have been con- ceded by the Committee, Mr. Walker having frequently during the past two years expressed his willingness to retire from the office. It has been a question seriously affecting the moral charjw- ter of Mr. Walker, and for the Committee to have assented to the change in the office under the circumstances in which it has been persistently placed before them, would have been substantially to acknowledge the truth of the charges brought against him. The demands of the minority to yield to them, for the sake of peace, were of such a character that peace could only have been purchased at the expense of justice. The minority have not only tried to overrule the majority in this matter, but have publicly assailed both Mr. Walker and the Committee, beginning with the letters of Messrs. Burnel and Pullar, published by them in January last and culminating in the disgraceful proceedings of the recent public meeting. As men guided by the precepts of the Bible, we have all along withstood, and we do still withstand, the attempts to inflict a great moral wrong upon one who has faithfully and ener- getically served the Society for twenty4wo years. We come now to the case of Dr. McQuesien. At the meeting already referred to, held on the 10th of November fast, when the 8 nomination of Treasurer was before the CJommittee, it was moved by the Rev. R. Burnet, seconded by Mr. A. F.Wood, that Mr. F.W, Watkins be nominated as Treasurer. In amendment it was moved by the Rev. S. D. Rice, seconded by Mr. James Osborne, that 0r. McQuesten be nominated as Treasurer. In the debate on these nominations, it was stated by those who opposed Dr. McQuesten's nomination that they had strong conscientious objections to Dr. McQuesten, arising not out of unfaithfulness on his part in the discharge of his duties as Treasurer, but seriously affecting his moral character. The specific charge was not stated till after the vote was taken. The Committee, with full confidence in the Dr.»8 moral character from long and intimate acquaintance with him, refused to dismiss him from his oflice on such grounds, and by a majority his nomination was carried. Whereupon the Rev. R. Burnet read and laid upon the table a protest with a reason in which the charge of intemperance was brought against the Treasu- rer. The Chairman ruled that this protest was out of order. Thi8 decision was disputed by the minority, and a discussion ensued in which it was stated in support of the Chairman's decision, that it had been customary in such cases simply to enter dissents against the decision of the Committee, and that the document on the table was disorderly, unjust and unrighteous— inasmuch as, if allowed a serious charge against one of the officers would be recorded on the minute book, though that charge had not been substantiated by any proof, and the Committee had no right to constitute itself into a court to sit in judgment on such a charge. After a time the protest was taken from the table by Mr. Burnet, and the following gentlemen recorded their dissent in the usual way :— Rev. R. Burnet, Rev. T. Pullar, Rev. Dr. Irvine Rev. J. Cheetham, Rev. C. Shaw, Messrs. A.T. Wood, W. Kennedy and W. Lawson. It had been stated by the minority that they intended to take further steps to gain their ends, and it was suggested by some of the majority that the remaining business be delayed and another meeting called before the time fixed for the public meeting when 9 it was moved hatMr.F.W. t was moved )rne, that Dr. bate on these McQuesten's ctions to Dr. i part in the affecting his 1 till after the e in the Dr.*8 ice with him, nds, and by a I the Rev. R. th a reason in St theTreasu- ■ order. This jion ensued in 3cision, that it ssents against t on the table as, if allowed le recorded on bstantiated by tute itself into fter a time the 1 the following %y :■— Rev. R. heetham, Rev. \ Lawson, tended to take d by some of id and another meeting when f measures might be taken to prevent public scandal. This was no acceded to, and it was moved by Mr. PuUar that the present members of the Committee be nominated for re-election, and the meeting adjourned. Nothing had been said in Committee of the foundation of the charge against the Treasurer, or of the proofs by which it could be substantiated ; but at the public meeting, the whole history of the case was brought out by Messrs. Puilar and Burnet on the one side, and by Dr. Ormiston on the other. From the various statements, publicly made, we condence the following history of the charge : Early in the present year and before the public meet- ing of the Bible Society, held in January last, Messrs. Burnet and Puilar waited on Dr. Ormiston, and brought a charge ofiptem- perance against Dr. McQuesten, who is an elder in the Central Presbyterian church, alleging that two days before, on a certain Friday afternoon, about five o'clock, they met Dr. McQuesten on the street in a state of intoxication. Dr. Ormiston stated to them that at half past six, on the same evening. Dr. McQuesten had met with the session— Dr. Ormiston being also present— and that he had noticed nothing unusual in his manner. As, however, they still persisted in the charge. Dr. Ormiston promised to enquire into it.