The Secretary, Mr. James Leach, read a very interesting report.

Mr. Jno. Noton, in a very able address, gave utterance to sentiments which elicited from the audience signs of pleasure and approbation. He believed that the true man must feel it his duty to share with his fellows the labour of helping others, alleviating misery, producing happiness, and inclining men to cultivate a reverential feeling towards their Maker.

Mr. A. Leach earnestly called upon the young men to have a specific object in life. He who aimed at everything would hit nothing. They must study their powers, ascertain what they were fitted for, and, having fixed their choice, steadily pursue it.

Mr. James Yates, M.R.C.S.E., next addressed the meeting. His subject, "Our Young Men," he handled with great ability and vigour. He considered that it was of the utmost importance to encourage young men in their pursuit after knowledge pertaining to political, social, and religious movements; and the desire for knowledge which was manifested by the young men connected with the various Christian churches should be fostered.

James Schofield, Esq., was the next speaker. On rising, he said it afforded him pleasure to be there on the present occasion. He had to perform one of the most pleasing duties which ever devolved upon him. A few days ago he had been waited upon and requested, on behalf of the young men of that school, to present a token of their esteem and gratitude to an individual who was present, and, because present, he would not eulogize, viz., Mr. Wm. Noton (cheers), an individual for whom personally he felt the greatest esteem, who was not only respected, but also loved by the society of which he was a member (hear, hear). Already the society and the circuit had testified their appreciation of his character and services, by electing him to fill the most important offices of trust and honour; and now he (Mr. Schofield) stood there as the representative of the young men of the monitors' class, of which Mr. Noton had long been an able, diligent, and faithful tutor, and, on behalf of the members of the class, he presented him with a token of their gratitude for his valuable services, which they highly appreciated. Here Mr. Schofield presented

a large and beaut fully carved walnut inkstand, the plate in the front bearing the following inscription :

Presented to Mr. Wm. Noton, by the Young Men's Select Class, Methodist New Connexion, Union-street, Oldham, as a token of their esteem and gratitude. December 7, 1861.

On receiving the testimonial, Mr. Noton said that, so unexpected was the presentation, and so thoroughly did he appreciate the kindness and good-will of the young men, he felt he could not well collect his thoughts or arrange his words. He esteemed the present more as a token of their affection and regard than for its intrinsic worth. It was true, he said, that he had endeavoured to be useful; but he looked upon that as a privilege, as well as a duty (cheers).

Mr. C. Sersall next addressed the meeting. He said he rejoiced, on looking round, to see so many facilities for mental improvement. He believed they were the means of binding heart to heart, and stimulating thought. But, like the previous speaker, he stood there as a representative. He had a pleasing duty to perform. That evening a presentation had been made to one of the two able tutors of the young men's class. It was his honour to present a testimonial to the other-Mr. John Noton (applause). He then, in fitting terms, presented the testimonial, which was much similar to the one above described.

Mr. John Noton, in receiving the testimonial, said that he was just congratulating his brother upon the high estimate of him which the young men had shown, never for a moment imagining that another testimonial was there for himself. He was very grateful for their acknowledgment of his services as teacher.

The worthy and esteemed superintendent of the circuit, the Rev. W. Cocker, and after him the Rev. J. K. Jackson, of Werneth, addressed the meeting in a very able and effective

manner.

The meeting was also briefly addressed by Messrs. J. Gibson, J. Newton, A. Hilton, and J. Lawson.

The benediction having been pronounced, terminated one of the happiest, most interesting, and profitable meetings it has been our privilege to attend. J. S.

Oldham, January.

PRESENTATION

TO SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHERS, TRURO CIRCUIT.

ON the evening of the 8th ult., the teachers and friends of Ebenezer Chapel, Truro, met in the vestry, for the purpose of participating in a valedictory tea, and testifying the high appreciation of three most indefatigable teachers, who, by the interposition of Divine Providence, were about to remove to distant spheres. Considerable interest and sympathy were manifested, more especially as they had been teachers of long standing, and had exhibited that fervency and devotedness which characterize efficient Sunday-school teachers. Miss Harriet Vincent had been a teacher for upwards of sixteen years, and was about to quit her native land for that of Australia. Miss Amelia Lenderyou had been a teacher for about the same period, and her sister, Miss Lydia Lenderyou, for about nine years, and were about to remove to London. After tea, Mr. Uglow, who has been identified with the school from a very early period, and who is now the treasurer, was called to the chair. He spoke, with evident feelings of emotion, of the long services of those who were about to leave them, urging them to confide in the Great Teacher, and commending them to the care of the Great Preserver of all those who put their trust in him. Messrs. R. Hocken, W. Haukins, T. Skewes, C. Kelway, R. Phillips, F. Crewes, and the superintendent of the school, took up the same sympathetic strain, until the time arrived when Mr. John Hearn (who has been secretary for the past ten years) was called upon to present each with handsomely bound volumes of our English poets. Mr. Hearn's weighty remarks were followed by our beloved minister, the Rev. S. Jones, who spoke to each in the most pointed and affectionate manner. The meeting throughout was one of the most affecting description; yet each might have exclaimed, "I sat under His shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste." W. J. TRYTHALL.

