Lord Shaftesbury, in returning thanks, expressed his most cordial agreement with the objects of the Society, endorsing from his own experience much that was stated in the Report, especially the concluding paragraph, which urged the importance of giving every girl some special technical training.

The Meeting was well attended.

THE BRITISH WOMEN'S TEMPERANCE ASSOCIATION. The sixth anniversary of this association was celebrated on May 24th and 25th, at the Memorial Hall, Farringdon Street. There was a sale of work and a conversazione on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning a prayer meeting, followed by the Annual Council, under the presidency of Mrs. Margaret Lucas. The annual report was read and adopted, and office-bearers were elected as follows:-President, Mrs. Lucas (reelected); treasurer, Mrs. Stewart (re-elected); hon. financial secretary, Mrs. Rooke (re-elected); hon. corresponding secretary, Mrs. Boocock; the executive committee, Mrs. Aukland, Mrs. Gregson, Miss Marshall, Mrs. Servanté, Mrs. Sheffield, Miss Smee, Miss Watson, Miss Atherton, with power to fill vacancies. Six ladies from the provinces were selected to meet with the executive, monthly, to assist in the transaction of im-portant business.

At Friday's Conference interesting papers were read by Miss Moorhouse on " Alcohol and the Blood," and by Mrs. Joseph Lucas, of Sunderland, on "The Social Customs of Society," followed by discussion and cordial. votes of thanks to both ladies. Miss Moorhouse's paper was ordered to be printed, and a subscription was opened to defray the expense of publication. The President and Mrs. Atkinson, Beckenham, spoke against grocers' licenses; and those who were canvassing for signatures to the Women's Petition for Sunday closing were urged to return their sheets to the secretary without delay.

The annual public meeting of the association was held on Thursday evening, under the presidency of the Rev. Hugh Price Hughes, M.A., of Oxford. There was a good attendance, ladies, as might naturally be expected,

preponderating. The meeting was opened with a brief service of praise and prayer.

The report, which was read by Mrs. BRADLEY, said that the duties of the executive were divided into four departments-financial, deputational, publishing, and Parliamentary. There was great need of more speakers in all parts of the country, because during the last nine months five ladies had had to deliver over 300 addresses. The result of the year's work showed that there were twenty-eight new branches established, being an increase of from sixty-six to ninety-four. The four great unions affiliated-viz., Bristol, York, Edinburgh, and Belfast gave an addition of ninety-nine branches, which made the total number affiliated 193.

Mrs. STEWART presented the statement of accounts for the year, which showed that the receipts amounted to £327 12s. 1d., and the expenditure to £323 14s. 9d., thus leaving a balance in hand of £3 17s. 4d.

The CHAIRMAN in his opening address said it had frequently occurred to him, although he scarcely liked to say it, that women had been more tenacious of the drinking customs than men; some of the bitterest opposition that he had experienced had come from ladies, clearly proving the necessity of the agency which they had met to advocate that evening; he had known some ladies who had the fear of Mrs. Grundy always before their eyes, and it appeared to him that the special work of the ladies was to make Mrs. Grundy a teetotaller. The supreme need of the hour was that we should strike a blow at the drinking habits of society. The great Napoleon said that the great need of France was mothers. He (the speaker) thought that the great need of the temperance movement was mothers, who would help to destroy the unworthy and deadly social sanction given to drinking. He came there to declare that the cooperation of women was the great need of the temperance movement, and he rejoiced to recognise in this meeting and in the great organisation which it represented, an assurance that some of the wives and daughters of England were now prepared to do their sacred duties.

Mrs. LUCAS said that the members of the Association

had every reason for congratulation in the results of the past year's work. They had been greatly impressed with the interest which had been excited in the movement in different parts of the country, especially in some of the more retired villages.

Mrs. PALIAN, of Leeds, moved the first resolution, which was seconded by Mrs. REANEY, of Reading. The second resolution, approving of all constitutional measures for the suppression of the sale of intoxicating liquors, was moved by Mrs. WRIGHT, of Tyldesley, and seconded by Mrs. DURRANT, Secretary of the Working Women's Teetotal League, who, as the wife of a working man, urged the abolition of grocers' licenses.

Mrs. JOSEPH PARKER proposed the vote of thanks to the chairman, which was seconded by Miss WIGHAM, of Edinburgh.

BIRMINGHAM.-On May 22nd and 25th, special meetings were held for women by the Gospel Temperance Mission. Mrs. Richardson, of St. Benet's Vicarage, London, was one of the speakers.

EDINBURGH.-In one of the district meetings held to consider the value of the municipal vote, Miss BURTON said there was a great deal of work done by the Town Council in connection with the hospitals, in which ladies could render great assistance, as also in the other local institutions in the town in which they had a representation. There were a great many other social reforms carried on in the city in which women had a direct interest, and none of these more so than in the dealing with licenses.