— When the matter was investigated by the session, the result was that Dr. McQuesten was acquitted, and stood higher than ever m the estimation of his fellow-elders. These elders had all met with him at half-past six on that evening, and one of^ them had met and conversed with him before six o'clock, and their unanimous testimony was, that Dr. McQuesten was then perfectly sober, and could not, at the time mentioned by Messrs. Burnet and Puilar, have been in the state described by them. Now that the facts are before the public (and they never were before the Committee until they were brought before the public,) we are quite ready to give all credit to the gentlemen who have accused Dr. McQuesten for integrity and shrewdness, for everything neces- sary to their case short of infallibility, and there remains the irre- 10 Bistable conclusion from the evidence— that however honest in their convictions of what they stated, they were labouring under a false impression— that at the time specified Dr. McQuesten was not in a state of intoxication, or anything approaching to it Eight or ten days after the first interview of Messrs, Burnet and PuUar with Dr. Ormiston on the subject, these gentlemen addrehsed a letter to Dr, Ormiston, the following copy of which was read by Mr, Burnet at the public meeting, and afterwards published in the daily papers, from which it will bo seen that even at this early period, they sought to minglw up their charge with the affairs of the Bible Society : " Hamilton, 15th January, 1863. •' Reverknd 4j Dear Sir, — As we have not heard from you in regard to the matter of Dr, McQuesten, we conclude the charge is fully admitted, although to our surprise we hear that he officiated last Sabbath at the Lord's supper as usnal. That our intimation to you was not premature is evident from the fact, that three other clergymen saw him last week in a similar state. We beg to suggest to you that, in present circumstances, you should advi»e your Elder to withdraw .^rom the Bible Board. "Yours flnthfully, "ROBERT BURNET, "THOMAS PULLAR." The conclusion to which these gentlemen came is not warranted by the circumstances. The true Christian inference to have drawn from the facts stated by them, would have been either that they had been mistaken, or that all the ends of clisciplino had been ierved without proceeding to further measures. The end. of Christian discipline is not to punish, but to reclaim. Nothing, however, will satisfy Messrs. Burnet and Pullar but that Dr. Mc. Questen be suspended from his office in the church, and dismissed from his office in the Bible Society, as a debased drunkard. It is 11 er honest in iring under a ;Questea was g to it essrs. Burnet so geiitleiiieij ^)py of which d afterwards len that even charge with ary, 1863. from you in ;he charge Is he officiated r intimation t three other We beg to hould advise URNET, *ULLAR.» )t warranted I have drawn 'T that they 10 had been The end. of I. Nothing, hat Dr. Me. id dismissed ikard. It is now eleven months since this report about Dr. McQuesten was first circulated by these gentlemen among some of the members of the Committee. We do not need to describe the course pur- sued at the public meeting, .and from that day to this. What shall be said of proclaiming and publishing alleged accounts of private conversations, which took place in the confidence of friendship or familiar acquuiiitance'? This is an offence which cannot be too severely teprobated. Tt opens the door to every kind of abuse, and is an outrage against the common proprieiies of life. Is it to be wondered ar, that amidst all this, and with five ministers of the Gospel heading su';h a movement, all kinds of rumours are rife respecting Dr. McQuesten, and these very rumours which have originated through these gentlemen, and the scandal which has resulted froni their charge, are pleaded by them and their apolo- gists in vindication of the course which they have pursued. An appeal has been made to the spirit of censoriousness, and the res- ponse lias couvi *m many ways — in the wnispered insinuation, the suggested sa-^picion,the eagerly retailed scandal, the general eulogy which prep:ires the way for some condemnatory i«f, the prejudiced judgment and the imdiguised utterance of bitterness and wrath. But the fact remains, that, up to the time when this agitation began, in all that constitutes character — in all that gives a claim to public respect, Dr McQuesten^s position was unquestioned. Tie was thoroughly acceptable to the suppi-rtcrs of the Bible Society, until it was attempted to destroy his position in the community by the recent violent and unchristian attack upon him. For a quarter of a century he has maintained an enblemished character ; for more than twenty years ho has been the Treasurer of the '-liblc Society ; and he is now an officebearer/ui good standuig, in one of the churches in thi-icity. 'The Committee of the Bible Society is not a court to which man can appeal against the discipline of the proper auth'»r'.;ii'S in any church: and the attempt to do so, if tolerated, couki only have the effect of alienating all right-thinking men from the Society ; and the tendency of such a course would 12 be to break up all similiarly constituted benevolent Societies. It is not claimed for Dr. McQuesten that he has been a total abstainer /fom intoxicating drinks, but the tee-total pledge is not a term either of membership or office in the Bible Society. Many of its officers indeed, are tee-totallers, a majority of whom have expressed their confidence in Dr. McQuesten. The only charge against Dr. Mc. Questen of intemperence, has been adjudicated upon by the proper authorities of the church to which he belongs, and declared by them to be unfoumied, and here, as in the ease of Mr. Walker, the Committee are surely justified in withstanding the attempt todis. miss a" faithful officer of the Society, on the around of such a charge ; though Dr. McQuesten has expressed his readiness to retire from office, the Committee have felt bound to protect