To the Editor of THE METHODIST

NEW CONNEXION MAGAZINE. SIR, -I have read with much interest Mr. Wright's able article in this

month's Magazine, entitled "A Plea for London." One paragraph of that plea I regard as being specially worthy of notice. Mr. Wright says, "As long as we remain small and feeble in the metropolis, in comparison with Episcopalians, Baptists, Independents, and Wesleyans, the press will ignore our connexional efforts. No matter how bold and liberal our achievements, little or no notice will be taken of them. It requires no gift of prophecy to foretell this. Two years ago, with warm hearts and generous hands, we supplied the pecuniary means of sending missionaries to China. We have now a mission in that vast empire. The Revs. I. Innocent and W. Hall are there, endeavouring, in conjunction with the missionaries of other denominations, to turn the Chinese from Budha and Confucius to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Yet a certain metropolitan paper, which circulates widely among the Congregationalists, in giving recently a list of the number of missionaries employed by the denominations respectively in China, makes no reference whatever to the Methodist New Connexion and its missionaries. At the present time we have a magnificent legacy of five thousand pounds available for the establishment of a college, and we are raising six thousand pounds additional for the same object. If this legacy and these subscriptions were connected with the Episcopal, or the Baptist, or the Wesleyan body, the metropolitan press would blazon them forth in commendatory paragraphs, and in eulogistic leading articles; as it is, no reference is made to them. Why are our liberal gifts to support missionaries in China, and to establish a college in England, unnoticed ?"

There is much truth in the above statement, and great force in the concluding question. It is well worth while for our ministers and leading men to ponder over these points. The fact is, as a Connexion, we want more public spirit. We have too long been content to hide our 66 candle under a bushel," instead of its giving "light to the whole house." I cannot bring my mind to believe that this is the result of modesty, but that it is rather the result of a culpable indifference. The same means, and to a great extent the same mediums, of communicating with the public, are open to us as are

open to the Episcopalian, the Baptist, the Independent, or the Wesleyan; and, if we do not choose to embrace the opportunities thus afforded, the fault is our own. Why not, when we

bave a bazaar for the liquidation of a chapel debt, a successful missionary meeting, efforts for educational purposes, such as our Sabbath and day schools, or the establishment of a college such as we now contemplate, send reports to the various religious newspapers, and also to the local newspapers circulating in the immediate neighbourhood where such efforts are put forth? There can be no doubt, if we do not think it worth while to ask the press to notice our efforts, it will not think our efforts deserving of its notice.* The Wesleyan Times, the British Standard, the Patriot, and the Nonconformist newspapers have each, on several occasions, shown towards our Connexion a warm and generous sympathy; let us show our appreciation of their friendship by informing them of our educational, missionary, and other enterprises, not merely by communications for gratuitous insertion, but also by advertisements. The religious press of this country would be interested to learn that our Connexion, for its wealth and numbers, is not behind any existing church organization for its zealous and successful labours to promote the advancement of Christ's kingdom in the world. I commend these few lines to the candid attention of our ministers and friends. W. JENKINSON.

Higher Broughton, Manchester,
Jan. 11, 1862.

THE LATE ROBERT HALL,
OF BASFORD.

To the Editor of THE METHODIST

NEW CONNEXION MAGAZINE. MY DEAR SIR,-The following extracts of my late father-in-law, Mr. Robert Hall, of Basford, are taken

We perfectly agree with our correspondent. The absence of information respecting our denomination and its operations, is owing to no unwillingness on the part of journalists to publish our proceedings, but to remissness on the part of those whose duty it is to communicate the intelligence. In reference to the paper specially referred to, we can say, from personal knowledge, that the able editor of that journal has ever shown the utmost readiness to give publicity to our Connexional operations, and to defend us against misrepresentation.

from the excellent biographical memoir of his son, Dr. Marshall Hall, written by his widow.