HOME FOR DESTITUTE GIRLS, BELFAST.

We mentioned in our April number that the Belfast Women's Temperance Association had made arrangements to open a home for destitute little girls, as a very necessary branch of their work. On May 13th, a meeting was held at 14, Alfred Street. There was a large attendance of ladies, among whom were Mrs. Potts, Mrs. Knox, Miss Mitchell, Mrs. Workman, Mrs. Byers, Mrs. Chancellor, Mrs. Barnett, Mrs. Blackwood, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Carson, Miss Edgar, Mrs. Houston, Mrs. Leatham, Mrs. R. Lindsay, Mrs. Macauley, Mrs. Magill,

Mrs. M'Lean, Mrs. Moore, Mrs. Nelson, Mrs. W. Park, Mrs. Patterson, Mrs. Shannon, Miss Stavely, Miss A. Steen, Mrs. Turnbull, Mrs. Whitla, Mrs. Atkinson, Mrs. Black, Mrs. Graham, Mrs. G. Bulloch, the Misses Harkness, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Johnston, Mrs. F. Kinghan, Mrs. M'Neill, Mrs. M'Farlane, Mrs. Rogers, Mrs. T. P. Shillington, Mrs. Simms, Mrs. Sinclair, Mrs. N. E. Smith, Miss Chancellor, Miss M'Causland, Miss Sinclair, Miss G. Black, Mrs Barnett, Mrs. W. Jenkins, Miss Woods, Miss Anderson, Miss S. Arnold, Miss E. Black, Miss H. Black, Miss Blackwood, Miss Bryce, Miss M. Browne, Miss A. Browne, Miss Carson, Miss Holmes, Miss Johnston, Miss King, Miss Kinghan, Miss Lowry, Miss L. Moore, Miss M'Neill, Miss Paul, Miss Stevenson, Mrs. Arbuthnot, Mrs. Mitchell, &c.

The Chairman, Dr. JOHN SHAW BROWN, J.P., said it was one of those excellent movements the object of which was to lay hold of the young, and train them up to be good citizens-that they might spend their lives for the benefit of mankind and of themselves, instead of being, as they unfortunately ultimately became in so many instances, a tax upon the nation as criminals. He thought the ladies of Belfast deserved a great deal of credit for having made a move in the right direction for the protection of women of the lower classes of society. National morality exalted the character of a nation, and he could only recommend to their kind attention this great effort, and all the efforts they could use for assisting and carrying out a most desirable work. He called on Mrs. Byers to make a statement in regard to the matter for which they were assembled.

Mrs. BYERS said the suggestion of a home such as had that day been opened was first made at the annual meeting of the Women's Temperance Association in May, 1881, in a paper upon "Preventive Work," read by a valued member. The impression made was deepened at the quarterly meeting held on the last day of the old year, when another paper was read by the same member. On the 24th January last, at the invitation of Mrs. Corry, a number of ladies met at her house, and discussed the question of establishing a home for the purpose of saving little ones, who otherwise might go

astray. Resolutions were then passed that they should secure a suitable home for the purpose, and ask the Government for aid by placing it under the Industrial Schools Act. With this object forty ladies took collecting cards, and the result, which would be published shortly, would be found extremely satisfactory. The working of the scheme would be threefold-first, as an agency for putting very young children out to nurse, as they are at present sent out by the Presbyterian and Protestant Orphan Societies. Already five girls had been so given out to be nursed. Secondly, the estab lishment of a home supported by voluntary contributions. Thirdly, the establishment of an industrial home, to which children might be sent by the magistrates. Their hopes of getting Government aid had been taken away, and, whether the institution would be supported by voluntary contributions, or whether they would receive Government aid, was a question yet to solve. Already they had received £468.

Among the speakers were also the Rev. Dr. Johnston, Rev. Dr. McKay, Dr. Arnold, and the Rev. Dr. Knox who announced that they had secured the services of a matron from Dr. Barnardo's Home. The doctor was parting with her with great regret, but his love for Ireland prompted him to let them have her. He might mention that although she came from London she was an Irish lady.

HOMES FOR WORKING GIRLS IN LONDON.

The establishment of Garfield House, 361, Brixton Road, S.W., makes seven homes in all which have been founded by the Society since 1878. The others are:Alexandra House, 88, St. John's Street, E.C.

Victoria House, 135, Queen's Road, Bayswater, W. Morley House, 14, Fitzroy Street, Fitzroy Square, W.

Gordon House, 8, Endsleigh Gardens, N.W.

Woodford House, 28, Duncan Terrace, Islington, N. Norfolk House, 50, Wells Street, Hackney, E.

Invaluable as these Homes are, they form but a fractional part of what is required, for it is estimated there are 60,000 working girls in London, whose only substi