April 26, 1902.]
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very many. All the organisations of the Church had grown and been developed during "Mr. Williams's pastorate, and the congregation Nor was all this secured had increased.
Their expense of spirituality. pastor had preached Christ and Him crucified. They believed that the prosperity attending the Church was entirely due to Mr. Williams, as minister of it. (Applause) Dr. Thomson concluded his remarks by associating Mrs. ́ Williams with her husband in his farewell words, paying a high tribute to the part she had played in the growth of the Church and its various organisations, and wishing. them both health and prosperity in the homeland, where he was sure Mr. Williams's eloquence, faithful pastoral minis- trations, personal charm and earnest purpose would secure him a brilliant career. (Applause.) Rev. G. J. WILLIAMS replied in fitting terms. He recounted the events which had led up to his accepting the pastorate and expressed regret at his having to relinquish the work on account of his health. He believed in the future of the Church and asked for his successor the same sympathy and assistance which he had always found among them. There was a growing need, he said, for an additional co-pastor in the Union Church and it might be that he would yet come back again among them if his health was restored. (Applause.)
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT.
Kowloon increasing, one must feel that these Church Secretary owing to his departure for must bring with them a number of parents England, Dr J. C. Thomson on bis return to whose children are growing up in Hongkong; the Colony in February consented to discharge and the boon that it will be to those parents its duties for the remainder of the Church year.
the on The Committee placed on record a cordial | at to get education for their children the spot--it is impossible almost to say acknowlegiment of Mr. Mackenzie's large how great that boon will be. Well, if you services to the Church during his four years' agree with me that we have every reason to be tenure of office. The Christian Endeavour grateful to Mr. Ho Tung for his munificent class had continued to be one of the most valu- present, your way of showing your gratitudeable spiritual agencies in connection with the will be by patronising thoroughly the school, work of the Church. In addition to this class, | by giving it every chance of success; and as I regular weekly evangelistic meetings had prophesy that before many years are out this been held as follows:-In Murray Barracks school, as it appears to us to-day, will scarcely on Tuesday evenings, in Victoria Barracks on
Mt. be sufficient for the wants of Kowloon, I need Wednesday evenings, and in Austin only say that the record of Mr. Ho Tung's Barracks in Thursday evenings. Capt. Steren- generosity will find others equally liberal-minded son, R.A., and Capt. Bensor, A.PD., had and equally generous with himself, to follow in co-operated with the Paster in this important his footsteps, and, if occasion requires, to make work, which had been productive of large results. I equally munificent and practical bequests. Owing to the condition of his own health and (Applause.) Ladies and gentlemen I would that of Mrs. Williams during the past two sum- like now, if I may, to lead you up to the school mers, Mr. Williams had found it necessary to so as to declare it formally open. (Applause.) tender his resignation of the pastorate, and this
The company then walked up to the door of was accepted with universal regret at a special | the school, and His Excellency performed the congregational meeting held on 26th September ceremony of unlocking it and declaring the last. Rev. Charles Herbert Hickling, of school open, the consummation of the ceremonial Withington, Manchester, had been appointed being greeted with cheers.
to the vacancy. Mr. Hickling, who will be accompanied by his wife and daughter, is expected to arrive about the end of May. During the short interval of three or four weeks that will elapse between the departure of Mr. Williams, who is to leave on the 30th inst., and the arrival of Mr. Hickling, the Rev. T. W.. Pearce has kindly consented to act as Pastor.
Cake and wine wero afterwards served in the large class-room, which was decorated for the occasion. Here,
HIS EXCELLENCY proposed the toast of pros- perity to the school and the health of Mr. Ho Tang in the words-I drink prosperity to the school and also the health and prosperity of its giver, Mr. Ho Tung.
The toast was duly honoured.
Mr. Ho TUNG in reply said---Your Excel- lency, I thank you most heartily for the hon- our you have done me in proposing the toast of my health, and you, ladies and gentlemen, for the kind manner in which you have received it. I trust that the school will prosper and be a boon to the inhabitants of Kowloon. (Applause.)
This concluded the proceedings, and the com- pany afterwards dispersed. A body of Indian police under Sergeant Garrod was present to receive His Excellency General Gascoigne
THE UNION CHURCH.
The annual business meeting of the Union Church was held on Thursday evening- the Rev. G. J. Williams in the chair.