Although Mr. Hall's memoir was published in your Magazine for 1828, these extracts will be acceptable, being mostly original, and of an individual whose character was so highly estimated by the members of the church of which he was an early and zealous originator. There is one circumstance omitted in both memoirs which I consider, as a medical man, of real and great practical value: Mr. Hall had a paralytic attack when about twenty-six years of age, but he lived forty-six years after that period-the only instance I ever knew of such a prolong?tion of life after such an attack. could only have been effected by the strictest temperance, particularly abstaining from all alcoholic fluids. He used often to say he was "Jonadab, the son of Rechab," not taking "wine," or strong drink. I may add, that his mental powers were lucid and excellent to the time of his death.-I am, very sincerely yours,

This

JOHN HIGGINBOTTOM, F.R.S.
Nottingham.

"Mr. Robert Hall followed in the wake of the Arkwrights, the Peels, and others of similar celebrity, being contemporary with the Strutts, in the early period of the cotton manufacture. As a bleacher, he had the merit of first using chlorine on a large scale. Berthollet had discovered that this gas possessed the property of discharging all vegetable colours, and it occurred to Mr. Hall that it might be applied to the purpose of bleaching, instead of the tedious and cumbrous process till then employed, of long exposure to the air and light. On this subject he corresponded with Dr. Priestley and Mr. Henry, of Manchester, the chemical authorities of that day. Those philosophers, however, did not encourage Mr. Hall's enterprise; and the less philosophical men were so far from conceiving it possible to accomplish in a few hours or minutes that which had formerly required as many weeks, that they designated the place where the attempt was made, Bedlam'-a title which it still retains, as a perpetual memorial, it should seem, of the triumph of science over ignc

rance and prejudice. Success crowned Mr. Hall's persevering efforts, and to his genius this country owes the present mode of bleaching.

"Professor Liebig, in his 'Letters on Chemistry,' thus alludes to it as an object of national importance, and as one of the links upon which the maintenance of our colossal manufacturing system depends :

"But for this new bleaching process, it would scarcely have been possible for the cotton manufacture of Great Britain to have attained its present enormous extent-it could not have competed in prices with France and Germany. In the old process of bleaching, every piece must be exposed to the air and light during several weeks in the summer, and kept continually moist by manual labour. For this purpose meadow land, eligibly situated, was essential. Now, a single establishment near Glasgow bleaches 1,400 pieces of cotton daily throughout the year. What an enormous capital would be required to purchase land for this purpose! How greatly it would increase the cost of bleaching to pay interest upon this capital, or to hire so much land in England! This expense would have been scarcely felt in Germany. Besides the diminished expense, the cotton stuffs bleached with chlorine suffer less, in the hands of skilful workmen, than those bleached in the sun; and already the peasantry in some parts of Germany have adopted it, and find it advantageous.'

“Mr. Hall thus proved himself a practical chemist, and, in this clever application of science to a highly important object, it may be truly said that he evinced genius. He was deeply versed in the chemistry of that day, having closely studied the works of Black, Scheele, Lavoisier, Berthollet, and others. He was also intimately acquainted with

the philosophy and application of mechanics, and received a prize from the Society of Arts for the invention of a new crane.

"But it was not only for his scientific attainments and inventions that Mr. Hall was remarkable. His unaffected piety, benevolence of character, and sweetness of temper, endeared him in a peculiar manner to all who knew him. He possessed a refined mind, genial manners, and a very handsome countenance, beaming with kindness and intelligence. Being contemporary with John Wesley, he became one of his followers, maintaining a correspondence with him.

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"In the year 1797, on the separation of the Methodists, Mr. Hall was attached to the New Party,' or the 'Reformers.' A report had been raised that the New Connexion Methodists' were disaffected to Government. This was insisted upon so much, and became so popular an opinion, that it was brought before the House of Commons. hearing the name of Mr. Robert Hall, of Basford, mentioned as one of the disaffected body, Mr. Robert Smith, afterwards Lord Carrington, then one of the members for Nottingham, rose and said—'As long as that gentleman (Mr. Hall) is connected with the disaffected body all will be safe and right; there will be nothing wrong.'

"In 1812, at the time of the Luddites in Nottingham, when all the country gentry were in constant alarm for their lives and property, Mr. Hall received a letter signed 'Ned Lud,' the assumed name of the leader of that band of rioters, assuring him that not a hair of his head should be injured; so much was he beloved and respected. He died in 1827, at the age of 72."