his personal honor and to resist the attempt made to stigmatize him as a drunkard. We must add a few words m reference to the public meeting. — The attacks made upon the Treasurer and Secretary at the Anni- versary meeting, are not only of an euiirely novel aspect, but they give rise to alarming forebodings. That men should, under any pretence whatever, make the Bible Society's meeting a place of strife, is surely a breach of decorum ; but that a promiscu(His assembly is to sit in judgment upon the moral character of mem- bers and office-bearers in Christian Churches, and to settle questlon.s of the greatest difficulty and delicacy, is surely a still more alarm, ing innovation. To avoid this, as (ar as possible under the circumstances, after the charges had been made in the meeting, the following resolntion was moved, seconded and agreed to : "That, whereas this Brand of the Bible Society has been accustomed to accept the nomination to office made by the Committee, to whom the conduct of its affiiirs has been committed ; and, inasmuch as it is impossible, in a meeting like the present, to arrive at a just conclusion of the matter aimed at in the amend- ment now proposed : — Be it resolved that that part of the resolu- tion appointing the Officers of the Society be not now considered, 13 Societies. It •tal abstainer a term either of its officers pressed their inst Dr. Me. )y the proper declared by Walker, the tempt to dis. ich a charge ; > retire from rsonal honor^ drunkard. c meeting.— »t the Anni- )ect, but they i, under any a; a place of promiscuous iter of inenri- tle questions more alarm. B under the meeting, the t«> : ty has been ade by the committed! ; e present, to the amend* f the resoiu- r cunsidered, I but be referred to a meeting of the Society to be convened by the President, by circular, within two weeks of the date of this meeting." After the other business of the meeting was finished and while the collection was being taken up, it was proposed to move ao adjournment on the alleged ground that the term of the officers expired wiih that meeting, and that this adjournment would have the effect of keeping the Society in existence. — The Rev. Mr. Burnet accordingly moved that the meeting adjourn till that day three weeks ; but on his attention being called to the fact that the previous motion had fixed the time of meeting within two weeks of the date of the meeting, he altered his motion to that day fortnight, hereby recognizing the first resolution. It was under- stood by the whole meeting that this adjournment was not designe** to alter the character of the meeting as defined in the former motion, and Mr. Burnet himself seems to have so understood it from the readiness with which be conformed his motion to it in the. only respect in which they were obviously at variance.— Not a word was said about reconsideringor rescinding the first motion — such an attempt would certainly have been opposed. Yet, when the President in accordance with the resolutions of the pnblio meeting, notified the members of the Society that the adjourned meeting would be held in the Good Templars* Hall, on Tuesday evening, the 1st of December last, the five clergymen whole names hava so often appeared In this statement, issued large placard* declaring that it would be a public meeting and not a meeting of the Society, in open defiance of the President's decision* On the Sabbath preceding the day fixed for the meeting intimations of a similar import were made from their pulpits, and some of them accompanied the intimation with appeals to the passions of the people, urging all whether members of the Society or not to attend the meeting and to go earhj. Thus publicly and most improperly they proposed to pack the meeting, and to crowd tbe actual members of the Society out of the small hall in which the 14 meeting wns to be held. In this emergency the office-bearers, to avoid still greater evils which were obviously impending, postponed the meeting. Hand-bills were immediately issued, and an advertisement inserted in the evening paper on the authority, is stated by the Editor, of Messrs, Burnet, Irvine, Pullar, Cheetham, and Shaw, declaring that the meeting would be held. Then we have the scene in John Street, where amid fresh appeals to the excited feelings of the crowd, this informal and unauthorized meeting was constituted, and adjourned to the Congregational Churoh, where free vent was given to the minority in their attacks upon the officers of the Society. Their apologists plead in defe nc9 of this course, first, the eighth law of the Society which is as follows: VIII.— That a general meeting of the subscribers and friends of this Society, shall be held annually in Hamilton, when the accounts, properly audited, shall be presented, the proceedings of the past year reported, and officers for the ensuing year appointed. It is obvious, however, that the meeting of subscribers dnd friends was held, and that by a resolution of that meeting tho question of the disputed nominations was referred to a meeting of the Society, consisting of its members. The reasons and effects of that resolution were plainly and repeatedly stated, and were thoroughly understood before the resolution was put to the meeting. If that meeting had a right to elect, it also had a right to refer the election to a meeting of the members to be called by circular from the President. The attempt of unauthorized parties to change tho character of the meeting fully justified the office-bearers in post- poning it ; and the question referred by the public meeting to the Society remains still to be settled whenever the meeting shall be duly called. It is further urged that these gentlemen were justified in the course which they pursued by the final motion of adjournment.