WESLEYAN FOREIGN  MISSIONS.
ANNIVERSARY SERVICES IN THE
WESLEYAN  SCHOOLROOM,
WORKINGTON.
_____

On Sunday the Rev. J. S. PAWLYN, of Liverpool,  preached to large
congregations two powerful and highly interesting sermons,  with special reference to
foreign missions.

 On Monday evening the missionary meeting was held, when  there was a good
attendance. The Chairman, Mr. VALENTINE, received an  enthusiastic welcome, and
in a brief but capital address evinced his knowledge  and deep interest in
mission work abroad.

 Mr. J. MANDALE read the reports. For several years past  the society has
been engaged in a costly and thankless struggle to bring the  expenditure of the
society’s funds within the actual provision of its income.  This year the
balance sheet will show, perhaps for the first time in the history  of the
society, that this has been practically accomplished. The process has  been an
anxious experiment and a painful labour; and the result is  due in  part to the
policy of retrenchment, now happily at an end, it is but just to add  that the
missionary brethren, whose work was effected by the reduction, bore the  trial
with equal manliness and loyalty.

 The total income of the society for the pat year amounts  to £150,106 16s
5d, and the total payments to £150,161  17s leaving a small  deficiency on the
current account of £55 0s 7d. The congregation and friends of  the Wesleyan
Church at Workington contributed to the funds during the past year  £47  4s  4d,
and the Juvenile Association connected with the Sunday  School collected
during the year £18  13s making a total of £65 17s   4d. The Rev H. O. RATTENBURY
addressed the Juvenile Collectors who occupied the  front seats in a very
suitable speech.

 The Rev. J. S. PAWLYN, who was received with repeated  rounds of applause,
delivered an exceedingly interesting, instructive and  eloquent address on the
progress and achievements of the foreign missions. He  referred to the history
of the Christian missions in the Islands of Fiji and the  recent death of
King THAKOMBAW. His career illustrated one of the most  encouraging advances in
Christianity during this century.

 Mis.. GORDON-CUMMING, in her book, “At Home in Fiji,”  had greatly extended
the interest of the public in that remarkable group of  islands. He paid a
high tribute to the services rendered by this educated  Christian lady to the
mission cause. When THAKOMBAW was six years old he  conformed to the heathen
customs of his country by “clubbing” a boy to death, to  show how suitable he
was for regal office, and later on, in 1852, at the death  of his father, he
again conformed to the usages of his country by strangling his  father’s five
wives. Two years after this horrid event THAKOMBAW declared  himself a convert to
Christian religion. About thirty years afterwards one of  her Majesty’s ships
of war sailed into the harbour of Fiji to pay respect to the  dead Christian
king. And now Fiji had a code of civil law that in some respects  would
compare with that of Great Britain.

 Votes of thanks to the chairman and to Mr. PAWLYN, the  singing of the
Doxology and pronouncing of the Benediction, brought one of the  heartiest and most
interesting meetings to a close it has ever been our pleasure  to attend.