'I he report for the year 1901-2 was submitted by Dr. J. C. THOMSON, Hon. Secretary, and approved. It bore that the income during that period had been $7,459,97, leaving a surplus of $1,367.26, the largest ordinary income received in any one year in the history of the Church. There had been a steady annual increase both in the income derived from seat-rents and in that derived from the congregational collections. The unusually large balance was most oppor- tune, since it would enable the Church to meet, without any special appeal to the congregation, the outward voyage expenses of the successor to the present Pastor. Another satisfactory feature of the report was the fact that the debt which remained on the Church Hall has been entirely removed through the generosity of Mr. D. R. Crawford, who previous to his resigna- tion of the office of Hon. Treasurer paid off the balance of $241.83 remaining on this account. The rent paid by the German School for the use of the hall during the week is now a source of income to the Church funds. The Sunday School work was full of promise. Owing to the departure of many of the scholars from the Colony during last summer the average at- tendance in October was only 34, but there was a steady increase throughout the session, and the average in March was 47. Dr. J. C. Thomson, finding it necessary to resign the office of superintendent, Mr. J. Pitt. R. N., was appointed to succeed him, and assumed the duties of the office at the beginning of the current session of the school on 6th October. The weekly missonary collections again exceeded those of all previous years, amounting to $67.86, and this sum bad, as usual, been handed over to Miss Davies for the maintenance of a child in her Girls Boarding School. A generous gift of 850 worth of books to be added to the Children's Library by a member of the congre:ation was, by request of the Superintendent and Teachers, gratefully acknowledged in the report. Mr. Alex. Mackensie having resigned the office of
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Mr. WM. PARLANE, in moving the adoption of the report, remarked that during Mr. Williams's pastorate the revenue of the Church had more than doubl. d. But there must be no feeling of rest and be thankful; they should strive to advance. He believed they were all better men and women than when Mr. Williams came amongst them and not only that, but that the people of the Colony had felt the leavening influence of his work here. (Applause.)
Mr. W. G. HUMPHREYS seconded the motion, and it was, as has been stated, agreed to,
On the motion of Mr. T. H. REID, seconded by Mr. J. GoOSMANN, a vote of thanks was accorded the London Committee.
A
Musical selections followed, and refreshments were served by the Ladies' Committee. silver rose bowl presented to Mrs. Williams by the Ladies' Committee was on view during thệ évening. The ceremony of handing it over to Mrs. Williams was performed by Mrs. W. Farlane.
MACAO.
[FROM OUR CORRESP、 NDENT.]
Macao, 20th April, GUNPOWDER EXPLOSION.
A gunpowder explosion attended with the loss of life of one man and the disappearance of two others occurred on Saturday lat in a fire- cracker factory at Macao, not far removed from the Boa Vista Hotel, The inhabitants of the honres in the vicinity received a rather The Secretary and Treasurer, Dr. J. C. unpleasant shock when the lond report of an Thomson and Mr. W. G. Humphreys respec-explosion was heard throughout the city just tively, were re-elected--the first on the motion about a quarter past ten o'clock in the fore of the CHAIRMAN seconded by Mr. PARIANE,
noon. Simultaneously a cloud of black smoke and the second on the motion of the CHAIRMAN
rose bigh up in the air in the direction of seconded by Mr. W. BRAND.
Santa Sancha, and it was at once correctly pro-surmised thatne of the s veral factories lying
A vote of thanks to the Church workers, posed by Mr. J. GooSMANN and seconded by Mr. A. MOIR, ended the proceedings.
that
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within this district had. come to grief. The building in which the manufacture of crackers A social meeting of the congregation of the was carried on at once caught fire. As à Union Church was held afterwards in the result of the alarm (two rounds) fired from the Church to take farewell of the pastor, Rev. Monte Fort the fire-engine turned up with the G. J. Williams, and Mrs. Williams on the
usual contingent of native volunteer fremen. occasion of their departure from the Colony. The local garrison turned out in force to Dr. J. C. Thomson, Hon. Secretary of the maintain order and to be in readiness with Church, presided over a large attendance of precautions to combat any further damage that the congregation. In the course of the even might have arisen from the confiagration ing a presentation was made to Rev. G. J. Wil-extending to neighbouring premises which are liams from the congregation, in the shape of a also used for the manufacture of gunpowder. cheque for $1,298.50; while to Mrs. Williams Fortunately the fire confined itself to the was presented a handsome silver tea set. building, which was completed gutted, whence the accident originat d. In a little more than an hour all fears of a larger conflagration were over. It was another fortunate circumstance
Was the factory destroyed
of the smallest. Had the accident occurred in any of the larger ones it is not difficult to con- jesture what the fatalities might have involved a large number of people, including women and children, working on the premises. The dam- age to property in close proximity might also have been serious, and the whole village consist- ing of miserable-looking shanties in which the poorer class of work-people are housed might have been swept out of existence. As it hap pened, beyond a few broken panes of window glas in houses close by, no other casualty has to be recorded in addition to the death of one man and the disappearance of the other two at first stated. In the absence of an enquiry is impossible to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
Dr. J. C. THOMSON in making he presenta- tion said that while he had undertaken with a good deal of hesitation the task of representing the congregation on that occasion, he yielded to no man if great admiration for Mr. Williams's work, deep respect for him as a man and a minister, and esteem for and attachment to him were qualifications for standing in the position be did. He was commissioned to express the great regret the congregation all feltat Mr. Williams's resignation. They sympathised deeply with him in the canse of it. Mr. Williams was leaving the Church at the zenith of its prosperity. Ten years ago, he found from the old reports, the Church required $1,000 to fulfil their agreement with the London Missionary Society, Dr. Thomson went on to trace the history of the Church through the intervening years up till 1901-1902, when the finances and the Church as a whole were in the very satis factory condition indicated in the above re port. It was through Mr. Williams's work and
Mr. Pelham Warren, C.M.G., has handed self-denial that that position had been stiained. (Applause,) At one time they were largely de-over, and Mr. B. W. Mansfeld has taken över, pendent upon the large gifts of the few, now charge of H.B.M. Consulate-General at Shang- they were indebted to the small gifts of the hai from the 16th instant.
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