— But that motion did not rescind the former. It was declared that It ice-bearers, to ing, postponed iued, and an } authority, is ar, Cheetham, Id. Then we appeals to the unauthorized Congregational 1 their attacks ead in defence iy which is as and friends of 1 the accounts, igs of the past Dinted. bscribers ilnd it meeting the ► a meeting of ! and effects of ed, and were the meeting, it to refer the circular from to change the hirers in post- fleeting to the iting shall be ustified in the liournment.— declared that it was merely formal — to keep the Society in existence. It must therefore have been specially worded with a view to deception, or the construction now put upon it must have been an after-thought. Unhappy as have been the more immediate results of these agitations of the public mind, we cannot but hope that the steady end timely resistance to the course of the minority, on the part of the Committee, will not only avert evils that must otherwise have fallen upon this community, but will ultimately lead to good results in the establishment of those principles of justice, fairness and honour, without which civilization iiself must be extinguished, and a people relapse into barbarism. We have no wish to screen abuses, but we cannot give countenance to reckless and persistent attacks upon the moral character of our respected citizens, and we believe that the good sense and good feeling of the community, now that our difficulties are understood, will sustain us in the position which we have taken. R JACKSON, E. CARTWRIGHT THOMAS, . vici.Prtiidintt JAMES WATSON, f ''^"-/'riMtHnrt. F. W. WATKINS, J W, ORMISTON» Cor. Stcrttary, U. MoLELLAN, JDepozitary. 4 DfiCEMBEft 17, 1863. Since the foregoing was written, the Office Bearers resolved to call the nieeting of the members of the Society, which, for tho reasons stated, had been postponed, a circular was therefore issued by the first Vice-President^ inviting the members to attend a meeting, to be held in the hall of the Mechanics' Institute, on the evening of the 11th inst. On the afternoon of that day largo placards were posted in conspicuous place.s throughout the city, of which the following is a copy : "bible bociety. " Friends and Subscribers, be at the Mechanics* Kali, at E. Jackson's Meeting, this Friday evening, at seven o*clock, to protect the rights of the Bible Society." At the hour appointed for the meeting, a large number of per- sons had convened, compriiiing member^i, subscribers and trieuds le of the Society, and some who were obviousiy neither subscribers nor friends. The party styling themselves the minority of the Committee, although they had already held a meeting, at which they went through the form of electing Office-Bearers, as tiie pub- lished reports of their meeting state, were early, in attendance, and occupied the platform on the right of the chair. They offered most strenuous opposition to the right and election of the first Vice-President to occupy the chair. In this they were overruled. They then, by a determined and, in our opinion, organized opposi. tion, prevented the business of the meeting from being proceeded with. One of their supporters, under their approval, at least, if not b^ their direction, strode upon the platform, armed with a heavy stick, and took his seat behind the chairman, then raising his stick, fiercely threatened some of the clergymen who were quietly sitting there, adding insolently that he would throw some of them out of the window. After a little, finding that order could not be secured, the minority repeatedly refusing to listen to the chairman, or give place to the speaker,whom he declared to have the floor, and believing all further action or deliberation to be utterly hopeless, the chairman, with the consent of the officebearers present, declared the meeting dissolved, and left the chair. Then followed a scene, which has been already pourtrayed by the reporters who were present, and on which it is painful to dwell. A number of violent men rushed hither and thither, shouting and yelling, swinging their clubs and breaking the seats— converting the hall for a short time into a scene of the wildest uproar and lawless disorder. The officebearers have thus again been precluded from submitting the quef^tion at issue to the consideration of the Societ/ and from the reiterated assertions of the minority, that they will keep up the agitation, even " from generation to gene- ration," they see no prospect of further co-operation in the matter. Painful as it is to make these statements, the officebearers feel that they have done what they could to avert the deplorable issue to which aflfairs have been madly driven, and they leave their conduct in this matter to the candid consideration of the members, and the unprejudiced criticism of an intelligent public. Vice-FresidenU. E. JACKSON, F. W. W ATKINS, JAMES WATSON, W. ORMISTON, Cor. Secretary. D. McLELLAN, Depositary, er subscribers inority of the jting, at which PS, as the pub- in attendance, They offered on of the first ere overruled. ;anized opposi. ling proceeded vai, at least, if armed with a , then raising nen who were Id throw some lat order could listen to the red to have the 1 to be utterly carers present, pourtrayed by linful to dwell. , shouting and ts~ converting St uproar and been precluded leration of the minority, that ration to gene- in the matter, earers feel that ■able issue to e their conduct nabers, and the Vice-President». Secretary, jsitary.